Representative John Carnevale had just finished looking around Koi Japanese Cuisine with Mayor Joseph Polisena when owner Sam Ou came out of the kitchen.
“Congratulations, Sam,” Carnevale exclaimed while extending his hand to Ou. “Your restaurant is absolutely beautiful!”
Koi Japanese Cuisine, located at 1369 Hartford Avenue in the Luigi’s Restaurant and Gourmet Express plaza, is what Attorney Christopher D. Colardo called “an example of economic development at its best.”
“This end cap space was completely remodeled from floor to ceiling,” Colardo told Polisena and Carnevale during last Friday’s official ribbon cutting ceremony. “Koi invested $250,000 into this restaurant and it certainly shows.”
Polisena added, “This store front is no longer vacant, and that’s a pleasing sign for sure.”
Colardo, who is the executive legal counsel to National Development Group, Inc., told Polisena and Carnevale that Ou completely gutted the 1,900-square-foot former restaurant site and “installed brand new kitchen equipment and custom stone and tile work that includes hi-tech LED lighting.”
“This is a showplace for dining and the town,” Carnevale said. “The décor is special.”
Colardo added, “The colors, the marble, and the furniture give this eatery a real eclectic ‘SoHo’ feel. This place is sharp and the fit and finish are of great quality. It’s a showplace.”
There are two bars – nine seats for the casual cocktail or lunch and dinner, and six seats at the Sushi bar. Much to the amazement of Polisena and Carnevale, the bar tops are white marble.
Each of the bar areas is covered with a stone veneer finish and the walls feature rich hues of gray.
Koi features an East Asian ambiance and Japanese cuisine that includes Sushi, steak, seafood and high-quality brand products. The dining room, which is open for lunch and dinner, can accommodate 62 people.
“Our goal is to give you the best Japanese cuisine and best customer service in a very relaxed atmosphere,” Ou said, adding Koi Japanese also offers takeout.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about Koi Japanese Cuisine moving into Johnston is that the entire project took only 90 days to complete.
“That’s pretty amazing … outstanding,” Colardo said, noting that contractors had to completely gut the inner part of the end cap at 1369 Hartford Avenue. “However, this could not have happened without Mayor Polisena’s aggressive pro-business policy. Many thanks to the mayor for a successful new business venture in town.”
Koi Japanese Cuisine is open seven days a week. Monday through Thursday hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 9:30 p.m. For takeout, call 383-4105.
Jimmy Liang, Koi’s chef who is ably assisted by Mark Zheng, does not use MSG in any food. The menu is unique and has appetizers from the kitchen and Sushi bar. There are soups, salads and a myriad of choices from kitchen hibachi dinners to seafood and steak dishes.
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