Eat, drink and dance the night away at Koi Restaurant & Bar

WHEN we ventured out for dinner on Friday night, we had the name Koi Restaurant & Bar stamped in our minds, teasing our taste buds in anticipation because we knew we were in for one satisfying dinner.

It was past 9 p.m. and  the place was empty when we came in but the place started to fill up when the Koi Jammers went on stage and started belting out the latest hits.

Koi Restaurant & Bar opened only last month but it is becoming popular as a chic hangout where food is delicious, prices are pocket-friendly, and you get to enjoy a relaxed yet lively ambiance.
The dimly lit entrance leads into a bar and a spacious dining area flooded with multi-colored lights which can be transformed into a dance floor to accommodate the guests.

Choosing a table in the center, we started munching on vegetable sticks with mayo dip, followed by a bowl of delicious soup. A plate of vegetable salad came next, and I was already full. But the best was yet to come.
I ordered the sizzling Wahoo steak and steamed rice from the ala carte menu for $8.99. My buddies went for the grilled Wahoo belly with finadene sauce, and a set dinner of chicken steak with lemon and onion for $14.99.
Do you know the feeling when you are getting glassy eyed and drowsy from a full stomach, yet you wanted to eat more so that you start to feel guilty but can’t stop? I kept nibbling on the sizzling Wahoo until only the onions were left in the plate.
I knew I had no more room for dessert but when an appetizing platter of sliced melons and tar apples cut in halves was set on the table, I couldn’t say no. Koi only serves fresh fruit for dessert.

Choose from the long list of appetizers and salads to start your meal. You could go for the $15 Happy Hour set with consists of Saipan’s sweet shrimp, New Zealand mussels, Gulf oyster and cocktail sauce, with a pitcher of draft beer, margarita, Daquiri or two glasses of house wine.
Koi’s main entrées include fish of the day which is the fresh ocean catch of the day prepared by the chef to your liking but always ask for the chef’s suggestions.
Indulge and try the Fisherman Platter which is an assortment of seafood breaded with tartar sauce or sautéed with wine, butter, basil sauce and lemon, or the Supreme Chicken Fricassee, go all the way with Koi baby back ribs barbeque, or the 8 oz. the Certified Angus Beef rib-eye steak.
Koi Restaurant & Bar Chef Samson Tan said that they named the restaurant after the Koi fish which is considered a lucky fish in Japan.
Tan showcases his expertise in plating and food presentation in every dish so that your eyes and your senses are already satiated even before you take a bite.

Hang out with friends and family or enjoy dinner or drinks while listening or singing away with the Koi Jammers band starting at 9 p.m. from Wednesday to Saturday, Acoustics nights 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Sunday and Monday, and Reggae nights on Tuesdays from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Koi Restaurant & Bar is located along Plumeria Street behind Micro Beach Hotel. Lunch starts at 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and dinner from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. for dinner. Enjoy a 20 percent discount on your orders during Happy Hours from 5-7 p.m. All major credit cards are accepted. For more information, call 233- 2564. This article was first published HERE.