Koyo

I’ll be quite honest. I’m shocked this place has such a high rating. The place definitely has some great potential as they’ve done a very good job with making the place look like an authentic Japanese sushi house, but that’s as far as it goes. The food is subpar at best and the sushi selection is one of the worst I’ve seen. Very small selection and then just packed with rice. Was kind of sad about our experience here as the reviews looked good prior to going here and the place looked promising do to its ambiance, but the food got a C+ at best. If you’re looking for good sushi and food try a different place than this.

I was not expecting when I walked in two. Feel like I was in Japan which we have been. We've been in Kyoto. We've been Nagano Tokyo and so on. But I felt like I was in Tokyo. Kind of nice. Very simple, quiet relaxing feeling. Food was delicious. We had the teriyaki steak. We had the chicken kabob. We had the dinners and she had the fish mackerel. The tempura was good. Everything was really good. I'm very pleased we both were and we will come back to this place. Everything was delicious with Japanese family. Two brothers running the place. Our meal came to $ $54 and we left a $12 tip. It was great service. Great atmosphere. Everything was clean. Service was well. Great job and thank you for having it. Such a nice restaurant.

We had such a lovely evening at Koyo! It’s very traditional Japanese, but my dad lived there for years and definitely appreciated the attention to detail. He also said he had been before over 20 years ago and the server said the menu probably hasn’t changed much since then. Also our server Krissy was the sweetest. She was so on top of it, I booked a reservation an hour before we got there and she still had waters out and ready to go when we sat down. We’ll be back!

First visit — mixed experience, but overall positive. We ordered the Japanese curry, Nabeyaki udon, Sapporo beer, spicy tuna roll, and the Smart roll. We came in looking for a refined, traditional Japanese dining experience and were excited to try a variety of items. Unfortunately, the Nabeyaki and Japanese curry fell short of expectations. Both dishes felt unrefined, with textures that were mostly mushy and lacking contrast. Flavors were bland and forgettable, and nothing stood out. These dinner plates felt average at best. In contrast, the sushi rolls were excellent — flavorful, well-balanced, and with a great distinction of textures. The Smart roll and spicy tuna were clear highlights and are definitely recommended. We were also served miso soup and a fresh salad as part of the meal, and to our surprise, they paired together beautifully. Taking a bite of salad followed by a sip of soup created a surprisingly perfect combo that added a comforting start to the experience. Service was flawless, and the ambiance was perfect... especially sitting at the traditional-style booth where you take your shoes off. That part of the experience felt genuinely special. In hindsight, if we had skipped the Nabeyaki and Japanese curry, the experience would’ve felt much more satisfying. Next time, we’ll likely stick to sushi... and if we’re feeling adventurous, maybe try the chicken or beef teriyaki instead.

Pros: Been here a few times and food is consistently phenomenal - not fusion sauce heavy type, it’s the fresh, can taste all ingredients, traditional Japanese style deliciousness. Price is affordable compared to the average Japanese restaurant. Highly recommend these dishes: shake-tofu, okonomiyaki, mars sushi (raw tuna, warm, melts in mouth), smart roll (note: everything including salmon is cooked, but tasty), cold sake. Cons: Love the traditional ambience, though may be a bit hot for the average guests. Service needs the most improvement - credits are given to a female server that is professional and went above and beyond. -1 star as the other servers are inexperienced and not very attentive - forgets about details and because of the layout you cannot find them and had to wait until they come to you. -1 star for waiting 20min for our 1st dish and about 40min total for all 4 dishes. We saw the other table next to us about the same pace. Suggestion to restaurant: Please hire better servers or train them better and enough staff in the kitchen that will preserve your reputation of good food! Would love to come back but service really needs to be addressed.

Absolutely wonderful! Took our daughter there for her birthday. The food was sooooooo good. Our server was helpful and friendly. Service was fast

Quiet. Peaceful. Excellent service and food. And super reasonable. Love this place.

I am the biggest fan of this place!!! It’s one of my favorite restaurants that me and my boyfriend love to go to whenever we get the chance. The food is incredible and the vibe is so peaceful and welcoming. We absolutely adore the server, Clara! She’s so kind and makes the experience even better!!!

