Derek Chang's Koto

Derek Chang's Koto Japanese Restaurant
3023 College Drive
Baton Rouge
225.924.1980
http://www.kotoofjapan.com/


Sometimes first impressions can be wrong. It's also said that everyone deserves a second chance. I've visited Koto in the past, leaving less than blown away by what I found. Lately, perhaps due to its impending move into a plush new space off Corporate Boulevard, Koto is being talked about more and more. I'd gotten several reports as to Derek Chang's sushi-roll wizardry of late, followed by looks of blank incredulity when I opined that there were other Baton Rouge area sushi spots that I felt were more deserving of my yen. Things change, I thought to myself, and harkening back to my own experience working the line, I knew that some days just aren't good days at every restaurant- so, with a spirit of redemption, I dropped in to Koto for a workday lunch to see what the fuss is about. Sans dining company and a luxe expense account, I opted for a sushi bento box ($11.50) and Koto's signature roll, 'The Bomb' ($8.00) to get a representative sample of Koto's offerings.

I was seated at the sushi bar, and greeted promptly by a server with a steaming hot hand towel- always a nice, if standard, touch at a sushi bar. My visit came on a chilly Louisiana day, so I began with a pot of hot green tea. Service at Koto proved to be friendly, attentive and efficient... a highlight of this visit. The lunch bento box features a soup (your choice of miso or mushroom... this day, I chose mushroom) fried rice, house salad with ginger dressing, gyoza dumplings and a snow crab roll. The sushi offerings consisted of one piece each of tuna, salmon, crab stick, shrimp, and white fish.

The mushroom soup arrived first, a steaming, clear broth with floating slivers of white mushroom and bits of tempura batter. This was simple goodness and did not fail to satisfy. Next up came 'The Bomb'- billed as Chef Chang's signature creation. Described as grilled tuna inside a tempura roll, dressed in a homemade three-sauce combination, garnished with scallions, sesame seeds and masago. In the interest of disclosure, I can be something of a sushi purist. I'm not a sushi snob, though, and I have no problem eating non-authentic sushi (the ubiquitous California Roll, for example, certainly isn't Japanese.) I also recognize that Chang is known as kind of a sushi-fusion guy who likes to experiment- an admirable trait in the competitive commercial marketplace. It is with these things in mind that something like 'The Bomb' challenges me. When one thinks of Japanese food, one thinks of simple, light, succulent bits of food... balanced,clean, clear, fresh flavors balancing hot and cold, balancing the sweet, sour, salty, spicy and fifth realm of taste then Japanese call 'umami', meaning 'savory'. The bomb roll in many ways in the antithesis of this philosophy. It arrives deep-fried and a little heavy. It's grilled tuna takes away what would have been a wonderful contrast had the tuna been raw inside the warm crispy roll. A flavorful fish like tuna is lost beneath thick, sweet, cloying sauces that cover rather than enhance the taste of the fish. A fried roll such as this would be better served with something lighter and more astringent. Instead, it's a muddle of flavors where no one ingredient shines.

The Bento box was up next, featuring a pair of gyoza dumplings, warm and tasty. Alongside was an iceberg salad with ginger dressing that was enjoyable as well. Things went horribly south with the fried rice that accompanied the Bento box- dry, flavorless, almost stale. At best an afterthought, I found it wholly inedible. The snow crab roll, was a step back to the right direction, although the sweetness of snow crab is effectively lost when served as it is, minced and bound with Japanese mayo. The nigiri failed to impress, as well. None of the fish seemed especially fresh... the tuna lacked in flavor, the salmon was a bit slimy. The crab stick was safe enough as it is a processed food, but the white fish was a poor cut, containing a fair amount of the bloodline- yuk. The shrimp was similarly stale with touches of brown around the edges- a symptom of age. This was so off-putting, I had to eject only having eaten part of my meal.

Now, I'm no Philistine... and I realize that the Bento box is the sushi equivalent of a Happy Meal. Still, if it's on the menu and you charge a price for it, it should be good. Should you pay a visit to Koto, it may be wise to stick to some of the other rolls or go to the Hibachi. As for sushi, I've given Koto two chances, and in a town like Baton Rouge where sushi options grow by the day, that is probably enough.