MIke Combs

A Salmon handroll and teriyaki cheesesteak. Ultimate in feel good food.

Koala’s Fine Foods | 16380 Mill St., Suite A, Guerneville | (707) 869-3300 | Most entrees under $20

4 of 5 Oak Leaves

Signature Dishes

Jalapeno Bombs + Teriyaki Mushroom Cheesesteak + Hangover Soup + Sushi + Cheesesteak = Happy Tummy

Review

Quality sushi and euphoric cheesesteaks from the same restaurant? Koala’s Fine Food in Guerneville serves both along with other traditional favorites like hamburgers and pho for the ultimate feel-good food experience.

While the teriyaki mushroom cheesesteak may not be traditional, it is still sure to overload the umami taste buds. Koala’s uses homemade teriyaki sauce that mixes a perfect blend of sweet and salty with the tender meat slices. While tasty, hearty eaters should get two to be satisfied.

Koala’s adds its own spin to traditional appetizers as well. The ‘Jalapeño Bomb’ comes with three generously sized jalapeños stuffed with spicy tuna and crab in addition to cream cheese. They are also deep fried in tempura batter and topped with eel sauce found in sushi rolls. The bite begins with the familiar flavor of tuna and crab, which is mellowed out by the tempura batter and finishes with the mild spiciness from the jalapeño.

The sushi is high quality. The fish is fresh, the rice sweet and moist, and the seaweed pops in the mouth before dissolving, delivering that ocean salt flavor. Sushi lovers have the same dilemma here as any sushi restaurant: what to get. Koala’s offers unique rolls, like the “Green Dragon” with coconut shrimp, cucumber, avocado, nuts and shredded coconut that is nice to share and traditional nigiri or sushi handrolls, which are better for one or two people.

The cheesesteaks and jalapeño bombs tasted great after a day in the fridge, either reheated in the microwave or served cold. Sushi never keeps well, so it is up to user discretion on how long to let it sit.

This may be the most popular place to eat in Guerneville right now so wait time will be 30 minutes to one hour. A small line often forms at the side window that will take 10 minutes to get through. Koala’s is moderately equipped for roadside service. The extra servers are new and things like wait time and a receipt were forgotten and needed to be asked for. Packaging is fine, but if you have a long drive, you may want to move any sushi away from warm food so it doesn’t heat up.

Koala’s is a little bit of a splurge with meals costing around $15-20 per person. So it may not be a place to go by the spur of the moment, but if you have been playing on the coast all day, Koala’s is a reason to return inland by way of Guerneville.

The Breakdown