- KOA Restaurant
- Lunch Menu
- Small Plates - Meat
- General KOA's Chicken
General KOA's Chicken
house made spicy sweet and sour sauce, onions, mushrooms
- US$10.00
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- Katherine V.
- Manhattan, United States
- 1 friend
- 8 reviews
- 2 photos
Initially tried the Spicy Dan Dan Ramen when they had a booth at Madison Square Eats, after that I developed an abnormal cravings for Ramen, and no matter what are other Ramen I try, nothing fulfills my craving other than KOA's ramen. Too bad this restaurant is too far from my work to get for lunch :(
My boyfriend and I finally decided to check out the restaurant itself and had a lovely experience. The décor creates a cozy modern atmosphere (great for date night). On a Wednesday, it was the bar that was mostly full so I guess its good for drinks as well!
This time we both ordered the Soymilk Dan Dan Sorba & it was phenomenal.
The noodles are perfectly cooked with great texture & the broth is so tasty! Im usually not even a huge soymilk fan (I never use it for anything), but this soymilk is really great and ties the dish in with the rest of the ingredients so well. The waiter told us that this is a high quality soymilk that is actually imported to the restaurant directly from Japan.
Overall we both had great service, great drinks & fantastic food! -
- Joanna T.
- Manhattan, United States
- 559 friends
- 125 reviews
- 122 photos
KOA's food is pretty underwhelming. Apps are on the pricier side, more of Asian fusion. We had the Kaarage Sorba which has a soy milk soup base. Interesting but not particularly tasty. It mostly just tasted like noodles in salty soy milk. Food was disappointing overall.
On the other hand, the decor is actually very cute and chic for a dinner date, more modern & upscale than a lot of places in NYC. -
We recently tried KOA for dinner. Overall, my thought was that the food was tasty but overpriced for the portion size. Some of the dishes we tried included a special black bean ramen, Spicy Dan Dan Ramen, and General KOA's Chicken. All dishes were above average and quite delicious... I just wish the portion sizes were a bit bigger for what we paid. Note that the fried spring roll was one of the best I've tried in the city, and I highly recommend it!
KOA features some good drink specials (the night we were there, they had $5 draft beer). Also, the interior is roomy, very modern, and inviting. I'd definitely return to KOA but just know that I'll be paying top dollar to get full. -
- Timothy H.
- San Diego, United States
- 126 friends
- 251 reviews
- 324 photos
Very enjoyable experience all around, with tasty food and fantastic service for our party of 5 on a Sat night.
First Impressions: positive; interior looks nice, modern and clean and the place had a decent crowd. Koa's only been open for about a year and you can tell that all of the wait staff there put in a lot of effort to make sure things are going smoothly and do their best to explain everything to you.
Drinks: the gf and I ordered a lychee martini and a whiskey-blood orange type thing. The lychee martini was poured with a heavy hand (not necessarily a bad thing but too strong for le gf) but the whiskey-blood orange drink was well balanced and quite delicious. At $12 a pop it seemed to be the average for any drinks in NYC (sad life).
Food: dynamite edamame, the dan dan ramen and the ginger fried rice. The edamame had a good amount of kick and pretty much met the expectation of any edamame you can order anywhere. The dan dan ramen was decently spicy but wasn't anything particularly exciting or flavorful (just...spicy) but the surprise star of the show was the ginger fried rice which was the cheapest thing we ordered. The fried rice had a good balance of rice, egg and flavor with the chunks of ginger adding just the right amount of pizzazz to every bite.
The others in our party had the soy dan dan noodles and loved the flavor (although for $25 they were hesitant if they'd get it again).
At the end of the meal we all took advantage of the yelp check-in offer - free ice cream! And not just one scoop, but THREE!!!!! Whaaaaatt?! And the check-in offer on yelp stated that the offer was good only Monday-Thursday but they still honored it on a Saturday - just another example of the impeccable service at the restaurant. -
- Jim D.
- New York, United States
- 0 friends
- 28 reviews
- 1 photo
Been here twice in the last two weeks (rare that I would return to a place so quickly), and both times found EVERYTHING we were served to be wonderful. I'm told (by my Japanese dining companion) that this is Chinese food cooked as the Japanese prepare it, as you might find in a Chinese restaurant in Tokyo.
All appetizers were great. Even the dipping sauces for the shrimp were exceptional.
The noodle bowls were deeply flavored, interesting and savory. Last night had the "General Koa's Chicken," which was over-the-top delicious. A spectacular version of this dish - one of the best things I've ever tasted - the essence of deep chicken flavor that had a perfect crisp-and-mildly-chewy texture with a mild sweetness from the sauce.
Only had ice cream for dessert - using a Yelp coupon - but it was obviously homemade in-house and excellent.
