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2013-06-22
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Koh Grill & Sushi Bar is situated at the Food Republic level of Wisma. Nondescript, cramped and noisy (or rather, vibrant..haha), this place still attracts hoards of people nevertheless. We arrived at 12.20 on a Saturday afternoon and there was already a queue...which we waited in for 45 minutes before getting a table for 4. The bar counters get freed up pretty fast, so if you're in twos its best to just go ahead -anything more than 2, it gets tricky to share the sushi!The service is relatively
The service is relatively slow, there is little attention to detail (e.g. I had to refill my own green tea!) -I suppose I would have been slightly happier if they had displayed a greater sense of urgency in clearing the tables to increase turnover rate...But they were relatively understaffed, unable to cope with the volume of diners. If you're willing to wait, (adding on another 15-20 minutes for the food to be served!) this place will be OK for you!They don't serve water here, but try out their green tea (SWEETENED!). I find the sweetened version less bitter, but it's not too sweet like the canned versions. Delicious and refreshing -I honestly really liked it and I would come back to have my sushi complemented with this perfect glass of green tea!
We ordered a variety of cooked dishes, appetisers as well as makis to try -We ordered Sashimi Moriawase ($20), Original Koh Maki ($12), Shiok Maki Gen 1 ($16.80), Crappy Maki ($18), Yaki Udon ($10), Seaweed appetiser ($5), Agedashi Tofu ($4), Miso Eggplant ($5) and a Pitan Maki ($16.80).
The agedashi tofu is crispy on the outside yet wonderfully soft and fluffy when you sink your teeth into it. I would have preferred slightly more soy sauce and it was a tad bland for my liking. The outside could have been slightly more crisp, but texture wise it was decent.
The seaweed was nothing special - just ordinary seaweed in a tangy, savoury salad mix. It was refreshing and slightly savoury though, much to our delight. The Miso eggplant really surprised me however, it was piping hot, straight off the grill, with the skin edges charred. The miso gave the eggplant a different taste -it was almost like the miso had melded with the soft eggplant. There was also a slight BBQ aroma to it. Deliciously fragrant and worth the price!
The Pitan maki had bits of raw fish in it (salmon?) and was rolled with fish roe and a special "pitan", or century egg, sauce to cover it. I thought it was a little strange as I'm really not a fan of century egg (there were cut up bits in the sauce!), but I was slightly surprised as the aroma wasn't overpoweringly strong, and it added a nice creamy texture to the maki. Not an ideal complement to the raw fish sushi, but interesting and unique enough to try if you're feeling adventurous.
The yaki udon wasn't served as hot as we would have liked (there wasn't steam wafting from it) -Ignoring this fact, the taste was deliciously perfect! The noodles had a slight spring to it and the gooey egg just coats every strand. It's slightly sticky and the flavour combination goes well with this consistency. There is a trace of Japanese soy sauce in this dish, lots of egg, topped with bonito flakes, making for an extremely savoury and mouth-watering main dish. We recommend you order one of this to share, plus a good few varieties of sushi to ensure that you try both their makis and their cooked food!
The Crappy Maki (I hope I saw this right... i could have sworn it was a Crappy Maki) had soft shell crab (deep fried!) rolled into this maki, topped with a slice of seared fish. I must warn you though, the smoky aroma of the seared fish may not be appreciated by everyone -it has a really strong BBQ aroma! Other than this slightly unpleasant (only to me perhaps? my dining companions were perfectly content with this maki!) smoky flavour, the crunch of the soft shell crab is a delight as it provides contrast to the otherwise somewhat-delicate maki.
The sashimi comes in various portions and prices, we ordered the medium range $20 one, with a good assortment of 5 different fish varieties (4 actually, with octopus!). There is a $38 portion which gives more fish, so this would be better for sharing with a larger group. The sashimi wasn't cold when served and that bugged me a little. However, the slices were thick and had a slightly creamy taste to it that was not only refreshing, but bordering on indulgent! Imagine if it were served cold... perfect!! This assortment also gives us a good chance to try the different fish -my favourite is definitely the swordfish as well as the salmon. Yum.
The Shiok Maki has a thin layer of fish (lightly grilled) on top of the sushi. It has avocado inside, and a rich sauce of what tastes like mayo + melted cheese ...Feeling the calories yet? That's not it, the maki is topped off with fish roe for the savoury crunch. LEGENDARY -but the creaminess proves to be a bit much for me as I couldn't go beyond 2 pieces ....hmm maybe this is because it was served later on, haha. It has a faint smoky smell as well, albeit not as strong as the Crappy Maki. This one is really rich in the flavour though -not for those who like their Japanese food clean-tasting and light!
The Koh signature maki had assorted seafood rolled into it (cooked seafood!) and you'd want to know that if you're looking for a conservative, sure-win, sure-to-be-popular-with-everyone maki -this is it. it is neither overly heavy on the sauce and flavour, not oddly unique (think: century-egg unique!) and not too controversial in taste/aroma. The bits of sesame made the sushi really aromatic, and I liked how the whole sushi turned out. Safe but delicious nonetheless! We unanimously agreed that this one is a sure-win!Koh Grill & Sushi may not have been worth the 1 hour wait (including waiting for food to be served!), but it still gave a decent quality for the prices. The sushi is great to share, and for those who want quicker fuss-free dining (ironic since waiting for tables already takes a fair bit of time haha), they also offer set lunches. These range from $10-$17, and have sets with unagi, teriyaki chicken, yasai tempura etc etc.
There is great variety here, and we suggest the signatures to be safe -Shiok Maki (oh yes, they have this in 1st and 2nd gen. We only tried the 1st gen though!) and their Koh signature Maki. All must-tries! If you want to avoid a lunchtime queue, go before 12pm, or make a reservation -but don't expect stellar service here! You also have to walk to the counter to make payment which can be very messy when there are others waiting to pay (there is no proper line/order for making payment!). One good thing however, is that they accept credit card payment. There is also 10% discount for passion card members during weekdays!
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