I had dinner at the Clever Koi and it was alright! The vibes were super cool - the metal, plants, and overall aesthetic was great. Maybe I missed it, but it would have been cool if they had a koi pond! The service was good, nothing crazy. Someone at my table ordered a dish without the radishes, and ended up with no vegetables at all. I ordered the pork ramen, which was good. I thought the pork was cooked well and it was a very savory dish. However, I was hoping that there would be something that stood out, like a bit of spice, some hint of sweetness or acidity, or something. I think that this was pretty overpriced for what it was - I've found other ramen in the Phoenix area that's a bit better but a few dollars cheaper. I would come back if someone invited me, but not on my own. read more

The Clever Koi - pork ramen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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I recently had dinner at The Clever Koi and ordered the pork tonkotsu ramen. The broth was delicious and super flavorful--definitely hit the spot. About halfway through I wanted to try some spice in the ramen. I'm a big fan of chili oil, though, and wish they had that on hand because their sriracha didn't quite do it for me. The pork itself was a little on the dry side for my taste (I prefer it really tender), but overall, the bowl was solid and satisfying. Everyone at my table loved their meals, so it seems like a good pick no matter what you order. The vibes were great! Awesome, very stylish decor. One of my favorite parts? The drink menu was literally a comic book. It was such a creative and fun touch. Even though I didn't try any this time, it definitely made me want to come back and order some next time! Service was nice and friendly - nothing over the top, but totally pleasant. Would definitely go back, especially to try more of that drink menu! On a different day, this could definitely be a 5 star place. read more

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If the food was as good as the service and ambiance, this would have earned more stars. This place is a wonderful first date spot, but I'd be surprised to hear anyone they came back a second time. The menu is mediocre at best, sadly. It's as if someone said "can we make a menu every plain white girl will love?". Char Siu Banh Mi - bun/bread came out soggy and the sandwich fell apart. Skip it. Thai salad - decent and a safe order. Hot chicken bao - ketchup and pickle bao. Skip it. Eggplant parm bao - very confusing. Skip it. Sonoran hotdog bao - tasty, definite order Shaking beef - rice is perfect, tender cut of steak but the spiciest seasoning used is black pepper. This will shake the American palate. Chashu tofu - surprisingly tasty and well executed. Must order. All in all this menu really is disappointing. It's sad to say because the staff was so kind, so prompt, and so friendly. Best wishes. read more

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Atmosphere- 5* Drinks 5* Presentation 5* Food 3*. It wasn't that great. I wish it tasted as good as it looked read more

The Clever Koi - Extra Wonton Chips - Asian Fusion Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Been wanting to try this place for a while and decided to come for dinner with a friend today, but was disappointed. We started with the pork belly fries, which were the only highlight of the visit. The fries were crispy and kept their integrity, and the sauces were enough to add flavor while not making them soggy. The big pieces of pork belly were salty and rich. If you're coming just for these, then you should be good. The entrees however were another story. I got the XO noodles and my friend got the chicken katsu sandwich. Both of us agreed our food was subpar, especially considering the price. The portion was small compared to other restaurants serving similar cuisine at lower price points. The small portion was not offset by the quality, as the noodles were soggy and broken up into pieces no longer than 1 inch. The flavor was also lacking, with little depth and not enough salt. The sandwich came on dry white sandwich bread and had a weird taste.. Having a good appetizer and then two wack entrees was kind of a let down. The fries were good but not enough to save this place for me. Probably won't be coming again. read more

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I have been here allot of times but this was probably my best experience. We sat at the bar, bartenders were great. Food was all perfect, I love the calamari fries they hit the spot. The avocado crab rangoons were a first for me and they tasted so good. Drinks were all fabulous. Love the bar area and the outside seating but it was still alittle to warm for me to sit outside. read more

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To start off with the positive, the drink was amazing. I got the Watch Your Head Skipper. It tasted good and well balanced, not too sweet, but too too dry. It was well made and was a unique blend of flavors. The ambiance of the restaurant was also great. It was an environment for an intimate date or outing with friends. Additionally, the service members were attentive and happy to accommodate our large party. Now on to the negative, the food. I got the steamed bun trio (pork belly, cauliflower, and a special menu shrimp item). While I do not have major complaints about the taste of these, I am unhappy with the price considering you could get more authentic steamed buns like this for cheaper at other Asian restaurants. My boyfriend got the drunken noodles. They were overly salty, so he had to ask for additional lemon so it was edible. The noodles were undercooked and raw, so he was gassy all night after eating. Additionally, these were also overpriced. It was $16 just for the noodles and an additional $8 just to add chicken! Finally, this is Asian fusion not an Asian restaurant, so don't come here looking for authentic flavors. Additionally, my understanding is that the owners are white, and white owners profiting off of Asian flavors does not sit right with me. Overall, I will not be returning, and I do not recommend read more

