Koya Kitchen

I can't believe I haven't written a review before this! My husband and I absolutely love this place. We feel like it is a special gem we found on this mountain. The food is wonderful. The atmosphere and ambiance is so cute and quaint. Plants everywhere. Adorable hand made crafts for sale. It's trendy but with a mountain town vibe. Staff is amazing. My only downside is when I occasionally see a group of people for a birthday or other celebration (5-6 people) because I want it all to myself. Otherwise it's a cute, quiet place.

Food was good, but the attitude of the owner/ people who were working there was terrible so we won't be back. It was the "you're lucky we let you eat here" kind of attitude. The setup is a small bar/gift shop, with an attached food cart kitchen (order at the cart, return for your food when paged, clear your table).

"KOYA" means Little House/Lodge in Japanese. Yelp shows 4 stars! Of course I was expecting good Japanese Foods. They have good Japanese food selections as well as drink (Sake, Japanese Beer and IPA) selections. Restaurant was cute, cozy, clean and welcoming. Especially their bathroom was clean!!!! Services are great and all staffs were very friendly. However, their foods were disappointed. We ordered 2 sushi rolls and Chicken Karaage. Sushi's rice were undercooked partially and Chicken Karaage was little over cooked and chopped up like "popcorn chicken" size. I believe their Chicken Karaage were marinated before cook and Flavor was good but we were questioning the "Freshness". Services, Atmosphere and staff were great. so We don't want to say "We won't go back there again", but we are looking forward to seeing their improvements soon.

On vacation at nearby Mount Hood. What a cozy reprieve from the flurries of snow. It's sort of like a house cabin with a food cart in the back. So you order food outside at the food cart and order drinks indoor at the bar area. They give you a pager and you go out again to pick up the food. It was a bit wet with the heavy rain, but felt like part of an adventure so I didn't mind. The food: Yaki Soba with Chicken. I really enjoyed it. It was fairly simple, probably something I could make at home. But considering being nearby a ski resort area, it was a really nice comfort food. Miso Ramen. Best ramen I've ever had? No. Best ramen I've had in a small town nearby a ski resort? Probably! My son was pleased with some soupy comfort escape from the pouring rain outside. Highly recommend for cozy comfort food in a snowy environment.

Been here a few years ago and had a good experience. This time the food was good and the wait was Long (understandable) but the service was super rude. My friends and I felt uncomfortable and unwelcome eating here. Would not reccomend to anyone and will not be returning.

Came here expecting great food because of the 4 star overall rating. The service was good and the people are kind. We got 4 sushi dishes as we love sushi and regularly go to different sushi restaurants. Don't get me wrong, the food was pretty good until we got to the mushroom rolls. There was an off taste about them. Sure enough, 3 hours later both my wife and I got sick. She has been up most of the night stuck in the restroom. I feel sick but nowhere as bad as her. Again, the service was good with kind people, but something about those mushroom rolls got us both sick... and she generally loves mushrooms. Kind of ruining part of our anniversary with really sucks.

The food, service & ambiance is one of a kind. You can seat inside or outside. Bar is inside- order outside at the food truck. Inside also offers a cute arrangement of boutique items (earrings, tote bags, notepads, incense, sage, etc. I would say this is the healthiest restaurant near the mountain.

Such a gem of a place. Exponentially cute and quirky - we loved the outdoor seating and the renovated bus. Food was also pretty dang good and lots of fun cocktails. Service was slow, but only because it was so busy!

It feels unnatural to leave a bad review at a small town spot but our experience sucked. We ordered a tofu pad thai with no egg- after picking up the food we realized our box was 'chicken pad thai no veg' so my husband called and explained the mixup, the guy on the phone went back & forth with him a bit insisting that's what they had written down. Ok, mistakes happen, phone service is spotty, no big deal. We asked if he could bring the food back and exchange it for the right thing, since it wasn't vegan friendly. We were then told the pad thai was made with fish sauce too. Asked if we could do it without fish sauce, and were told no. I've never heard of that not being possible but maybe they make the noodles in a big batch or something . However, no other option was offered instead (despite their yelp listing saying vegan & vegetarian options). That would have been the courteous time to offer a refund but they were clearly over us and offered no options for making it right. Major bummer as we're in town weekly and always wanted to try Koya. A waste of money for us as well as the unexpectedly dismissive service. I rated 2 stars because the food looked like it would have been good had we been able to enjoy it.

