Koyi Sushi Too

The thing I liked the most about our visit at Koyi was our server. She was super nice, incredibly friendly and very attentive. The place was also nicely decorated and pretty airy and open feeling to it.
The food, however, was just ok.
I ordered three rolls. the smoked salmon + mango roll (forgot the name), the ocean spring roll, and the marilyn monroll. The smoked salmon + mango was standard. The ocean spring roll was quite tasty but the rolls kept falling apart so much that I had to eat it with a spoon. The marilyn monroll was the best of the three. The grilled beef was pretty flavorful. Overall, nothing really wowed me.
My bf ordered the pad zee you. It was ok. I expected it to be better though considering the owner’s mother is Thai.
Overall, it was just A-​OK.

There needs to be half stars in the rating system because, though the boy and I agreed that the rolls here tasted better, the actual sushi quality wasn’t as good as Mt. Fuji in uptown.
We came here for happy hour and ordered up a storm… basically every roll, big and small, on the happy hour menu. We tried the crunch and caterpillar roll off the big roll menu. They were DELICIOUS. My mouth waters just thinking about the perfect melt in your mouth consistency of the eel in the caterpillar roll and the generous amount of tenkasu on the crunch. The generous ingredients and sauces in these rolls masked the fact that the actual sushi rice was only meh. Sushi rice should be sticky with a glossy layer of vinegar, salt and sugar. The inferior quality of the rice was apparent in the simpler small rolls such as the spicy tuna, the spicy hamachi and the Rock and Roll. These rolls left something to be desired.
We didn’t try any nigiri at Koyi-​Too, but will probably will upon 2^nd visit, which will definitely happen in the future. The boy and I can definitely put away A LOT of sushi. ^_​^
Service was friendly, but a little pushy, in my opinion. Ambiance was a little strange at 5pm as it was really light out and the restaurant looked kind of cramped and crowded. However, I enjoyed the 1940s mix bumpin’ on the stereo. We enjoyed bouncing to the sounds of Sinatra while waiting for the check.

Closed
–Review Deleted–

Josh S. hit the nail on the head. Sinatra=light cleaning around the house, sitting in a sunny spot in the backyard enjoying a cup of Joe and the newspaper, late night dinner, etc etc. I found the presence of Sinatra and nothing but Sinatra playing at Koyi for Happy Hour to be really distracting and misplaced.
They do however have some pretty good Happy Hour deals. We had the Korean Spinach, Seaweed Salad, Jazz Puffs with Jalapeño, the large Crunchy Roll, Dynamite Roll, and one other large Unagi roll which I can’t remember the name of. This ended up being 25 rolls, 20 of which were large rolls. All were good, rolls were nicely balanced and I enjoyed their Seaweed Salad more so than others I’ve tried elsewhere. The tab ended up around $ 40, which is generally more than I spend on a Happy Hour where I’m only eating and drinking non-​adult beverages, aka water, but given the amount of food we got it was definitely worth it.
Service was good and the space is very soothing yet alive thanks to their lighting and overall layout. I especially enjoyed my time in the ladies room; a sanctuary of several lovely scented lotions where you can escape the Sinatra and listen to the plinkity plunk of contemporary meditation tunes.
The sign on the door seemed to indicate that they’re only open for dinner now, which is kinda a bummer, but I’ll definitely be back for their 5:00 — 6:00 Happy Hour.

This place is HANDS DOWN THE BEST SUSHI RESTAURANT IN THE TWIN CITIES. The rolls are HUGE!!! You definitely get he most bang for your buck here and it is consistently amazingly delicious. I have come here for several birthday dinners for myself and guests and have always had terrific service. I must have the salmon tempura roll at least monthly. If you like warm rolls, this one is to die for!
I don’t understand why this place isn’t busier than it is. I miss having it downtown, but there is a FREE PARKING LOT at the new location on Franklin.
The other amazing rolls are, «The High Roller» and «Koyi Roll»
Try it. I would recommend paying a little more for the Chef’s Special Rolls. You can’t go wrong. You won’t be sorry and you will get he biggest pieces of fish in town for a moderate price.

Great sushi! Bad music. Every time we’ve been there, all they play is Sinatra. There is a time and place for Frank but I’d like to introduce whoever is in charge to a little thing called Pandora. Seriously, my wife and I agreed that if it were 1 decibel louder we would have bailed after the miso soup.
It’s a ultra modern spot with great staff subjected to Sinatra’s greatest hits.
If we go back, I’m calling to see if it’s all clear otherwise we’re moving on.

