Koi Restaurant

This comes close to being the best sashimi in the city (you’ll have to inferguess what my favorite is from previous reviews). Tuna tartare, dumplings, and the salmon carpocoio (sp?) are unbelievable, too. Two fellow diners kept on saying that it was literally the best thing they’d ever eaten in their lives, and they were probably right (for them, not me, a man of ‘refined tastes’ LOL!) I think sushi places often skimp on dessert, usually throwing you with mochi, which I hate and always thought was lazy, but this place does not. Go for the Koi sundae.
The décor is also cool, with a great ceiling fixture and mood lighting that gives that Internal Affairs/​Kill Bill ½ feel that I’ve either raved about (when present) or yearned for (when absent) in previous reviews of Swanky AZN restaurants.
So why, dear reader, did this not get the vaunted «Merlin Five»? Three reasons. First, our server was pretty condescending, even unfriendly, and I got that vibe I used to get when I visited Kim’s Mondo Video and rented Titanic. Second, there isn’t a sushi/​sashimi deluxe option that let’s you defer to the kitchen to create a combo. Third, and finally, P2P (price to portions) is a little off. We’re talking 4 dollars for a quarter-​sized dumpling here, and nearly the same for a piece of sashimi. Some of this is tourist inflation, some of it justifiable by the taste. But knowing there are exceptional places farther out from the immediate 42^nd Street radius, I know what’s going on.
But will I be back? Yessir. In the end, stimulation of the palate triumphs squeeze of the wallet.

I have been a fan of this place for the past few years. It’s a scene — brash and busy, it’s not your quiet minimalist sushi spot.
Once you get your table, get a big bottle of sake and settle in for the experience. Because, friends, the food is excellent. Sashimi and sushi rolls sing delightful delicate songs on the palate, while appetizers burst with flavor and imagination.
Why not 5 stars? It’s a question of status. This place believes it’s the best, and sometimes lacks manners as a result of it. But I can wholeheartedly recommend it — chances are, you’ll have a great time and not see that at all.

The food here was exceptional. I cannot believe I had never been here before! The ambiance and service were amazing.

This place is trendy and conveniently located across the street from Bryant Park but the food is just ok overall… at best. Tried the calamari salad, crispy rice tuna, Chilean sea bass, and the prawns. Prawns were pretty good and I also enjoyed the calamari salad. My tip… have drinks here and go elsewhere for dinner.

3.5 stars
I remember loving this experience while I was there but it was crazy expensive for what it was.
First, is the salmon wild or farmed? For what they charge, it BETTER be wild! Seriously. Salmon was well cooked. Sushi was good but it was nothing new.
Drinks were awesome but I was hesitant to order a specialty cocktail because I don’t like sweet drinks. I had a vodka martini and it was awesome.
Total scene, which I like. Dress nice, definitely heels. Until you get your AmEx bill, you’ll enjoy.

Very disappointed.
I wanted good sushi so didn’t mind paying for it, but wasn’t satisfied at all.
Definitely not worth the money. You can only order a la carte and they are $ 7 ~ $ 20 per 2 PIECES. No set menu not even for lunch.
Fish seemed fresh, but the texture of the rice was just off. Almost as if it was under-​cooked. i don’t think the rice was actually under-​cooked, but it certainly wasn’t cooked enough.
Haven’t tried anything else here. Just don’t order sushi. I guess sashimi would be okay.

I have heard about Koi for a long while now and haven’t ever had the chance to go until about a month ago.
I can’t believe it took me so long to come here! The ambience is really so beautiful and pleasing to the eye with its open floor plan. There are 3 «floors» to this place. There’s the main floor with some seating, some couches, and a small bar. And then about 7 steps up there is more seating, the main area. And then another 3 steps up is more seating.
The food at Koi is beyond words delicious. The fish is so so fresh and well prepared.
I have been there twice since, and everything I ordered was amazing.
Their creamy sea bass tempura is to die for!!! So crunchy on the outside and flaky and creamy on the inside. It was so delicious I had to order a second round!
The Koi crispy rice with either spicy tuna or yellow tail are both amazing options. The fish sits on a bed of perfectly crunchy rice and is the perfect pop of delight in your mouth! The yellow tail is so so creamy and melts like butter!
For dinner, I once ordered their miso bronzed black cod. Wow wow was it amazing! So flaky, it has this amazing miso crust that was the perfect contrast to its moist inside.
I will definitely be coming back for more. I can’t get enough of this place! Consider me a regular ;)

The service was awesome and the food was yummy! I especially loved Koi’s Crispy Rice. The Salmon Carpaccio was bangin’ too. The restaurant was very crowded at 5:30 on a Saturday and so there was a lot of background noise. Fine with me, especially because my group contributed to the noise-​making!

