August, 2008

The newish Japanese restaurant and sushi bar Koi in the genteel north shore Sydney suburb of Woolwich (opposite what Kei says is delicious Cucinetta ) is, in a word, “overwhelming”.

Yet at first glace, it is understated--Koi has no obvious signage betraying its identity, just plaques of swimming carp above the door (koi means carp) that is reminiscent of the kind of self assured coolness of famous establishment restaurants in Japan. But Koi’s understated cool is so try hard, it’s overwhelming.

The interior is worth noting for just this reason. A pair of stone komainu or dog/lion statues, usually found protecting Shinto shrines, is parked by the entrance. Why? Perhaps because they look "kinda Asian". Similarly, two big temple bells greet you at the door, and the rustic stone lantern and water feature that make up the nakaniwa, or courtyard, (usually located outside, but in this case, is inside the restaurant) are beautiful, but impose rather than add atmosphere. The kids love the fountain though.

The silky bamboo theme wallpaper and dramatic sushi bar where artisan chefs Takashi Sano and Kenji Nishinakagawa perform dressed in oh so chic black are certainly impressive, but the try hard element is in the mish mash mixture of pan-Asian artefacts—like red light fittings (Chinese influence, not Japanese) and the heavy wooden doors and screen that punctuates the décor. Japanese interiors tend to be light and airy inside (there are a few shoji screens, but incongruous with the heavy wood). No expense spared at Koi (probably a lot of imports from Edo Arts), but the overall effect is “nouveau riche Aussie Asiaphile”.

The try-hard aesthetic does not apply to the sushi, however, which is overwhelmingly yum. Takashi (Kei’s a fan) makes exquisite sushi. He was special sushi chef in Tetsuya’s private kitchen, and is more artist than chef. He served us his choice of nigiri zushi—among them, cod with yuzu pepper, scampi with hint of shiso and toasted sesame seeds, seared kingfish with grated daikon in ponzu and the snapper with a curious sprinkling of fried snapper scales curled atop the sushi…oh so divine.

The menu is predominantly sushi, and that’s what you need to have here. Although we ordered from Takashi, Kenji is also an artist, and is well-known as the sushi chef from Unkai, the ‘authentic’ Japanese restaurant that used to live atop the old ANA hotel (now Shangri-La in Sydney), and his fans have followed him to Koi.

Items from the kitchen are mostly delicious, but a little of the try hard element creeps in, unfortunately. Like the fried soft shell crab which was served hot and crispy, but was accompanied by a chilled vanilla yoghurt, which wasn’t bad, but well, a little try-hard-to-be-fusion. A wedge of lime or a little salt would’ve been simple and better.

The tempura was nicely done, and we had the tuna carpaccio with truffle oil, which was delicious, if you like truffle oil. We tried an Oz sushi roll as the name intrigued us, and it was a white fish tempura and finely shredded chips (like the ones that come with Doraikarei, a Yoshoku dish). Unfortunately, inside was the ubiquitous mayonnaise, and also a tomato sauce/mayo mixture came smeared with it, which we found a little, well try-hard. The desserts are divine (says Kei, who's tried them before) and definitely worth leaving room for, but we were too full to enjoy them on the Sunday lunch time we went.

Worth noting is the fabulous crockery, which mostly come from Japan, and part of the enjoyment of the meal was checking out what platter would come with the next course.  We found the service excellent—efficient and friendly, but we heard from one friend that it can be too attentive, and therefore overwhelming. Hopefully, they'll get the balance right soon.

Koi is definitely worth a try, and you can enjoy a meal at about $80 a head, if you don’t drink too much. Need to book, and try it soon, as we heard on the rumour mill that a new chef has been scouted from London to run the kitchen, and the previous chef, who opened the restaurant, has left taking with him all his Japanese staff. So the kitchen menu (though not the sushi, we pray) might change soon. 

Addendum August 28th, 2008: Grazia magazine Sept. 1 issue has a review of Koi with pics that are worth looking at. It claims, "attention to detail is what gives Koi the edge" but details like the chopsticks resting above the plate instead of just in front of the guest is what makes us want to say "try hard' again. 

Addendum again September 24th, 2008: Rumour has it that the dessert chef has left the kitchen.  

Addendum again October 12th, 2008: Another good sushi chef (ex Toko in Surry Hills) has joined Koi, so go for sushi... 

102 Woolwich Rd, Woolwich, 2110.
Phone: 02 9817 6030/31
Lunch: Thu-Sun 12 noon-2.30pm; Dinner: Wed-Fri 6pm-10.30pm, Sat 6pm-11pm, Sun 6pm-9.30pm

by Masako Fukui, Copyright Kei's Kitchen (2008)