Loading...
Koi Restaurant
Categories: Japanese, Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: West Hollywood730 N La Cienega Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 659-9449
- Hours:
Mon-Wed. 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Thu. 6:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 6:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
- Parking:
- Valet
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
289 reviews for Koi Restaurant
Review Highlights
Loading...
One of the best places I've been to in quite some time. We were new to Koi so we had the waiter make some suggestions. He asked our likes, then proceeded to spoil us with the presentations.
The only think I wouldn't recommend was the "crispy rice" dishes, as they were gooey, sticky and not appealing, but I have to say that the Salmon carpaccio was my absolute favorite of all... That alone makes me want to go back. Well, that and Bobby who was an amazing waiter!
We were served at a nice pace, he was attentive but not invasive. I must say that we went early enough to avoid the "star-seeker / want-to-be" crowds. I have heard that this place can be very "Hollywood" and I think we timed it just right, because when we left, TMZ was showing up with their cameras... LOL. I would suggest going early to avoid those type of crowds, and later to be the star-struck/wanna be type
:)
Enjoy!
You drive up, and there are very talented Valet personnel awaiting your arrival. Right off the bat I was impressed with the great service and amazing ambiance of the outdoor theatrics.
When my friend Jeff and I walked in to meet his parents in a corner booth, we saw something that was glimpse of what was to come: great looking sushi platters being taken to their respected guests.
Within minutes of ordering, we were eating some of the best sushi I have ever had. Granted, I am not much of a sushi guy, but Koi sold it for me.
I just gave Jeff a call, and we are planning on a repeat Koi pilgrimage tonight!
Excellent sushi bar despite the costs. The ambience is typical La Cienega Blvd. and the paparazzi mistake me for a rockstar.
Truffles on your sashimi? It works so who is complaining?
Koi is an absolute blast!! I've never had so much fun at a restaurant before! Great music, great ambiance, great service and most of all great food! It's massive and awesome!!
Drinks are good, but a little sweet for my taste but they have a full bar, where the vodka/sodas flow like water. Koi is the place I strongly suggest you go. Have fun and enjoy!
This was a very trendy place when I was living there, but who knows its been so long, that it may be obsolete by now, but it was a very cool place go out and get good sushi. The atmosphere was great, the service was good, including affordable valet service, and despite what people are saying about the price, I thought that it was pretty affordable for a LA sushi hotspot. I think we spent around $80 and got plenty of sushi and a big bottle of Sake, and we were left both full and drunk. If you are visiting LA or for that matter living in the LA area and you like sushi, Koi is a must try, and I am probably guessing that you will be a return customer.
That's what I call Customer Service. Yes, we Business sponsors do read these reviews. The GM Jeff wrote me a feedback from reading my review about the PEAR MARTINI I enjoyed. Offered for me to come have a throw down with the Bar Manager. Very Cool!
Can't wait to come back for my drink and enjoy the food!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
10/18/2009
I got to choose any restaurant for the night. WHOA!!!
Open Table, I tried, Spago's 2 hour wait,… Read more »
Man, all you hater's about this place need to shut your mouth. You know you are in the middle of Hollywood and there is no way in hell you can get in without reservations, not be bothered by expensive prices or be annoyed that other people are better looking that you.
This place is amazing. I made reservations for Koi at the hotel I was staying (never made reservations for a sushi joint before btw), arrived about 30 minutes prior. Valet picked up the vehicle and immediately I noticed the paparazzi standing outside. I still don't know who they were waiting for.
Anyhow, as soon as you walk in, there is a nice bar where you can order dranks and wait to be seated. Ladies, there are small candles burning everywhere so watch where you put your purses. I realized it a little too late after I smelled burning leather of my wifey's purse. But that's not here nor there.
The bar was delic, drinks are about $15 a pop. We started with a bunch of sushi rolls and Koi specialty plates. Everything was amazing, especially the rainbow roll. The chef makes a perfect combination of rice and fish and everything comes together as soon as you put it in your mouth...............phenomenal.........
Overall, with valet, food and drink, we probably spend about $180 between the two of us.
I had such a great time at the restaurant. We ate our meal like it was a 5 course dinner! We just ordered things a little bit at a time and enjoyed our stay there.
Advice, make reservations so you don't have to wait. But if you do wait, there is a great bar with wonderful decor so you can just hang out. It's a little dark in there though, kinda hard to read the menu. Ambiance was nice, the music was at a perfect level and it was all good music. Service was great, considering the place was packed out waiter was very attentive and nice! Taking off a star because they let you smoke in the "outdoor" section, which really isn't outdoor. So the smoke just gets pushed around the room by fans.