This is an incredibly GREAT restaurant. The food is amazing, the service is impeccable. The Koi krispy rice was WHOA!!!
I can’t wait until my next trip back.

What a incredible restaurant to eat at! The FOOD WAS AMAZING! The ambiance was great! The service was 10 Star! From the staff that waited on us to the Manager on Duty Shanah Walton who came to our table and recommended things to try! And she was on point with everything! I have never had a manager be so personable with me during my dinning experience. Thank you so much for an amazing dinner while visiting NYC! If you are ever in Bryant Park please go by and treat yourself to an amazing experience!

What an incredible restaurant! From the ambience to the food, I enjoyed every part of it. The setting is very romantic and modern. My date and I tried the lobster tacos, Koi crispy rice, Kobe Beef potstickers, and the shrimp sashimi on shrimp tempura avacado. Everything was amazing! Very tasty and filling.
I would have to say that the lobster tacos were the highlight of all of the dishes we tried IMO. Imagine lobster meat stuffed inside of a mini-​crispy egg-​roll-​taco! Delicious! We also ordered the mochi ice cream and that was excellent as well. I definitely recommend Koi for a date night. It’s a little pricey but well worth it.

Two words: sushi tacos! I have had crispy rice at other restaurants and I was not soo impressed with kois crispy rice although I would regret it if I didn’t order it! Being gluten free the sushi tacos were a huge hit for me! It was delicious and I will be back for them! The staff is so friendly and helpful! For someone whose water is empty within seconds, mine was never empty here– the staff constantly would fill my water up and I took notice to it– huge plus in my book. To wash the sushi tacos down I highly recommend the pear martini! I don’t often order cocktails or martinis but this I couldn’t resist– it even had chunks of pear in it!

This is a very good restaurant on the Bryant Park hotel. Ambiance is nice, space is a bit small and there isn’t a bar area. If you are early, there is a small lounge at the front. Drinks are very good. The portions seem to have gotten a bit smaller (I have been here 4 times in the past 2 years). Dessert is excellent. This place is definitely in between haru and nobu as another reviewer stated.

This is a great place to go on a date, it’s a very beautiful space. The food is good without being amazing. You pay the price for the place not for the food. It is overpriced when it comes to Japanese food. I would recommend the tune over crispy rice. It’s very good and hard to come by in New York City.

Had amazing food and a great wait staff. So happy we found this place tonight. Baked lobster rolls, northern light, sunrise and baked shrimp roll are amazing.

I will preface, I’m not a huge sushi fan, that said, the food was great and it was fun and entertaining selecting so many different offerings. Service was on point and the atmosphere was impressive. I loved the elevated dining area. It was a great choice for our group given it’s proximity to Bryant Park and our NY office.

Decided on Koi for dinner because of it’s location at Bryant Park and therefore close to GCT. What a little find this was! The inside was sophisticated and sultry, with a beautiful indoor garden atmosphere. We ate there on an early Monday evening, so it was quite open, and the hostess sat us at a large comfy booth in the back. The dishes are on the expensive side, but very much in keeping with the location and atmosphere. We started with Edamame as an app which was delicious… as most edamame is. We also couldn’t stop commenting on how delicious their Cucumber Sunomono was. It was thinly shaved pickled cucumber slices with sesame seeds, and it’s simplicity belied it’s complex and refreshing flavor. I opted for the Miso Bronzed Black Cod which was absolutely delicious and was second only to the same dish I’ve had at Nobu. My friend had the Organic Chicken Breast which came with seasonal veggies and warm sesame noodles. She raved about her dish and vowed to come back again soon. And go back I shall… very happily… and hopefully soon.

Whoever said these are THE best sushi in NYC… I think they never ate sushi. OR they only ate crappy sushi before. The sushi here are ok.
The asparagus and mushrooms are good though.

