Koto Japanese Steakhouse - Keene

Went last night for my husband's birthday. My grandson was excited for the hibachi experience, which is why most of us go for a hibachi dinner! It's supposed to be the whole package. It wasn't. While the food was good, the entertainment was lacking. The server was doing double duty as server and bartender, didn't catch that another party at the table had a seafood allergy, which could have been disastrous for him, and was slow and as unenthusiastic as our chef.

The food is delicious. Sometimes, when they are busy, it's a little slow but I love going here.

We have visited Koto multiple times and honestly each time has been drastically different. When everything seems to be clicking I would rate Koto 6 stars however, our last visit would be worthy of just one. The food and drinks have been the only consistency throughout our visits here. Thankfully they have been great every time! Food is cooked to your liking each and every time. There seems to be some reviews on here knocking the sushi. We have not had that experience luckily and always start with fresh well rolled sushi that looks and tastes great! Our issues are mostly with staff and service. There are times where your chef is animated and seems to love their work. But the majority of the time they seem bothered and over it. On our last visit the chef said no flaming onion volcano right off the bat which was okay. Then he promised us saki and flying veggies (hibachi staples) that never happened. Even after a couple people reminded him he dismissed them quickly. Depending on where you sit you may be cold the entire night due to them leaving double doors open in the middle of winter. If you are looking for good food and drink and don't want the hibachi experience then this would be a great choice. If you want a true hibachi experience I suggest seeking elsewhere even if it is way out of the way.

My husband and I ordered $80 of takeout. For an entrée I ordered the sushi and sashimi combo. The fish is sliced super thin, definitely not worth the money. All other sushi places I have ordered from in the past give much thicker cuts. I also specified that I wanted a seaweed salad and I was given an iceberg lettuce salad. My husband ordered the filet mignon which was over cooked and he said his mashed potatoes seemed like they were old and then reheated. He did have some veggie and shrimp spring rolls with a mango sauce that he enjoyed. We also ordered the peanut pie which we haven’t tried yet, but it looks like they received it pre-made, so I have high hopes for that.

Our chef set off the fire alarm and everyone had to evacuate. When we came back in. He ended up cooking on a table next to ours and not asking how everyone wanted their food cooked. Steak was not rare but quite raw. No show and horrible food. Not impressed and won't be returning!