The Clever Koi - Pork Belly Bun Cauliflower Bun Trio of Steamed Buns / (3) for $20 - Asian Fusion Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Great dinner! Avocado crab rangoons, southern comfort bun, and drunken noodles with orange chicken. Fresh and original. Dessert was banana fritters read more

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Well, the sign out front did say "best ramen in AZ", and I can't disagree. We ordered take out through door dash, with the option to pick up ourselves. The ordering process was very easy. This place looked really cool to dine in at, and there was a parking lot behind the building. There was indoor and outdoor seating. I ordered the Miso Shoyu Chicken Ramen and my husband ordered the Pork Tonkotsu Ramen. They were both absolutely incredible. The broth was very flavorful and rich. I can't wait to dine in one day and try some of the other delicious looking items on the menu. read more

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A lunch time favorite, from the food to the drinks! And if you ever go for dinner you can go to Across the Pond right after and continue the fun and deliciousness! Anything on the Clever Koi menu is recommended, it's so full of flavor that you will not be disappointed. Super chill ambiance with really nice service. read more

The Clever Koi - Drunken Noodles with grilled chicken - Asian Fusion Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Well we finally checked this off our list & so glad we got to check them out because everything was amazing! The restaurant is small but there's plenty of seating outside also... weather permitting! Upon being sat our server Victoria greeted us immediately & was ready to get our drink order... they have happy hour open - 6pm so we were there during that time! My husband got a mojito & I had a vodka martini- dirty, both were good & mine was made perfect because they can sometimes go heavy with the dirty!! To start we chose the calamari fries & my husband the pork belly steamed bun. The calamari was in a light beer batter that had an amazing seasoning with a light aioli sauce on top.... we'll definitely get that one again & the steamed bun, which was a first for my husband, he just loved... he said it was so airy & light with barely any fat on the pork, so good he got a couple of them to bring home! For our entree's I had the Chow Mein sub rice noodles with lemongrass chicken.... everything was perfectly seasoned & the chicken was grilled nicely without being dried out, it's something that I'd order again! My husband had the Shaking Beef, he was pleasantly surprised because he's not a huge rice fan but he said the rice had a nice Smokey flavor to it & he love the pickled onions with the beef.. the seasoning was perfect he said! To finish our meal we tried those Banana Fritters that everyone raves about & now we know why... you get 5 perfectly cooked fritters rolled in cinnamon sugar sitting on a bed of caramel, everything you shouldn't have... but so very good & light not dense or greasy just right! Overall our visit at The Clever Koi was everything that we were hoping for! We had great service from Victoria, she was very attentive with a great personality & would definitely request her on a future visit, this is a great casual spot if your looking for some good Asian food made with fresh quality ingredients that don't break your bank! read more

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Tldr: overall I had a good experience here and service was very good. I might be back for Pina colada and steamed bun but not for the main dishes. We came on a weekday so we did the $70 deal (4 classic drinks and 2 entries). Basically, you get 50% off for 2 drinks. For the drinks, we ordered Pina colada and Paloma. Pina colada was pretty good but Paloma wasn't. It's a bit flat so don't order Paloma. For food, we order - 3 steamed bun: hot chicken, pork belly and the featured one (forgot what it was). They were good. Pork belly was my husband's favorite of the 3. - Shaking beef: it was fine (not great) but was a bit salty. Beef was tender. - XO noodles: I should have sent this one back. I thought shaking beef was salty but this one was tooooooo salty, not enjoyable. I don't know if it's always this salty or it's a one of but I did feel disappointed and by the time I thought it should have been sent back, it was too late. There were 2 small scallops and ~5 small shrimps. They were cooked well (not overcooked). For dessert, we ordered the banana fritter ($9). They were okay. I most likely won't order it again. read more

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This place is super cute, airy, and peaceful. The food I got was the dancing mushroom salad that I paired with their grilled lemongrass chicken and let me tell you, I usually don't take pictures of the food after I bite into it but this is too good not to!! read more

The Clever Koi - Dancing Mushroom and Side of Grilled Lemongrass Chicken , (kid ramen) - Asian Fusion Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

