Red Koi Teppanyaki And Sushi

This is a place in the food court. Really, what else is there that needs elaboration beyond the dining experience? Let's get on with it already.

After a project meeting, I figured that since it was lunch time it was time to seek something out to eat. Getting something new under the belt, but also something fairly cheap and good, this was a bit of walking around to see what there was. It more or less ended up with me getting here of all places. Hey, something substantial and a bit more healthy than it could be - always a bonus.

There is definitely one thing it has going for it and that is the look of it. This is not tacky in the least, and has that Japanese feel of minimalism with heaps of wood and a few simple decorations here and there. Best of all, the seating - there are the booths but there is also the bench seats, which may have decided me in going here this time. It does look a bit out of place with all of the tacky and homogenised look of many other outlets, and this one feels like a real casual eatery.

When it comes to the service, don't expect an awful lot from it. Simply put, get your order and take your receipt. Whether it is eat in or to take on the go, just wait around and then collect the order when it comes out. This is fast and efficient, plus on the positive side the staff are pleasant enough as workers. So, it works out a bit better than it ought to.

This place advertises itself as being "teppanyaki". To be honest, it is a bit of a stretch to call it that as they don't have the barbecue surrounding by seating to see the show. I get it is the style, all done off the hot plate and whatnot, however this still should be shown as something of a misnomer. Anyways, getting onto the food that they serve.

Well, it is Japanese the menu if it weren't already apparent. The majority of them meals here are either bento boxes, or they are donburis. But don't expect the fried chicken and pork here, they are more into making stir fries. They have a decent sushi selection, and in addition to that a few other meal items like ramen, plus several types of sides. This does tow the line fairly well given a bit of something that is fresh and healthy without getting too heavy into the specialty aspect. For that I will commend Red Koi for getting a good identity.

So what I got was a bento box, one with squid rolls. Theses were cooked in teriyaki sauce, and mixed with a selection of vegetables - onions, capsicum and the basic ones. In the bento box, it was simple. There was a mound of rice, some ginger and seaweed plus a couple of bits of tuna sushi. Okay, so as far as bento boxes go it is not the most ostentatious and I have definitely had ones with a bigger selection of items, that is one slight criticism - and all due to preference.

As well as the bento box, I also got a miso soup to have on the side. It was served in a takeaway coffee cup. This is something that I have seen before, but nevertheless it does not fail to impress me. As per usual as well, there is not that much to miso soup without repeating words ad nauseum for the umpteenth time. This is a simple soup, it has a bit of a roasted bean curd flavour and it goes down the throat well.

With the proper part of the bent, the calamari rolls were great. There were quite a few mixed in, and with a sample sized serving the number of them was generous. They were tender and juicy, plus the infusion of the sauce was effective - it was a mixture of flavours that made a slightly sweet, slightly vinegar taste on the tongue, and having it mixed with onions was only appropriate. The rice was well steam, plus a good enough proportion with the stir fry. The sushi rolls were obviously freshly done, and the tuna was creamy. Add the little bits and bobs such as ginger and seaweed, and there is a good mixture of flavours here.

Red Koi is decent enough as an eatery, and somewhere in the middle for the Japanese places around town. There is the decent enough aesthetic and quality for some idea of the higher-up places but it also has that laid back and relatively cheap charm of the hole-in-the-wall eateries that usually serve the curry. While being right in the Myer Center food court might deplete it of some potential to be more memorable, in comparison to what else is there food court, it is definitely some of the better quality, and some of the tastier fare as well as being decent enough value. It is competently done, and does not suck - that is about the tips of it. You can do much worse.