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| - Before writing this review, I've been to Clever Koi about four times. The first time was with a group of Asians, the other was to impress a friend from California, and another was because it became my go-to restaurant to catch up with an old friend. The fourth time I went with 10 people from the crew and that's where the fun happens.
Overall, if you want good, yet unique food at a central place in Phoenix, this is a great place to get your Asian fix. There are a lot of very trendy restaurants around this area but I have not found a better Asian one than this one. You can really feel the "hip-ness" of the place, with its contrasting blue bar fighting with the orange, elegant dining room.
To iterate, the restaurant was made by three not-Asian owners which is perfectly ok. As much as I would love to judge authenticity, this place isn't authentic Asian food but it doesn't have to be. This place has great food and because Asian flavors are so unique and flavorful, I can see why they decided to go with an Asian inspired restaurant.
When waiting for a seat, enjoy the visually pleasing cook books that are placed near the front of the restaurant. They have nothing to do with the food, but they are a good read.
I've eaten the steamed buns, the ramen, the duck curry and the seafood soup over the course of the three times I've been there. I can remember food very easily if it's truly exceptional.
Let me tell you, these guys nail pork belly so well. In both their buns and their ramen, their pork belly is textured on the outside and melty on your inside. Weird descriptions, but this is necessary for this type of pork belly. You want the outside to have a roasted feel and the inside to melt in your mouth. Think of it as really Asian bacon, but with a different goal: an amazing texture.
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