- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Cafe Koi
Categories: Restaurants Vegetarian Restaurants Canadian (New) Vegetarian, Canadian (New) [Edit]
1011 1 St SWCalgary, AB T2R 1J2
(403) 206-1564
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 11 pm
Fri 11 am - 2 am
Sat 5 pm - 2 am
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
28 reviews for Cafe Koi
Review Highlights
-
"We had some gyoza, yam wedges and mussels." In 3 reviews -
"Thursday is open mic jazz night and the place is packed by..." In 3 reviews -
"...art and drink with live music and performance; every night..." In 4 reviews
Loading...
28 reviews in English
-
Review from jose m.
Calgary, AB
3/2/2012
disclaimer - i liked koi so much, that i threw my wedding after party here.
why koi is amazing is the result of attention to particular details. i am picky in general, but it is in this pickiness that i find that there is indeed, a place that gets it. koi is the balance of culture, food and community that makes it a place that is of appeal to me. it isn't just the delicious food, it isn't just the artwork or the live musicians that play and display there. it's a combination of everything and i def love this joint. feel good vibes abound, deliciousness and audible delectables. -
Review from Sarah C.
1/30/2012
My fiance and I used to go to Cafe Koi a lot, and have always enjoyed our time there. The ingredients are fresh, and inspired, the service is trendy, and the space is relaxing.
I love that they put cranberries in their water.
Everytime we go we usually order the same thing: Ninja Food or the Szechwan Chili Fire Bowl. I love the salmon in the Ninja Food.
Always leave there feeling full, but happy. -
Review from Kent V.
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
The food is asian fusion, and its pretty good. Honestly, I didn't remember too much of it so I'll talk about the restaurant itself.
Its a unique space used for various events that happen on a regular basis. A great place for a lounge bar, but you will on occasion catch live improv, spoken word sessions, amongst other things.
Cafe Koi is an awesome intimate setting in downtown that you can rely on if you're not in the mood for a louder, busier environment. -
Review from Ferlyn C.
Calgary, AB
5/20/2012
Nice place to hang out and listen to jazz.
The staff are great and the regulars will chat you up just for showing up, that's a nice change in YYC. Limited wine list, but decent enough to pass. I liked their approach to a mojito (when I passed on the wine list), super refreshing.
Needs more comfortable chairs so you can hang out longer but the food was very nice. -
Review from Chris S.
Calgary, AB
1/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
Tofu Ginger is something amazing. My fiance thought it was chicken it was spiced that well; meat eaters and even the 'I hate all vegetables and eat only meat' jocks will become believers! Everything is fresh, organic, and delicious.
Think of this as the upscale version of Edo Japan. It is rice bowls and such.
Be sure to come on a night with live performances, but make reservations and come with an understanding that the service may be slower on those nights.
It's funny I have walked past this place many times while at Cafe Med or Vicious Circle; never went in - I always assumed it was Sushi. Glad I did. -
Review from Wendy P.
11/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
I visited Cafe Koi for the first time tonight. I've often passed it, but never had occasion to go in. The interior was dimly lit and simply decorated. I liked the ambiance.
The service was prompt and friendly, and the entire place was pretty low key and quiet while we were there, although I think they were getting ready for some kind of performer as we were getting ready to leave.
We ordered some cocktails and appys (pork gyoza, yam wedges, fried tofu and mussels). Cocktails were around the $6.50 mark (I had The Duke-JD and root beer, and an extra spicy Caesar), on par for the price. The appys were all also around the $10 mark, though I'm not sure that four of them were quite enough for the table. The entrees at another table looked more plentiful. I've heard good things about the Buddha Burger, I think I'll be back to try a full meal at Cafe Koi next time!
Yelp's 30 Day Challenge: 2/30 -
Review from Melissa B.
Calgary, AB
12/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came to this place for a friends birthday dinner. When I got there I was a little taken back by how small the place is. I don't know if it ever gets busy here but if it did, you would definitely have to wait for a table. The atmosphere is quiet laid back and very trendy. Low lighting makes it quite intimate.
