Koto

As society moves on, things come and go, food comes into fashion, and new restaurants open. Koto is a brand-new Japanese restaurant that blew my mind before I even walked in. It was surrounded by a Japanese-style exterior, with small white rocks raked into different patterns (such as circles), small hills of grass with larger rocks on top and mist from many sprinklers that made the restaurant look like something out of a dream. Koto was especially special for me because it was a pre-release restaurant. Which means the restaurant isn't yet fully opened. From my experience there, I can tell that it will thrive in its time. 

 

When I first walked in through the 2 large wooden doors with logs as handles (a very creative design choice) I noticed the very symmetrical design that appeals to your eyes. Every single piece of architecture, chairs and tables that were on the left side, were also on the right (and vice versa). I also noticed a large bonsai-like tree (bonsai is a Japanese term that translates to 'planted in a container' where they create a miniature representation of nature) in the centre of the restaurant that looked impeccable and truly brought out the Japanese theme. The overall colour scheme for Koto was wood, stone and black. Which resulted in a dark but atmospheric feel to the restaurant. In the centre of Koto, the ceiling extruded roughly 1.5 meters higher than normal. This gave the restaurant more depth and it brought your eyes into the centre. It also brought in some sunlight (when it is daytime), to brighten the restaurant. 

 

I decided to sit at the bar, and what a wise choice it was. It was the longest bar that I have ever seen. A huge curve that was roughly 10 meters long, made out of stone, and completely symmetrical. On the left side, was the actual bar where two incredibly talented bartenders were using their skills to make drinks with tantalizing flavours. One of my favourite parts about going to restaurants (except for eating the food), is watching bartenders do their work preparing, shaking and garnishing a diverse range of drinks. It is just super fun to watch. On the middle and right sides of the bar, were 2 talented chefs preparing all of the cold dishes. From the 'Moriawase Platter' to the 'Hiramasa Usuzukuri'. It was oddly satisfying just sitting there in between dishes, watching 2 chefs make sushi and plate dishes. One by one the sushi and nigiri were coming out, perfect every single time. It was very enjoyable to see them hand-make shapes out of rice that fit perfectly under a slice of fish. Rolling the sushi was even more satisfying, rice and filling would be placed on top of a nori sheet (seaweed) and would then be shaped with a bamboo mat. This would result in perfect sushi every single time.

 

One of the sushi-crafting chefs even had a Japanese knife with Kurouchi steel (where the knife will still hold black residue from the forging process resulting in the top portion of the knife (non-blade) having a black residue on top of the steel and the bottom portion of the knife (blade) not having the black residue on top of the steel) and a Tsuchime finish (which means 'hand hammered' which results in lots of bumps and crevices in the knife which helps things not stick to it). It also had an oval-shaped wooden handle that certainly looked straight out of a Japanese blacksmith. This knife looked very similar to my personal knife which I felt slightly humbled about. 

 

From my first dish ('Nama Gaki'), I knew that Koto was special. In fact, my first dish at Koto was the first time (and only at the time of writing this) that I've ever had oysters. Koto certainly prepared them exceptionally. Even though Koto is Japanese, they fuse multiple cuisines in some dishes. One of these is the 'Wagyu Taco' where they combine Japanese and Mexican flavours to create a completely unique taco. This was a very small taco. But size isn't everything. I believe that the chefs at Koto specifically chose to make it small so that your mind is absolutely blown away by the flavours in this very small dish. 

 

Koto used some very unique plating styles that make their dishes stand out from one another. Firstly, all of their plates were made out of some kind of stone or metal (excluding the 'Wagyu Taco' which was in a small wooden taco holder). From my experience with this food blog, I have noticed that most dishes look way better with a stone or metal plate or bowl. Rather than a bland white plate with no contrast in colour, Koto used stone and metal plates and bowls that look good on their own, and somehow make the dish look even better. The plating of dishes that stands out the most for me, are the 'Nama Gaki', 'Nasu Dengaku', 'Ebi Tempura' and 'Daikon To Tofu Salada'. The 'Nama Gaki' dish was 2 Pacific oysters both with different fillings. What made the plating about this dish special, is that it was in a not-so-perfect oval-shaped bowl filled with ice. Throughout all of the dishes I've had, this is the only time I've ever seen food plated this way (as of writing this). This was definitely a perfect starting dish to their 'First Look At Koto' tasting menu as you feel very impressed as to how they came up with that idea. The next dish I would like to mention is the 'Nasu Dengaku'. This dish was a few pieces of perfectly cooked, seasoned and marinated eggplant (not too sure if it was marinated or just a delicious sauce). What made the plating special is that the bowl used was in a shape similar to an eggplant.  It looked like an eggplant inside an eggplant. Next up is the 'Ebi Tempura', which was plated on a thick metal plate. This plate was completely flat and made the baby king prawns stand out because they towered above the plate. And now for the 'Daikon To Tofu Salada' which was a flavourful and unique tofu salad. What made the plating of this dish unique was the fact that the bowl was yellow. The dish itself was mostly white with the occasional burst of colour, the yellowness of the bowl perfectly contrasted with the salad and made it more appealing to the eyes. 

 

Occasionally, one of the chefs out front would give me my dish instead of the waiter. Whenever she did, I was always writing something in my notepad. So she would always say "Excuse me sir" in a very polite manner and then proceed to give me my food. I don't know why this is important to my review but I think it's something good to add in. 

 

Just go to Koto, that's all I can say. From its absolutely stunning interior and exterior, to its incredible food, to its wonderful staff, Koto is perfect. They use traditional Japanese food and methods and combine them with different cuisines to create unique and delightful flavours. Koto is a must for anyone who likes experimenting with their taste palette. 

 

Thank you for reading.