All in all, highly recommended for a different and top-notch experience. -
- Yttik V.
- Yorkville, Manhattan, United States
- 2 friends
- 31 reviews
- 23 photos
This was honestly one of the best meals I've ever had! BF agrees! Everything was delicious and perfectly prepared.
Decor is super trendy and swanky feeling but not pretentious. Lighting is dimmed just right. Love the bar in the middle and the long communal tables. Thursday at 7:30pm and it wasn't busy..1 large group plus 6 or 7 small parties. The place is big and open so I almost wish it was buzzing a little bit more, but I didn't dwell on the thought.
Waiter was very nice and courteous..even generous. When we mentioned we had never tried sake before he brought us 2 to sample. Ends up we just aren't sake fans, but still nice of him! (Anyone else feel like a sip of sake tastes the same as a shot of vodka ?!?!?!) Ended up getting beers - Six Point Sweet & Sapparo - both solid choices.
Apps - Crispy shrimp & crabmeat wontons...wow. Perfect little bites that were so flavorful. Wontons were made to order which was amaaazing! Portions were on the smaller side but still satisfying and appropriate for price.
Entree - I ordered the Soymilk Dan Dan Sorba..it's their signature dish how could i not?! It def lived up to the hype. Just the right amount of hotness that make your lips tingle but it's so yummy and enjoyable! I may or may not have been eating it correctly haha I'm okay with chopsticks but noodles always mess me up! I felt like Lady & the Tramp slurping up the noodles but it was so delicious I didn't really care :)
BF had the General Koa's Chicken (not on the menu if you look online..tonight 10/16/14 was the first night of some additional menu options!) It was fantastic! He absolutely loved it! Not as spicy or hot that you would expect from your go-to Chinese takeout place, but mellower with a tangy sweet and sour sauce. Yum! A side of the white jasmine rice (little dry but...) and soy sauce, he was in heaven.
Both entrees were $25 and portion size reflected that price!
Got a free dessert for checking in on Yelp! Got a trio of yuzu sorbet, red bean ice cream & green tea ice cream since we couldn't decide on one (another generous suggestion by the waiter!). Pretty sure it's their only dessert options right now. I'm obsessed with the red bean! It was so creamy and smooth! Next favorite was the yuzu, lemony and citrusy and tart! Green tea was good but the other 2 just top it in my opinion. The scoops were pretty small, especially for splitting, but we weren't concerned since it was free and we had just eaten some of the best food ever.
Highly suggest KOA for date nights, group dinners, intimate or casual! Will def be back! -
- Michael C.
- New York, United States
- 720 friends
- 30 reviews
- 8 photos
KOA is amazing. I've been there more times than I can count I need to buy some stock or something. It's perfect for a hot date, a business lunch, a good time with your friends. It's like Cheers but more upscale. Let's start with the most important thing- the drinks. Koa's bartenders have years of experience and they are super cool, they make their cocktails with fresh fruit puree instead of "bar juice" . My favorite is their blackberry caipirinha. For an appetizer I would suggest lettuce wraps. I have yet to try everything on the menu but my go-to is their Sea Bass. For dessert- their chocolate gelato will freeken rock your world. It's served in dry ice so it's literally smoking when it's presented in front of you. I also really appreciate their pricing. It's the kind of place you can bring anyone to for any occasion. You can spend very little or drop tons of money, they have something for everyone. I highly recommend this restaurant.
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- Yael M.
- Norwalk, United States
- 144 friends
- 152 reviews
Ramen may be the new it food in NYC, but don't you hate it when your noodles and toppings are overrun with broth? Enter Sorba--a new noodle bowl concoction brought to you from Japanese Iron Chef Yuji Wakiya and his new Flatiron restaurant, Koa. The concept of sorba focuses on presentation in a large bowl, handcrafted noodles made from soymilk imported from Japan, and a shallow amount of broth meant to supplement the noodles and toppings, and not the other way around. In addition to sorba, Koa features many traditional Chinese dishes executed with a Japanese flair. I was invited to try the just opened restaurant this past weekend with the boyfriend and would heartily recommend that you check it out!
After being greeted by co-owners Keiko Ono Aoki (of Benihana fame) and Tora Matsuoka, we were seated in the front dining room, which is wrapped in rich wood and decorated with elegant white leather chairs and hanging rope "noodles." The back dining room is designed around a large square bar and features giant iron birdcage chandeliers and hanging tree branches. Tora introduced us to the restaurant concept and designed a menu for us featuring Koa's signature dishes and of course, sake.
We started with the yuzu crispy shrimp with sweet & spicy yuzu pepper cream sauce ($14), crispy crabmeat wontons with coconut chili powder and sweet chili sauce ($10), vegetable spring rolls with sweet miso sauce ($9), and the Szechuan salad ($12).
