As this will be my last review, and since graduation is right around the corner, I decided that I wanted to go to a restaurant that students can take their parents to. After doing some research on where to go, I finally decided on Koto Japanese Steakhouse.
You can find Koto Japanese Steakhouse on Wolf Road in Latham. You may have seen it from the highway in passing, as the big yellow sign is readily visible, especially at night. Upon entering, you will see a wall that has “Koto” spelled out in contrasting rocks. As you follow the bend, you enter the waiting area where benches line the left wall and there is a Koi pond to the right. You cross the little bridge over the pond to check in with the hostess. Koto calls itself a steakhouse but that’s not all it is. Koto is a hibachi restaurant and also has an impressive sushi bar. If you want a seat at a hibachi table to enjoy the show, you will have to call ahead and make reservations. If you don’t, you will have to be really lucky to get a place at a hibachi table or settle for a normal table.
My friends and I had a reservation for a hibachi table and we arrived a few minutes early. Regardless of this fact, Koto was so busy that we still wound up waiting about 40 minutes for our seats. One of my friends half-jokingly remarked to me that we should have brought a deck of cards to help deal with the wait. The problem is there is nothing to do while waiting (especially if you are under 21), so you may want to make sure you have a way to pass the time.
The service was very fast, and as soon as we were seated, they took our drink orders and rushed off to fill them. As we decided on what to eat, our drink orders arrived, and more people were seated at the table. I don’t know about you guys, but I find that hibachi—while very good—isn’t always filling, so I ordered accordingly. I started with a salmon roll and then went with the hibachi chicken. My buddy also thought the same way and ordered a California Roll and the hibachi steak. My other friends went with the hibachi chicken and one went with the hibachi steak and chicken combo, which costs a bit more. Soon after we placed our orders, the chef came out and started preparing the table, and we were served our appetizers. We snacked on our appetizers while the chef started the typical hibachi show. The chef was very good and very entertaining. The food was great. Each hibachi meal came with miso soup and a small salad. Each also came with fried rice and a side of vegetables. All the food was prepared extremely well and tasted amazing. The sushi was perfect and the chicken was superb. If you like hibachi, then you will not be disappointed.
Overall, I really liked Koto. The décor was really well done and the food was amazing. Whether you are looking for sushi or a hibachi meal, Koto has something for everyone, and I bet they rarely disappoint. To give you an idea of the price range, the sushi rolls tend to range from $4 to $10 and the hibachi entrées can be anywhere from about $15 to $40. For all the seniors whose parents are coming up this May, I would say this is a great place to go for dinner. Overall, I give Koto eight out of 10 only because even with reservations, the wait was a bit excessive. To get to Koto, take 87 South to exit 4 and take the first left. Koto will be on your right.
