Koi Japanese Buffet – A real big fish

When I read about a Japanese All-You-Can-Eat Buffet for £14,80 on Finchley Road, I thought “Nice, but what about the quality?” Luckily, I am more curious than suspicious and just had to find out how good Koi’s food actually is. It. Is. Good.

As a salmon and sushi fan, the first test for Koi was its salmon sashimi. I could probably go on about how good it was for eternity, but to make it simple, the only time I have had such good quality salmon sashimi was in Asia. Never have I found fish as good as this anywhere in Europe.  Next test: the Aubergine Harusame. Another tough one. I love aubergine so much, I would build a house out of it. And then eat it. Were it built of Koi’s Aubergine Harusame, it wouldn’t last a day.

Although I make it my goal to always try new variations, I was really surprised to find a sushi filling on the menu that was new to me. I have never had salmon skin rolls before but, boy, am I glad I finally did. The crispiness of the shredded fried skin mixed with the smooth rice was simply incredible. I could go on and on about all the good food that Koi offers in its buffet, but then we would still be here tomorrow. The fact that their head chef is from Japan says it all, I think. Go and try for yourself.

You might believe that the good price comes at a price in terms of service or ambiance, but even here Koi manages to get it all right. Probably, what I was most impressed about was the speed. Our first round of orders was served up in what felt like the speed of light but still all of it arranged very aesthetically pleasing at the same time. Aesthetics is definitely one focus of Koi’s with its eye-catching logo and the red lanterns with Japanese characters.

All of this creates a very comfortable, relaxing surrounding and the owner Kin Chiu enhances this feeling by chatting to all of his guests to show his appreciation (whether in flawless English, Cantonese or Mandarin). My personal highlight was the K-Pop playlist, which I was sure for a while they had downloaded from my mp3 player. And yes, there is more to Korean pop music than Gangnam style.

The buffet can be ordered from two guests onwards and is great value for money, coming in at under 40£ for two including drinks and service charge. There is a further main menu, which is even half price at lunch time. Koi also offers take-out and delivery from 16£ onwards.  However, located on Finchley Road close to the tube station, the restaurant with its fast service, lovely atmosphere and great staff is definitely worth the trip.

Koi Sushi and Noodle Bar250 Finchley RoadNW3 6DNLondonhttp://www.koisushi.co.uk/