This place is really expensive. I mean you'll spend at least 25 maybe $30 on not a lot of food for one person. However, the food tastes amazing. I mean if you want a nice place to take a date or if you want to impress somebody with how excellent this food is then definitely check this place out. read more

very fun and cute place. Really great service and helpful servers. The menu had a lot of good options and unique dishes. I would have loved to try the cocktails. We went on a Sunday and got a fourth bun when we bought 3 (Sunday Sillies). The buns were really good, the best was the fried kimchi cauliflower. Best flavor and texture. The other were a little on the dry side. The new one was a cheesy broccoli chicken, which was delicious with the extra fried onions. I got the chow mein with bulgogi. I love the fusion of different Asian cultures. It was very spicy and had an intense peppery flavor. I enjoyed it but could be too intense for some. The meat was also a little chewy. My boyfriend tried the bahn mi, which had a great mixtures of textures and the meat was soft and flavorful. The bread was unique and nice quality. The side thai salad was very peanut forward, I enjoyed it but could have used more sweetness or salty. Lacking other flavors. The texture also needed something different. Very cute on the inside, a fun place you need to try or take family from out of town. I will def be going back ! read more

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Such a vibe! Lots of plants and cozy seating. Music level was perfect we could hear each other very well. Food was delicious. I highly recommend the pork belly buns and the sesame cold noodles with chicken thighs. I will definitely be returning when in the area. Our server was the best ever. All around wonderful afternoon. Highly recommend read more

The Clever Koi - Beautiful ambiance - Asian Fusion Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

First time, first impression of the space is clean, relaxing and posh. Ordered an appetizer "Krazy Fries" was fantastic and Cleverly made, original indeed. Endless cocktails to choose from for our first lunch at this place. False promises and enabler were great and finished off with string of pearls. The tonkatsu ramen was really salty, I couldn't finish it. The XO noodles was absolutely delicious and will definitely order again next time. Great service, attentive staff and the price was just right. Definitely check it out for some great out of the box Asian dishes. read more

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Who knew Phoenix has great Asian food. This place is not your typical Asian fusion place that pales into comparison to Asian restaurants. This place has flavor! At first, there was a long lag time when we got helped. Then Gary took care of us and he was excellent. The showstopper was the short rib dumplings. Take it from me, get the extra dumplings. They are worth it! The Bao buns were good. We had the fried chicken and pork banh mi. The pork was better, but both were tasty. My companion raved about the calamari fries. They were so unique and flavorful. We wanted to order the banana fritters, but alas, they were just making the batter and it wasn't going to be ready for another 45 min. It is a smaller place, however, they do have patio seating with misters to stay cool. Bathrooms were clean. There are only 2 stalls. Overall, like Arnold says, "I'll be back!" read more

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Pretty tasty! Everything we had was flavorful. Really love the variety of things they have on the menu. The space is really pretty. It's perfect for date nights or a night out w a small-ish group of friends. We sat on the patio and it was lovely with all the lights they have set up and the sunset in the background. The best thing we had by far was the XO noodles. It was rich and bold and plentiful. We tried all 3 Bao and the pork belly definitely reigned supreme - the others were good but not great. The tempura mushrooms were crispy and delicious. My favorite cocktail was the Nutty by Nature! So decadent. All drinks were above average. read more

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Ambiance, food and staff were all excellent. This restaurant served me an outstanding bowl of ramen. My companion had the buns stuffed with hot chicken. Our cocktails were on a whole different level. First, I don't care for gin at all. But the server pointed to The Trees Have Eyes, which has a rosemary infused gin base. It was outstanding. A little medicinal and I don't know what needed curing but it worked. Companion had a tequila based drink with watermelon flavor called Don't Eat the Seeds. It was awesome also. I'll be back to try more items. And more cocktails. read more

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Wow... Just WOW. This place was incredible! We are visiting from California and decided to check this place out on a late Friday evening. Everything from the ambiance, to the food, to the service was absolutely amazing! We had the pleasure of being served by Sam! We couldn't tell what was better, the food or her! She was super attentive, helpful and personable! Never felt rushed or a burden whenever we had questions or any request. She's a rockstar! Food and Drinks: we asked for a random selection of appetizers for our party of 10. I don't ever remember what was brought to our table.... All I know is we ate it all! For main courses we had some shaking beef, ramen, fried rice and kimchi carbonara. All were generously portioned for everyone to share and tasted fantastic! All their cocktails were great as well! This place was absolutely packed when our family went. One of the things we appreciated most was the owner, Nick. On a Friday night, with no open seats and a waitlist going, he was at his restaurant serving us and all other guest. It's not often you see the owner of a restaurant with his boots on the ground, especially late on a Friday night. You can definitely tell that his staff respect him and take after his lead. Price: very very fairly priced. Especially for the quality and portions of food they provide! There's no doubt we will be back.... Plz bring this place to California too! lol read more