Drinks: I had a berry something special. It had raspberries in it and it was so yummy.
Appetizers: First up was veggie tempura. Nicely laid out and really tasty. We had fun trying to figure out what we were eating because they variety is really large. We had the cucumber sunomono next, which was presented in this awesome pyramid form. Made it difficult to eat because I didn't want to mess it up! However, it was really good! Miso soup was also something we had, good, but nothing special.
Main Course: We had the yellowtail sushi, so fresh and buttery! Great cuts and presentation. There was also on our table a shrimp tempura roll. Presentation was simple, but it was good. Rolls are a bit small for the price. There was also a bay scallop roll, which was yummy but I thought it would have been better warm than cold. We opted out of dessert.
I really enjoy Koi. Last night was my fourth or fifth time eating there and each time has been a pleasure. This review will cover last night's visit since I want to give extra stars to our server, Billy.
After a long day shooting, we took our clients out for dinner... for the most part, we just wanted some drinks and not to spend too much time thinking about ordering, menus, etc... so we asked Billy to put together a menu for us to share with a few caveats. He did a splendid job. Not only were we pleasantly full, but he was dead on with all choices. Everything was brought out in stages, so we did not have the issue of a bazillion plates on the table and he altered the order on all dishes to make sure each of the 6 of us had a piece/bite/taste.
We started out with seared tuna sashimi with foie gras and truffles. Lovely and the foie gras was served in tiny little pieces so those who were not fans could put it to the side where the fans could swipe in like foie gras vultures and pick them up. The taste was lovely - light with the richness of the foie gras enhancing it and bringing out an interesting depth.
Following this was a beef carpaccio - tasty - but what really stood out with this one was the little "salad" in the middle... flash fried shitaki mushrooms that almost tasted like a crispy cooked bacon fat... bad way to describe it, but we had to ask what it was - the flavor was amazing. I felt that was better then the actual carpaccio. The dressing is a yuzu vinaigrette... so tasty.
The crispy rice with spicy tuna is lovely - slightly sweet, great textures with a little kick.
There were lovely baked crab and rock shrimp rolls, they had a lovely sweet taste to them (not like sugar-sweet, but sweet seafood sweet.. if that makes any sense..)
the sashimi we had ranged from tuna to red snapper and all pleasant.
The weakest item was (I think this is what it was) the Rok n Roll.. roll. Is had a lovely presentation which included a little fluff of gold leaf, but the seafood was a bit dry and the flavors did not seem to meld as well as the rest of our meal had done so far.
Drinks were all done perfectly. Icy cold martinis, crisp gin and tonics... Billy even brought us extra olives since my table mates kept swiping mine.
Now for dessert.... we went insane and ordered the dessert sampler and a selection of sorbets. While all were tasty, the winner was the cheesecake. It was light, airy and not overpowering. The volcano cake was rich and chocolaty, the flourless carrot cake was interesting... very tasty, moist and lovely, but the other selections were stronger. The hot fudge and caramel sundae was also lovely - though it is a sundae... so nothing earth shattering there.
We had reservations and they were more then accommodating for some of our party being a bit late due to traffic. We also had one extra person - again, no problem.
I recommend sitting in the back patio. The front patio is nice, but you get the noise from La Cienega and from people queuing up in the entry way waiting to be seated.
Koi IS on the more expensive side, but in all my visits, I have been more then pleased with the service, the food, the drinks and the server's knowledge of the food and how they have put together selections. The decor is really lovely and I always enjoy a cocktail out front near the fountains and fireplace.
They even cooked up the shrimp heads from our order for two of our party who liked them.. they were battered and fried and the ones who wanted it really enjoyed the flavor and presentation.
Excellent, I love the Kobe beef and Blue fine tuna. This place isn't cheap, but you have to try it at least once.
loved the soft shell crab, tangerine cosmopolitans, and the service.
I've been to Koi a few times and have always had a good experience. I've always asked the waiter to just bring out what he thinks is best and they're always on the mark. If you're into the scene, it's still very vibrant there and can be a good place to take friends in from out of town.
I have to agree with many of the other reviewers. The hostesses here are so completely inept and rude that despite good sushi and decent decor I am struggling to even give them two stars. On more than one occasion, the hostess has been so completely rude (despite reservations) that the meal was ruined from the start. On one occasion, I thought I'd give them another shot since I was returning from a trip and longing for a sushi restaurant that was close to home. I phoned from the car to say we'd be about five minutes late since we were coming from LAX. On the phone it was no problem, in person the hostess was ridiculous and it wasn't even crowded. Koi for those who think it's still a hip place to be or who have low standards in service. I'd rather be enjoying good sushi with friendly service at Katsuya or Katana.