The service was horrible! We had reservations, and our drinks were taken quiet quickly, yet when it came to ordering our dinner, that took nearly 30 minutes to be taken! We had to keep eyeing the waitress to get her attention but she seemed far too occupied but whatever message her friends where sending her as she kept showing her phone to other waitresses. We were also a little surprised that the waitress did not write down our order. However, there were no problems with our order either so that doesn't effect much.
The food was delish!!!! Definitely worth the visit, besides the poor service. I had the Dr. Phangs Beef and Broccoli, and it was so good. very large portions and very filling. I'm pretty sure my whole table was satisfied with our orders.
This review is only get 3 stars due to the services, had we had better service, this could of been a 4 (possibly 5) star review. -
Review from Arc P.
11/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cafe Koi, for me, is one of those places I've walked by about 20 times or so, but never had the drive to go in. Perhaps the reason was because my brain could not figure out what it was all about from the outside. Is it a coffee shop? Is it a restaurant? Is it a bar? I never could tell, so rather than find out I always ended up passing it by.
The menu is very Asian fusion. We had some gyoza, yam wedges and mussels. I also drank a few Gin and Tonics. The food was ok, I have had better gyoza and yam tempura. The mussels were the stars of the night. Very Delicious. The drinks were not very good unfortunately. I am not sure what kind of Gin the were using, but it didn't make a good G&T. Possibly the drink didn't fit very well with the meal.
I found it an OK experience.
21/30 Yelp 30 Day Challenge -
Review from Cheryl G.
Calgary, AB
3/11/2012
Best canadiano in town.. I wish they were open on Sundays cuz the food is so fresh and amazing!
-
Review from Nyssa R.
11/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is pretty good. The service is good, the style of restaurant is close and intimate, and not very big. It's kind of a weird restaurant in that the decor and the name and even the sign would make you think it's some sort of Japanese restaurant but they define Koi on their page as "a blend of passionate people pooling their skills to provide urban Calgary with a forward thinking environment, serving delicious and nutritious food, creating unique communities, and supporting local art, music and culture." I guess it's symbolic of family, and swimming/forward in some sense but it still didn't feel... right to me. I know that sounds weird but it just didn't all mesh in my opinion, not that I'm not a fan of surprises but it just was a little off-setting.
To go with that, the food has an assortment of different origins which I didn't mind - it's nice to have a little bit of everything. The portions were a little small for the price. I tried the pork gyoza, mussels with thai curry, yam wedges, and tofu chunks. The gyoza dipping sauce was pretty flavourful, I liked it. The mussels didn't have a lot of flavour, I was a little disappointed. The yam wedges came with some good dipping sauce. My favorite was probably the tofu, although it was a really small portion. I would like to go back and try some of their entrees sometime. I would like to see more options on the menu, the appetizers were all very simple - mostly things you could make at home, so you might as well do that for the price. On the other hand I don't doubt that they have a great business model and can rake in the dough!
They make a really good amaretto sour for sure! -
Review from Kathryn D.
10/26/2011
I was so looking forward to having lunch here after seeing the menu and a recommendation from a friend. I went for lunch and it was not busy at all. There were maybe 4 others tables of two occupied. The server ignored me for quite awhile, even after I called out "Excuse me?" a couple of times. Eventually she 'saw' me and said, "Has anyone given you a menu?" Ummmm.NO! I got a menu - with no apology (typical Calgary service). I ordered the Lotus Bowl after seeing it was 'award winning'. I didn't wait too long for it and the presentation was fine. But I was completely under-whelmed by the flavour. I couldn't quite figure out how 'five spiced tofu' had NO flavour - other than burnt! The veggies, rice and sauce were tasty - but the tofu was so bland I couldn't eat it all.
I had water to drink - can't really screw that up - except that the glass had the overpowering smell of bleach from whatever dishwasher detergent they use. I appreciate clean dishes - but not the bleach smell. More on the smell front - while I was eating they chose to light some nasty incense. Sorry folks - incense and food aren't a good mix.
I asked for the bill and it never came. Eventually got up and walked to the counter to pay and the girl acted like I had never asked for the bill at all.