I hate pickled ginger. I find the flavor extremely offensive and it can easily overpower a dish when a bite of it yields nothing but the taste of pickled ginger. I think overall my biggest complaint about the food was that a lot of it was out of balance. The "poke" bowl had great parts but the Kim chee made the whole thing way too acidic. Actually as a dish it didn't make a ton of sense. Also contained both kinds of pickled ginger. The sushi was pretty good. The rice was under seasoned as was the tuna but with some soy (sorry Japanese purists) it actually brought the whole together. I got the yaki meshi. I actually liked it a lot. Except the damn pickled ginger. It was not only on the top but spread all through so often there would be a bite where the pickled ginger just dominated. Tempura was decent. There were two new things I had never had. The black mushroom and the shallots. I now get why the former is not a thing but the shallot was pretty amazing. I don't know why that's not a thing. The potstickers are not really of the Japanese style and the filling is a little weak. The kid likes dumplings so it works. The udon seasoning was way off. Traditional udon has a very light flavor but this was very dark and too salty. I think calling it Japanese is definitely inaccurate. I could abide with pan Asian.

Environment and ambiance is great. Pet-friendly patio. Service was good. Food quality was pretty good (7/10). Good flavors. Beverages were on par with other restaurants, but only one beer on tap (IPA). Food portions were meh (beyond dessert -- waste of money; unbelievably small and overpriced (approximately, four bites for $5).

This was one of the coolest places ever. Food from a cart was yummy- mainly asian fusion. I loved my ramen, karaage was ok. Fries were amazing, as was the musabi. Service was about the same time as a typical food cart- but really really friendly. This is an eclectic place- like the dictionary definition. Loved it all. I am here for this.

Friendly and knowledgeable staff, amazing food, and an INCREDIBLE atmosphere. I was pleasantly surprised to see they had a full bar. Truly stoked to find this hidden treasure near the mountain. Will definitely be making this a regular stop

Food served from a truck and then you eat in the little bar. Portion size was good except the edamame and seaweed salad which where a ripoff I thought the pork fried rice was excellent and the ramen wasn't bad. I would go back.

The drinks are creative and yummy! The salmon roll is top-notch. I love the outdoor seating area as well as the inside. A lot of love is put into space. Hands down the best place for miles to eat in or take out.

This place is great, surrounded by a lot of breweries, and "American Food" in Government Camp/Zig Zag area. This is a very unique place. My first visit there was Saturday July 16th, 2022. It was really crowded on a Saturday night, but the service was quick respectively. I don't know if they have always had that format, where you walk up and order the food- from a food-cart/truck type structure. And, then you go inside to order a drink, and then find a table in the courtyard outside. Perhaps, before the pandemic they had table service, but for now it seems adequate with the order-as-you go format. The courtyard/garden area was a little free-range, and whimsical but it was a great place to spend the evening. I don't know what cold, and rainy or snowy winters will look like for that restaurant, as outdoor seating is not as desirable. But, for now, in July it was a really great place to be. We had the perfect amount of food, and it was very satisfying.

We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of this roadside asian place. Both the noodle dishes we got had a ton of flavor, and we would recommend the pad thai. The potstickers and cucumber salad we got as side were great too.

Stopped here on our way back from the mountain - will never make that mistake again. The food was some of the worst I've ever had at a restaurant. I want to give it more stars because of the cozy vibe inside, the decent cocktails, and the friendly bartender, but I just can't. I might come back for a drink after skiing but I think I actually need time to recover from how bad the food was. I joined Yelp to warn you all...consider yourself warned

Strong drinks (spicy mango Margarita is the best), good ramen and such a unique relaxing atmosphere. They have lounging areas, hammocks and string lights. A great place to rest after hiking or skiing. We try to stop here every time we go to Mt Hood.

Super amazing pure crafted Japanese comfort food faves plus cocktails! Really serene indoor seating or outdoor seating among the pines. Affordable. Peaceful. Sweet. Thank you!

