My adventurous eater and I tried out Sushi Koji after rugby yesterday. It was a real treat. Our…read moreserver was very helpful in helping us decide what to get, and we thought we would try sashimi (after reading reviews about the place) as well as noodles. Fellow Yelpers did not steer us wrong!
We ordered Otoro (fatty tuna) and sake belly (salmon belly) sashimi, listed as 3 pieces each. We also ordered tempura udon, a shrimp tempura roll*, takoyaki, and mentaiko butter udon (off the specials menu).
Let me begin by saying the space is clean, roomy, and well-decorated. We enjoyed looking at the artwork and figurines, which included anime figures that we recognized. There were many tables, and though they may be physically close together, there is enough separation to be comfortable without being on top of each other or feeling cramped. There was a family of five that was seated next to us partway through the meal, and I never felt like the noise level changed or that we suddenly felt as if there were more people around.
The takoyaki came out covered in bonito flakes. The sauce was a perfect blend of tempered spicy mayo as my adventurous eater enjoyed it without being overwhelmed by heat. The bites were well-sized as not to be too large, but we were able to bite in without burning our tongues our with the right balance of batter and octopus, and we both enjoyed it greatly.
The sashimi came out with the shrimp tempura roll on a beautifully arranged boat - 4 pieces each! We each tried two pieces of otoro and sake belly, and the pieces just melted into our mouth. The otoro was garnished with what appeared to be hint of wasabi and maybe chopped jalapeño, which was too much for my adventurous eater to try, so I gently scraped it off. Neither of us were able to taste anything but the well-chosen slices of fatty tuna, which were a hit. We then tried the sake belly which were garnished with a sliver of fried garlic and garlic paste. Again, I scraped it off for the adventurous eater, who then raved about how delicious it was! I tried it with the garlic and agreed. The garlic was perfectly fried, and was the right amount not to overwhelm the delicate buttery texture and flavor of the salmon belly. Although, I will admit - while it's a nice flavor to add, the sashimi itself didn't need anything to be added.
The tempura udon came out, with perfectly battered pieces - 2 shrimp, an asparagus, an onion ring, a slice of sweet potato, and a slice of eggplant. My adventurous eater attacked the shrimp while I munched on veggies. The batter was crispy, light, and not greasy.
My mentaiko butter udon came out and I am so glad I ordered it! There was a little nest of noodles, with two halves of a soft-boiled egg, and plenty of creamy sauce. The menu described the dish as buttery and umami and it did not deceive. The udon was perfectly chewy and slurpable, coated with delicious creamy sauce. I debating mixing in the eggs because they looked so perfect, so I dipped one half in the sauce instead and ate that whole, before mixing in the other half into my bowl. Even my adventurous eater tried a little bit of my udon and agreed that it was delicious! Not having had mentaiko butter before, I looked it up before writing this review. The dish is described as being a spicy-fish roe butter sauce, but what we are talking about is a very mild heat. The dish was warming, tasty, and very comforting. It was also surprisingly light considering the buttery richness of the flavors. I finished every last bit of the noodles in my bowl and drank the rest of the sauce, with all the fish roe stirred in. I may have also commented a couple of times on how phenomenal the dish was. That was when our server shared that it was the first day it had been on the menu, so they were looking for feedback. I would say that the dish alone is worth checking out, but I feel like you will keep coming back due to the quality of everything else. I think this place is a gem and I will definitely look for excuses to return to Oakton to eat there again. Between the friendly service, the cheerful ambiance, and the amazing food, this is hitting all the right notes!
* My adventurous eater filled up on everything else before even getting to the shrimp tempura roll, so we ended up packing up the rest of the udon and the shrimp tempura roll to bring home. Due to life, the roll never made it into the fridge, so we tragically had to toss it without trying it. I wish I could tell you how it was, but I can say the roll was beautifully formed and served and looked absolutely delicious. This is where I wish I had taken pictures of everything.