Koi, NYC, New York
When Le Privé, a French restaurant located in Hell’s Kitchen, cancelled our reservation for our dinner on a Friday evening (not the first time), I was thinking that, anyway, there are plenty of places in New York we could go to for a last minute change of plan. And that is how we ended up in Koi Bryant Park. I love this place, located in The Bryant Park Hotel. Modern, with an impressive ceiling that gives an intimate atmosphere to the dining room, dominated by the sushi counter where you can slightly see the Chefs crafting the dishes.
The meal started awkwardly as I ordered a cocktail, the Sun Toki, made with Japanese Whisky. I asked for the name of the whisky and, as the waitress brought the drink, she mentioned that it was a Jack Daniel’s, the delivery of the Japanese whisky being for the next day. I could not believe it and I am glad I asked as there is a big difference between the two kinds and they should probably be more upfront with their customers. So I sent the cocktail back and asked for a glass of unfiltered sake, Nigori (cloudy) Kamoizumi “Summer Snow”. Good name considering the color of the sake that comes from the rice particles in it.
Nigori at Koi, NYC, New York
The sweet taste of the sake paired well with the appetizer we ordered: their famous crispy rice sushi that we topped with truffle avocado (you can also chose to have spicy tuna or yellowtail tartare). I admit that I was a bit surprised to see only 4 pieces of it. This is a great dish: when you bite, you get the flavor of the truffle (oil) and softness of the avocado, combined with the crunchiness and chewiness of the rice. If you go to Koi, this is a must have.
Crispy rice at Koi, NYC, New York
Crispy rice at Koi, NYC, New York
For her main, Jodi got the tofu and vegetables that was prepared with a sweet and spicy ginger sauce. This was a nice vegetarian dish, the only one in the entrees, the highlight being the tofu that had a nice char.
Tofu and vegetables at Koi, NYC, New York
On my side, I hesitated between the Miso Bronze Black Cod and the Sweet Chili Shrimp roll, one of their signature rolls, that was composed of shrimp sashimi n top of shrimp tempura and avocado roll. I chose the latter and regretted a bit my choice. Not that the roll was not good, but I was expecting better for the price. Especially the crunch of the tempura that was non-existent, making me wonder if the dish had been sitting there for some time (our entrees took time to come).
Sweet Chili Shrimp at Koi, NYC, New York
Sweet Chili Shrimp at Koi, NYC, New York
Dessert was good, but we were also expecting something better: we ordered their flourless molten chocolate cake. It was good but slightly over cooked so when we cut it, we did not have that much chocolate oozing onto the plate.
Flourless molten chocolate cake at Koi, NYC, New York
So, overall, we left a bit disappointed with Koi. The food was good but expensive, and for the price we paid, we would have expected better dishes. Not sure I would go back soon for modern Japanese cuisine!
Enjoy (…)!
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Koi - 40 W 40th St, New York, NY 10018