Nice space, modern décor, excellent service.
Crispy rice/​spicy tuna was superb. Sushi was high quality (Northern Lights)
Tuna tartar wonton things were OK, meant to share.
After dinner we checked out the club downstairs which seemed like a trendy/​young person’s spot. You skip the line if you eat at Koi.
It met my expectations for the price. You have to pay a little extra for better sushi…

If there is a hierarchy in sushi in NYC, Koi sits in between Nobu and Haru.
The staff is knowledgable on the menu. Can’t go wrong with their recommendations.

By far the best sushi in NYC. Excellent service and great ambiance. Get the ginger mojito it’s amazing! We will definitely be coming back.

Loved this place! I loved the ambiance during lunch. Even if the menu is a tad overpriced, the food is really good. Great for sharing!
We ordered:
Creamy sea bass (LOVE!)
Shishito peppers
Sunfire roll
Northern lights
We also had great service. Our drinks were always full and our waitress always came by to check up on us. Overall, great experience!

Really nice ambience… edgy and clubby. Upscale crowd. Miso soaked cod is fabulous… but the miso sea bass is unbelievable. Only thing bringing the five star rating down is the slight fishy taste of the spicy tuna in the double tuna role but I find that to be somewhat universal for spicy tuna rolls. Also the Kobe potstickers could have tasted fresher. The edamame dumplings were also fabulous.
Highly recommend: edamame potstickers, miso sea bass, miso cod

Great Japanese restaurant with a very spacious interior and high ceilings. Each menu item tasted very unique and had its own pizzazz of flavor. Service was also on-​point and quick. Would return. They also did surprise birthday candles.

This place is amazing! Came here before a Broadway show with my family. The location is far away enough from the craziness of Time Square, but close enough that you could have a nice meal and get to the show on time. Our reservation was a 6 pm, and we were seated right away.
We decided to do some shared plates for our meal. Based on our waiter’s recommendations, we went with the Northern Lights Roll, Sunfire Roll, Koi Crispy Rice with Yellowtail and Tuna tartare, and Kobe Style Potstickers. To drink, we had a crisp and fruity bottle of Sake. My mom and I love sushi/​Japanese fare, and we both agreed that this was some of the best we’ve had. The prices are higher, but the quality makes it well worth it.
Aside from the food, the décor was very authentic and aesthetically appealing. I can’t say enough about our waiter. Not only did he suggest some amazing items as i stated above, but he was friendly and constantly checked in to make sure we were enjoying our time.
Overall, I highly highly suggest coming he

Have checked out almost all miso black cod in midtown area hence put high expectations on this place as my friend was strongly recommending the black cod here — it didn’t let me down and we eventually ended up with a second order of miso black cod. Fish meat was tender and it absorbed the miso sauce perfectly while was not too savory, well done!
Other food was less remarkable yet still delicious — we ordered duck breast, yellowtail foie gras as well as the short rib for share and I have got the lychee martini. The only negative thing was the slow delivery speed — we have waited for our duck breast for more than half an hour — I’m so glad they didn’t forget our order at last!

Lunched here with colleagues and it was a great time. Décor is unique and very MoMA. Make sure to make reservations because this isn’t the type of place you casually pop into. We shared:
Crispy Calamari Salad — ⁴⁄₅
Lobster Tacos — 2.5÷5 we weren’t blown away
Albacore Tuna ⁴⁄₅
Spicy Tuna Roll — ⁵⁄₅
I had: Steamed Chilean Sea Bass. Two others had: Miso Bronzed Black Cod. Another had: Grilled Lamb Chops. We all loved our food. Fish dishes were buttery and delicious. Only deducting a star because they completely forgot my calamari salad — it actually came once we were all done with our meals, and only because we asked the waitress about it once she finally came and checked on us. All in all, I enjoy the atmosphere and the unique food they offer. I’d say Koi is worth a try.