Great for entertaining clients, friends or dates.
Food is on par with other trendy places like Katsuya. I could have given it 4 stars but I've been here so many times, I'm kind of over it.
What's next?
Koi is great ,fresh and the waiters are very professional. If you cant get into Nobu (a block away) this is a good substitute. Let the waiters steer you based on your tastes..The Salmon carpaccio w blk truffles is great..My favorite is albacore w crispy onions..Some Fat old celeb was smoking the nastiest cigar out on the tiny patio and it wafted in all throughout the restaurant until all my sushi tasted like the inside of his ashtray what a way to ruin a meal.
Beautiful decor all around. Although, they would need to invest in a few lightbulbs as it felt really dark.
Food tastes fantastic and they arrive like little sculptures. Come with your credit cards as menu is pricey.
All they need now is to stage little ninja vs samurai fights in the courtyard and it would be perfect.
It was a Friday night and I strolled into Koi with no reservations, fully expecting a long wait. I'm not hip to "the scene," but I was here a few years ago and it was THE place to be. The idea of being at the center of some Tinsel-town scene made my stomach churn, BUT, from what I remembered, the food is so spectacular that I was willing to set aside these predicaments.To my surprise, most of the sushi bar was open and I got seated immediately. Either this hot spot has lost its luster or the economy's affected the industry more than I realized.
I start my meal with an order of toro sashimi from the sushi bar. Excellent. It was so good I forgot to take a picture. Melted in my mouth. By the way, have I shared with you my love of sushi chefs yet? I LOVE sushi chefs and this one was no exception. His name? Chi, who's actually Chinese, not Japanese. I asked Chi to surprise me with the dishes and keep 'em coming. He served a salmon sashimi with black truffles. The only thing I love more than sushi chefs is truffle. My mother says it's because my Chinese astrology animal is the pig. The next dish was a seared albacore with crispy onions - not my favorite. It was like funion flavored tuna sashimi...The onions were overpowering and crass. The hand rolls and dynamite rolls were above average and overall, I was pleased with the sushi bar. Unfortunately, then came the lamb chops...I love lamb chops and cook them regularly at home on the grill or in the broiler. I generally like my red meat to be seared so the outside is crusty and flavorful and the inside is juicy. These lamp chops were poorly seasoned, boring and just carelessly prepared. I like the taste of fire and charred fat on my chops and this had none of that. In the end, I was disappointed but not surprised that another over-hyped "sceney" establishment falls short when it comes to food.
So, overall, the sushi bar was good, but if you're gonna pay that much for sushi...there's much better places to go, like Jinpachi.
Koi is the most amazing sushi I've ever had! Crispy rice is awesome! We always just ask the waitress to bring out what she thinks we might like and it's always a treat. Never disappointing! Make sure to make a reservation, though, as they are always super busy. The one annoying thing about this place is the paparazzi that hang out in front waiting for pics of celebrities. But, if you want to see a celebrity, this place never fails. Seen one or more every time i've gone.
If you like stars, sushi, and impressing your date... this could be it. A fun place to eat and great sushi. This is the kind of place even (the I don't give a shit about sushi people) can enjoy.
Does this place really even need any more reviews? I just thought I'd say that it is worth the hype. Having lived in LA for a few years we finally decided to give it a go. I had low expectations because of all the celeb paparrazi crap surrounding the restaurant, but I was very impressed. The menu is great. Service is great. Ambiance is great. Definitely want to go back.
Koi is one of those Hollywood hotspots where all the beautiful people hang out. Known as Ari Gold and E's stomping ground, it makes regular appearances on Entourage. I recently dined here and was not impressed nor did I dislike the place. It has a sexy vibe, dim, sophisticated, and cute waitstaff. I had some trouble making reservations that day because their computers were down, which meant I missed out on Open Table points! The sushi was nothing to rave about, fresh (as it should be) though their portions seem small compared to other places. What it lacked in quantity, they did not match in quality unfortunately, maybe except when quantifying your bill. Their saving grace is the Kobe beef carpaccio which I love! It's one of their signature dishes and I'd definitely return just for that. There is also a beautiful patio facing the Buddha statue and fountain at the entrance giving it that zen vibe and literally clearing your mind when you walk in.