My opinion of local sushi places has been on the decline after having experienced some top-​notch sushi out West, this issue is impossible to avoid when you can see the ocean from the your seat at a restaurant. However, Koyi Sushi has restored my hope.
I went with Sara W. to Koyi for Happy Hour recently and like all happy hour places it’s a matter of what you choose. Thankfully, Koyi has a decent selection though I will have to venture into the whole menu another time.
For $ 4 the Vegetable Tempura filled me up so much that it made me almost second guess my decision to get two other items. I could have done without the Philly role, borderline difficult to eat with the amount of cream cheese in it. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised by their $ 9 Caterpillar roll. For those not familiar, it’s unagi better known as cooked eel, cucumber, avocado, topped with a wonderful dark sauce. This is by far my favorite role and was delighted at how balanced all the flavors were, as opposed to times I’ve had it at Tiger Sushi where something was off.
Personally, I felt like the Pork Gyoza and Seaweed Salad portions were small for $ 4. Also, the Marilyn Monroll wasn’t anything special to talk about, the chicken and asparagus might as well have been something I made at home and rolled up, plus it was as if the avocado was nonexistent.
The décor was lovely and calm and seemed perfect for an intimate date or large party, and the service was excellent.

I recently went back here to check out the happy hours options and the menu was a bit disappointing at first, as it didn’t have my new found favorite Spider Roll listed. Thus I opted for the Marilyn Monroll, as it already on my to-​do list, as many Unilocalers have mentioned its stellar-​ness before. It wasn’t my favorite, as it didn’t have that extra kick to it. I even tried adding a little ginger to the chicken, asparagus, & avocado combo, but definitely a not an option I am looking to try again real soon. My friend Lila C. got the Philly roll, and was not overly impressed, noting the cream cheese was a little overpowering.
One may think that this happy hour was not so happy after all? Quite the contrary. The pork goyza potstickers wowed me once again with their crunchy deliciousness and I sampled a few of the Caterpillar Rolls (unagi, cucumber, topped with avacado), that were very fresh and unexpectedly great.
Note: odd factoid of the happy hour menu: «Take home left overs will be charged FULL PRICE!». Say what? Yep you read right. Make sure you come here hungry or with a crew to scarf your leftovers, as you can’t exactly take them home, unless you sneak them in your left riding boot. Just saying.

You know, it’s almost not right how good the sushi is here. We were fans of the original Koyi downtown, reviewed and so on, because their sushi was quite good and quite inexpensive. It’s not just ‘Minnesota good’, which is usually the barometer when it comes to fish in this town, it’s actually good sushi.
Somehow, in this new location, the food is just as good if not better, the drink selection is good, the serving staff is even more on the ball, and the surroundings are wonderful. It’s almost a little more annoying to get there, but it’s quite doable.
One thing I really like about Koyi is that they don’t really try to be everything for everyone. Most of the time, they don’t have the more exotic fishes on the menu, but on the other hand, they also don’t try to sell you fatty tuna when it’s obviously not the season for it. They’re aware of their location, what they offer, and what people are coming for, and they execute it well.
We keep coming back here because it’s freaking delicious, and not only that, but remarkably consistent. I can’t get the same out of most of the other sushi houses in town.

I’ve been to Koyi twice (once downtown, once at the new location) & was satisfied both times. However, it must be said that I go to Koyi for one thing & one thing only: Marilyn Monroll. I love it, I could eat it every day, it makes me happy. That’s what the 4^th star is for.
I also enjoy their shrimp tempura. My shrimp was clean & the batter was crisp & light. The only downside was that damn piece of red bell pepper. WHY? It’s awful, stop doing that.
The husband & I shared Kappa Maki & avocado rolls, both of which were delicious & well-​rolled. Nothing fell apart. My husband would prefer more vinegar in the sushi rice, but I like it a little on the bland side.
I like the modern design, atmosphere, and, unlike others, the Frank Sinatra soundtrack.
What I really HATED on this recent visit was the woman sitting behind us eating loudly with her mouth open, talking & licking her fingers. It was so repulsive I almost couldn’t enjoy my meal.