I've been to Koya several many times over the years, and I love this place, and the owner, Jo. The food is prepared in a food truck behind the main cabin, which is now a bar and gift shop, with some indoor seating. The drink menu is incredible, by the way. (Mango Sticky Rice Sake Martini is outrageous). All dining tables are spread around a magical outdoor garden, with an assortment of tables, hammocks, lounge chairs, a firepit and even a tea hut. The food is delicious - the ramen is better than the ramen at the Japanese restaurant that we go to often in Portland. As for the service and staff, I have found everyone (from the owner, to the runners, bartender and food truck staff) to be friendly, helpful and downright fun. Yes, it's very laid back - it's Mt Hood! I've read some of the negative reviews, and have to wonder if they were at the same place, or perhaps had another agenda. I support this place and highly recommend it. It is an experience like no other!

Can't believe we hadn't stopped here before now, but so glad we did! Perfect ambiance for a summer evening at the mt. Great food, good drinks and nice people. Perfect addition to welches

Great food and fun cocktails! It's unique in the area and has always been good. I'm a fan of the curry pf the day, but the phad Thai is great as a backup

We got the Yaki Soba and shrimp tempura. The Yakisoba was decent I'd give it a 4 star. The shrimp tempura sushi my wife and I could only eat one bite. Something was rancid in it. Couldn't tell if it was an oil, cucumber, or what. It definitely wasn't crunchy at all. We are both hoping we don't get sick tonight.

This place was insanely cool! Food was good and the seating inside and outside was really unique, they have a little shop inside along with the seating that can help the time go by faster as your waiting for the food. The workers were all really nice to us! I would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting.

This place is the perfect spot after playing in the snow. You order at the cart, they give you a buzzer, you can pick a table (only 3 inside) or sit outside. The indoor dining is located within a gift store which is a strange layout and a bit cluttered but it works. You also order all drinks inside. We ordered the yaki soba and yaki meshi. Both dishes had great flavors. I even enjoyed the pickled ginger. The service was fine, nothing that stuck out. Just a bit cramped inside, but the outdoor sitting is very spacious with a fireplace and rustic looking. Perfect for a warmer day. I will def go back again if I'm in the area.

Very yummy food. Sushi was great. The ambience was wonderful. Hot cider was a hit with kids.

Came in here after a fun filled day of skiing at Meadows. This place is magic. From the setting of paper lanterns, outdoor seating, and tents to the order at the counter food cart, this place does not disappoint. The ramen is killer, spam musubi off the chart, and the cocktail list with sake tasters is a foodies dream. The staff and ambiance are beyond hospitable. Can't wait to go back!

Amazing noodles soup ! The ambience is beautiful and the service was perfect ! Totally recommend it

Headed down from Mt Hood and decided to stop here. Parked in the large lot in the back. You order at the cart or drinks indoors. We sat on the huge, quaint patio out back. Lots of dogs back there enjoying life.There are great elements...an A frame private table, lots of picnic tables, some hammocks, cute rustic wood creations. There is also just some clutter that just needs to be cleaned up. Onto the food- tuna poke bowl, grilled udon noodles with chicken, kimchee and seaweed salad, no drinks. with tip this was $47. the food was good. fresh and delish. The lack of 5 stars is for the portions vs. prices. We were still a bit hungry when we left! Additionally it wasnt very busy and it took almost 30 mins to get our food. But again, it was fresh. I would for sure go back and eat again despite the portion size. Just be aware of that.

Vibes 10/10 Food 10/10 Bar 10/10 Extensive menu, will be back!!!! Food was tasty and the Owner was very kind

Hidden gem, hiding in plain sight literally right on Hwy 26. This little healthy food oasis stands out boldly amongst scores of beer, burger and pizza joints anywhere around Mt. Hood. The owner, I think she said Jo, is friendly and seems to make most of her own stuff, sourcing hyper-local veggies (as in from her neighboor who walked in barefoot to pick up his tupperware while we ate :). Elegantly decorated, nicely appointed, and just warm - but don't let that distract you from the delicious daily specials. We stumbled into this awesome little place by sheer accident - but will make it a sure stop on the next visit. Visited again 5/14/2022 - wow - super again, food exquisite, like a 5-star restaurant, super nice staff, cool gift shop, what a treat!

We had a wonder experience and really enjoyed the food! We ordered the Yaki soba, the poke bowl, donburi tofu bowl, seaweed salad, edamame, and the Philly roll! Everything was delicious and there were plenty of leftovers for us to enjoy later. The outside environment was very charming and my girls enjoyed laying on the hammocks before dinner! The only negative I can think of was the slow service at the bar. The guy did say that it was only his second day so this was easily forgivable. I would recommend this place to anyon

Fuc*in stupid good!! Everything from the execution of the rice to the ramen, the freshness of the fish. We ate there 2 days in a row and would have eaten there again if we didn't have to go home. We will travel from Bend to Portland with an empty stomach from now on so we can always stop here. Extremely charming ambience and super friendly staff. A must go!!!

