About - KOI CAFE
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Amenities and More
Offerings
- Alcohol
- Beer
- Coffee
- Comfort food
- Healthy options
- Quick bite
- Small plates
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
- Wheelchair accessible seating
Atmosphere
- Casual
Top Reviews
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This was my first time trying Koi Cafe (for takeout) and the food was delicious! In addition, the staff were very kind and even offered to allow me to sample some other tea choices aside from the Thai tea I had to go. I will definitely be back!
To be fair, the food is pretty good, but our experience when actually in the restaurant was highly disappointing. We were looking for a Venice restaurant that had good pho because we usually go to Sarasota for that - but we found this hole in the wall place with decent reviews and decided to give it a try. We should have left immediately upon entering because the vibe was all wrong, but we gutted it out for awhile. On walking in one immediately gets the sense of either a very new place that hasn't had time to find its footing, or a place that has been around forever and no longer really cares about appearances - from what we understand Koi cafe is 3 years old. We were greeted by a friendly enough server who told us we could sit anywhere, which made sense because there were only 3 other people in the restaurant. Strange to approach the small bar type area in the back and see an open bottle of whiskey on the bar amidst a clutter of dishes and glasses. It looked like the remains of a Rolling Stones afterparty. They don't have a hard liquor license so not sure what the whiskey was doing there, but it wasn't for the customers. The only attention to decor is some attractive asian-themed paper lights festooned across the ceiling, which are nice - otherwise there's a single mural on the wall with the restaurant logo and nothing else. When walking in, the front of the restaurant has a weird enclosure that is curtained off. It looks like it might once have been a small private dining room, but we peeked in and now its full of storage items. Strange. On sitting down we looked around more closely and the place is in need of a good deep clean and renovation. The front windows are grungy and the caulking where the floor meets the wall is gapping and dirty. There was no music playing, just the loud hum of a refrigerated cooler behind our table. The server approached and asked if we wanted drinks. My GF ordered a chardonnay and I tried to order a beer, but we were advised there was no beer as they hadn't gotten a delivery. No worries, I switched to Chardonnay and when he brought two undersized glasses he apologized to let us know this was the dregs of their last bottle - to his credit he said he would only charge us for one glass- which he did. The menu is rather small - they focus on Pho primarily and there are maybe 8-10 other entree choices - but he proceeded to let us know that at least three of them were unavailable that evening. So we ordered the shrimp roll appetizer, the chicken curry, and the chicken pho. It took 25 minutes for the appetizer to arrive, and the server placed them on the table without anything and left - no napkins, silverware, soy sauce or other condiments - just two scary looking dollops of peanut based dipping sauce that charitably looked like chocolate mousse. All that said, the actual shrimp roll was fresh and tasty. The dipping sauce was quite sweet, a bit too much so. We had to get up and ask for plates and napkins and silverware and condiments.... and after that, 45 minutes after ordering, still no entrees. No one else had entered the restaurant during the hour that we were there - no diners or anyone getting a takeout order either. By this time we were actually getting kind of depressed sitting in this atmosphere so we ended up asking for the entrees to go, which were finally delivered about 10 minutes later. Good sized portions. The chicken curry was flavorful and just the right amount of spicy, while the Pho was also good- not great but acceptable. Prices are reasonable. I would recommend trying this place for takeout as I think you will enjoy the food - but I would urge caution if you like the experience of dining at a nice restaurant with an attentive staff - you may be disappointed here.
Food was great. Loved it. I bought the pho for myself and my parents. I brought one serving to them and one to take home. Really good flavor with fresh vegetables, they do not skimp on sauces. Also very friendly down-to-earth staff. It truly blows my mind how there could be any bad reviews to this place. It is a new staple! Thanks so much for the good food and hospitality guys!