Kokoro

07/06/08

the best Indiana has to offer for fusion Japanese cuisine

by eskercurve

I'll be simple about this place: in my years at Purdue, I always took my dates or good friends to Kokoro. The food is astonishing, and you get big heaps of food for the price you pay. His wife is an awesome Chinese cook and he does everything else, and if I had the talent for culinary arts Tony has in his pinky, I'd be content in my own skills.

Having a limited serving staff and only him and his wife in the kitchen does have drawbacks. On busy nights you may have to wait two hours for food. That is because Tony never compromises on quality. On slower nights though, you see a different side to the stern and sometimes unforgiving man. He comes out with his wife, greets you, asks personally how is the food, and gets to know you. Truly a man of extremes, to your benefit, for he combines flavors that one never would have dreamt of if they were sane.

So, if you're looking for traditional Japanese food with original taste, look elsewhere. If you want a bang-on blend of American and Asian flavors, an oasis in a land otherwise starved of good Asian food, served by a man who on one hand is happy you came, but just beneath the surface is a crazy axe-murderer, this is the place.

• Pros: awesome food, large quantities, never compromising anything to expediency
• Cons: never compromising anything to expediency

04/16/07

HORRIBLE PLACE

by sujung

THIS PLACE TOOK FOREVER FOR ANYONE TO TAKE NOTICE OF US. FOOD WAS OVERLY PRICED FOR THE QUALITY THAT WAS GIVEN. I LOVE SUSHI AND HAVE BEEN TO EVERY RESTAURANT IN INDIANA AS WELL AS ILLINOIS, NEW YORK, CALIFORNIA, ETC. THE FISH HERE IS VERY LOW GRADE AND THE TUNA SEEMS NOT TO BE CHEAP COOKING USE TUNA;' THEREFORE, MASKED WITH SPICY SAUCE AND GIVEN IN LARGE QUANTITIES. IT'S QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY!!! THIS RESTAURANT WAS RAVED BY MANY AS THE BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT.. I WOULD SAY IT'S MORE OF THE FAST FOOD RESTAURANT TYPE OF JAPANESE FOOD WHERE LARGE QUANTITES ARE GIVEN. LOCALS SEEM TO LOVE THIS RESTAURANT DUE TO THE RUDE CHEF, BUT OUR OPINION IS THAT ONE MAY NOT CALL HIMSELF A CHEF IF THE FOOD IS LOW QUALITY. ON TOP OF THIS THE SERVERS DO NOT KNOW THE MENU AND SERVICE IS SLOW. THIS RESTAURANT SEEMS TO USE THIS RUDENESS AS ITS MARKETING STRATEGY. WE LOVED THE OLDER JAPANESE LADY WHO WAS THERE; THEREFORE GIVE THIS RESTAURANT A ONE INSTEAD OF A ZERO.

• Pros: ambience
• Cons: poor service, low quality seafood, rude sushi chef,

11/05/06

Where the heck is this place?

by snydley

Didfficult to find even when driving by. The odd whidt light fixtures were the best part of the decor. Ambiance was fast foodish at best. The service manner was interesting because it seemed like we were visited by 4 very attentive young men (dressed in more of fried food and pub colothes than a id-priced restaurant. We were never without someone fillinfg our water glasses, or checking on us and since we were not in arush, the slow pace did not bother us.

The soft shell crab tasted fishy and calamari was unexcitingly bland, with some pieces browned on the outside but raw in the middle-yuck!

Wife had the shrimp temputra and it was easy to tire from EVERYTHING being fried in the same batter-the sweet suace was the best part. Sushi looked like it was hand rolled and the rice was myuch too thick, serving of Wasabee too small and the sushi just plain sub standard. The eel and yellow fin tuna sushi averaged $2.oo per piece which is not outrageous, but the ratio of rice to fish was much too high so it left us teased and unsatisfied. Tony is trying but must get his food quality on par with other restaurants before I return. Not a horrible experience, but once again, too many good places at comparable cost.

• Pros: Service while strange because of 4 rotating servers was good
• Cons: The food quality and presentation

10/05/06

You'll leave wanting to "put ur head over a toilet"! BEWARE

by yeah2secs

READ THIS...IT'S THE ONLY REVIEW THAT IS TRUTHFUL AND ACCURATE!

I tried Kokoro for the first and very last time tonight. The atmosphere isn't appealing or special. The only music playing was a Bob Marley CD over and over. I like his music but while dining out for sushi, it's just not appropriate. The rolls were over priced. Ex. Rainbow roll =$20 while most other places cost $13. The rolls have about an inch thick of rice on the perimeter of each piece. The rice is watery tasting and mushy. It should have texture and a light rice vinegar taste. There was canned white tuna in the Crazy roll. The salmon was dull and grayish in color, when it should be a light and bright colored pink. I ate about a piece or 2 from each of the 5 rolls I ordered. I was so disgusted by the taste and smell that I couldn't eat anymore. This is the first time in my life that I've ever left more than scrap on my plate. I love sushi like no one else does, and this is the most disappointed I've ever been, not only with the food but with the service, too. I told the waiter how horrible it was and all he replied with was, "Oh, well, that's how the chef makes it." When the bill came, the total was $61.05. I left $62. I 99.9% of the time will leave 20% as tip, but there was no offer to compensate for the bad food or an apology.

Save your money, don't risk your health, and go to Bea One where the sushi is actually really great on a larger scale and even for a small town like Lafayette.

I'm from Chicago and every time I've gone to NY I get sushi from top restaurants,

so I know what good sushi should taste like. I'm not just from around here and don't know any better. Sushi is my favorite food.

• Pros: On trolley route
• Cons: Everything---food, service, atmosphere

03/31/06

Not quite a Japanese restaurant

by natashaelise

From outside Kokoros lights look hip and inviting. Inside its less stylish. The decor is a mish-mosh of Asian and American. There are some interesting features; others befitting a fast-food joint. Signs throughout warn that the food is not traditional Japanese, its Tonys style: the chefs excuse for sub-par food. We started with an order of edamame. The soybeans seemed to go straight from the freezer to the bowl. Ive had edamame served chilled, slightly cooked and salted. At Kokoro it was served plain, partially frozen. My entree of Hibachi vegetables was tasty. My boyfriend complained his steak was not a good cut. All food is cooked in the kitchen, viewable from most tables. Menu prices are consistent with other Japanese steakhouses; however Kokoro is not as classy as its competition. Paying $16 for an entree when your waitress is dressed in jeans and a t-shirt doesnt feel right.

• Pros: hip clientele, large menu, sushi bar
• Cons: overpriced, tacky atmosphere, sub-par food

09/13/05

"Tony Food, Not Japanese Food"

by icedspam

From the savory Terriyaki Steak to the delicious Spicy Tuna Sushi, Tony's "Kokoro" is a sweet dream in the world of Japanese food. Despite being located in the small town of Lafayette,IN, this gem is a sure find. There are other Japanese/Hibachi places to try, but if you want something special and willing to spend, try Kokoro.

• Pros: Fanatastic Food, Large Portions
• Cons: Long Waits, Service is Sketchy, Expensive