I was very pleasantly surprised how tasty our lunch was today. Koyo's has all the classics and I love the paper rooms. My mars roll was fresh, and the miso soup and shrimp tempura lunch box was hot and good. My server was very nice and quick. I will be back soon!

We tried a plethora of food items from Koyo to get the full experience. The food was good! The salad has some of the best Japanese salad dressing I've ever had! The miso soup is served hot and has tons of flavor. We got the Baja and the Koyo roll, both with shrimp, and they were rolled perfectly and tasted wonderful! The other appetizers were delicious, especially the breaded chicken! The Kiwa was okay, and I wish it had more noodles and more of a sweet flavor. The steak teriyaki was perfect! I would definitely get teriyaki chicken or steak for my entree next time. There was only one server running the whole show, and he did a marvelous job! He checked on us and other tables and made sure that everything was perfect. The ambiance is delightful and encompasses a Japanese vibe. There are private dining areas that fit small or large parties, and there are other tables to accommodate parties of 10. The Japanese music is relaxing and adds to the ambiance. I would love relaxing in this restaurant.

Sitting around fantasizing about opening a restaurant is easy. Italian? Mexican? Steaks? Only the best wines from undiscovered vineyards? Absolutely. The real truth is that as fun as it is to throw out cool ideas, actually running a restaurant and being successful at it, is incredibly hard. Keeping it going longer than a year is even harder. Koyo has been around a long time. Eons in the restaurant sphere and sometimes that works against you. To me, the menu was getting a little stale, the interior of the building needing attention and servers seemed to come and go in quick fashion. Me and my dinner companions would go there and we'd always talk about what the place needed to really be successful in a rapidly changing world, because we were sure they were on their way out. It seems that the owners of Koyo were doing the same and I'm happy to report that instead of pie-in-the-sky thinking that me and my friends would throw out during our visits, the folks at Koyo did something logical and simply leveraged what they know. The menu is still familiar for longtime fans, but they've added some dishes that lend a more interesting meal. I ordered gyoza as an appetizer and it was excellent. Obviously handmade and cooked to perfection with a lovely sear on one side from the pan, with the other side wonderfully chewy. For my main, I ordered something I rarely see on a Japanese menu in Utah and that is okonomiyaki. It's described on the menu as a Japanese pizza, but let's be honest in that it's more like a pancake. Calling it a pizza invites a comparison that will only cause patrons to complain. Now, the reason more restaurants don't offer okonomiyaki is because there really is no standard version and I learned from my time living in Japan that nobody really cooks or prepare it the same way. It's a true freestyle dish and Koyo did a wonderful job. The batter held up well and kept the cabbage, bacon and other ingredients warm throughout, carrying flavor to me in every bite. The traditional sauce was generous in portion, but not overly soaked and the raw scallions on top gave it a punch. Of course, the best part of this dish - besides eating it - is watching the bonito flakes waving at you as the plate is set down. Koyo didn't skimp on the bonito flakes! The accompanying pre-main salad was good (I prefer this one slightly more than the other Japanese restaurant that starts with a K) and the miso soup was delicious. In fact, me and my companion both remarked at how good the miso soup was versus past experience at Koyo. Our server was wonderful, had solid knowledge of the new offerings and really did a great job of communicating just how hard the owners are trying to offer a more satisfying experience. Across the table, my dinner mate feasted on the maguro no sashimi - raw tuna - and commented on the quality of the fish and we were both bemused when we looked at the bottle of Asahi beer and read that it's brewed in Italy. What a world. Koyo did something that I think many longtime restaurants should do and that is look within to see how you can add something new for your patrons. Challenge yourself to be better via better quality ingredients, attention to detail and present a good product from the minute someone walks in the doorway to the second they leave the table. This is the recipe to not only survive, but thrive. Koyo is reenergized and through their new menu items, more caring staff and subtle change in philosophy, so are we. The answer was right there all along - in house. No fancy ideas. No gimmicks or tricks, just really good quality food. And a note to the talented folks behind the scenes at Koyo: thank you for these changes. You've made a difference and the food truly is great, especially the new items. Doing what you do to the best of your abilities should be every restaurants mantra, especially those struggling a bit to improve or innovate. It's an incredible improvement for Koyo and positively Japanese. Kaizen! I'm so glad they made these changes - they've truly kicked it up a few notches - and I'll be back soon. If you haven't been to Koyo for awhile, try again and try something new. The okonomiyaki is delicious on a cold winter night. I think you'll be glad you did.