The Clever Koi - Clever Koi version of Long Island Iced Tea - Asian Fusion Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Awesome little spot with a cool vibe. Our server was great and made great recommendations. Food was amazing and fresh. Definitely worth a visit and will be back soon read more

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Start at The Clever Koi for drinks, then head over to the Other Side of the Pond for sushi...which is what we didn't do but was recommended by my brother-in-law :( next time though!! However, Caleb, our bartender was amazing. Recommended the whiskey sour which was way yummy. I can't recall which ramen I ordered but I do recommend the pork belly bun. read more

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I would HIGHLY recommend visiting from Monday through Wednesday. When I went, they had a special called "It Takes Two" -- $70 for two main dishes and FOUR classic cocktails (in the "classics" section of the menu) or a bottle of wine! That was such a good deal that we couldn't pass it up. I got the miso chicken ramen and my friend got a dry noodle dish. The bowl of ramen was so huge that we ended up sharing it. The food had a good flavor and the server was attentive and made sure we had what we needed! The interior of the restaurant was a bit dark at first, but it was an enjoyable atmosphere once we got used to it. read more

The Clever Koi - Miso Chicken Ramen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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The coocnut carry ramen is rich and flavorful. Creative coctails are worth trying. Service was slow and our server forgot oe of our drink orders. Bao buns were a bit dry. Still a solid spot for Asian fusion. read more

I've been here a couple times and my experience the past couple times have been just okay. The service and the ambiance are great, but the food is subpar. My most recent visit, we got the orange chicken, the pork ramen and the hot chicken and pork belly buns. The rice that came with the orange chicken was hard and seemed like it had been sitting out for a long time. The ramen noodles were overcooked and the broth did not have a lot of flavor. The buns were the best part of the meal - I would get the pork belly over the chicken. Wish the food was better because I love the vibe of the restaurant! read more

WOW!!! This easily has become one of my top favorite restaurants in all of arizona! I called to get an evening spot and they were able to get us in. Eveything was incredible! My favorite dishes were the hot chicken & pork belly bait bun AND the kimchi Carbonara. The flavors are so unique and delicious. Our waiter Keith was very kind and ambiance was perfect. 10/10!!!! Can't wait to come back read more

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I really wanted to like this place. Let's start with the positives: The ambiance was very moody and chill. We went close to closing so it wasn't too crowded or noisy. Our waiter was accommodating and interested in sharing his AZ restaurant experience as we were just passing thru the city. We started with delicious cucumber mint mock-tails. Well....technically I did. My friends sent their original drinks back as it tastes like watered down beer. My friend and I ordered the chicken and pork ramen as an entree. It did not meet our expectations. The broth was tasteless, and I had to add extra toppings/sauce to bring it to life. By the end of the night we were dissatisfied and both our stomachs were hurting. Another friend ordered the fried rice. It was just ok. Overall, the concept is great but it is definitely not the "best ramen in town". I would recommend something other than the ramen if you are visiting. read more

I dine alone and sit at the bar when I go out during the week. A great bartender always brings me back, even if the food is so so. David, the bartender here was the best. Quick, friendly and checked if my food was good and if I needed another drink. The food was good. I had three Bao and it was delicious. I will be back for sure. read more

I wish I could give 6 stars! New favorite ramen place in all of Phoenix. The ramen was perfect, silky amazing broth, perfect egg noodles, and pork was perfectly charred but also melted in your mouth. Flavor for the dumplings was insane! Server was so awesome, and vibe outside was lovely and casual. Cant wait to come back! read more

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This is the second time I've been disappointed. The portions were so small. We were hungry after we left. Noodle bowls, nothing but noodles soy and salt, hardly any vegetables, literally less than a quarter cup of "tiny" vegetables. Had they added more delicious vegetables, I might have given a better review. The Thai salad was tasty but incredibly small for the price. They are not what they used to be years ago. Seems they thrive on salty soy flavors, which do nothing but make you puffy for two days. Atmosphere and staff/ service was fantastic. I would give that a five star. read more

Obsessed with this spot! Those hot chicken boa buns and their pina colada(with spiced rum, thank me later) is the ultimate combo!