Thought it was over-priced for what it was. -
Review from Tara M.
3/11/2011
Every Thursday, my sister and I head to Koi after yoga for bowls, and every Thursday, I look forward to it.
Koi's a fun little spot that mixes live music and Asian inspired fair with a warm hole-in-the-wall atmosphere.
Like most restaurants I tend to frequent, this place is small. Unlike most restaurants I tend to frequent, this place takes reservations; so if you're thinking about heading there any day between Thursday and Saturday, make a reso or get there early.
I could talk about how the food is delicious and well balanced; how the $9 yam wedge appetizer has a dip I could drink and the vegetarian selection is wide and varied (Koi can spice and seer a mean tofu stick for it's $14 Lotus Bowl); but what makes Koi special is it's themed nights.
Thursday is open mic jazz night and the place is packed by 8 pm with delightfully talented local musicians. Fridays feature local DJs and Wednesday is comedy night.
Koi gets a solid 3 stars from me for one main reason; sometimes, my food is burnt; and in a place that has a good track record for having great food, this is a mistake that has happened enough that, regrettably, it cannot be overlooked.
However, that does not mean you shouldn't check out Koi, because you totally should, and you should totally have a Lotus Bowl.
T.Listed in: 3 stars means I go there
-
Review from Chris P.
Calgary, AB
4/6/2011
I went here with my wife the other day. There was a great ambiance as we walked in, and the place was not busy. The lighting was low enough to be intimate, and the decor was good for this type of restaurant. Chairs were comfortable, and the tables were good.
The menu was great. I have recently been enjoying vegetarian cuisine, and I was happy to find that the veggie options were highlighted on the back of the menu. Besides this, the veggie options were also in-line with the regular food, so you can judge each dish on its own merits, rather than being of a binary mindset (do I eat vegetarian, or not?)
My wife had a curry noodle bowl, which she enjoyed, but the price was a little higher than it needed to be. I ordered the Buddah Burger. After reading all the great reviews, how could I not? I enjoyed the burger immensely, and the addition of beets and caramelized onions added a lot of life to the black bean burger, stuffed into a hearty pita (pausing for salivary gland recuperation). This was truly a great lunch item, and it will be hard to pass by this on the menu next time I go back.
Server was attentive, and the bottled water was a nice touch. The kitchen seemed a touch slow for serving a quick lunch, but I would absolutely recommend this spot to anyone looking for a good healthy meal. This is, in my mind, the essence of what food should be. Vegetarian, or otherwise, this place is a definite hit. -
Review from Kali R.
Calgary, AB
12/27/2010
Although I'm not a vegetarian, I'm absolutely addicted to Koi's Buddah Burger with a side of yams. Everything always tastes fresh and complex. I love that I can order a pot of jasmine tea with any meal. I love the Asian influence.
The atmosphere is modern and it's easy to find a spot for lunch hour meetings without having to book ahead. The food does take a while sometimes, but it's always worth the wait. -
Review from Meghan M.
Cold Lake, AB
12/7/2010
If I find myself constantly craving a dish at a restaurant, it deserves 5 stars in my books! And crave I do...their delicious Warrior Bowl, consisting of Spolumbo's chicken apple sausage, crispy veggies, jasmine rice, and sticky chili maple sauce. The rice and veggies are always cooked to perfection and the sauce is to die for. Heaven in a bowl, honestly.
Aside from the Warrior, I have never been disappointed in a meal at Koi, ever. Their soups are always delicious, no matter what the soup of the day is. All of the food consists of fresh ingredients and delicious flavour combinations.
Very vegetarian & vegan friendly, with enough meat on the menu to satisy meatatarians, I highly recommend Koi! -
Review from dinah g.
Calgary, AB
1/16/2010 1 photo
This is a sleek urban brainchild from Vancouver based Philip Wong. Koi is a wonderful accessible lounge bar ambient rich in darker colors and minimal teak-like furniture.
Koi has a great selection of really good cocktails, martinis and drink specials but I love the 300 ml option of crisp chilled organic sake or the 300 mil option of plum wine with rich spicy citrus undertones at just under $25.
