Koi is another of those trendy Los Angeles restaurants that attract the city’s A-list crowd, but most of the time wannabees and people are just there for the food because Koi offers some really delicious Japanese cuisine with a good punch of California added to it.

In addition to Los Angeles, Koi also has venues in Las Vegas, New York and Bangkok, but the movie city settlement is where you go for people-watching opportunities. We would never have reviewed Koi if it was not for the fact that if you look behind the stylish setting and the busy crowd, then you will find some high quality sushi and contemporary Japanese cooking well worth the visit.

Start your evening with some roasted shishito bisque and a lobster avocado with shiitake mushrooms and tofu-lime dressing and you know it is going to be a fine night. Continue with a couple of Koi’s cold signature dishes, such as the seared tuna jalapeno with garlic chips and do not forget the seared tuna sashimi with foie gras and truffles. The dishes are light so of course you have some more room for Koi’s hot signature dishes like the miso bronzed black cod or the Kobe style filet mignon “Toban-Yaki”.

We have been to Koi several times and so far without any bigger disappointments in regard to the food, even if the restaurant is typical Los Angeles busy and American indeed in its approach. We can sit in the restaurant for hours just having the sushi with Koi’s dragon roll, baked lobster roll and the spicy rock shrimp tempura hand roll and that is not bad. Not bad at all.

Images courtesy of Koi Restaurant

Written by John