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| - I've been following Red Koi since the sign went up before they opened, and I waited to write a review until I could give them four stars. They have definitely improved over time. This is Izakaya-style pub food, not Japanese fine dining, and they do a good job of it.
Our most recent meal was the best yet. We had five dishes plus sake during happy hour, thoroughly enjoyed all of it, and the check was just $31. For $2, the tempura onions are a delicious no-brainer addition to any meal. The chicken katsu is excellent (though the pork katsu, when I've had it, has been tough). The sushi is great and beautifully presented, though anything dipped in soy and wasabi tastes good to me (having taught English in Japan for a year, I enjoy sushi, but am no connoisseur). At a previous meal, my wife ordered fried rice but wanted the meat replaced with vegetables. The chef added small brown mushrooms that looked gorgeous and added a wonderful earthy note to the rice.
I have one big gripe with Red Koi. They serve pho. Not ramen, pho. I love pho, but there are dozens of Vietnamese pho joints along the Dobson Asian corridor that make it much, much better than Red Koi ever will. Why, Red Koi, why? Do you want to make good Japanese food, or sink into pan-Asian mediocrity?
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