Kohan japanese restaurant is parked right in the university village on Maxwell street. Kohan blends right into a busy street packed with a variety of restaurants, bars and their patios. An earthy setting with bold red accents and about 15 tables creates a friendly welcoming environment that invites you in.  

The drink selection here is plentiful and there were some pretty elaborate cocktails to choose from. My party and I ordered a couple mojitos and a sangria. These took a little while to prepare and arrived just after our edamame. Cocktails may not be their specialty here because my mojito came over muddled with bits of mint leaf causing blockages in an already thin straw.

The edamame is spicy, it comes served displayed on a plate confectioned with a barbecue rub. Served with the dish is a slice of lime that can be squeezed onto the portion for an added bit of flavor. Something of note is there is no discard bowl served here, so be prepared to stack up shells on the same plate it’s served on. This can be a minor annoyance to an aloof eater who may accidentally grab and bite into an already empty pod. The barbecue rub is their default flavor with no salted option Available. This is a risky move for Kohan, they take a completely unique direction with their presentation of edamame and aim to shake the very foundations of the dish. Every piece came masterfully cooked with just the right amount of tenderness.  The spice level in the rub can really sneak up on you and leaves a lingering singe of flavor on your tongue.  

For an entree I ordered the crunchy Philly roll and it came served warm after being deep fried. The roll was thoughtfully prepared and came displayed nicely with the usual complement of wasabi and ginger. The structure and taste of the roll was outstanding, causing even one of my normally fish-hating friends to enjoy a piece themselves. There is plenty more to choose from on the menu, if sushi isn’t your thing you can order one of the many noodle dishes.

In no fault of their own our bill was rather high for our party size, though this can be attributed to my fondness of mojitos. The food itself is moderately priced for what you get. And the portions left me fulfilled and satisfied. Overall Kohan is worthy of the triple pod rating with it’s welcoming environment and boldly spiced edamame this is a perfect restaurant for switching it up from your traditional edamame.