Koi is an international brand built on the foundation of world-class contemporary Japanese cuisine. With locations in Bangkok, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York, the Abu Dhabi location maintains the superb quality of service, ambiance, and excellent essence that is food and drinks.
As you enter, the ambiance gives you a traditional Japanese vibe. It is set with the slightly darker wood-coloured furniture set in large space. Being part of the St. Regis – Collection outlet, it holds itself in high regard and certainly delivers on multiple fronts.
We had the opportunity to experience their Koi-Fu Brunch which is available on Fridays starting from 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM. With an impressive set menu, you will be pleasantly surprised from start to finish. The only thing you really need to decide on is what your beverage of choice is. They have a good selection of in-house Japanese-inspired cocktails along with your standard sake, red & white wines, beers, standard liquors (gin, vodka, rum, whisky), and a delicious mocktail. Of course, you’re welcome to request for soft drinks as well.
Soft Beverage 340DHS
House Beverages 445DHS
Sparkling Wine 495DHS
Champagne 595DHS
As a disclaimer, the set menu consists of 25 different dishes to try. To keep you interested in reading, I will only highlight the dishes which stood out the most to us during the brunch.
STARTERS
Hamachi Tartare – Served on a tortilla chip, the Hamachi is very fresh and is an absolute perfect choice as an appetizer. You can taste a lot of different ingredients used in this dish down to individual fish roe.
Wagyu Beef Tataki – This is thinly sliced wagyu beef where it’s lightly seared and marinated in Ponzu dipping sauce. We loved this dish so much we ordered this multiple times throughout the brunch.
SUSHI & SASHIMI
Sashimi Platter – The sashimi platter is great for sharing and both Dorothy and I are huge fans of fresh raw fish. They do thrive on topmost grades of seafood and this platter is a clear indicator. The platter consists of salmon, tuna, and yellowtail.
Maki Rolls – They have 4 different maki rolls (Fried Salmon & Pickled Vegetables, California, Shrimp Tempura, and Unagi Avocado) and if I’m not mistaken, none of these contains raw fish so for those who don’t eat raw fish, you can rest easy and enjoy these delicious maki rolls.
MAIN COURSE
Miso Marinated Black Cod – This was by far my favourite main course dish. The miso-marinate is a traditional method of cooking cod and Koi does an amazing job with this dish. The cod fillets are cooked to perfection and the flavour of the sauce and fish goes so well together. I was quite full at this point but I still finished all of this.
Lamb Spare Ribs – Slow-cooked and glazed with a Yakiniku (used primarily for Japanese grilled meats) sauce. These are fall-off-the-bone and that, in my personal opinion, is the best kind of spare ribs.
Takikomi Rice – A traditional mixed rice with vegetables. This went very well with the other main courses. It was not bland and not too heavy even though they used several ingredients. If I’m not wrong, the rice is soaked in water with the seasoning and absorbs the flavours and this adds a layer of taste and deliciousness to this dish.
DESSERTS
Matcha Tiramisu – Being a fan of matcha and the Italian dessert, this one was my favourite (maybe I’m a bit biased). The flavour of the matcha mixes very well with the tiramisu. It is not an overly sweet dessert as I’m usually not a big fan of sugar overload. It was a great way to finish off the brunch.
DRINKS
Last but not least, throughout the course of the brunch, I refilled on their Japanese Green Field cocktail. It’s made with sake, fresh mint leaves, and sake-infused cucumbers. It was so refreshing and is a fantastic pairing for all the Japanese dishes. It also works great as a palate cleanser.
If you’re into presentation and gastronomy, the Dark Mule is a whisky-based cocktail served on a wooden board with a large glass lid to hold in cedar-smoke. They will lift the glass and create a smoke effect which is quite neat.
After 25 different dishes of delicious food, I just have to add that the staff at the restaurant were superb. Despite the restaurant being at full capacity (also a good sign that the brunch is a good one), they are always making sure your glass is filled, and asking if you’re ready for the next course.
The Koi-Fu Brunch at Koi (Abu Dhabi) was indeed impressive and left us with a lasting memory of what contemporary Japanese cuisine can be. We were both very happy with everything from start to finish whether it be the quality of food, the presentation and service, the overall experience was an absolute joy. We highly recommend it if you’re craving for a quality brunch inspired by traditional Japanese cuisine.