Great chill restaurant with an authentic feel. Simple service, amazing quality food, and nice privacy dining experience. Gone here multiple times and have never been let down.

Nice and quiet, interesting interior, and good food. Specifically the tempura and age tofu. Service was fast as well!

Not quite sure why there hasn't been a review since january but something must have happend because there shouldn't be such long gaps in reviews for a restaurant but either way here's the review The Food was simply amazing there really isnt better quality than Koyo restaurant as far as amazing tasting very quality. the ambiance was also pretty awesome it was very quiet and casual. Koyo restaurant has been a great restaraunt as far as i remember as a japanese american growing up here in america. they used to provide the most excellent service with the best servers in the valley however the owner must've changed or something because the server we had was so bad.(beyond bad i could have served myself...like seriously.) ~HOWEVER~ We specifically reserved a table since my mother had guests from okinawa japan over so my mother and her friends(who are japanese ) came to eat at koyo. Saturday night service was the worst service i had every recieved in my entire life.(i've WORKED at restaurants and the level of service was at un unreal level of bad there were only 4 tables seated the entire night a extremely quiet and casual night...we we got little to no service) the server daniel was looked like he was hungover from the previous night barely able to provide VERY basic service. he did not even ask if we were enjoying our meal ONCE. so about after an hour our food arrived except the sukiyaki which my mother and guest ordered. after a half hour of eating we had to flag him down and ask where our food is and he just goes "OH yeah the sukiyaki"(he had forgotten) and then walks away dismissive, after a half hour of waiting daniel had forgotten BOTH my mothers MAIN MEAL as well as one of the guests meal. there was no compensation and they charged us for the meal after having forgotten completely the main meals. and we got charged for the sukiyaki evebn though they didnt even bring it to us and we had to wait at the end for them to cook it in a togo container.) We tipped daniel 3 dollars for his terrible (3 hours of little to 0 service. and they forgot my mothers she had cold sukiyaki at home...we could have done sukiyaki ourselves if that was goal but the entire point was to go out and have a meal) He was very unprofessional and was yelling at us to "GET OUT OF MY RESTAURANT" look im sorry pal you provide TERRIBLE service u dont get tipped its not WE TIP U then u give service you need to earn ur tip through actually providing service. as a server you dont yell at your guests you fix ur mistake and own up to it. smh) they gave us sukiyaki togo and they didnt even apoplogize they were pissed and yelling at us to leave because they had Daniel is the worst server in the valley. if we got any other service in the entire valley it would have been a pleasant experience they charged us for sukiyaki to go....(if we wanted to eat sukiyaki at home we would have) who the hell forgets the whole entree of a dish? and feels like they deserved to be tipped bettter? if u get it right and do a good job you get tipped . if you get it wrong you dont get pissed and yell at us the guests to leave cause ur mad. I can literally come in and do his job for him and way better not only that my mother knew the owner(unless its a different owner now cause from what i've seen 15 years ago this place was the top best japanese restaraunt in the valley. what is now is depressing.) Get good or gtfo dan let someone who is actually competent and actualy give a **** about service do the job. go back to being a walmart greeter since thats about the quality of service u can provide. he does not deserve to work at koyo nor can he do a good job.. This has been a disgrace to japanese culture please hire more japanese employees than can uphold a japanese standard rather than others that provide just bare minimum

Koyo has such an amazing feel to it. The music and art make the ambiance pop, and the food adds to this with its gorgeous presentation. The service was also top notch, there was only one person working but as busy of a bee as he was we didn't have to wait more than 15 minutes between each thing we ordered. This place is perfect for gatherings or intimate dates, I'd recommend this place over any in the area.

