Koto Grill Sushi, Hibachi & Ramen House — Restaurant in San Carlos Park

This experience was a complete disapointment.

I made a reservation for 2 at 7pm and when we got there we waited so long that me and my significant other contemplated if it was even worth eating there. It’s not like we were waiting for a table either because the restaurant is so small you can clearly see 3 open spots abailable and ready to seat us. The main reason we had to wait was due to the 3 workers not being able to see 2 new customers standing right at the door way saying “excuse me” as they passed us by multiple times. It’s not even the wait though that made it unbearable, but the complete disregard for the 2 people standing infront of you was just off.

When we finally did get seated it was right under the world’s coldest A/C vent, which wouldn’t usually be a major problem if you had food in front of you to distract you from it, but the main hot meals took almost a whole hour to get out. If your waiting in winter wonderland for a hot meal, the hot meal won’t feel that hot when it get’s there. It got to the point that as soon as the meals finally did get to the table, I had to immediately ask for to-go boxes since me and my partner were in no condition to sit down and eat.

Now the waiter did tell us that the food may take awhile, but that was after we were finally seated! Why couldn’t you inform us of that before you sat us down and got us reading the menu to order?!?!? If you would have told me that when we entered, I would have still had time to pick out a different restaurant and my neutral opinion of this one would still be preserved.

In regards to the main meals, they were no better. All the food came out oily and rubbery and you can tell it was rushed. Don’t get me wrong I’ll still eat it, but damn for the price of the dishes you would think that it’s well prepared. Unfortunately it’s not. In the end, the food and atmosphere really gets you thinking that whatever the rating of this place is, it’s truly overrated.

Now listen… I’ve never been known to be a picky person when it comes to food service. You can be slow paced or not that tasty or expensive as hell and it would be fine with me, but for god’s sake pick one and one only!!!! You can’t possibly have all these issues and expect a decent review. Come on...

We were lured in by a sign on the door that proudly declared “Ramen-o-Clock!” Spirits were high. Expectations cautiously raised. We were seated quickly, then left untouched for 25 minutes. When a server finally arrived, we attempted to order ramen — as one reasonably would during “Ramen-o-Clock” — only to be told it would take 30 more minutes to prepare. We adjusted our dreams accordingly. Instead, we ordered shrimp tempura, fried calamari, and green tea. The food took another 30 minutes. The shrimp tempura was textbook bland — hot, crispy, but emotionally vacant. The calamari was cold. Not “sat under a heat lamp too long” cold, it felt like it had once been cooked, then gone on a long, meandering journey of personal growth before arriving at our table, lost and weary. Then came the tea. After the food. It arrived scorching — and not just “Oh let it cool for a minute.”- but “I should probably sign a waiver before I lose my entire sense of taste.”. Inside the glass was a tea bag clearly intended for a pitcher of tea. Industrial strength. Enough to caffeinate a large dinner party. I don’t know where they went to get it. Kyoto, maybe. Perhaps they hand-foraged the leaves from a mountaintop, dried them over sacred incense, and performed a small ceremony before pouring the water and coming back to our table. Or maybe they just forgot. Who’s to say? Anyway, This wasn’t dinner. It was a study in stillness. We came for ramen, settled for fried food, and left with scorched mouths and cold squid. The service was glacial. The tea was volcanic. Somewhere between the two, we lost ourselves. If you enjoy good ramen (might be good, might be bad, who knows?) and have recently been granted immortality, this place might be for you. Otherwise, bring a book. Or several. Maybe...

DO NOT RECOMMEND. Went here for lunch on 11/17.

Preciously specified with the SERVER that I am VEGAN and asked questions about the lunch roll special, including that the ginger dressing has Mayo, and that miso soup is made with chicken broth and fish flakes. I did my due diligence asking questions and felt very disregarded with her shallow insincere answers (she seemed bothered).

The lunch special I ordered was two PEANUT AVOCADO sushi rolls and I SPECIFIED that I did not want EEL SAUCE on my rolls since she knew I am VEGAN. The food was delivered to the table, and the peanut rolls were suspicious. I’ve never had them outside of PA so I assumed it was a different style of roll. I ate a piece of the “suspicious PEANUT AVOCADO” roll and immediately knew something was wrong. I called the server over and inquired if these rolls were peanut and she said “No you ordered EEL” and I clarified that I ordered 2 peanut rolls, she then said she will make me 2 new and I quote “I will have the chef make you two new EEL AVOCADO rolls”, I looked her dead in her face and said PEANUT ROLLS!!!!!!!!!!!

My coworker who was joining me has a severe gluten allergy and asked the disrespectful server for “gluten free soy sauce”- she delivered a NON LABELED, suspicious bottle of soy sauce. After the server ruined my meal, my coworker felt that she could not trust the soy sauce. She also said the sushi was not good, it was dry and lacking flavor…. and she also does not recommend.

The server was highly disrespectful, I had to ask to not pay for my meal. I ended up throwing up my entire meal because she was not specific regarding my...