Dining: Hate Sushi? Koi Koi Restaurant Might Be Your Place

I have been a sushi hater since my first experience, in Tokyo, as a teenager. Friends (I thought), one American, one Japanese, excitedly took me on my first day in the country to a “great sushi bar,” where they somehow assumed I would be as ecstatic as they. I remember every detail of the excruciating experience: We sat on stools at a marble-counter bar. My friends ordered, and kept ordering. The chef kept plunking down little pieces of raw fish on the stone counter, which my friends translated as squid, eel, octopus, tuna, etc. No rice, no seaweed, no vegetables. I could almost handle the tuna, were it not swathed in wasabi – green, Japanese horseradish that made my face sweat. “Isn’t it great?” they asked. “Great,” I muttered with jet-lagged voice, concentrating on getting it down and keeping it down. And I had previously insisted that this would be my treat.

Years – decades – passed. Sushi bars became popular in the States but I never got near them. Then my teenage daughters learned about sushi from their friends, and started bringing it home from the grocery store. Eventually I tried a bite. Surprise! The only similarity was the name. I learned that in America, sushi doesn’t even have to contain raw fish. (I also learned, just today, that what I nearly gagged on in Japan was “sashimi” – a very different animal.)

So, while still not a giant sushi fan, I was willing to try Koi Koi in the Panera building when it opened in 2007. At the time they billed it as a “discount” sushi place. First impression: it’s not “discount.” Second impression: it’s not sushi! You can actually make a meal of this! Turns out that “California sushi” can be baked or fried, and not only is the presentation exquisite, the taste is as well.

I’ve eaten at Koi Koi from time to time ever since (but not when I feel really hungry). The food, prepared by Japanese, has always impressed, and the service, provided by Koreans, approaches perfection. The Asian standard of excellence is apparent: Koi Koi takes its business extremely seriously, and the customer is king.

Koi Koi’s location behind Panera has been a challenge, and I’ve always hoped to see more customers in the place. For the longest time the area out front was a construction pit, and only the cognoscenti knew of its existence. Add to that the dearth of occupants in the Spectrum, which should be the restaurant’s base clientele. But if Koi Koi can hold out through 2009, maybe its time will come. Two more restaurants are due to open in the Spectrum, and rather than creating competition they might provide a synergy.

We decided recently at Falls Church Times to confine our restaurant reviews to those establishments within City limits. Makes sense – that’s what our little newspaper is all about. So, with that criterion, I’ll state my opinion that Koi Koi is among the top three or four restaurants in the City. That’s mostly counting quality of food, presentation, and service. If you’re more into ambiance, Koi Koi might not be the place for that special anniversary night, unless you bring your own tablecloth.