11/05/09

PERFECTION

by MadisonSid

Best food I ever had. The black cod and short ribs were to die for. The rock shrimp that everyone raves about lived up to every expectation and the sushi was super fresh and tasty.

The portion size was perfect as I hate leaving a restaurant feeling ill from the oversized abundance most places tend to fill you up with.

The staff were friendly and our waiter was great. We even met the Chef and he was wonderful not to mention easy on the eyes!!

• Pros: Food and The Chef
• Cons: None

07/06/09

Best Sushi Ever

by 1234jg

Absolutely fantastic sushi! I came here for dinner with an old friend who frequents this establishment a few times a week. He did all the ordering and my god, it was spot on. The crispy rice with spicy tuna was fantastic. The drinks here were fabulous as well. Very packed place, which is a good sign. Atmosphere was a great vibe. If you want great sushi in midtown, check this place out.

• Pros: Sushi

12/28/08

Does not live up to all the hype

by MikeyZ22

I have dined at many of the fine Japanese restaurants in NYC and just tried Koi for the first time last night and was not impressed.

Service

Seated promptly & service was great

Food

Extremely small portions (not worth the money)

Albacore with cruncy red onions was about 3 thinly slices pieces of fish with a mound of fried onlions on top. Was certainly not worth $14 and really didn't have any great taste to it.

Server recommended the Crispy Rice as an appetizer which he said was a favorite. It was 5 rectangles of deeply fried white rice with spicy tuna plopped on top. It was very oily and when you bit into it, there really wasn't any crunch. The pieces of fried rice kind of stuck to your teeth and inside of your mouth. It was definitely not worth it for $16 and did not start off the meal right.

The sushi rolls were tasty but nothing to die for and the black cod was delicious.

Wine

About 15 bottles to choose from with the starting price around $42 which is a little over priced

Ambiance

Large room nicely decorated with loud music. Our table was upstairs in the back. The only problem with the seating is that one person gets a nice view of the door leading to the kitchen and the other gets a view of the room.

Comparison

Compared to other restaurants such as Sushi Samba, Nobu, Matsuri, Haru & Momoya etc I would rank Koi last and do not think I will return there again or recommend it to others.

• Pros: Ambiance
• Cons: Quality of food not on par with other pricey Japnese Restaurants in NYC. Not worth the money!

11/07/08

i like koi

by bulgoki

I travel quite often to NYC from LA and although i have been to the Koi in LA, i think i favor the koi in the city much more. The food is consitent from LA which is great, because i know i won't be surprised with something unexpected and weird...LOL!!!! I love their miso black cod, sea bass, shishito peppers, tiger prawns, tuna tartare. i'm not a big sashimi person, but i do love sea food...koi seems to know exactly how to satisfy my picky tummy. :) As much as i love the dinner menu, their lunch menu is just as great. It gets a bit noisy there, but that just shows you how much people love the place and frequent there. I mean would you dine at a restaurant that didn't have a line or didn't have any customers? I wouldn't...I can't end this review without talking about the decor, the bar, and the service. ALL excellent!!!! For those fo you who love fine dining and can afford it, should add Koi to the list of restaurants to visit. If you are lucky, you will fun into a few celebrities here and there. The last time i was there, i saw Cynthia Nixon dining there with her friends enjoying a nice lunch for 4. :)

• Pros: service, food, wine list, ambience
• Cons: none?

06/20/08

NOBU IS NO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!

by PennyPretty

I have been traveling around like a mad woman trying to find the best sushi- and you know what? Koi takes the cake. I swear, all of these other NEW TRENDY up and coming places just fall behind Koi. I love that netting thing that they have over the celing. I have no idea why people bash this place..... its really really quite fabulous. Like everyone says, you must try the crispy rice and the miso bronzed black cod....