The yuzu shrimp was our favorite of the appetizers--tangy, succulent, and crunchy with a late, late kick. It was definitely nice to have a glass of light sake on hand to wash things down with. The Szechuan salad will not be for everyone. It is made with traditionally Szechuan peppercorns that create a tingling, numbing sensation on your tongue as you eat. It is a very different, yet fun, experience. The spring rolls were good but fairly typical and the wontons were great, creamy on the inside but fried to a perfect crisp.
Next up cocktail-wise was the Yu-Gin with Bulldog gin, yuzu juice, cucumber, shiso, and tonic water. It was a refreshing accompaniment to our second course of steamed Chilean sea bass with
broccoli ($29). This was a dish, Aoki explained, that showcased the clean, simple Japanese technique on a typical Chinese dish (which would normally be covered in sauce). Koa's version focused on the freshness of the fish and sprinkled it with some flair--ginger scallion sauce, flecks of bell pepper, and crispy sticks of fried creamy. This was a winning dish for sure.
Next, Tora brought out Koa's signature sorba dish, the soymilk dan dan with ground beef and soymilk broth ($23). If you've ever tried a traditional dan dan noodle dish before, you know the feeling of not being able to stop eating because the second you do you realize how on fire your mouth is, but for some masochistic reason, you go back to slurping. This dish is somewhat reminiscent of that, but much, much milder. That's thanks to the soymilk. The story goes (as we were told twice), that the Iron Chef came to the US and tried the 6 different soymilks available here and spat them all out in disgust. So Koa imports a special brand from Japan which enables dishes like the soymilk dan dan to be very balanced and really shine.
We capped things off with a bowl of yuzu sorbet, a very refreshing palate cleanser, and the Lady M cocktail with Ciroc coconut vodka, soy milk, three wishes infused syrup, and premium matcha green tea. The cocktail was one of my favorite items of the night and would go back just for that dessert drink--super creamy but no dairy!
Koa just opened for weekend service so it was pretty empty when we were there (usually a red flag for me), but I'm sure with word of mouth and a few adventurous ramen lovers looking for something a little different, this will soon be a tough reservation to snag. -
- Mike S.
- New York, United States
- 3 friends
- 17 reviews
I came here last night to try this new restaurant out and loved it. The bar and lounge/seating area looked great and would be an ideal place for a date or after work drinks. (bcuz they also have happy hour, but only at the bar)
I started off the night ordering some sake and the waiter let me sample the ones I wanted to try. (Most restaurant don't let you do this, unless you are super cool w/ the bartender or buy a whole bottle in and of itself). I ended up really loving the "Nanbu bijin daiginjo" sake and recommend it to other people if you want something smooth and semi-dry w/ a real light-sweet aftertaste. It was soooooo easy to drink, I ended up ordering more and the waiter even brought out an empty bottle to me so I could take a picture of it and order it on my own next time or at other places if I wanted to. (How Awesome is that!!) I think the server's name was, Shelby, I believe. So I would recommend sitting in his section if you love sake and personal recommendations.
On to the food: yum, yum =)
My personal recommendation are the:
1) Pork buns (comes in 2's) they are light, fluffy, and delicious w/ the sauce
2) Sauteed Sesame Chicken (the chicken comes diced, but you get little lettuce wraps w/ it and you eat it in a similar way that you eat sanchu {lettuce you get at korean bbq places}. The awesome thing about this is, you also get as much lettuce as you want.
*(I love little secret perks like this)
3) General KOA's chicken (It's a secret menu item, because its not on the menu and you have to ask for it; if you don't like spicy food) Its sweet glazed chicken w/ a little peppers on the side, but they are scrupdeliumptious!
4) Soy Dan Dan Sorba: It was a huuuuuge bowl of sorba (a new noodle dish, looking similar to ramen but w/ less soup) it had a lot of toppings, flavor, and obviously soy milk. It was something new for me to try and I would say its good, It's not the best noodle dish in the world, but you've got to new things every once in awhile to break the monotony of life.
Overall, I had a great time here and would recommend people coming for appetizers, sake, and drinks. It's a great place to chill, relax, and eat Chinese food inspired by the Iron Chef of Japan.
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KOA Restaurant Menu: Lunch Menu
Small Plates - Meat
- US$11.00
- US$12.00
- US$10.00
- US$14.00
Lunch Set
- US$16.75
- US$15.75
Small Plates - Vegetable
Small Plates - Seafood
- US$9.00
- US$14.00
- US$11.00
Ramen Sorba - KOA Original
- US$17.00
- US$23.00
- US$17.00
- US$39.00
- US$17.00