OK, so the food is a four for me. BUT the service is so ridiculously bad, that I have to knock it down a star. For me, eating out is about the food AND the service!! Or else I'd just stay home & cook!
The food is pretty darn good, but I wouldn't say it is worth the price they charge for food. For example, a rainbow roll is $18.00. It's just a normal size roll, and that is pretty ridiculous. We also had the asparagus & mushroom side, which was tender and salty and actually a good portion size for $9. The organic field greens w/ miso dressing for $9 was pretty decent as well. The chilean sea bass was consumed by three of our ten people, all loved it, but it's a pricey $29. We also had jumbo prawns, spicy tuna roll, salmon roll, and onion albacore. Would recommend the veg options, the veg tempura, the chilean sea bass, and the onion albacore.
As for the service, REALLY?! Our waiter was pretty decent, although the time before when we were here our waiter was kinda a (*&(*&. There, I censored myself. The hostess this time was a MAJOR B-I with the largest attitude problem I have ever seen. And since I work in BevHills, that says a lot. The girl who seated us was unprofessional, stuck up, and almost ruined the experience for us all. She came up to our group, after we waited 30 minutes to be seated even though we had a reservation, and said with an attitude, "party of ten. let's go" while flicking her fake blonde hair over her shoulder and almost rolling her eyes. Then when we were seated at the SMALLEST table ever (it was definitely a booth made for four people, and we had ten....) and we were a chair short, so we asked her for it. She looked at us and said **&chily "what??" then she practically tossed our menus at us. She may hate her job, but she shouldn't take it out on us just because her life sucks. Anyways, we were nice and respectful still, but really now. If you are that miserable, get a new job that doesn't require interpersonal interactions.
Yummilcious Factor= A-
Service = D
beautiful decor + beautiful people = a very 'zen-like' experience, indeed.
while, i was only limited to the lounge area to have dinner because my date and i were walk-ins, i had a very pleasant experience, nonetheless.
blame it on the 'mojito' i had or the 'mood lighting', but i felt like i was on heaven on earth. the person who did the interior design for this restaurant definitely knew there 'feng shui.'
and i ain't gonna lie. . .
i was about to fall asleep on that couch they had at the lounge area.
as far as the food is concerned. ..
it was. . . .good. wouldn't say it's the best. it sure was expensive and it sure was. . . small. no wonder el lay peeps are skinny!
anyway, overall. . . great restaurant. i enjoyed it.
I give this 5 stars for one reason and one reason only: the crispy rice sushi. You get 4 pieces of spicy tuna sashimi over pieces of crispy rice seared to a crisp in hot oil with a thin sliver of jalapeno and some special sauce. Yummm....this is my absolute favorite. I only wish we had a Koi in San Francisco, since I go through crispy rice sushi withdrawal when I'm not in LA or Vegas. It's pricey, but oh so worth it. Bonus: Occasional Celebrity Sightings while enjoying your crispy rice sushi!
The tables were too close together, you could literally just sit there and listen to the conversations right next to you.
Our waiter was good... food was OK. We tried the Rock n Roll (the one with gold leaves on top) and that wasn't bad. Crispy Rice was good but the fish on top wasn't great. The seared albacore with fried onion on top was lacking in albacore, all we ate was fried onions! The black cod entree was good - I'd recommend this dish.
Drinks were leaning on the expensive side, about $12 each. I think this place reminds me of Katana, only Katana is still better.
The decor is super slick and asian inspired which is what I like...When I go I usually go for Omakase where the meal is determined by the chef and highlights the freshest in season ingredients...I also like to have a "ty-tini" which is a martini made from TY KU (a sake based liqueur) AND the mango mochi for dessert YUM!....the service is good although it can be difficult to get a reservation, but well worth it...probably the best sushi in town!
Imagine there is a street with two car dealerships on it. One is a Pinto dealership (hereafter referred to as Koi), the other a Ferrari dealership (hereafter referred to as Nobu). The Pinto dealership only sells, well, Pinto's, however they have somehow bamboozled the public into thinking they sell Ferrari's. They have a nice, pretty Ferrari like showroom; movie stars and the rich and famous sometimes frequent them; they certainly charge Ferrari prices...but the service level is that of a Pinto dealership, and eating the food is akin to, well, driving a Ford Pinto. Now even though this is Los Angeles, the land of make-believe, facades, and fads would you still go and pay $250,000 for a Pinto? Because if so you should familiarize yourself with a story called the "Emperor's New Clothes".