Always been a fan... 30+ years. Went again this week for the first time in years (moved away). The food was great, the service was attentive and friendly, and the atmosphere can't be matched! It's one of a kind! Tip: Make reservations for one of the special "sit on the floor" rooms (5 or less people) and the earlier the better because it does get filled up so it's nice to have your order in soon. Also it's good to note this is not a sushi joint, so the sushi list on the menu is short but tasty. My favorites; Koyo Roll and Koyo or Nachi Dinner combinations.

I have lived in the Millcreek area for the last 5 years, however, I had never stopped by at this restaurant. I had driven by it so many times and figured I should finally try it. Right when I walked in, I was already enamored by the decor and the set up of the restaurant. The decor in the waiting area is almost like a section out of a museum. There are painting and masks on the walls. It's so interesting to look at and it makes the place look authentic. You get a glimpse of the set up of the restaurant from the waiting room and it is set up like a very authentic Japanese establishment. There are rooms where you can SIT ON THE FLOOR AND EAT ON A CUSHION AROUND A LOW TABLE like Japanese people did back in the day. Each table is sectioned off with authentic wood dividers with wooden lights and hanging sphere lights. I love the touches of the place! The food was delicious as well. There are not many sushi options as it seems more like a dish and side dishes type of place rather than a sushi house. I ordered the breaded pork combo dish that came with tempura, salad, and soup. I had no complaints with it! There was a good amount of food for the price of the combo. I also tried the Smart Roll. I did not realize the salmon was cooked in the roll until I received it. I was wanting a raw fish roll, but that was my mistake, I probably did not read the menu diligently enough. The roll was still delicious and I enjoyed it. A note though: It was stuffed with an abnormal amount of rice, so the ratio between things in the sushi roll and the amount of rice did not match up... There was a lot more rice. This place is a very cute place to come with a date or for an intimate get together with friends! I suggest getting a rice plate rather than sushi at this place. You get more bang for your buck that way and I think the dishes are better anyways!

Went to Koyo recently with my cousin and had an awesome dinner! The food was tasty, the Asahi Super Dry was cold, and our server Shar is AMAZING! Will be back soon!

We were seated and for 10 -15 mins no one helped us. I was excited to eat here but walked out. they asked something wrong? I said yes. everyone around us had food and walked in after us. terrible and we won't go back.

Sometimes you hesitate giving your favorite restaurant your honest rating because you want to keep it a secret. I'm breaking that rule because Koyo deserves the recognition. The ambiance, service and food warrants the recognition for being an authentic Japanese eatery. When you go, just don't tell anyone else.

The Koyoi is my favorite Japanese restaurant in Salt Lake. The restaurant is very accommodating for those that want to have a private dinner or a private lunch without being bothered by the hustle and bustle of an open table type restaurant. Their tempura is fantastic and they're chicken and steak teriyaki or both delicious. When I go there, I always get a combination with the teriyaki and the tempura. If you want a really good dinner with the nice atmosphere, the Koyo is the place to go.

Hands down my favorite Japanese restaurant in Salt Lake City. The chefs here know how to throw down. 100% give this place a shot. If you don't agree, give it another shot because Koyo is legit.

First time trying this place, it was recommended to us by a relative. The first bad omen was when we waited for 7 minutes before we were even greeted and asked how large our party was. We were told that they would have to check to see if they could even seat us without having a reservation. I had no idea reservations were needed and it's worth noting that the restaurant had maybe 5 cars parked outside and appeared to be empty aside from maybe 3-4 tables. After an another 5 minutes we were told it would be about a 15 minute wait to be seated. Service throughout our visit was slow and non attentive, drinks were never refilled. We noticed another party seated next to us decided to leave after waiting 20+ minutes to never even be greeted the first time by a server. When our food finally did come out everything was cold. Honestly, COLD chicken breast and steak. We were never given a chance to tell the waitress until she came to present us with the check and offer boxes for all of our untouched meals. Boxes for what? So I can go home and cook it myself? I won't be going back, they have no idea how to manage the flow of customers and I'm never in the mood for Take and Bake Teriyaki.

