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Categories: Japanese, Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: West HollywoodMon-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.
"I eat a lot of Thai food. This place is better than most. Maybe I should give it five stars. Must get the Rito. Just go. Don't hesitate. …" read more »
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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.
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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.
People thought this was:
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!
I got to choose any restaurant for the night. WHOA!!!
Open Table, I tried, Spago's 2 hour wait,…
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Good food....kinda expensive. Good place for special occasions. Great quality food.
Excellent, I love the Kobe beef and Blue fine tuna. This place isn't cheap, but you have to try it at least once.
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.
People thought this was:
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.
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!
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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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!
People thought this was:
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.
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)
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.
People thought this was:
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.
First and foremost our server was fantastic.
We were unfortunately late for our reservation, and…
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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!
standard high-end sushi
delicious. you get what you pay for here - ambiance is nice, food is excellent. a few interesting things on the menu, but it just feels like the same old thing all over again. if you like that same old thing (and i am not saying i don't - think katana, sushi roku, etc.), this place is great. just not particularly inventive.
Pros:excellent sushi
Cons:not especially creative
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.
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.
People thought this was:
We could not get into the Belmont across the street because Alex was wearing a pair of open toe sandals....so the Anadez recommended Koi to us.
We arrived around 8 pm and the hostesses asked if we had a reservation (we did not) and if we wanted to sit inside/outside. We asked for outside, and were seated. There couldn't have been more than 7 tables full.
Paul was our waiter and he was just great, good recommendations, and always there with a drink. Well done.
Started with a California roll and salmon cut role - they were just ok. The crispy rice tuna was a house special and it was EXCELLENT. I had the kobe beef toban for an entree (it was soooo goood) and Alex had the salmon (excellent). Drinks were small, but good.
Best of all when we left we saw a photographer outside on the sidewalk....we asked who he was waiting for and he said a teenage girl....we let him know there were a few. As we chatted him up, he said Koi had been hot once, but was not anymore, and they were know for the worst valets in the city (he was right). He did say all the restaurants in the area were good and that there were many.
Would I return to Koi? NO WAY --- overpriced. The LA "scene" makes me laugh anyway!
California roll 9.00
Salmon cut roll 9.00
Crispy rice 16.00
Roasted Salmon 28.00
Kobe Beef Toban 48.00
2 Ketel One 24.00
3 Tanqueray 36.00
Sapporo 9.00
Total - $196.46
You pay for the atmosphere and presentation of the food. Ingredients used are not what you'd expect at those prices, but the food is tasty with room for improvement. Ate with a large group family style so I had a chance to try many dishes. Most were fusion, so don't look for authenticity, but they still could have been on better quality. For example, the seared tuna was Albacore (slightly better than canning tuna) and not Yellowtail/Ahi, Big Eye or Bluefin. Yet, the BBQ Japanese eggplant was phenomenal. I'd recommend this place for it's atmosphere, but don't expect to be blown away by the food.
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.
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!
It isn't the food at Koi that makes it great. The food isn't bad though. The paparazzi, however, are not outside waiting to take pictures of the food. Interesting idea for an ad campaign, paparazzi taking pictures of sushi -- but I digress. I once got into a fight in the courtyard here. The paparazzi came running. They saw it was only me and walked dejected back to the front. Delicious.
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!
People thought this was:
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.
People thought this was:
Koi is what it is... The sushi is fresh, but yeah, it's expensive. My recommendation? Go here with a date, get a bottle of sake and pick at the appetizer menu. Apps range 10-20 and are a fun size to share with a date. She'll be impressed and can tell her friends you took her to Koi, you'll be full.
The tuna tartare is good, as are the wontons.
I was visiting LA for the weekend and we decided to do something off the beaten path...a place where no one goes...an intimate hidden gem in the culinary rock bed. Then we did the exact opposite and went to Koi.
Honestly, I wasn't expecting much other than pretty good looking people (maybe a celeb or two) and mediocre food. We had a 9:00pm reservation, but they made us wait a long time, despite empty tables being in plain sight. (-1 star service) Anyway, a 22oz. bottle of Sapporo, cougars, and interesting decor helped pass the time.
Finally seated, ordered a variety of rolls, appetizers and entrees to get the full experience.
Standout:
- Yellowtail Carpaccio - delicious, fresh, and so clean (clean)
- Crispy Rice w/ Tuna - i think the signature dish, deserved.
- Dragon Roll - I don't know what goes in it and I don't care.
Pretty good:
- Kobe Beef Carpaccio
- Baked Lobster Roll
- Tamago Roll
- Sea Eel Roll
Ugly:
Edamame - basics people...basics...
All washed down with a delicious bottle of sake, of which name I can't remember. The cute waitress was cool too (+1 star service)
Wouldn't go here again because of the ample choices available, but worth trying once for sure.
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!
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The dinner of my 21st.
Crispy rice with tuna. (Wow)
Rainbow roll.
Some other sushis that were delicious and that I've forgotten.
This place is quite pretty and lovely.
Frankly, I got pretty intoxicated quickly for my birthday.
But I remember enjoying it!
People thought this was:
Good sushi, GREAT ambiance..
you cannot go wrong here, though it is a bit pricey.
But at least your likely to get an autograph if you pay attention to who's walking in with their entourage..
Paying mostly for the atmosphere; but at least you get your monies worth..
People thought this was:
Well, this is a good place if you want to spend a lot for good Japanese/ Asian fusion dishes and fresh sushi/ sashimi. Koi has nice crowd, too.
The food is good. But some dishes are waste of your money especially for the portion-wise. You & I can get better Japanese food elsewhere. Not that the food is bad, the food-price ratio is not so good.
I liked their crispy rice spicy tuna. If you take me, I will be there again ;P
People thought this was:
Recession friendly happy hour
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
Lakers happy hour and free…
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Beverly Hills
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Beverly Hills
Category: Chinese
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