| rev:text
| - When this place opened up, I was stoked. Finally something in my 'hood that wasn't: a) a chain b) fast food c) Mexican (don't get me wrong, I love some Mexican food!).
For months, I drove by Koi, and gazed longingly. I wanted to stop in, but I needed to cook for my family. They do not care for sushi. So dining there wasn't an option either. Finally, yesterday, an opportunity arose where I could dine there with some friends.
We decided to hit up Koi for a late lunch / early Sunday dinner. As soon as we entered, we were cheerily accosted by a very enthusiastic Korean lady. I'm not sure what she said, but she seemed really happy to see us!
There were maybe 2-3 other tables in the place that were occupied. Not bad for a Sunday afternoon. Upbeat 80s pop beeped and booped throughout.
We were seated and presented with some very embellished menus and a HUGE glossy menu of 50 rolls -- one for each state. Hoo boy. They seemed to each feature the same 4-5 ingredients (tuna, salmon, avocado, cream cheese, jalapeno, masago), in different configurations. There was also a regular sushi menu. The fancy book-like menu contained Japanese and Korean salads and entrees.
I opted for the Hawaii rolls (tuna and avocado). My compadres ordered the gyoza, tempura veggies, chicken yakitori, an avocado salad, and california rolls. While we waited, our super-cheery server brought some pretty typical miso soup.
When my rolls arrived, the first thing I noticed was that they were pretty stingy with the tuna. It appears that one piece was used for the entire 6 rolls. Many of the rolls contained no tuna whatsoever.
They were also very large and loose, making them quite a trick to eat. The rice was pretty bland and the tuna was OK. My friend's california rolls were one step above Safeway quality.
The tempura was pretty good. Light, and not greasy. The veggies were crisp. The gyoza was fried, and I suspect they were pre-made. I usually like mine pan-fried and then steamed. The filling had cellophane noodles, which gave them a weird, gooey texture.
The avocado salad was definitely on the "will order again" list. It featured a generous portion of ripe avocado served on crisp lettuce, with a tasty, spicy dressing. The chicken yakitori also got nods for being decently good.
While we were eating, or server kept the drinks coming, and cleared our plates often, which was awesome. She also stopped by with some rather yummy berry wine and gave us each a small shot, and encouraged us to toast loudly when we slung em back.
My verdict is, while I'm glad Koi is here, don't go there for the sushi. Go there for a cool place to hang out -- for something different in Glendale, that's neither shady nor overblown. The atmosphere is just right -- fun, friendly, and low key. Have some drinks and maybe some fried things or a salad, and toast loudly.
Update! 07/09/07:
I visited Koi again a couple days ago, and decided I needed to come back and give them another star -- just for their delicious, tangy / spicy / sweet octopus salad and their even MORE outstanding service and attention.
My sushi judgement got a little mellowed out. I had only ordered maki before, and didn't care for it. But one of my dining companions ordered tako sushi, and he found it quite decent (but not great). We did however, have another great time.
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