My wife & I were visiting SLC, I asked a business colleague if their was a good local Japanese restaurant he could recommend? The answer: Koyo, it's in a suburb about 15 min. from City Center. What a delight, private room dining booths, very traditional Japanese dining atmosphere!. We were greeted by attentive staff. We ordered appetizers, fried oyster. Calif. Roll, both were excellent. We tried family style dining, shrimp & veg. tempura (light crisp batter, very little oil taste- excellent), Steak Teriyaki & Sukiyaki. The dinner was accompanied with a salad & miso soup ( both tasty). We both left saying to one another, excellent local meal, great value, healthy portions, wish we had a Koyo in San Diego, good service and would we return: YES ++!.

Koyo has been a regular go-to restaurant for me and my family for years. I have appreciated their service, but more importantly I have appreciated their amazing food. These people really know what they are doing when it comes to food. While I know Covid has impacted their business, I still highly recommend either take out or dine in if available.

You know how sometimes you find a place that isn't very attractive looking but the food is amazing, sort of like a hidden treasure well that's NOT the case here! Dirty old carpet everywhere, sticky tables & NO AIR CONDITIONING!!! Now about the food ....I am going to sound like a big negative Nancy but honesty is the best policy. First the menu has only about 6 different things on it & the sushi menu has about 15 ordinary rolls that lack freshness & creativity. Worst gyoza I ever had honestly the best thing about this place is that they have tutami rooms & it's pretty quiet, serene. With all that being said I really had high hopes for this place but I guess I will stick with Tsunami & Takashi for my weekly sushi fixes :(

Order Sushi and teriyaki chicken for take out last night. Great food and great service! We will definitely order from here again.

Hands down the BEST Japanese food in Salt Lake City. Every time you go, you know you are going to get a great meal. Koyo is our family's go to restaurant for celebrations or when we are entertaining out of town guests. Note this is not a fast food place. Expect to enjoy a nicely paced meal.

I felt terrible about sending back my order of sashimi. The fish had gone bad, I wasn't able to stomach even the first bite. The teriyaki chicken's texture and flavor was off. The service was strange. Our waiter gave us attitude for requesting spoons for the miso soup. I don't recommend this place and will not be visiting again.

Service is faster and more friendly than it used to be. The food is still consistently awesome and seems to come out faster than in the past. Some new sushi options have been added, too. For all of these reasons, I'm upping my star rating.

Stopped in here for lunch one afternoon, and first off I loved the atmosphere and ambiance of the place. They have lots of the tables that are in a private room areas and built into the ground so you can sit on the floor and eat. The food was all ok, but nothing was really good, but all I got was the teriyaki chicken lunch and some tempura, so I cant really judge the sushi. There was a soup bowl of some kind that several people had ordered while I was there and it looked really good and seemed to be a specialty of their, so I may order that if I go back. I would likely go here again, mostly for the fun ambiance of it, and it would be a nice date spot. I will update my review if needed.

Hands down best Japanese food I have ever had. Literally everything I've eaten there I've LOVED and I go at least once a week! The owners are a pair of Japanese brothers and these guys know their food! Anything tempura is to die for. I get it every. single. time. The batter is house made and so it's super fresh and crispy just how it should be. It's ruined all my diets. Actually, most everything they have on the menu is made in house from scratch so it's all super authentic! The sushi is super simple and there aren't a ton of options to choose from, but what they have is delicious! Things to get: gyukatsu, sukiyaki, spicy tekkamaki, tempura, salad, Saba, mars roll, steak and chicken teriyaki

Very quiet, relaxing, and calm restaurant with a very traditional Japanese vibe. All the dishes are well balanced and the entrees have decent portion sizes. For appetizers, I enjoy the agedashi tofu or a sushi roll. My go-to entrees are the Katsu Don, Tempura Udon, and the Koyo Combination Dinner. The Koyo roll is also amazing. I'd say the staff is one of the best staff I've encountered at a restaurant and the owners are especially nice. 5/5 would recommend!!

