Koi Japan — Restaurant in North Manchester

5 Stars

Well butter my biscuit and call me cultured — I done et raw fish and liked it.

Me and the missus done rolled up into this fancy-lookin’ place called Koi Japan, figurin’ we’d give this “soo-shee” and “rah-men” a whirl since cousin Earl said it weren’t nothin’ like gas station sushi (he had worms for three weeks, bless him).

We walk in, and lemme tell ya — it smelled like clean fish and magic. Real nice folks greetered us and sat us down quicker’n a possum on a hot skillet. I told the waiter I wanted “the stuff that don’t need fryin’,” and next thing I know I got me a big ol’ plate of what looked like colorful minnows rolled up in rice blankets.

I was skeptical. Raw fish ain’t somethin’ we mess with back home unless it’s bait. But I popped that lil' roll in my mouth and Lord have mercy, it was like my taste buds done got baptized in umami and delivered to flavor heaven by a soy sauce angel ridin' a wasabi cloud.

And the rah-men? Good gravy. I always thought ramen was them 50-cent bricks you boil when the paycheck’s late. This here was different. The broth was deeper than Uncle Jed’s moonshine cave and twice as intoxicatin’. Had some pork belly in it so tender it made me wanna call my mama and apologize for ever sayin’ she made good stew.

Noodles were springier than cousin Jethro’s trampoline accident, and the egg? It was like a soft, buttery hug from a chicken with a culinary degree.

Only complaint? I didn’t know what nothin’ was called, so I just pointed at stuff like a confused raccoon in a vending machine. But they was patient and didn’t laugh too loud.

Would I go back? Shoot yeah. I’d drive my pickup backwards through a tornado just to slurp that broth again. If you ain’t been to Koi Japan, you’re missin’ out on the fanciest feedin’ frenzy this side of Tokyo or Tallahassee.

Five outta...

My wife and I had a really nice lunch this afternoon at this very nice restaurant. We were greeted at the entrance by a very kind gentleman who took care of our choice of seating and food orders. Our meals were prepared quickly and were excellent. The restaurant is very clean, organized, and nicely decorated with an oriental flair. The food we ordered was cooked to perfection. The atmosphere is calming and relaxing. The prices are just as comparable as any other restaurant serving the same type cuisine. We strongly recommend this fine restaurant to anyone looking for a great menu selection of oriental cuisine as well as one’s favorite alcoholic beverage. My wife and I look forward to returning for another great meal very soon. Special thanks to the staff for making our afternoon a...

Great to have a place to get good Asian food. The ingredients are fresh the flavors are wonderful. I have had the sushi and it's good. The portions are great and the prices are very reasonable. Everyone can find something on the menu. Try the Spicy Girl roll is my favorite. The tempura was crunchy, but not greasy. The hibachi mixed vegetable meal is very filling and delicious sweet+savory sauce. Hibachi dishes we had were fresh, crunch (not mushy) and hot of the grill. Jeffery was our server and even though it was very busy, he check on us regularly and my soda was never empty. I look forward to trying more dishes. I will try takeout from here and give...