I went out to Koto in Fresh Pond last night with a friend. I have always liked Koto. It's was fairly small place where you can have a quiet sushi dinner with very fresh fish and relaxed surroundings. The owner has been very accomodating, especially when the Boston Sushi Society filled the entire restaurant. But I was a little disappointed with what I saw this trip. The first thing I noticed was that someone must have gone around and replaced every light bulb in the place with 150W ones. It was lit up brighter than a McDonald's. The cloth napkins have been replaced by paper ones. The glass soy sauce decanters on the tables are now cheap fake pressed glass plastic affairs. The placemats are now laminated sushi picture cards. (This might be helpful, but it did nothing to add "serinity" to the atmosphere.) The sushi was a fresh and good as ever. I had a chirishi deluxe that was chock full of good fish. An order or uni sashimi had more "tongues" of uni than I would have expected, and the uni was very fresh. My grilled yellowtail cheek appetizer was outstandingly delicious and big. (It was big enough to have been a small entree.) Our waitress was very attentive and happily came back many times when we kept chatting and not getting around to reading the menu. But the young chef at the bar spent the evening chattering with the young customers. Altogether, the food and service was as good as it ever was, but the atmosphere is just not what it used to be. I wonder if they are hurting from the competition from the Tokyo Restaurant just down the block. Koto's prices have come up a little and are now closer to Tokyo's (although still a bit cheaper). I hope the nice folks at Koto pay attention to the details again and restore the serine atmosphere that used to make "date" dinners there such a pleasure. Very truly yours, Ms. Margo
Boston, MA