And to be honest.. It really beats any other sushi place

• Pros: BEST IN THE CITY
• Cons: I cant eat there every night

05/04/08

Amazing Food but Very Small Portions

by msa23ic

Koi lived up to our high expectations. The service was amongst the best in the city. The food was outstanding and the decor was great. However the portions were borderline between small and tiny.

If you order one thing when you go to Koi get the Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna. My wife and I agreed this was the best appetizer we have ever had. We nearly ordered another one after our main course (we were still very hungry). The sushi is good but ridicuosly priced for the portions. Entrees, tiger prawns were delicous as was the steamed Chilean Sea Bass. However for the price they charge the piece of fish should be bigger, actually it should be a lot bigger. We loved our meal but were so hungry even after each having an app and entree we felt a little jipped.

I would still highly recommend Koi it but be prepared to spend a lot for good food but to either be hungry or poor when its all done.

• Pros: Great food, atmosphere and service
• Cons: Crazy small portions

02/15/08

Great Valentine's Date

by duranie70

My husband and I went last night, we had reservations, no wait to sit down.

The food was really good. I had the miso glazed black cod and a California roll and we split the chocolate almond fondu for dessert. I also enjoyed the saki. Service was very good. I have no complaints. They even gave us heart shaped cookies to take home. I thought the decor was breath taking, candles and orchids all over. I highly recommend it.

• Pros: Romantic, terrific food

10/05/07

A celebrity favorite from L.A. lands in the Bryant Park Hotel, delivering stylized Asian cuisine along with a glamorous crowd.

by Kathleen Squires

The Scene
A giant white fishnet lines the walls and ceiling, tethering in fashionable socialites to this dark, sexy pond. Comfy beige banquettes, bamboo plants and mod chandeliers accentuate a stylish spot so favored by the voguerati that you can forget about booking a table during Fashion Week.

The Food
The more exciting, fusiony items shine over the standard sushi. Dishes like carpaccio-thin hamachi, smartly marinated in salty soy, sharp wasabi, citrusy yuzu and an earthy hint of truffle oil, reminds diners that this is more than an afterparty. And the celeb clientele can't upstage bites of crispy, chewy rice blocks topped with smooth, chili-marinated tuna. Plates arrive in quick succession, but take time to savor the sugary skin of the miso cod, the crispiness of rock shrimp tempura, or the Peruvian yellow pepper puree bolstering the smoky hanger steak.

09/06/07

Really? Cause we had a blast?

by jflatiron

jerlevdo-

We're you there on Saturday? Cause my gf and I had a blast. Service was fine and the food was as good as everyone said it would be. Did seem like we were the minority as New Yorkers, but I still had a great time. I was actually surprised by your review.

Definitely would recommend.

09/03/07

The ROPING of a lifetime

by jerlevdo

While I will admit that some of the food was really good, I'm not sure that I'll go back based on the service alone. The night started with our waiter bringing us bottles of still water while we clearly asked for tap...then he said that he would only charge us for one even though he felt that the table needed two as he poured the first one into our glasses. We were telling him no and he just walked away and charged us for the bottle we didn't want. Then he brought out an extra roll that we didn't order and that we mentioned to him was extra. He then told us it was "no problem" the ADDED IT TO THE BILL!!! He did that with literally 3 different items on the menu. He brought us the wrong roll, charged us for that. I asked for a light beer and he brought a regular. I asked for a sprite, twice, after he didn't bring it the first time, then he charged us for two. After we explained the situation he proceeded to defend himself. We asked to speak to the manager, who never came over. He just sent our waiter back with a corrected bill. The hostess was nice enough to forward on the GMs information and was genuinely apologetic. The waiter and the manager, however, did not seem to care much for the mistakes made. We are not very big on complaining or making other people uncomfortable...basically, this situation was so bad that I'm actually taking the time to write a review and to give the general manager a call. There's nothing fun about having a moderately expensive meal that is such a dissapointing experience. Brutal.

• Pros: Good food if brought correctly
• Cons: Horrible service