Koi Koi Sushi
450 W Broad St
Falls Church, VA
(703) 237-0101
Koi Koi sushi is a needed addition to a neighborhood that is in the midst of a ‘revitalization’ though its mere presence does not carry it beyond mediocre territory. While the area is certainly still in need of a great sushi place, patrons will find themselves having a difference experience depending on what they order. For example, within the realm of appetizers, the soft shell crab was fantastic — cooked to perfection, lightly breaded and fried (no hint of greasiness), and the appropriate portion size to start a meal. The accompanying sauce matched the subtle flavors of the crab well, with tanginess to keep things interesting. However, the gyoza we ordered were a complete disappointment, falling short of what I would expect at an establishment of this caliber (and price range!) and certainly falling short of what I would expect from my grocers freezer (which is where I expect they came from).
The duality continued into our main course, where we found a scintillating example of beef udon done right, paired with a rainbow roll that fell completely flat.
Our beef udon was seasoned to perfection, had the right mix of beef and noodles, and was sized perfectly for a single persons entree, with enough for a small bowl to be shared with another, with the added bonus that our waitress actually provided the small bowl even without our requesting one. The rainbow roll, however, was not quite as satisfying. The fish that adorned the top were wafer thin, and tasted as if they had been frozen for far too long before being served. The roll was over-stuffed in the middle such that you couldnt even taste the fish on top without taking the pieces off and eating them separately.
Pricing was OK, and the atmosphere was a bit dour; the sushi chefs were not quite as lively as one might expect from a fairly full dining room on a Friday night. The final draw-back was our wait – we were seated at a table quickly enough, but our food took an eternity to arrive. All in all, we likely won’t return, as the positive were simply overshadowed by the negatives.