Walk into the Bryant Park Hotel, and the first door to your right is Koi.
I didn’t try the sushi bc I would never trust my sushi at a fusion, westernized Asian joint. So, we both opted for the hot dish. SO got the Chilean sea bass and I ordered the lobster tail. I have a (genuine) gluten allergy and chose the lobster tail from their gluten-​free menu (it’s also on the regular menu). SO also had an appetizer– edamame dumpling, but I didn’t try it, so I can’t say how good that was. The presentation of all the dishes were great. My lobster tail was good. Not too much or too little dressing with a good amount of sautéed bak choi. The saketini cocktail was a bit too heavy with cucumber which wasn’t to my liking. While the food was good, it’s not good enough to be considered better than average good. Hence, Koi gets an overall 3.
The service was mostly on point. I just didn’t like the seat much– we had one of the front half-​moon booths, and it was just too bright for dinner. The bathroom is very clean but going down those flight of stairs in stilettos was a real workout.
This is my second time dining here, but I can’t recall my first time experience– guess my food back then was meh. This time was certainly more memorable but that might just be because of who I was with. The ambience is great for date night, and you can stroll through the park thereafter to help digest.

Cute place for lunch. Kind of noisy but food comes out quickly — which is convenient for a work lunch.
The crispy rice with tuna or avocado is a standout from the appetizers, while the edamame or the seaweed salad is standard. Their rolls are fresh and nicely prepared. Overall its a good staple for slightly up-​scale sushi. Agree with the ‘poor man’s Nobu comment’ someone else made. Sums it up perfectly.

In March; I dined at Koi LA.
I was most impressed how the sushi tasted the same at Koi NY.
I had showed the waiter a picture of a golden leaf roll from LA. They duplicated the order from the picture to perfection.
I was most impressed with the exceptional service we got at Koi NY. From the hostess, to the waiter, management, to water service and busser.
I would say; koi NY demonstrated the best team work, and service I’ve seen in restaurant staff.

The rich man’s Haru and the poor man’s Nobu. That’s where this place sits in our heads. Folks who love fusion will love this place, and purists will dismiss it as overpriced and pointless.
We’ve been here many times for business lunches, which prompted the decision to return for dinner. Don’t know why we never noticed this before but for some bizarre reason there seems to be no sushi entrée set and they make you order a la carte it seems.
No matter — we order the hot food anyway and we went with the creamy shrimp tempura (which basically a derivative of the rock shrimp appetizer that is done at Nobu and Morimoto), the lobster tacos, and the tofu and vegetables. The shrimp was fine but the lobster tacos were a bit bizarre and the tofu/​vegetable dish was offensive in terms of what you get for the money — it’s basically ~3 small slices of tofu with probably two stalks of thin asparagus and some snow peas… not too different from what you would get from the garden variety Chinese restaurant on Seamless.
The vibe is also completely different between lunch and dinner. During lunch hours it seems quieter and it’s possible to have a conversation. For dinner it will be impossible to hear yourself think.

Im Rahmen unserer New York Reise waren wir auch hier in diesem Restaurant. Das Restaurant ist wirklich sehr schön und stylisch aufgemacht es befindet sich in einem Hotel. Hier kann man schon ganz gut japanisch essen allerdings sollte man sich auch vorher die Preise auf der Speisekarte anschauen. die Weinauswahl des wirklich sehr gut und die Speisen werden alle frisch zubereitet und schmecken prima! Das Restaurant bietet im Untergeschoss auch eine Cocktailbar an, in die man im Anschluss nach dem Essen auch gehen kann und dort tanzen oder einen Cocktail einnehmen kann! Die Lage am Bryant Park ist wirklich sehr schön wir waren nicht wirklich von diesem Restaurant überzeugt. Es hat gut geschmeckt es war alles in Ordnung aber es war jetzt nicht etwas wo wir gesagt hätten das ist Spitzenklasse ist. Das Essen war o. k. aber der Preis war entsprechend hoch. Daher Preisleistung nicht ganz in der Waage.
Nicht zu vergessen ist natürlich dann auch hier entsprechend der sehr hohe Tip! Das sollte man auf jeden Fall bedenken und auch beachten. Sonst ist man vielleicht später schnell zutiefst erstaunt, wenn man die Rechnung bekommt! selbstverständlich wissen wir, dass in Amerika die Mitarbeiter in Restaurants vom Tipp leben, aber es hat uns doch etwas befremdet den Tipp direkt auf der Rechnung im Geldeswert entsprechend angezeigt zu bekommen.