Koi sucks. The service sucks. The food sucks. It sucks so much I'd rather go anywhere other than Koi for Sushi.
I had one thing that was good there - a sticky rice and spicy tuna thing. That was it. Everything else was beyond mediocre (DO NOT get the creamy rock shrimp tempura)
Go to Nobu. It's 200 feet down the street and outstanding (atmosphere and food). The service is WONDERFUL, the ambiance is so hot, the food is the best.
In fact, after my disastrous meal at Koi my girlfriend and I proceeded to walk down the street to Nobu and have a second dinner, which was outstanding.
Ok so the thing is this place is def not 5 stars and its def not 1 star.
The sushi is above average but not thattttttt good. Getting a table is a pain even though this place is a true has-been, more a of a tourist spot now because they saw it on Entourage. Not too overpriced but the service was not that great, however the waiter was nice.
2 ppl ordered the following
Sparkling water x2
sea weed salad
vegetable roll x2
california roll x3
spicy tuna on crispy rice
bowl of rice
lava cake
total $117.00 (excluding tip)
Koi is well, kinda predictable. The food was good, don't get me wrong. But the concept/ design/ menu have already been done. A LOT. I think that it was very expensive for the size of the portions...
Love this place -- Food is amazing and if your a smoke your can smoke while you eat in their 'quasi' patio area. Even if you don't smoke, I recommend the patio. Nice, dark, easy to talk with just enough music for the background. Very Cool.
I was more than impressed with Koi! My best friend from Maryland was in town and we decided to dine at Koi in hopes of combining great food with star sightings! Much to our surprise, we got to briefly speak to Mark Wahlberg (so f*cking sexy), and eat really good Japanese food! The service was excellent, very speedy, and the drinks were tasty as well.
Here's what we ordered and what I thought about it:
1.Lobster Avocado Salad: Absolutely awesome
2. Crispy Rice and Spicy Tuna: Great (a lil on the bland side)
3. Pan Roasted Druck Breast: Pretty Good
4. Japanese Wagyu: Yummy
5. Spicy Rock Shrimp Hand Roll: Really good
I would definitely dine here again and recommend it to all my friends!
Good food....kinda expensive. Good place for special occasions. Great quality food.
Was in town again for what is becoming an annual girls trip and of course we hit Koi again. This time not-so-drunkypants. Helpful.
I love the atmosphere here. Truly. The place is gorgeous. Service was, again, fantastic. Our server was not only attentive, fast and helpful but once she saw that we were a pack of smart-asses out for a good time she was also very funny herself. We gave her some of our favorite dishes and told her to suprise us with the rest. She hooked us right up. Loved her.
There were six of us so we got to try a lot. Here's the run down:
The uni nigiri was deliciously fresh and melt in your mouth.
Salmon carpaccio with black truffles was wonderful together. Not a pairing I would expect and surprisingly great. No skimpin' on the truffles either. Nice one.
Creamy shrimp tempura rolls - still fantastic. One of the best things goin' here.
Kobe beef carpaccio was a BIG standout. Definitely in my top three.
Dragon roll (not my favorite but everyone else at the table loved it) Normally I love Dragon Rolls and I didn't hate it.. it was delicious... just not on the top of my list.
Seared albacore with crispy onions - very good though I found the onions to be a bit overpowering.
Spicy tuna on crispy rice - very good but a little oily. Certainly wouldn't turn it away if offered.
Miso bronzed black cod (entree) was outstanding. The generous cut of fish was perfectly cooked and not overseasoned.
Kobe filet mignon "toban yaki" (entree). This is the second time I've had this dish and it remains the only one I would cross off the list. It's just not the best use of kobe beef in my opinion and we all agreed that we did not like the sauce.
I know we had some other tidbits but for the life of me I can't remember what they were. We had a ton of food.
Winner for the second year in a row. We will definitely be back again.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
4/20/2008
First and foremost our server was fantastic.
We were unfortunately late for our reservation, and… Read more »
Ok I've come to a conclusion about celebrity habitats. Either A) celebs have no taste buds or B) I'm just not cool enough...I'm opting for A thinking that celebs have had too much face work done that its somehow affected their ability to taste and smell.
I've come here twice and I have to say my first time, I LOVED this place. Their spicy tuna on crispy rice was insane as was the lobster roll. I also had a lychee martini to keep with the asian theme and although I spied a ton of celebs that night and the scene was pretty damn cool, I was happy to pay the $600 tab for 6. That's right folks, this place aint cheap!
