Savory Sushi Served At Koji

Nowadays, sushi bars have become as common as roller rinks in the 1970s. Rinky-dink sushi bars have been popping up across the state to meet with popular demand. However, many have mediocre sushi, at best. One restaurant that has offered consistently delicious sushi is Toshi in Avon. Voted the best sushi restaurant five years running by the Hartford Advocate's reader's poll, Toshi has maintained a level of excellence unparalleled in Connecticut. Springing from the Toshi restaurant group is Koji, a modern sushi and sake bar in Hartford. Though the restaurant opened Sept. 26, it has received a warm welcome to Hartford's fickle restaurant and bar industry.

Koji pulls off the near impossible with its décor; the restaurant is both starkly modern and yet warm and inviting. A 10-foot black booth against a wall aglow with lime green lights helps create the modern ambiance. Bruce Lee movies play on the flat-screen televisions scattered throughout. Though a concrete floor would normally make any room seem cold and harsh, the sandstone color and glossy lacquer finish make the flooring an integral part of the overall warmth of the restaurant. Koji also boasts the only concrete bar counter in Hartford.

We were greeted promptly by both the owner and manager, and escorted to a bar-height granite table set with a small pot of soy sauce and a small tea light and a red light dangling above. Service is of the utmost importance at Koji, as all the employees were warm and inviting to every patron. The combination of the atmosphere and service create what is by far the most inviting restaurant I have ever personally experienced at a restaurant in Hartford.

Yakitori is a popular build-your-own appetizer, having grilled skewers served with three different dipping sauces. Choices range from chicken to Japanese peppers to quail eggs. Yakitori is an excellent choice if you are unsure of an appetizer or would like a sampling of what Koji has to offer.

Saku Saku is a delicious appetizer I would highly recommend. Two massive seafood rolls are fried, then chopped in half and served piping hot with a sweet sauce. I will readily admit I was pensive about this particular dish, as I am not usually a seafood fan, but this dish could make a believer out of the most skeptical diner. The outer shell was light and crunchy with a slightly oily and sweet filling that melts in your mouth. Unless you are allergic to seafood, this appetizer will win you over with ease.

Miso soup at Koji is exemplary. The broth is full-bodied, the seaweed fresh and flavorful. Even the thin slices of tofu are amazingly delicious, where most tofu in miso soup falls short. Koji's miso is one of the more flavorful misos I have come across.

Dinner at Koji ranges from the stereotypically safe Japanese fare to the "daring." If you are not feeling adventurous, then the chicken teriyaki is a fine choice. The highlight of this dish is, as it should be, the teriyaki sauce. Intense and rich, where most teriyaki sauces are watery, the sauce coats every bite of chicken and vegetables without being overpowering, a difficult combination to master.

For the more adventerous diner, the sushi and sashimi platter is exceptional. The dish varies, depending on the types of fish available that day. We were fortunate enough to have fresh chunks of tuna, salmon and flounder in our assortment. The sushi is remarkably fresh and does not leave even the slightest trace of fishy aftertaste. The tuna was perhaps the highlight of this dish. With a velvety melt-in-your-mouth consistency and fresh taste, you could easily make an entire meal solely of the tuna.

With such excellence in their dinners, it would be hard to imagine dessert as any better, but Koji once again surprised us. The Mushi ice cream is a unique dessert sure to win the heart of any marshmallow fanatic that tries it. A scoop of vanilla ice cream is coated with a thin marshmallow coating and drizzled with chocolate sauce, creating a dessert with a unique texture and pleasing taste.

Green tea ice cream seems an unorthodox choice, but is a fabulous way to end a meal at Koji. The ice cream is slightly sweet, but not overpoweringly so, letting the green tea shine through and cleanse your palate after a flavorful meal.

For the banana aficionado, the Tempura Banana is heavenly. An entire banana is sliced and tempura-fried, melting the banana's flesh to a creamy consistency while keeping a crunchy outside. Served with a scoop of the green tea ice cream, this dessert was enough to induce orgasm-like guttural moans from my dining partner. Overall, desserts at Koji are so delicious they almost trump the wonderful meals.

As Koji is a sushi and sake bar, the drink aspect of dinner is quite crucial for a proper dining experience at Koji. The bar features what is arguably one of the best top-shelf sake bars in all of Connecticut. Despite their impressive selection, the highlight of this bar is the Lychee martini, which has already gained quite a bit of fame across the Hartford bar scene. Created specifically for Koji, the martini is a delightful blend of vodka, Lychee liquor and Lychee juice, with a small ball of Lychee fruit at the bottom. The martini is fabulously smooth with a fresh fruity taste and delectable, near-addicting flavor.

Dinner at Koji is an unearthly dining experience unlike anything else my companion or I had ever experienced in Hartford. The atmosphere is a perfect fusion of the contemporary and the comfortable. The food surpasses splendid. Dessert is a delight, and the drinks are splendid. Overall, Koji is perhaps one of the best restaurants in Hartford, which is a bold proclamation considering it is still in its' infancy. It should be noted that a meal at Koji for two is quite expensive for the college budget, as good sushi does not come cheap. However, it is well worth it. If you are looking for an exceptional dining experience, whether sushi or not, Koji is one of the best choices in Hartford.