Koto Japanese Steakhouse

"Would not go back. The food is just ok, but not worth the price here. the atmosphere is awkward. After the hibachi, someone immediately came through and washed the grill in front of us and it smelled really bad..like a hot dirty dishrag. The server wasn't friendly at all and never came back to get our drink order. When we finally flagged someone down after the hibachi, he gave me cold sake and charged me for a whole bottle..I said multiple times I wanted the hot sake and only the large pitcher, which should have been less than half the price I was charged. The sake was not good. It wasnt worth fighting about for the bill, but I won't be back."

"I'm readjusting my review. After coming back I have to say the quality of service is horrible. We had to keep flagging down the servers for chopsticks, forgotten food ,and refills on our drinks for the whole table. Then they also put the wrong items on our bill. The chef did a excellent job except he was exhausted running ragged between tables. Not to mention he was back to back with the other chief so his show was kinda drowned out by the other guy's show. Honestly if you're coming for a show I'd highly suggest somewhere else."

"Food was good. As far as service - husband ordered a side of scallops on top of his Hibachi steak/scallop dinner and was told he'd get 6oz of scallops extra. This wasn't the case and was not explained well at all. No comp on dinner. Chef tried giving extra shrimp which was not what my husband wanted. Koto should have automatically comped the side of scallops. We were a group of 6, so a profitable party. Pretty disappointed."

"You only need 2 words to describe Koto: CHEAP TORO BABY!!!!!! Okay. That was technically 3 words, but whatever. So Koto is another scruffy Fort Wayne staple: A place with all kinds of small faults and imperfections that still manages to perform what's needed amazingly. The sushi is sometimes served on-the-rocks, the clear soup has a chance of not having any tempura crunch (pro-tip: don't arrive past 8 pm), the fried rice is just-cooked, the non-fried ice cream might or might not exist, and there was a specific waitress on our last visit who didn't provide the best service. (Seriously, the Fort Wayne food scene is basically a giant hole-in-the-wall.) What you can always count on with Koto though, is THICC, cheap and relatively fresh sashimi, together with the surprising consistency of the "crack salad" that I've since named into the "Three Greats of Fort Wayne". They are, in order: - The seafood salad at Koto - The lamb shank at Halal Eats - The "Vietnamese dumplings" at Kim Vu Each of these restaurants is A-tier or 5 stars in their own right in my book, but these dishes are outright addictive culinary creations that I haven't seen replicated anywhere else. The seafood salad at Koto, in particular, is a fairly simple recipe of shrimp, octopus, masago, mayonnaise and julienned cucumber, yet their textures mix so well that I'm always looking for more and in fact, came back in town for more almost a full year later. In a world of "monkey brains", avocado bombs, raw fish tartares and funny concoctions of spicy tuna on top of crispy rice and lotus, you'd think this "crack salad" is a dime a dozen. And yet, I have not encountered another place that could pull off a similar salad to the same pedigree, in my entire food journey. Aside from the "crack salad", another highlight of Koto is a proper, equally thick slice of chutoro (listed as "tuna belly" in the menu) for $4.50 at the time of writing. This is a very fatty, super premium slice that easily commands near-$10 anywhere else. It is also pretty much always available, to my biggest surprise. I don't know how they do it, but they did it. The simple clear soup is also another Koto staple that's almost as addictive as their seafood salad (c'mon, you can get miso anywhere. At least give this one a try!). Just hope you're coming at a time when they'd made a new pot instead of emptying an old one, and you'll be treated to an eye-opening revelation of what chicken broth and tempura crunch can do for your mouth. Another dish worth talking about Koto is the "Japanese Ice Cream", hereafter the "quantum ice cream" because its very existence depends on which server is observing the menu. In a timeline where this ice cream exists, it is the best dessert you can get at a sushi place for the cheapest price. I find this quantum ice cream to be even better than its fried counterpart, with a more pronounced matcha flavor (there are technically two options, but we haven't had any luck trying to order the azuki / red beans one), higher cooling capabilities, and better dining ergonomics with the same Hoosier-sized portion. Don't let this deter you from trying out other options though. I've got friends who preferred the tempura cheesecake as well. The katsu dinners at Koto are also delicious. Just don't get the "fish" one which is just deep-fried salmon and tasted all kinds of bizarre. The hibachi is cool too, but it's only mildly tasty and mildly entertaining. Chef Mark has a bit of a legendary status around Fort Wayne, but I haven't been served by the guy so I have no comments. Fort Wayne does have a surprisingly crowded hibachi scene relative to its size in my opinion, and Koto is a fair addition to the bunch. TL;DR If you've never had toro before, try some."

"Koto is one of my favorite restaurants to eat at. The food is great and the price reasonable. The interior of the restaurant has a nice Japanese feel to it. Inside They have a Hibachi dining area, Sushi Bar, and traditional dining. The Hibachi dinning area is the highlight of the restaurant and provides a unique dinning experience. The gill the food right at your table. For the Hibachi dinning it is recommended that you make reservations because it fills up fast."