This place was underwhelming. Granted I might be a sushi snob from Southern California where sushi is good, cheap, and authentic. So with that said, Koyi had a nice atmosphere, friendly staff, and a pleasant interior. People were generally helpful and they have a big square table that looks cool.
Unfortunately their dishware was the cheap looking and feeling unbreakable corningware. This gave everything a really dumpy feeling. I used this stuff in college. Oh well.

I had eaten at the old Koyi with Val B., who used to bring everyone and their mother to the old Koyi downtown. The new Koyi is much the same as far as food, but I thought it was gorgeous inside. Low lights, contemporary design, big windows… it’s almost swanky. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that a first for Seward?
On Friday we ordered a seaweed salad (pretty good) and the not-​so-​secret Problem Solver Roll, with which I have a love/​hate relationship. I cannot get that damned thing in my mouth but it tastes so delicious when I try. It’s a heavy roll (shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber with salmon and spicy mayo on top, seared with a blowtorch)… I was full after about two awkward bites. Didn’t stop me from eating the rest of it. :)
We also got the Koyi Roll (shrimp tempura, spicy crab topped with unagi). The Koyi Roll was interesting but I wouldn’t order it again. There was something I didn’t love about the combination of flavors.
The star is knocked off for the non-​Problem Solver Roll food, and because I think the cost-​benefit ratio could have been better. I’m sure I’ll come back again when I’m hungry for sushi though!
BONUS TIME:
1. Happy Hour is still on (Sun.-Thurs)!
2. The huge square community table in the middle, for big parties or hanging out with strangers
3. Non-​fish eating friends won’t go hungry, because there is a full menu of other Asian food. Also they won’t go hungry when they say, «Gross, eel!» and then you trick them into eating eel because they don’t know what unagi means. (She loved it.)

One word: legit.
This place rocks when you crave for good sushi around the twin cities. Outstanding service. the bf said the waitress sounded like a broken track record. «Would you like me to get you anything else?» times twenty. Hehe… :)
And thanks to Val B. I got unlimited hot tea all night long. The waitress just kept creeping up behind me to fill in my half full mug. She rocks!
On to the food. We started with salmon hand rolls (our fave) and it was delish! I can’t get enough of raw salmon, rice and seaweed that we had to get another order. So we did and we enjoyed every little bite. Don’t order the caterpillar roll. It was a waste IMO because like any other sushi joints, they add very little eel. *sad face* I can’t stand that! I love eel! The bf ordered the nigiri appetizer but I personally didn’t enjoy it much. We both don’t like yellowtail. We also ordered soft shell crabs and as always, they were YUMMY especially when my date asked to have it in a handroll. Our waitress looked at us like we were silly but she had it prepared for us anyway. What a sweet girl she is!
Overall, I love this place. I think they have decent prices and service was incredible. The only thing I’d complain about is the fact that the people behind the sushi bar were not very attentive and friendly. Actually, they were not attentive at all. My bf and I have a thing for sushi bars because we love to order our sushi through the people behind the bar. To us, it’s an intimate experience and service is usually faster. However, this wasn’t the case with Koyi Sushi. They really prefer having their customers order from their waiters.

It was Valentine’s Day. If our entire day’s happiness rested solely on the experience at Koyi Sushi Too, then we would have broken up.
We had an appetizer, an entrée, and a single sushi roll.
We ordered the softshell crab as our appetizer. It was OK… just OK. I prefer the softshell crab at Hong Kong Noodle.
The miso soup was your basic miso soup. They didn’t mess this up. Yay! The house dressing had an odd texture, but was alright overall.
I didn’t try my date’s entrée, but mine… well, I just don’t think a breaded chicken breast topped with some sauce is an entrée fit for a sushi place. The veggies served up with the chicken tasted like they had taken a bath in salt water, then had more salt dumped on top. I was ridiculously thirsty, which was rather unfortunate considering our server was MIA most of the time.
We decided we should try the sushi, despite everything else taking an hour and a half. The server, for whatever reason, started speaking to me very loudly, and very slowly. Yes, I know I’m not reading a dessert menu. No, I don’t want one. If I did, I would ask.
Thirty minutes later, our single sushi roll arrived. It was less than wonderful. A step up from grocery store sushi, and a step down from basically everywhere else in the city.
Maybe this place would be better on a slower night, or maybe the experience would have been better with a decent server. Whatever the case, I won’t be back in the near future.