Cute spot for ramen and other foods. I tried the fried rice with bulgolgi beef. The rice had tons of flavor but I wasn't a huge fan of the beef or the taste. They also had hot chicken buns that were flavorful. They offer a variety of cocktails and the place has a nice atmosphere. Overall a good first try but not sure how often I'd be back. I may come back once more to try one of the ramen dishes. They had pretty good and attentive service. read more

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First impressions are everything and when I say this place was stunning! The open walkway through and large wide windows to see in as you walk were perfection. It felt like a classy runway walk lol. Then the little touches of colored Christmas lights for December gave it this really cool vintage 1960's vibe. The hostesses were super warm and friendly and quick to help. We had a party of 5 friends and they seated us outdoors under heat lamps. The only negative were the one directly above ours must not have been working as it was the only one off. So it was a little chilly without it. The only other negative was the end two seats of the long table where I had to sit was right next to an overgrown bush so I felt like I was fighting off greens the entire night management just needs to trim it way back. It did make seating uncomfortable for two of us though. They had two large unisex bathrooms but unfortunately men that used both prior to us over the course of the evening not only left seats up but urine everywhere! We both commented afterwards how gross i"the toilets were. I'd prefer male/female stalls for this reason. Or at least have a toilet and a urinal so the men can be messy in the urinal only hopefully. I cannot recommend the Lemongrass spritzer drink enough!! I've never had anything quite like it and I am in love!! Most of us loved our food but we did agree the Thai salad was pretty bland and although we paid $6 to add chicken there were only a few pieces. But overall the variety of food we got was fabulous and tasted just like you would imagine from the menu pictures. Large portions too so super yummy. The server was great! He was always available, knowledgeable of the menu and friendly. I'm sure to come back again. read more

I love the Clever Koi and have been here several times. The location is great with plenty of parking and the inside is chill. I love the patio and really enjoy all the metal work and plants. The service is always top notch and super friendly. The food is amazing. It's delicious and both innovative and comfort food. I have tried almost everything on the menu and love it all. The homemade pickles are to die for. Please jar and sell them! The drinks are superb. This is one of my favorite spots and I highly recommend it! read more

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What a delightful place to enjoy lunch with my dad while in town! The restaurant is stylish with an enjoyable ambiance. The highlight was the food. The XO Noodles were delightful - super tasty and fresh. The cocktails were also excellent. The service was top notch and I'll definitely prioritize visiting again next time I'm in town! Very pleased with my visit! read more

The Clever Koi - Don't Eat the Seeds Cocktail - Asian Fusion Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Came on Saturday afternoon & the service was great they were very fast with everything. My favorite drink was their long Thailand ice tea, I could not get enough . Their pork belly bao was also delicious . I also got their drunken noodles & crab Rangoons and those were really good as well. I'm looking forward to coming back and trying the rest of the menu ! The atmosphere wasn't too loud just right w a simple good vibe. read more

My family and I went to this location last week Thursday after 6 PM. Our daughter found this location via TikTok and Her. The food was very good. This location is very small, but they do have parking behind the restaurant and have a partner restaurant next-door for sushi and drinks as well. We had to wait about an hour or so for our table to be available because they were very busy . After we were seated, our server was amazing and the manager kept checking on our table as well and thanking us for the patience while we were waiting for our table of seven. We start order with chicken Ramen with scrambled egg instead of a soft egg to pork Ramen, the fried rice dish, the calamari fries and a catfish dish as well. All of our food had large portions very filling and delicious. Only complaint is the fried rice lack seasoning and needed more flavor. Also, the sodas come in cans with the glass at the table with ice so no free refills, unfortunately. We will definitely be back again and Her they have certain specials throughout the week which we would love to enjoy . read more

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Stopped in on a Sunday night to grab a bite to eat. The bao buns are a must and they are all good you can't go wrong. I love the pork belly and the cauliflower. The short rib dumplings were delicious and come with a yummy broth that you can't get enough of. To split we got the fried rice and the miso chicken ramen with a spice bomb. The ramen was flavorful and amazing. The fried rice was great and even better the next day as leftovers! For drinks I love their Pina colada and Mai. This is a central Phoenix staple you must check out! read more

The Clever Koi - Bao buns one of each kind and Short Rib Dumplings - Asian Fusion Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Loved everything we ordered here especially the Avocado Rangoon, the bao, the cauliflower- all so good. Service was great and we were seated super quickly. It's right next door to several cute bars and businesses. read more