The food menu is just as impressive with roasted beet salads, roasted chicken, penne feta, citrus salmon sandwiches, teriyaki steak sandwich and signature bowls of salmon and coconut curry.
Koi is also a venue for those of you who want to feature your artwork, they have a new artist showing every month and Koi does not take any commission on works that they help the artist sell.
Philip then wraps the food, art and drink with live music and performance; every night features something fresh and new. On Tuesdays come and support new singers at an open mike session, on Thursday drink sake and listen to jazz, and on Friday and Saturdays, get down with the freshest DJ sounds.
The staff and owner here are quite lovely and I love the community spirit and support Philip wants to highlight. The food is delicious the drinks are scrumptious and the talent just sick, check it all out at Koi! -
Review from Alix Laura W.
Calgary, AB
7/21/2010
Low lighting - one of my favourite qualities in a restaurant. That way when you walk in, you can be immersed in the atmosphere the restaurant takes time and energy to create. Maybe you can't see distinguishable features on the faces in the room, maybe you'll notice there is a live DJ spinning 10 minutes after you get there. The menu always seems more exciting when you have to squint to read it - the dark is more intimate.
I walked into Cafe Koi today at high noon - and the dark room was refreshing, although we did grab the seats by the window. It was a seat yourself, counter service kind of lunch - drop your bag and head up to the menu printed on the wall. The girls are the front were chipper - they handed us a wine bottle of water and two cups.
I had the roasted beet salad - fantastic. Fresh greens, feta cheese, pine nuts (possibly) and of course, roasted beets. Yes, I am a person who love beets. The salad was about $13 - but it was a full size salad with pita bread on the side. It was filling but not over filling - which is good because I'm practising the virtue of temperance lately. -
Review from Kassim D.
3/28/2010
so - part 2 of my friday night in calgary this past weekend...
We showed up around 11.30pm and the place was rocking with a couple DJ's setup by the bar. Not very crowded, but it's also not such a big place.
DJ's were fantastic and handing out CD's which was nice - especially when the music is decent. Cool, loungey decor and comfortable seating... The menu looked interesting but the kitchen wasn't open when we showed.
Drinks were reasonably priced and for what it's worth, the lighting was super low so I became really attractive all of a sudden when we walked into the spot...bonus points!
Worth a trip to check out the food and feel more attractive. -
Review from Kerrie M.
Calgary, AB
7/16/2010
This is a great place, especially for a few girls beginning their night out or a first date. It doesn't offer much space for large groups, which is probably a good thing as it would take away from the lounge bar effect.
My first encounter with Koi was a palate energizing experience! Their menu is substantial with lots to choose from, yet I did not feel overwhelmed with the array of options. With appetizers like "Double Dipper" and "If I were Ginger Beef" (my personal favourite), it was almost hard to move onto something else as I didn't want the flavour to dissipate.
Needless to say, I went ahead and decided to go with the "Shinobi Salmon Bowl", a very satisfying portion of coconut curry rice and Thai roasted salmon. The flavours danced around my mouth in a joyous reunion, they were just meant to be!
My husband had the "Szechuan Chili Fire Bowl" that had just the right amount of fire to complement the tiger prawns, portobello mushrooms and the best Shanghai noodles we have tasted in Calgary (yes we taste each others meals).
By the time we ordered dessert (Green Tea Ice Cream with shaved chocolate and fruit, YUM), the Saturday night Dj started playing the perfect mix of new and old, all with his own unique spin, literally. Excellent atmosphere, wonderful food and some of the best musical talent coming through the door.
Be sure to check their website for a listing of their open mic nights, Dj's and special entertainment. They have also added a vegetarian menu so I can now eat dinner with my veggie pal without missing out on my protein! -
Review from Gabe A.
