Koi Marbella: Pan-Asian cuisine

Koi Marbella opened its doors this year as a Pan-Asian cuisine restaurant, that is, a fusion, not fusion cuisine, of Japanese, Thai and Chinese flavours and dishes. This cuisine is matched by the restaurant's own style, spacious, bright, with lush interior greenery designed to create an atmosphere of relaxation and comfort even when the restaurant is at full capacity. The owners' idea is that both lunch and dinner should be a complete gastronomic experience.

Koi's menu maintains a balance between tradition and innovation, as we will find tremendously classic dishes, both from Japanese, Chinese and Thai cuisine, with others where the creativity of the executive chef, Stan Rozbiisy, is embodied in dishes where the different ingredients merge into striking chromatic and sapid shapes, an example of which is found in these vegetable spring rolls where any resemblance to the classic and traditional ones is a casual coincidence, or these wagyu dumplings with a soft ponzu sauce with its citric touch and crowned with caviar. And if what we are looking for are more traditional dishes, both Japanese and Thai, then the meat salad with cucumber, mint, coriander and dressed with nham jim in the purest Thai style or the selection of sashimi or niguiris and the lemon sole tempura, are an example of the traditional Japanese cuisine that appears on the menu.

Koi, in the heart of Marbella's Golden Mile, is one of the most diverse Asian restaurants on the Costa del Sol. Here it is possible to enjoy a whole meal with creative dishes or dishes that maintain the purest culinary tradition.

The dining room, run by Diab Cherkaoui, is agile and quick, which is appreciated when visiting an establishment of this size and with this type of cuisine. The wine list, mostly domestic, is in keeping with the restaurant's philosophy of keeping prices down. Lovers of Japanese whiskies will find a wide selection of them, although the cocktails are the ones that set the style when it comes to combining them with the dishes, especially those of Japanese cuisine.

It is not the classic spring roll that is usually served in Chinese restaurants. On the contrary, it is a roll that is split in two and filled with green asparagus, pickled radish and mushrooms.

This skewer or satai has the perfect balance between the spicy peanut sauce and chilli with the acidity of the lime and just the right touch of coriander. The chicken tenderloin is also gently grilled to keep it juicy.

A proper dim sum filled with wagyu beef and served with a teaspoon of caviar. The citrus ponzu sauce served on the side of the dish will enhance and change the flavour of the Siu Mai itself.

A hearty dish in itself given the size of the lobster, which exceeds 500 grams, served with sautéed noodles and a seafood bisque previously enriched with a mild yellow bean sauce.