Raw or Grilled? Koto Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Review

Believe it or not, I did a whole lot of cooking in the month of April.  I was going to do a blog post every time I felt like I made some clever new thing that tasted good or terrible, but when I looked back through my posts over the last few months, I realized that I have only been posting about what I have been cooking, and that's it.  I thought, "Hey, I haven't done a restaurant review for a while, let's do one of those!"  Then I realized I haven't really been out to eat anywhere new this month - lol!  I have been way too busy, apparently.  However, I did remember trying out a local Japanese restaurant back in February and I have been meaning to share it with you, I just got all wrapped up in crazy time!  So, I looked through my camera and found the pics that I took during my visit, so that I could show you.

I have only had one other experience with Japanese cuisine before Koto.  That experience was at a popular Japanese restaurant in OKC, and I remember thinking the food was way too salty for me.  Since I had never had Japanese food before, I just thought it was all salty (well, not sushi, but everything else).  Needless to say, I had decided that I was not fond of Japanese food, and never felt the desire to have it again.  That was, until I went to Koto Japanese Steak & Sushi here in Norman, Oklahoma.

They have a very good sushi selection with lots of options, however, I wanted to try one of the hibachi dishes.  So, I ordered the sesame chicken and, OMG, it was delicious!  It was accompanied by some of the best stir fry veggies and fried rice that I have had anywhere.  

The "clear broth" soup had a well-balanced and unique flavor that was very complimentary to the entree.  It had the sort of saltiness that reminded me of the ocean, but it was not the kind of excessive saltiness that I experienced at that other Japanese restaurant.  The broth at Koto was simple, elegant, and quite good.

My companion ordered the Philadelphia Maki roll which contained salmon, cream cheese, and avocado. She said it was pretty good, but didn't have any special enticement for her.  It may have been the kind she ordered though, there isn't a whole lot to a Philly Roll, so maybe the different kinds would be more awesome? I didn't try it because, as ridiculous as this sounds, I'm actually trying to ease in to sushi.  I have very very little experience with it.  It's a texture thing for me so I'm going to try to overcome that by trying sushi one ingredient at a time, lol!  I WANT to like sushi, and am determined, so I will get back to you when I have conquered my texture issues with it.  For now, I have no personal opinion to offer on the sushi at Koto, but if you have eaten here and have some insight, I would love to hear it!

For dessert, I had their Green Tea Fried Ice Cream.  Wow.  I like fried ice cream, and I like green tea, but together...fantastic!

Yeah, as you can see, it didn't last long.  The tempura batter seemed just slightly underdone, but considering any longer in the fryer and the ice cream would have made it soggy anyway, I still give this dessert an enthusiastic thumbs up!  

If you go to Koto and want some fun entertainment, grill-side, I suggest getting a hibachi table.  You sit around a grill bar and watch the hibachi master cook your food to order while putting on a fantastically whimsical spectacle. The specialized chef shows off his/her awe-inspiring skills in a way that will make you smile and maybe even laugh out loud.  

Whether you choose to sit at a regular table and eat sushi, or around the entertaining hibachi grill, I recommend giving Koto a try.  They changed my perception of Japanese cuisine to something positive for my palette. Their prices are reasonable and their food is fresh and delicious!