My second trip was pretty much the same for celeb sightings, our group was seated next to the fire place and next to a pretty well known rock band. The lead singer even talked to us a bit and wasn't pretentious underneath his "fly" shades (look at that, I gave you a clue to who it was)
Anyway, I was so excited to have the spicy tuna on crispy rice again and I was soooo disappointed in the gummy rice and the fishy tasting and smelly tuna. UGH.
I heard that they did switch chefs there so that could be the reason why things changed, but seriously, when you pay a small fortune for raw fish you want it to taste good, right?
I'm sad to say that I won't be going back. I guess when something get's swarmed by celebs that are attention hungry that should be the first clue to dine somewhere else.
Expensive trendy sushi place, sort of like a Nobu-light.
Had the fusion tacos, which seem to be the next big thing, as well as a bunch of nigiri. The sea urchin was some of the best I've had. I got chatting with the chef behind the sushi bar, and he mentioned they get them in from Santa Barbara and are proud of them. Drink service wasn't as good, but was acceptable.
Prices were very high for what we got, hence the 3 stars. It should probably be a 3.5 in my book.
I came here for my birthday recently. It's definitely not the best sushi I've had, but you don't come here for the best sushi in LA, you come here for the ambiance and experience. It's hip, it's cool, it's somewhat zen-y, and it's also very expensive. That said, the spicy tuna on crispy rice was delicious and the toro sashimi (about 4 thin slices, served coiled) nice and fatty (oily) - just the way I like it. Super expensive though-almost $40 a pop. We also tried the special that night-kobe beef with peppercorn on a bed of truffle mash potatoes. YUMMMMMM! These were a few of the highlights, food-wise. The sushi was mostly alright, good, but not the oh-my-gosh-it's-so fresh-I'm-dying kind of good. Sad to say, their dessert was nothing special (we had the flourless chocolate cake with a symbolic candle on it for my b-day), pretty standard stuff.
Didn't spot any celebs that night, guess they don't bring their moms to Koi (it was Mother's Day when we were there), but it was full of beautiful people. Pretty interesting. This is my first time here, but I guess I'll be back. If only to soak in the mood, and to try more stuff on their menu!
Koi is consistently great.
Top things to order:
Cold Dishes
* Crunchy rice w tuna
* Salmon Carpaccio w truffles - so good we ordered 2 orders!
* Fresh crab handrolls
Things to avoid:
* Rock shrimp tempura
* Seabass was just mediocre
The only negative of the place - the drinks - albeit tasty, they have very little alcohol! I had 3 wasabi martinis (which are soooo tasty) and wasnt buzzed - normally I would be on the floor!
Cool vibe. I really enjoy the spicy tuna & creamy rock shrimp tempura. Chris is the BEST manager ever and tries hard to get me my table. If you're in a pinch you can always sit at the sushi bar as a walk in. Allot of action and people watching can happen from there believe me.
The place reminds me of Vegas. Downside is that it's expensive so watch your pocket book.
I love this place. One of the best places to get sushi!
Went with a few friends, and because they're avid Koi eaters - they had ordered for us. Absolutely yummy! I just wish I knew what they had ordered for me to review on them. I will visit again... and so should you.
FYI - definitely make reservations.
It's been nearly a year since my first visit to Koi in LA, but It's never to late to right a review!
I have also been to the Koi in Vegas last summer but Koi in Los Angeles will probably go down as the nicest restaurant I have ever eaten at next to Katsuya :P
We made reservations for an early 7pm dinner to avoid the crowds. I'm thinking the madness here died down vs. how it was 2-3 years ago when it was a hotspot for celebs and what not. The place was hard to find on La Cienega Blvd even in broad daylight if you are not a local...it's actually across Area nightclub and look for an outside with an exterior or brown wood.
You would never expect the inside looking the way it does from just the intital look of the outside. It is such a beautiful, soothing place, I especially loved the use of natural sunlight and the real bamboo adorned everywhere.
We were seated in the outside patio...which I heard is the nicest places to sit. Our server(s) were wonderful, never had attentive service from 2 handsome men before! He helped us with recommendations on what to order but he did not know much about the LA "night scene"
We ordered several sushi dishes, our favorite was the spicy tuna over crispy rice, you can't find a dish like that here in the bay area! We all still have cravings for it!!! The tuna tartare was also excellent and the rock shrimp rolls were also good.
Definitely expect to get dressed up and drop a load of cash (or plastic) here...a true treat if you are ever in the area, I guarentee you will remember this dining experience forever!



