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Koi in Evanston

Koi in Evanston
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  • Post #31 - February 19th, 2010, 6:59 am
    Post #31 - February 19th, 2010, 6:59 am Post #31 - February 19th, 2010, 6:59 am
    cilantro wrote:
    nsxtasy wrote:If someone else knows of another Chinese place in the northern suburbs or north side that's better, I'd love to hear about it, so I can try it.

    Sun Wah is not much more than a 15-minute drive. Actually, if my only choices were that or Koi, I'd be happy to walk there. On my hands.


    And, don't forget China Chef in Morton Grove.
    Steve Z.

    “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
    ― Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Post #32 - February 19th, 2010, 5:02 pm
    Post #32 - February 19th, 2010, 5:02 pm Post #32 - February 19th, 2010, 5:02 pm
    Sorry, I should have mentioned that I'm interested in Szechuan Chinese food, not Cantonese.
  • Post #33 - February 19th, 2010, 5:10 pm
    Post #33 - February 19th, 2010, 5:10 pm Post #33 - February 19th, 2010, 5:10 pm
    nsxtasy wrote:Sorry, I should have mentioned that I'm interested in Szechuan Chinese food, not Cantonese.

    Koi serves Sichuan?
    Dominic Armato
    Dining Critic
    The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com
  • Post #34 - February 19th, 2010, 5:40 pm
    Post #34 - February 19th, 2010, 5:40 pm Post #34 - February 19th, 2010, 5:40 pm
    You can always count on LTH for sarcasm rather than constructive information.
  • Post #35 - February 19th, 2010, 5:46 pm
    Post #35 - February 19th, 2010, 5:46 pm Post #35 - February 19th, 2010, 5:46 pm
    nsxtasy wrote:You can always count on LTH for sarcasm rather than constructive information.

    It was an honest question!

    I only see one or two dishes on the menu that claim to be Sichuan... I wasn't sure if I was looking at the wrong place or if I'd misunderstood or if there was more to the menu I'm not seeing!
    Dominic Armato
    Dining Critic
    The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com
  • Post #36 - February 19th, 2010, 6:12 pm
    Post #36 - February 19th, 2010, 6:12 pm Post #36 - February 19th, 2010, 6:12 pm
    Are you referring to the new specials posted in this topic, or the complete menu on Koi's website?
  • Post #37 - February 19th, 2010, 6:26 pm
    Post #37 - February 19th, 2010, 6:26 pm Post #37 - February 19th, 2010, 6:26 pm
    nsxtasy wrote:Are you referring to the new specials posted in this topic, or the complete menu on Koi's website?

    The complete menu on the website.

    Ehhhh... maybe they list three or four. Out of 50 or so Chinese dishes. Hence, my confusion. I actually see more Sichuan on the China Chef menu than the Koi menu (though not much on either).
    Dominic Armato
    Dining Critic
    The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com
  • Post #38 - November 19th, 2019, 2:46 pm
    Post #38 - November 19th, 2019, 2:46 pm Post #38 - November 19th, 2019, 2:46 pm
    Had dim sum there on Sunday. No carts, a la carte. We chose it mainly for convenience of location, and were pleased.

    Pricing maybe a bit higher than MingHin (my last local dim sum experience), but not by much. A bit surprised to see "dragon claws" (chicken feet), turnip cake, and several kinds of congee in suburbia (note we didn't order those items). They were very helpful with the meatless in our group. Service was a little slow to start but otherwise very good. Highlights were short ribs (glazed a little sweeter than a typical galbi), perfect har gow, pork belly buns, red bean sesame balls (smaller and crisper than typical but more to the serving).

    [added later]I was hoping for better from their XLB -- they were small, and served not on spoons (just on parchment in the steamer) leading to a number of punctures getting them to the plate. Not a lot of flavor or unctuousness to the broth.
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #39 - January 17th, 2023, 10:39 am
    Post #39 - January 17th, 2023, 10:39 am Post #39 - January 17th, 2023, 10:39 am
    The Small Household Food Exchange Group visited Koi for Chinese food Sunday night. (An attempt to go to Larsa’s didn’t work out, due to staffing issues there.)

    Overall, the food wasn’t bad, but noticeably uneven. The primary part of the menu is organized by eight regions of China — Chuan, Hui, Yue, Xiang, Min, Zhe, Su and Lu.

    Image
    We all agreed the best dish of the night was the Lemon Chicken, Hiu cuisine from the Anhui region. Boneless chicken pieces were served in a lemon sauce with bits of apple, which helped offset the lemon’s acidity.

    Image
    Coming in at second best, I described the Braised Pork Belly (Zhe cuisine from the Zhejiang region) as “luxuriously fatty.” One less enthusiastic eater simply called it “fatty.” Bok Choy mitigated the fattiness a little.