Very consistently good over the decades. The lunch salmon teriyaki is one of the best values in the state! Quiet, refined atmosphere and dining experience.

I just saw the place from the car and stopped It wasn't busy at all. Ambiance is enhanced with the separation of tables. It was quiet. Service was excellent. I ordered a combination dinner (salmon , salad , soup, tempura veggie and shrimps , named Mihama without the teriaki sauce, and a roll of spice tuna sushi roll. Food was delicious, great and the tea was exquisite. I am glad to have found this place. I highly recommend it .

Koyo is an interesting place. The decor feels a little old school. But I've been with friends from Japan who say it's dead on as far as traditional Japanese decor. It's quiet, dimly lit, and peaceful, which is a funny word to use to describe the atmosphere in a restaurant but it's true. It also feels very clean and well taken care of. Ive been to Koyo many times and never had a bad experience. The service is great. Maritsi is a fantastic waitress. And the food is always great. The menu is very simple and traditional. Nothing fancy here. But what they do, they do well. The sushi rolls, as stated above, are very simple and they don't have a long list of options. If you want sushi this probably isn't the place. But the sushi does taste fresh. We love the spicy tekka maki and the ABC. The sukiyaki is fantastic. My favorite is the Koyo dinner which is steak teriyaki, soup, salad and vegetable tempura. My husband loves the chicken teriyaki dinner. The meat is always cooked perfectly and is tender and flavorful. Miso is great and the dressing on the salad is my favorite of any Japanese restaurant. The veggie tempura is great as well. Koyo has been around for a long time and for good reason. Great service, nice, quiet ambiance and great food. They always appreciate reservations! We have been turned away before when we didn't have a reservation. PS. They are great for lunch too!

No, just no. Nothing here was remotely appetizing. Sushi rolls were lackluster and fell apart--shitty pink ginger and fake wasabi btw, seared ahi salad had greyish overcooked 'ahi' over bagged iceberg lettuce with some random roe. Have to go here on occasion because a family member likes it for her birthday. I guess there are worse things than getting tortured once a year.

The YUMMIEST steak teriyaki!! My parents always came before a night out when they were in college and since 86' it's been our favorite restaurant. The owners are incredibly kind and I'll continue to come as long as they continue to stay open:)

We came here for a double date dinner. The wait for 4 of us to be seated was 30 minutes. The atmosphere itself, was quite boring. It was so quiet in the restaurant, like you feel like you have to whisper when talking to your guests. I was surprised to see it was a 30 minute wait because Ive seen A LOT of open tables, but come to find out to sit us late because the chef needed to "catch up." There is barely any kind of selection for sushi rolls, and it was expensive. If you wanted like a basic california roll, the price is high. I couldve gotten an exotic roll that had more ingredients at another sushi restaurant for half the price. The sushi we ate had more rice than it did fillings which greatly disappointed us as sushi lovers.

Our family has been going there for years. My family is Japanese and it's our favorite place to have family parties, which can be reserved and is a separate area. They also have private tatami rooms. The food is excellant and is authentic Japanese food. The restaurant is well known in the Japanese community. Our favorites are the combination plates, which includes soup, salad, teriyaki chicken, steak or salmon plus tempura. Their menu also includes sukiyaki, sushi and many other items. You get a lot of great food at a great price!!! Give them a try, you won't be disappointed. Reservations suggested.

My family has bern coming here forever. This is probably the best, most authentic Japanese restaurants in Utah. A lot of reviewers who post negative reviews about the food, proportions, decor, etc. don't know authentic Japanese. Especially in Utah there aren't many REAL Japanese food establishments, and are usually very americanized. Koyo is amazing and is a staple for the Japanese community in Salt Lake.

This is a stop on our normal dining circuit and the place that my wife loves the most. If we don't get here often enough, she experiences tempura insanity. You're welcome. Koyo is always great and the service is quite good. I opt for the tonkatsu and my wife swears by the sukiyaki. The sushi is nice quality and Koyo deserves your attention.