2/16/2011
We visited this place after a satisfying sushi meal - a friend of mine was DJ'ing some deep house, and we stopped in to check him out. The mood in the restaurant is very sensual: lots of low lighting, tables and chairs close by, very intimate. We did not order any food, but had coffees and chais. I thought the chai latte was the closest I've had to a cup of real, home-made chai since Kat and I visited our friend in Vancouver and began every morning with delicious tea made in front of our eyes. My coffee-snob friend, whose Venti 6-pump no water Chai at Starbucks is apparently the final word on chai, was not impressed with his - don't listen to him! If their food is as good as their chai, I am anxious to try it out. Oh and my friend's set was very nice.
-
Review from Erik F.
Calgary, AB
3/13/2010
Cafe Koi is a very interesting place. It has a mood to it, so to speak. The vibe is laid back, lounge-like, and the lighting and music both make up a nice atmosphere.
The menu is quite expansive. Lost of appetizers, sandwiches, salads, and noodle/rice bowls. I ordered the Seoul Beef Noodle Bowl: chili-fire Shanghai noodles with grilled sirloin on top. It was fantastic. A couple of people with me had the Buddha Burger. It's a black bean and veggie burger which they seemed to really enjoy. I didn't have any of the house cocktails but they looked good too.
Apparently it turns into more of a lounge later at night, with live music and DJs. There's a small stage to the side of the eating area. I'd like to go back and check out some of the live music, and eat again too. Great spot. -
Review from Sarah Louise F.
Calgary, AB
11/9/2010
cute restaurant.
veggielicious mondays are my favourite kind of mondays. koi has a page on their menu of just vegetarian things (and the friendly staff are usually quite aware of what is vegan or what can be altered). on mondays, the veggie entrees are $2 less, and the appetizers $1 less, which is just lovely.
if you are a first timer at koi and looking for some vegetarian fare, i would totally recommend the veggie gyoza, and the buddha bowl. their drinks are also awesome, and i'd reccomend checking them out on their nights where they host live music. -
Review from Zain K.
8/18/2010
Not only does Koi offer an expansive and varied food and beverage menu in a comfortable, intimate space, it also does a lot to foster community and the arts, with a couple of different open mic nights each week in addition to other musical performances, DJ nights, improv theater performances, etc. I'm impressed by all that Koi has to offer, and plan to spend a fair bit of time here (then again, I have a bad habit of saying such things and then somehow forgetting all about the place for a year, so we'll see what happens...)
-
Review from Elizabeth N.
Calgary, AB
9/24/2010
Get the ninja bowl. There are no words for how good that salmon was. It's nice, quiet and small and in a good location. The food is excellent and the drinks are too. Good place for a date, but maybe not for a group of friends as the place is really tiny. I was here a few nights ago and I think I now have a new favorite dinner spot downtown.
-
Review from Nina P.
Vancouver, BC
8/11/2011
I had the Shanghai bowl - at $13.95 this is rather expensive for a small bowl of udon noodles and mixed veggies with a super bland sauce. When I asked the waitress about the pricing, she said that these items were expensive in Calgary and that because it was sort of a niche restaurant, they could charge those kind of prices. Well, I can go to Boxwood and have a fantastic lunch for the same price - or less - and have a much more substantial tasty and inventive lunch. Once our water bottle on the table ran out, it was not refilled. Rather inattentive service. And what is with the black decor? When will Calgary restaurants realize that a white interior can be fresh, stylish and waaaaay more contemporary. I much prefer the Coup when it comes to ambiance/aesthetics and vegetarian fare. I just feel like i got wripped off!!
-
Review from Raj B.
7/26/2011
Decent food, but the bowls weren't too unique. We ordered 4 of the 6 vegetarian bowls and they were all very similar in flavor profiles and veggie make up. Lighting was too dark and it was very dead on Monday. Service was attentive. Priced a little expensive.
-
Review from Adam G.
Calgary, AB
3/7/2009
Great place for some healthy food and a great boutique atmosphere.
-
Review from Julianna C.
Calgary, AB
7/31/2009
While the food at Koi tries very hard to be trendy fusion/West-coast, by far the best part of this eatery is the lively night activity going on outside the building. I found it to be a really difficult place to dine with more than 2 people, and the lighting left a lot to be desired. It is a very 'cool' place, well decorated and all that. I found the offerings to be nothing special though, and felt the seafood I ordered was slightly underdone.
