Koji

Koji occupies two floors in Kalashny Lane, and each one is its own experience. The ground floor has an open kitchen, a copper ceiling, natural stone and red silk lamps. Lucky Group opened a pan-Asian restaurant here, where chef Vasily Zaytsev and head bartender Artur Mirasov jointly explore contemporary Asia through food and drink. The name refers to the koji mold — a key ingredient for fermenting soy sauce, miso and sake.

“A very pleasant place with pleasant Japanese and Asian food,” notes our guide's team.

The kitchen takes a progressive view of Asian tradition while respecting original flavors and techniques. The menu brings together the culinary traditions of China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore: from Hong Kong dim sum and umami chicken wings to Peking duck and pho bo. A key feature is the handwork: there are no ready-made sauces or preparations here — every flavor is built from scratch. Koji forms the base for marinades for fish, meat and vegetables, for sauces, and for fermenting cocktail ingredients.

The bar concept is built on a dialogue of cultures: Japanese and Chinese motifs combine with local ingredients and an experimental approach. The ground-floor cocktail menu is inspired by the legend of the Eight Immortals of Taoism, while the lower floor reveals the Japanese concept of geido — the way of art through tea ceremony, ikebana and calligraphy. Our undercover guests particularly single out the lower floor as an ideal spot for a cocktail or an intimate date.

The interior combines minimalism and symbolism: upstairs, a copper ceiling, natural stone and red silk lamps. Behind the curtains hides a portal to the lower floor — an intimate space with dark textures, mirrors and dramatic lighting that creates the feel of a secret place. The restaurant seats 67 in total, and the sense of intimacy is especially strong here.