Been coming here forever. Ok so not forever but 25 years. They have one of my all time favorite salad dressings and a teriyaki beef to kill for. They typically have pretty fresh fish for their rolls and do a mean tempura as well. The miso soup is also excellent. Lunchtime they make a most excellent katsudon. Best of all you can usually get a table just about anytime. They get busy but outside of corporate parties have I ever seen a long wait.

Local Japanese have always known this is one of the two restaurants you go to when you want "real" Japanese food. No fusion here, just the real deal. I always eat amki rolls as an appetizer, I always get one of the combo meals because I like the variety. Warren and Barron have consistently put out the same food their father did when he opened up the restaurants decades ago. I like one of the tatami rooms when I go as a couple but, usually, like last night, we are a large family group and have to use the large tables. You want good Japanese food. EAT here.

5 stars on the quality of food.Best miso soup and tempura vegatables/ Shrimp. The homemade salad dressing is so good. You can buy it and take it home. Fresh Sushi rolls everytime!

This place is really cool! It has a very authentic feel and it is very calming when you are eating. They have got the Zen thing working. The food is very traditional and good. Great place to come and enjoy good food in a relaxing atmosphere. Highly recommend giving it a shot.

It was very traditional the menus was small (I like that be good at what you do don't do a lot). The appetizers where hand mans and everything seemed really fresh. I think for being in Utah I would say it's more of a restaurant then a sushi bar...

This is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in Utah! The food is much like a good, familiar, home-cooked meal. The quality is always consistent, and the service is always warm and friendly. I would recommend this place to any visitors, even those directly from Japan, as I feel they would appreciate the authenticity and ambiance. I always look forward to my next meal here!

After arrived at SLC, we thought we would just have a quick dinner. Japanese food is always among family's top choices. We were not impressed at all. Miso soup is salty, but had little other flavor. Green bean tempura was not fully cooked. The broth (entree) tasted subpar: chicken meat was over-cooked. - we might be a little too picky. I would not recommend this place.

No salmon? MINUS FOUR STARS! Only kidding. They earned this rating in other ways, too. For some reason, I am lazy at the thought of reviewing this place. Almost like it's not worth my efforts. Anyways, here I go: Slow service. Waiter was high. No salmon. Food took forever. No salmon. Sushi had a bad aftertaste. Koyo Roll: No. Mars Twist: Inedible. Gyoza appetizer: freezer to microwave. No salmon. BAD. BAD. BAD. *No salmon because "the owner thinks it goes bad too fast." So yea, think about how fresh the rest of the fish must be. End.

We've been back at least 2 dozen times. It's an absolutely fabulous place for consistent, fantastic quality sushi, tempura, and Japanese pork, chicken, and seafood. The value is extraordinary, and we love the vibe in the tatami rooms. The experience is always excellent, food is perfect, and we're really grateful for this little restaurant on the East Bench.

Best Authentic Japanese food in SLC! Try the Sukiyaki and or one of the the many appetizers and salads and you'll be very very happy. The service is absolutely amazing (Miristi) and the owners actually care about their guests! The south shore roll is superb.

Don't waste your time! We went to eat at about 12:40 pm. We waited 5 minutes to be seated before we were even acknowledged by a human being! Then the server who appeared to be overwhelmed, told us we had to wait 15 minutes to be seated! We were the only people in the lobby and there were several tables open. I said it appears you have open tables. She replied, "Ya but I've got two large parties!" and she walked away. Horrible hospitality! My son and I were very hungry and thirsty! There was only one server for the whole restaurant and they didn't care about our business. I guess they are do so well financially with several open tables during lunchtime that they can turn people away. I've never been to this restaurant and I don't plan on going back!