A bit expensive for what it was – the inside was nice and orange and clean and modern.
We got a seaweed salad, bowl of ginger soup (delish) and then the Problem Solver, which must have the largest diameter of any roll I have ever seen.
Jill couldn’t even fit it in her mouth, and believe me, she can fit a lot in there. Not that she has a big mouth or anything… Nevermind.
The roll was 17 bucks, but it was worth it. Salmon that had been torched until the outside was crisp and the inside was still sushi. Very nice.
We had a few other rolls that were OK (eel?) but not memorable.
I have to go back for the Happy Hour as that is what most people talk about, right?
While there it dawned on me that it used to be the Seward Co-​Op, which was hard to imagine.

First off the restaurant has moved to the Seward Neighborhood and is called Koyi Sushi Too and their web site and even this site has it mis-​located. They re-​opened at 2111 East Franklin in the old Seward Coop Grocery building last December and would have visited sooner if they had the correct information on their web site. It is now redirected and current but not on Unilocal…
I will say they did a very nice job of creating a simple ambiance. I enjoyed the first visit, the sushi and wine, but have to say the little piles of an busing trays, filled corners of open storage at the bar destroyed the zen like first impression. Why go to all that trouble and then junk it up. I am waiting for the City Pages news paper rack to line entry vestibule.

See Val B.‘s entry for a more complete review, and commentary about old Koyi vs new Koyi.
The décor is a little weird, a clean, modern space fit into what I assume used to be a family restaurant/​diner, or possibly a wood furniture showroom.
I’m not a fish person, so I tend to go the veggie/​chicken sushi route. I tried the Marilyn Monroll — asparagus, avocado, and grilled chicken. Tasty, but nothing special.
My fish-​eating friends seemed to enjoy their rolls, especially the Problem Solver (an off-​menu wonder of epic proportions), and our waitress was super-​nice and made sure everyone was taken care of without hovering.

Came in on a Monday for dinner and managed to catch their happy hour.
I started with a small bottle of hot sake that tasted like bitter shit. I asked the lady who brought it to me to please take a taste of it and she brought the manager over to talk about it. Neither she or he tasted it, but he took it away and came back a minute later with a new bottle and an apology.
For happy hour, all rolls are on the smaller side, which means you’ll get 5 – 6 pieces. I went with a salmon and avocado roll and a dynamite roll, both of which were meh. More importantly, when I placed my order I waited for what seemed to be an inordinate amount of time. When my plate was brought to me, it had one roll that I ordered and one I did not. My server said something to the sushi chef that I could not understand and returned my plate to him. Then she went to another table. WTF? Why couldn’t I have the roll that was correctly delivered to me? When the server was within earshot, I got her attention and asked her what was going on. She said that the chef was fixing the mistake and would correct it with the roll I requested. I asked her if there was a good reason why she couldn’t put the roll that was correctly made on a separate plate and give it to me so I’d have something to eat while the other roll was being made. She brought it over immediately. Sheesh, what’s a girl gotta do to get her food ASAP?
Overall, I’d say the service and quality is much better elsewhere. If I were in the area I would possibly return, but I would not go out of my way to stop in. Besides, there’s supposed to be another, much better sushi bar in the immediate vicinity and if I return to MSP, that may be the place I make it in to.

How to describe Koyi Sushi: Cheap and a lot of sushi for your money. I’ve heard a lot of good things and read a few good reviews but it really wasn’t that good. The sushi rolls were pretty bland; big, but bland. I don’t know if the fish wasn’t fresh or what.
One thing that drew me in was their large menu selection, but the problem was it just didn’t taste that good.
Anyways, if I want to get stuffed on sushi for cheap, I might possibly eat there again, but otherwise the quality doesn’t compare to other sushi restaurants in the area.

Best sushi happy hour in town hands down! There are 10+ types of rolls to choose from for only $ 4 each. The fish is fresh and the quality is superb. They also have many drink specials such as wines, beer, and martinis for under $ 5. I got 4 types of sushi rolls and a glass of red wine for under $ 23! I really enjoyed the salmon and avocado and hamachi rolls.
The service was good too. My waitress was attentive but not over bearing. I think one of the owner’s was helping her out too. The sushi chef was able to hand the sushi to me right after he prepared it since I was sitting at the sushi bar.
This is the perfect place to come after work if you’re craving sushi and a drink. The happy hour ends at 6:30 and it’s not advertised on their website. I love it here so far!