Steve and I tried Koko last weekend for our Saturday lunch and really enjoyed it. I just knew my friend Emma would love it as she enjoyed Shoya but there was bit too much raw stuff for her so the teppanyaki set lunch at Koko would be perfect. A little bit of sashimi to challenge her tastebuds and food boundaries but not too much.
We met outside Koko in the nice little corner with the comfy sofas and had a quick chit chat before heading in. We were still missing our fourth dining companion who was having a train nightmare. This time Koko was busier and there was a smoky smell hanging in the air which is inevitable at a teppanyaki place.
We decided to order some sushi whilst we waited for Brittany. We ordered hotate piri karai maki which is an inside-out nori roll with fried crispy Hokkaido scallops and salad with spicy mayonnaise and gyuniku tataki sushi - thinly sliced seared Australian sirloin nigiri with red onion and mayonnaise.
The inside out roll was so delicious and the clever little thing was even crispy on the outside with the thinnest and lightest coating of batter over the rice. Truly delicious. The beef nigiri was good too but not as good as the scallop one. The beed was tender and literally just seared 1mm on the outside which I think was a visual challenge for Emma as it was very rare.
We met outside Koko in the nice little corner with the comfy sofas and had a quick chit chat before heading in. We were still missing our fourth dining companion who was having a train nightmare. This time Koko was busier and there was a smoky smell hanging in the air which is inevitable at a teppanyaki place.
We decided to order some sushi whilst we waited for Brittany. We ordered hotate piri karai maki which is an inside-out nori roll with fried crispy Hokkaido scallops and salad with spicy mayonnaise and gyuniku tataki sushi - thinly sliced seared Australian sirloin nigiri with red onion and mayonnaise.
The inside out roll was so delicious and the clever little thing was even crispy on the outside with the thinnest and lightest coating of batter over the rice. Truly delicious. The beef nigiri was good too but not as good as the scallop one. The beed was tender and literally just seared 1mm on the outside which I think was a visual challenge for Emma as it was very rare.
As with last time we opted for the special lunch. Brit doesn't eat seafood so she had the beef set and they kindly subsituted the sashimi for some vegetarian sushi rolls. We had a different chef this time who smiled a lot but wasn't quite as entertaining as Jimmy Liu. Not an issue though as Koko teppanyaki is about the good food and a little banter as opposed to the usual circus show with the egg throwing etc that can take place. I think that's why I prefer Koko; it's less embarrassing and the restaurant is actually a nice place to sit in.
The food was as good as last time; the fish and dipping sauce a great combo and the Victorian tenderloin tasty and tender.
Having learnt from last time, I requested no wasabi ice cream and the waitress gave us a choice; green tea, black sesame, red bean, maple and walnut, rice pudding or vanilla. Brit and I opted green tea, Steve went vanilla, Emma chose maple and walnut upon recommendation from the waitress. She tried to change her mind to rice pudding but was sternly told that the maple and walnut was a better choice!
Brit and Emma had never met previously but the teppanyaki bonded them. That's the great thing with teppanyaki; it's a good dinner date as it provides something to talk about and good food.
The food was as good as last time; the fish and dipping sauce a great combo and the Victorian tenderloin tasty and tender.
Having learnt from last time, I requested no wasabi ice cream and the waitress gave us a choice; green tea, black sesame, red bean, maple and walnut, rice pudding or vanilla. Brit and I opted green tea, Steve went vanilla, Emma chose maple and walnut upon recommendation from the waitress. She tried to change her mind to rice pudding but was sternly told that the maple and walnut was a better choice!
Brit and Emma had never met previously but the teppanyaki bonded them. That's the great thing with teppanyaki; it's a good dinner date as it provides something to talk about and good food.
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