Derek Chang’s Koto Japanese Restaurant

The Ambiance: Casual

Kid-friendly: Yes

Lunch: Yes

2562 CitiPlace Blvd. • 456-5454

Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Friday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. • Saturday, 2 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Reservations accepted — All credit cards

When chef-owner Derek Chang made the leap earlier this year from his long-established College Drive location to a more spacious 8,600-square-feet restaurant near Barnes & Noble in CitiPlace, a few questions lingered among the many fans who have been attracted to his intricately-styled “Cajun sushi” creations. But most Koto regulars simply did not want anything, including a new location, messing with the mojo of their favorite fresh, raw goodies.

A native of Taiwan, Chang grew up surrounded by sushi masters and other chefs. Here in Baton Rouge his passion for the highly skilled craft is unmistakable. The new Koto offers traditional Japanese cuisine with plenty of South Louisiana flair. Whether from the sushi bar or hibachi grill, everything from the veggie-friendly Cucumber Roll to Lemon Fish sushi, hibachi scallops, steak and lobster tails is on offer. For the more daring palates, broiled eel and octopus sashimi are on the menu, too. Turn the page to read what our secret diners thought of Chang’s new Koto.

Reluctant About RawTempura means fried and good.

I’d recommend:

Kirin Ichiban Beer ($3). Cold, on tap and served by a very nice bartender. Goes down easy as a light beer. You can’t find it just anywhere, and to find it on tap was a delight.

Shrimp Tempura Roll ($9). Although it was hard to tackle with chopsticks, this is a good choice for those who aren’t raw-fish eaters. The shrimp were very large, and the delicious avocado was noticeably fresh.

Shumai ($5). These steamed shrimp dumplings were nothing extraordinary, but still tender and juicy enough for me to order them again.

I’d avoid:

Chicken Teriyaki ($15). I expected a wonderful dish based on the menu’s description. Then it came to our table. The plate was full of bland chicken, accompanied with an enormous bowl of plain white rice and veggies that could have comes from a TV dinner. It didn’t live up to the description, and it came with an even blander miso soup.

The bottom line:

From the lumber stacked on the bar’s floor to the bare walls, it seems like Koto needs even more time to settle in to its new home. That may be tough because the new location looks like a roller rink. It’s almost as if Koto is trying to be some hip New York hotspot, only it falls short because there is nothing on the walls to tie the bright red in with the neon green, blues and yellows from the bar.

Our Lady of WasabiThe spicier, the better.

I’d recommend:

Wasabi Shrimp ($7). Big, juicy shrimp tossed in a decadent wasabi cream sauce. Yes, please. If you’re not starving, this could make for a good main course.

Koto II Roll ($14). I honestly want to keep this in my mouth forever, like a piece of permanent gum. It is an explosion of goodness, with wasabi tobiko atop spicy crawfish and tuna, paired with just-sweet-enough snow crab. Seriously, give me more. Now.

I’d avoid:

Maki. These are the rolls not considered Koto specialties. They’re the kind you can find at almost any sushi bar. From these, my table tried the Dynamite Roll ($5) and the Spicy Tuna Roll ($5). Both were average, and honestly, a little too fishy-tasting. So definitely order from the Koto originals. Both I tried were worth the extra dollars.

The bottom line:

I really like to support local businesses and want to see their owners succeed, so I’ll probably go back in six months to see if Koto has gotten more comfortable in their new location. This place deserves a second chance.

The DabblerI’m not a sushi encyclopedia; I just love it.

I’d recommend:

The Bomb Roll ($9). You can’t go wrong with a roll fried to perfection. With a combination of three scrumptious sauces, the presentation of this signature dish with scallions, sesame seeds and masago was just awesome.

Koto II Roll ($14). All I can think about is how creamy this was. The snow crab gets a special shout-out because it was delicately delicious, especially when contrasted with the spicy tuna on top.

Wasabi Shrimp ($7). These almost jumbo shrimp were glazed with a sweet mustard-like wasabi cream sauce. I’d call them one-bite poppers. They were so good I wish we had ordered two plates.

I’d avoid:

Fried Cheesecake ($5.50). The batter was a little too thick and tough to enjoy, and the cheesecake inside didn’t really make it through the frying process. However, the Japanese vanilla-flavored ice cream that came with it was fantastic.

The bottom line:

Koto would be a great take-out restaurant, especially if you have a favorite specialty roll like the pretty special The Bomb and Koto II. The ambiance was lacking—walking in, you are slapped with way too much red—and the service was kind of slow for a not-so-busy night, but the specialty rolls were good.