Low lighting - one of my favourite qualities in a restaurant. That way when you walk in, you can be immersed in the atmosphere the restaurant takes time and energy to create. Maybe you can't see distinguishable features on the faces in the room, maybe you'll notice there is a live DJ spinning 10 minutes after you get there. The menu always seems more exciting when you have to squint to read it - the dark is more intimate.
I walked into Cafe Koi today at high noon - and the dark room was refreshing, although we did grab the seats by the window. It was a seat yourself, counter service kind of lunch - drop your bag and head up to the menu printed on the wall. The girls are the front were chipper - they handed us a wine bottle of water and two cups.
I had the roasted beet salad - fantastic. Fresh greens, feta cheese, pine nuts (possibly) and of course, roasted beets. Yes, I am a person who love beets. The salad was about $13 - but it was a full size salad with pita bread on the side. It was filling but not over filling - which is good because I'm practising the virtue of temperance lately.