If I was on the brink of ending things, this would be the last straw for me. The food...if I had a paper towel I'd rather have eaten that...for the taste. I don't think even dogs would eat it. WAY too much salt and no taste at the same time? How do you this?!? Also the manager lady was so rude every time we encountered her. The bartender was sweet and the waitress was subpar but nice. Everyone else treats you like a criminal...0/10 recommend. Looks so cool, trust me keep driving. PS: we picked that flower

Huge fan of the sake selection and the outdoor ambiance but the food was subpar. My friend and I had a great time relaxing outside on the hammocks with some sake after a long day on the mountain. The reason for the low rating is because of the food, the portions were huge and very generous but the fried rice was lacking flavor. It was really disappointing especially since the menu descriptions were enticing and my plate was heaping. Most of it ended up uneaten. Probably wouldn't come back again for food but would consider coming by for a drink and chilling.

If you're looking for food authentic Japanese food, this is NOT your place to go to. It is more of a fusion Japanese food. Soba- 1.5/5 recommended by the cashier It was drenched in mayonnaise and oil. The flavor was okay, but reminded me of indomie My friend ordered: Ramen- 0.5/5 -recommenced by the cashier the broth was very bland, and there was very little soup to go with the noodles. It lacks the umami both flavor, and the noodle were overcooked. Avocado fried rice- 2.5/5 The best thing I tried here. If you're looking for a FRIED rice, this is it. The rice is very much fried and crunch... but that also makes it very dry. The avocado adds a bit of moisture and creaminess to it, but aside from that it doesn't do much. The rice is a bit spicy with some chili in it. Not extremely spicy, but it gives it a nice kick. Drinks: Chili mango margarita- 0.5/5- recommended by cashier All you taste is chili with a slight bitterness of tequila followed by a burn from the chili. It was very hard to drink Mango martini- 1/5- recommended by cashier This drink wasn't very sweet and had little to no mango taste. The vodka was very strong. Atmosphere- 4/5 Very cute and aesthetic. The outdoor seating next to the fire pit is super cute, along with the tent. The place has a very warm vibe. People: Cashier- very nice and friendly but didn't know all the drinks and recommendations weren't the best. Bartender- very rude. We ordered multiple drinks, beers and cocktails and she was very rude to us when she brought it out. Whenever we exchanged drinks or needed more, she would give us an eye roll. We ordered a lot of drinks and had them come out one at a time, but she wasn't informed and brought them all out at once, later to bring them back in.

Had a lovely lunch at this cute place. Highly recommend Koya. I had the Tuna Poke bowl and my husband had the Udon Noodle bowl. Both were a sold maxing. We also enjoyed some great cocktails. The patio had plenty of spaces seating including this cute little pagoda where we sat. Love this little establishment and the food was amazing! Please safely support local businesses like this one so we can keep them around.

An amazing stop on the way home from Mt. Hood. The patio is full of cute hideaways, heaters, flickering lanterns and inside a cute gift shop holds some great unexpected treasures! The food was great, standard food cart faire for a sushi spot inland. I definitely am adding this to my list of usual post-Hood hangouts, the relaxed attitude and chill vibes make it a jem!

After waiting for nearly an hour and a half for our food, we were told that we must have been sitting in a "dead zone" so our pager didn't go off. The curry was cold, the rice was cold and the naan was cold. The curry also had a serious fishy flavor. After all the wonderful reviews, I thought this would be an awesome spot for dinner, but I don't think I'll be back.

I ordered the Miso Soup and Chicken Coconut Curry and upon ordering confirmed that everything was gluten free. When I picked up the curry plate, it had naan bread on the rice. Luckily I asked again whether the Naan bread was gluten free and the same person taking my order swapped his response and now said "no". In addition to this, the curry was super watery and the portion sizes were TINY. The only reason I'm not giving this place 1 star is because of the dining environment. The seating area is awesome. The food doesn't deliver.