If you're planning on going here for the first time, read this review first. I like Koyo A LOT... for LUNCH... and NOT PARTICULARLY FOR THE SUSHI OR SASHIMI, AND --MOST IMPORTANTLY-- NOT THE ROLLS!!! THIS IS NOT A HIP, NEW-SCHOOL 'SPECIALTY ROLL' RESTAURANT, PEOPLE. This is a traditional-style place that's been in this somwehat upscale, white, old-school, Mormon, Holladay neighborhood forever, whose specialty is traditional Japanese cuisine, not necessarily sushi. A Bento box of some kind, or other lunch special is recommended. Do not come here expecting to be wowed with Wolfgang Puck-ish creative ingredient combos, or Top Chef-style cutting-edge, fusional raspberry-pear/shiso/escolar/hazelnut layered roll type bullpucky. Koyo don't play that. They also probably don't have fish flown in and delivered thrice nightly by truck through the back door, either. (It's smart when choosing restaurants to use your intuition a bit to anticipate these kinds of things sometimes, so as not to be hit too hard with devastation and disappointment when the obvious eventually strikes you.) Very cool, traditional Japanese decor, and downright decent... in fact, quite good food, really. The atmosphere is very calm and pleasant during the day; Dark, old-school, quiet, relaxing... A perfect place to go over some work papers to the soothing sounds of shamisen or kokyu music while you nibble on some tempura or teriyaki. Or sit back, relax, and let the spirit of Kurosawa creep in and intoxicate your soul over a bowl of donburi. However, I strongly recommend daytime visits here, due to the fact that this place transforms by night into a loud, brightly lit, Mayberry/Branson, Missouri-type family atmosphere. Chuck E. Cheese, watch the hell out! Yes, It seems that every Mormon in the valley who likes Japanese converges here in the evening, especially on the weekends. Long waits, screaming kids, surly elderly folks griping about their food, mistakes by the servers/kitchen, and so forth. It can really be a, um... nightmare, of sorts. Heh heh. Koyo, we'll see you for lunch!

Great Food, Subpar Hospitality I always have high hopes for non- flashy small business restaurants, but this was a disappointment. The food was really good, but there were some things that need improvement. I'll just make a list. * We walked in, it was not busy, at least 5 tables were open, and we had to wait 15 min to be seated. No reservations were seated in the meantime and no other customers came in until just before we were seated. * We were seated in a separated darker back hall with no other patrons (next to a table covered with bookkeeping supplies). It was cold so I asked if we could sit in the main lit area. There were 3 tables to choose from. * My menu was sticky and I didn't want to touch it or let it get my table surface sticky. * The items on the menu were listed in paragraph style-- all the seafood items were typed one after another (no descriptions, just names of dish) forming a paragraph, not a delineated list. This combined with the small font made it really difficult to read (see picture of black menu). * My husband's sushi was delivered on a wooden plate (resembling a Japanese sandal), and the finish on it was flaking off from prolonged use and washings, leaving exposed wood, which is not super hygienic. He was grossed out by it. * I ordered the chicken sukiyaki combination dinner (I forget the dish name). The soup, salad, and tempura appetizers were really yummy. The sukiyaki came in a flaking cast iron dish (the flakes would get in my food if I scraped the sides). It was flaming hot. I tasted the chicken, which was in a broth, and it was cooked perfectly, but too hot to eat. I waited a few minutes to eat more and by that time the chicken was over cooked and chewy. It would have been better if my chicken wasn't over cooked by the time I could eat it. I hope my review serves as a springboard toward improvement for the restaurant. I want to see it do well because the food was really good.

I have heard great things about Koyo for years, and was very excited to finally try eating there. Unfortunately The best thing I can about Koyo is that at least it felt clean. Definitely not authentic Japanese cuisine. Not the decor, the food or the staff. The sukiyaki was just inedible. Big thick chunks of steak floating on over cooked veggies in a very off tasting broth. The Gyoza tasted like they came out of the freezer and the filling looked slimy. The agedashi tofu was over cooked and the coating was very tough. The tempura was greasy and under seasoned, the shrimp was rubbery. The tuna sashimi was what would expect to get from a mall food court, mostly fresh but very low grade. Just save yourself the disappointment and don't go.

I would strongly advise to go elsewhere for Japanese food. The food is very overpriced. You receive very small portions that taste similar to a microwave dinner. The sushi has way too much rice, and not enough premium ingredients. There's plenty of other Japanese restaurants that are leaps and bounds better than this place. Let's just say stopping at Little Ceasars after this place was necessary.