text: Despite what its name implies at least what I thought I would be getting The Clever Koi in downtown Phoenix does not serve sushi It does however serve really tasty Asian noodle and rice dishes and I was pleasantly surprised to love my meal even though I usually am only a Thai and sushi fan when it comes to Asian eatsnnThe hip spot has a patio overlooking Central Avenue with the dings of the light rail creating the soundtrack to your dining experience if you choose to sit outside which I love doing Inside an open kitchen and bar complements a bustling atmosphere with tables in cozy confines that make neighboring diners your friendsnnMy pal and I took advantage of the special which came with a jug of spiked punch a fruity concoction made with Japanese rice wine pineapple juice and other fruit flavors I could tell by my buzz it was strong but you would not be able to tell by the sweet flavor of the drink which was refreshing and deliciousnnIt was the perfect way to cool off the palate during my meal of vegetable chow mein which was very filling with a ton of noodles and veggies I loved the housemade sriracha sauce and also added soy sauce I cleaned up my bowl no problem My only disappointment was I was not able to take advantage of the glutenfree noodles in my dish our server said with the veggie chow mein that was not an optionnnMy pal got tofu fried rice which he also enjoyed and ended up taking half of it home his portion was also very generous so I guess I was just hungrier Our server said the tofu is marinated which makes it extra flavorful and my pal agreednnThe staff was really friendly but it was a bummer it took about minutes to get hot sauce and soy sauce after our food was delivered Other than that the happening spot had an energizing atmosphere and made me like Asian food more than I ever thought I would