Ugh listen, this is my first yelp review, ever. The vibes here are superb, the drinks (buttered rum special) were absolutely fire. But I could not eat any more than 3 bites out of any of the 4 dishes except the spam masubi. Which at its peak was a 7/10. I wanted to love this place. Good to stop in for a drink, solid vibes and a cute gift shop but get the spam masubi and a buttered rum and find your main corse at DQ.

Cool looking spot but the food was horrible especially for the prices they charge. The yakiudon tasted like mayo and was way heavier and creamier than yakiudon should be. The salmon roll was cut into huge chunks with a huge amount of rice with very little fish inside. Rice was also hard and the seaweed was mushy. Pass.

Wanted to try this place out after a day up at Meadows. We ordered the Chicken Yakisoba, Eel Roll, and Shoyu Ramen with chicken. Ramen was solid! It was perfect for the evening by being super tasty and filling. Broth had a little kick to it that I wasn't expecting, but it was a pleasant surprise. Good amount of the Yakisoba and was more than enough for the girlfriend and I. It was very flavorful and the noodles were cooked very well. We both enjoyed the eel roll and the seaweed salad. Seating inside is limited, but they have lots of outdoor spots. We sat inside the heated tent while others ate outside by the fire. Inside bar area is full of fun gifts, mugs, product, stickers, etc. All drinks are ordered inside, while ordering food is outside. Loved this place and will stop by again!

We've been driving by this place for years. Read the reviews and have wanted to visit since we moved to Sandy. Oh man!! Did we did want to like this place. We ordered sushi rolls. The sushi rice was wrong and did not stick together. The rolls were not rolled tight at all. So when you picked them up, they just disintegrated. They turned from rolls to sushi salad. One roll was supposed to have eel sauce. It was barely visible and tasteless. All the rolls lacked flavor. They ended up in the trash. We will not return.

Needed dinner after a full day at the Mt. Hood Adventure Park and decided to go to this place. Vast majority of the party was Japanese, so the review takes into account their assessment. The place is really cute and informal, you order the food at the entrance, you are given a buzzer and then you get a seat, wait for the buzzer to go off and then you go get your food. Before ordering they told us that the waiting time for food was approx 45 mins, which it turned out to be exact almost to the minute. The yaki meshi, their fried rice, was almost like a yaki soba but with rice rather than noodles. It was not bad, but unexpected. The Korean bbq bowl was more than decent. The miso ramen was not good, weird tasting broth. The miso soup was shockingly bad, none of the Japanese people in the party could understand or recognize its taste, and all of them were in disbelief that that thing was miso soup. The kids had the karage bowl and ate it all without complaining. Finally we got a matcha cheesecake for dessert and personally I did not like it that much, it tasted heavily of Philadelphia cheese, it had no crust at all (like a graham crust or something)., and the whipped cream was sprayed from a can. Surprisingly though all the Japanese people in the party liked it and stated that it might have been made by a Japanese person. Go figure :) Anyway, we had a good time in a cute location with inconsistent food quality. Stick to the rice dishes, avoid ramen and definitely avoid the miso soup.

I've eaten here a few times, food was always good service is Haphazard at best. Nice folks but the service is just not sharp or polished. The food cart truck makes me nervous cause it seems to always be dripping wet on the inside but I've never gotten sick, surprisingly. I hope they get a better ventilation system in that truck as it looks miserable. When the weather is good it's a great for outdoor seating.

We drive by the place all the time but never stopped. After backpacking Paradise Meadows the group wanted to try here. It's different that's for sure. Nice outdoor patio. You have to order from a food truck and they bring your food to you. Drinks you order inside the building. A bit pricey and a hippie dippy feel but Ok. I liked the sushi roll but I absolutely thought the veggie tempura was the worst I'd ever had! Sorry to say this but two different types of onions. No carrots or familiar veggies, etc. it was awful and made me feel sick after. So go with the sushi rolls! The noodles people liked as well. Nothing special beer and wine wise. Glad I tried it though!

Unique, fried food was all dark possibly dirty old oil. Wish they did table service. Can't wait for summer to enjoy outside patio.

Wandered in here after getting married at nearby Trillium Lake. The creativity with which the owner has transformed the indoor space into a gift shop during Covid is superb. Being lovestruck tourists, we adored the selection of local artistry available and the whole space added a bit of magic to our honeymoon. The heated seating outside was very comfortable and there are a couple cute, romantic seating spaces to choose from. Loved the sushi rolls and the Yaki Soba. Definitely coming back here the next time we are traveling through!