While talking to Allan at Kohnami Restaurant and Sake Bar, on W. Nolana in McAllen, the main message I heard was “We Love Winter Texans!” To show how much he loves Winter Texans he has a couple of 2-for-1 dinners: Fresh Flounder (Allan assured me you will not find any flounder in McAllen as fresh as this), rice, vegetables, and soup for $9.50; and Teriyaki Chicken, rice, vegetables, and soup for $8.50. I know if any of you are like me, it is hard to pass up a 2-for-1 dinner—especially one this good (Flounder and Teriyaki Chicken are both popular dishes)!
Another thing Allan pointed out about Kohnami is that there are 4 private rooms of various sizes where you can bring groups and have your own party. Each of these rooms is equipped with karaoke equipment (loaded with 50,000 songs—Allan told me that no other karaoke system in McAllen has this many songs). The night we were there, 2 of the 4 rooms had parties. One was not using the karaoke (so, you can bring your group here even if you do not want karaoke).
While the dinner specials and private rooms are excellent reasons to visit Kohnami, there are many more reasons. The first of these is the sushi bar—I have to agree with the claim that this is the best sushi in Texas. We tried a couple of half-rolls. One of these was the Alaska, which is a California roll wrapped in salmon and avocado. We also enjoyed the Lobster Crunch, which is baked baby lobster, cucumber, avocado, and cream cheese with tempura crumbs on the outside and topped with spicy mayo. They also have a good selection of nigiri and sashimi. We enjoyed a couple of appetizers as well (dumplings and calamari—Kristi was right, the calamari is very good!).
The biggest surprise for me was the extensive Korean menu that was available. They offered a number of authentic Korean recipes that were served with traditional side vegetables. My favorite Korean dish is bulgogi (a Korean barbeque dish), and I was not disappointed. I always enjoy a good plum wine with spicy Korean food, and they had a nice selection of wines, beers, and a full bar.
The overall experience was elegant. The dining room was decorated in what I would call a Japanese theme, our waitress made many recommendations about the food (especially the Korean menu when she discovered that I like Korean food), and I liked that there was no silverware on the table when I sat down…only chopsticks. I’m comfortable with chopsticks, and my wife decided to give them a try and did very well. They will bring you silverware if you ask for it, and the soup came with a spoon; so don’t worry about the chopsticks (but it is always fun to at least give them a try—and the staff will be happy to give you some pointers). The soup was a beef broth with mushroom and green onion, and was very tasty (it is a new item they are trying, and I hope they keep it).
Now, as if this was not enough, Allan then showed me the patio where he has live music, tacos 2 for $1, and beer for $1! So, by visiting Kohnami, I found an elegant sushi bar and Korean restaurant with a top-notch atmosphere and service, excellent dinner specials (you can’t beat 2-for-1), private party rooms equipped with karaoke, and a patio with live music, tacos, and beer. What more could a Winter Texan ask for in one location?
So, no matter what you are in the mood for (from a romantic dinner on valentine’s day to a birthday blowout and anything in between), you need to pay a visit to Kohnami—and start planning on including karaoke into your next party—and include a Konami Princess Boat (one of the Kohnami specials for groups).
Submitted by Hoby Follis, Converted Texan, Retama Village
Click here to check out their listing on our website.