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| - I really wish this place lived up to all the rave I read about here on Yelp. A tiny shop that's got a simple Japanese tapas bar setup with a diverse menu and a full house! I was shocked by the number of people here in the middle of the week for dinner - it wasn't even warm weather that day.
My friend and I were eager to catch up over a few shared items, so we grabbed the agedashi tofu, grilled eggplant, okonomiyaki, karaage, and an udon bowl. It didn't seem like much but it was plenty for our small appetites. She doesn't eat raw fish, so sashimi and tataki items were out of the question. Normally, this is totally not a problem at a location with this kind of menu, but it seemed like that was what everyone was talking about here at Koyoi, or there's been a lot of changes to the kitchen since those amazing reviews.
Overall, the food was nothing to write home about. Everything was just ok, if not worse. I struggled to give three stars but wanted to give the benefit of the doubt that we just didn't get their signature items. The agedashi tofu had a stubborn sticky coat that refused to separate with my bites, which ruined the experience. The eggplant was accompanied by bonito flakes - the flavour combination was poor and my eggplant was way overcooked. Everything else was passable, meaning I could go elsewhere for better.
There was also a lack of ventilation and sitting near the back beside the washrooms and kitchen meant odd odours wafted at us all dinner. Not the greatest, but something attributable to our poor luck.
For the price, and the location (so close to so many other options!), I won't be back.
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