Koi Ki Harborne — Restaurant in Birmingham

Food is great but the service and atmosphere isn't. We were a group of 6 in a half empty restaurant and felt rushed as if the queue was huge out the door it came across so clear they wanted us in and out. We were rushed to order (fair there was a party table they said to order before them, ok). But none of it came across friendly. Staff all seem like teenagers one didn't know the dish name and laughed and placed it in the middle of the table instead of going to check. The other lad at payment time said he was rubbish at maths (in terms of us paying different amounts) A note to management team: please research "Maslows Hierarchy of Needs"... delivering the food is the lowest level of the customers experience as it is the bare minimum expectation for a restaurant to provide food. But to get good star ratings and connect with customers, you need to provide great service on top of just nice food! Service is what impacts and enhances a customer's experience and their likeliness to return/recommended. You're approach is so wrong, if I walk into a restaurant that's full and people are waiting at the bar, its positive! I'm not going to complain as long as the communication is there people will happily wait. But what is wrong is rushing paying customers and jeopardising their experience just to clear a table for the next customer who hasn't even fully arrived yet.. its like table OCD! The customer is not going to run away if they have to wait 10minutes! The restaurant was not full the 2 times I've been yet I've felt so rushed and pressured. The manager at the door looked at us as if he was ready to turn us away until we said we was part of a booking, so rude. Try hi ladies with a warm greeting first! We got asked twice (about 2 minutes apart) if we want to order desserts the second time by the same manager who was clearly wanting us off the table asap as if the queue was out the door like Nandos! Its not a fast food place or fast food price so match the service to your menu and vibe please. Its a shame we could tell the nervous energy rubs off on staff to the poor girl didn't know what to say when we asked why everything was so rushed. I will email this review to the restaurant as well pls pls look into maslows hierarchy of Needs its simple stuff but you will see a difference in your customers and train yourself and young staff to be provide a welcoming, warm but...

Firstly, I’ve never left a review for a restaurant in my life, this experience was so awful I feel compelled to prevent as many people as I can from wasting their money here, first red flag, walked in on a Friday and there was a grand total of two people in the restaurant, now food, chicken gyoza starter was obviously frozen, crab tempura starter was so fishy I nearly gagged it’s obviously been out the sea and in a freezer for far too long, my girlfriends salmon main came, and had a huge hair woven into the side salad, when I informed the waitress she pulled it off the plate in front of us leaving salad scattered over the table, when she returned from the kitchen she informed us that they have no clue where the hair came from as it was blonde and all the chefs have brown hair, concerning to say the least, my chicken katsu came with a curry sauce that was congealed and so boiling hot it was obviously done in the microwave, as was the rice, and the only conciliation we got for this vile experience was 15% off the bill, which they brought over with a £7 service charge included, I complained that the 15% didn’t even cover the price of the crab starter, the waitress took the bill back to her manager who was cowering over in the corner, he then told her that once the bill has been printed it can’t be changed so all they could do was take off the service charge, a lie that insulted both mine and the waitress’ intelligence. I feel awful for this poor waitress having to serve prison food and be employed by such a spineless, careless manager that lies and can’t even be bothered to come and speak to customers who’ve had so many issues with their food, leaving her to pick up the pieces. If the owner of the restaurant is reading this, and has any desire to run a restaurant that doesn’t leave people wishing they’d gone to McDonalds instead, sack that manager, get rid of the microwave, and the freezer, get some chefs who have an ounce of pride in the food they serve, and train your staff. Truly, the worst restaurant experience I’ve ever had in my life. I desperately hope this place can either improve...

Atmosphere: A lovely setting, perfect for a celebration. Service: The staff were very friendly and attentive. Halal Options: Confirmed with the staff that the chicken is halal. Pricing: Approximately £33 per person for starters and mains, excluding drinks.

Starters:

Edamame Beans: Unfortunately, these were far too spicy to enjoy, even for someone who regularly eats and enjoys spicy food. Prawn Bites: Served with a lovely sauce; highly recommended. Tuna Tataki: Disappointing—topped with a sweet chilli sauce that tasted store-bought. Chicken Bao Bun: Could have been a standout dish, but the chicken was overly chewy. Would not recommend.

Mains:

Sushi: The ordering system was quite restrictive; you can only order sushi in fixed sets for one or two people, which limits choice and flexibility. I requested a two-person set for myself as I wanted a variety of rolls, but this was not allowed, which seemed unreasonable given that sushi is typically prepared as individual pieces. The seaweed was thick and chewy, suggesting it may not have been fresh. The crab used was the cheap imitation crab sticks, which was not pleasant. The pickled ginger was too thick and dry. Presentation was charming with dry ice, adding a nice visual touch.

Chicken Katsu Curry: A solid dish with good flavour; nothing extraordinary but no faults either.

Overall Impression: While the atmosphere and presentation were appealing, some key elements, especially with the freshness and quality of the food, were disappointing. I would say that this restaurant is not worth the money and there are far nicer japanese...