    Image
    Lu cuisine from the Shandong region gave us Cumin Lamb. The reasonably tender lamb was served with lots of vegetables, and a bit of heat from chili oil.

    Image
    I was disappointed with the Seafood Combination, Min cuisine from the Fujian region. Normally I’m a big fan of seafood dishes, and, to be fair, all the different pieces of seafood were perfectly cooked, which can be tricky, because the shrimp (both breaded and sautéed), bay scallops and fish can cook at different rates. But what was described as a white wine-garlic sauce was very soy-forward, overwheming the delicate seafood flavors.

    We’ve eaten at Koi, both dine-in and delivery, from time to time over the past few years, and will continue to do so occasionally. I’m hoping the Seafood Combination was just the result of an off night.
  • Post #40 - January 13th, 2025, 3:17 pm
    Post #40 - January 13th, 2025, 3:17 pm Post #40 - January 13th, 2025, 3:17 pm
    Today the Evanston Lunch Group™ had lunch at Koi. When we first decided on the venue, we were surprised to discover that the group™ had not been there before.

    When we asked, we were told that the lunch specials were only half the size of the dinner versions of the same dishes, so we all opted for the latter. Portions were generous.

    Here's what we had:

    Sushi lunch - 5 pieces Chef's Choice Sushi & California Maki
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    Miso soup (came with the above item)
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    Mu Shu Plate (chicken, beef, shrimp) - Stir Fried Cabbage, Egg, Vegetables, Wraps (not pictured), Hoisin Sauce (not pictured)
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    Chow Fun Noodles (chicken) - Fried Rice Noodle, Vegetables
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    Kung Bao Plate (chicken) - Mixed Greens, Peanuts, Chilis
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    Szechwan Plate (chicken, beef, shrimp) - Mixed Greens, Chilis, Sweet and Sour
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    Glazed Orange Plate (chicken, beef, shrimp) - Sweet and Spicy Sauce, Chilis (Note: I forgot to take a photo of this dish at the restaurant. However, I also got one of these to go, so I photographed it at home. It's not as pretty in the carryout container as it was in the restaurant, with its garnishes of fresh orange slices, but hey, this is what I got to show.)
    Image
    The general consensus was that all the dishes were delicious with the exception of the chow fun noodles.

    As I noted in the lunch topic, the menu shown on their website is illegible. I received a copy of their paper menu, and here's what it looks like:
    Image
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  • Post #41 - January 13th, 2025, 3:30 pm
    Post #41 - January 13th, 2025, 3:30 pm Post #41 - January 13th, 2025, 3:30 pm
    Dang, B2B was really looking forward to Chow Fun. So sorry!

    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #42 - January 13th, 2025, 4:32 pm
    Post #42 - January 13th, 2025, 4:32 pm Post #42 - January 13th, 2025, 4:32 pm
    I’ve had good chow fun there in the past. We thought maybe the lunch crew wasn’t up to snuff today. Not much flavor but worse, not much crispness to noodles. There were 2 to 4 layers stuck together and rather gooey. On the plus side there was a large quantity of moist white meat chicken.
    Since we were all generous in sharing, I agree that the other dishes ordered were delicious.
  • Post #43 - January 22nd, 2025, 9:20 am
    Post #43 - January 22nd, 2025, 9:20 am Post #43 - January 22nd, 2025, 9:20 am
    Man, that is such an annoying online menu!

    It appears that all the Chinese plate lunch specials are $14.95, and unlike with many of the dinner options, the meat in each is not a choice. Just checking: did they just say the lunch portions were smaller than the dinner portions, or that they were really half? So, for example, a half portion of Mongolian beef at lunch is $14.95, a dinner portion is $21?
    "Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"
  • Post #44 - January 22nd, 2025, 10:10 am
    Post #44 - January 22nd, 2025, 10:10 am Post #44 - January 22nd, 2025, 10:10 am
    The lunch specials also include 1 spring roll.
  • Post #45 - January 22nd, 2025, 10:30 am
    Post #45 - January 22nd, 2025, 10:30 am Post #45 - January 22nd, 2025, 10:30 am
    Katie wrote:did they just say the lunch portions were smaller than the dinner portions, or that they were really half?

    I know they said they were smaller, but I don't think they said they were half, although I could be mistaken. However, given that all you get with lunch in addition to the ordered item was a spring roll, and given the difference in prices and meat choices (or lack thereof, as you correctly noted), it was clear which was the better deal, so we all ordered the dinner options at our lunch. Portion sizes on those were generous.
  • Post #46 - January 22nd, 2025, 1:30 pm
    Post #46 - January 22nd, 2025, 1:30 pm Post #46 - January 22nd, 2025, 1:30 pm
    Thanks to you both for that good information.
    "Your swimming suit matches your eyes, you hold your nose before diving, loving you has made me bananas!"

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