JPN: Curry House CoCo Ichibanya (カレーハウスCoCo壱番屋)
Fancy some winter-exclusive soup curry?
The vegetarian-friendly soup proved to be a heart-warming experience for the body and soul. Among the ingredients were potatoes, carrots, cabbages, cauliflowers, ladyfingers, eggplants, bell peppers and pumpkins, as well as beancurd nuggets studded with corn kernels. Without being too thin, the aromatic was midly spicy with some subtle sweetness, a nod to the natural sugar found in the fresh produce.
It was my virgin experience of having curry with both hamburg steak and squid, something I'd previously savoured separately. The thick and rich curry gained an extra layer of savoury goodness with the addition of melted cheese. Although not particularly big, the hamburg steak made of minced pork and beef was delectably succulent. The lightly breaded squid rings, on the other hand, introduced a nice contrast in texture.
If you're looking for some vegetables to go with your curry, here's something you can get from the mixed menu: half a portion of Japanese spinach and another half of mushrooms. Both of them soaked up the flavours of the curry well, adding a touch of earthiness to it. The crispy, golden-brown chicken cutlet provided a satisfying crunch that gave way to tender white meat inside.
Although CoCo Ichibanya can be found in Singapore, I've always been interested to try it in Japan. Started from a shop in the suburb area of Nagoya in 1978, the restaurant chain specialising in Japanese curry has grown to over a thousand outlets, going as far as Hawaii and Los Angeles in the USA.
Did you know that the company also operates a restaurant chain called Pasta de Coco? In any case, English menu is available at the restaurant.
Vegetable Soup Curry ¥938 (~S$8.50)
Taste: 8/10
Cheese Curry with Hamburger and Squid ¥1,064 (~S$9.65)
Taste: 8.5/10
Chicken Cutlet Curry with Spinach and Mushroom ¥1,127 (~S$10.20)
Taste: 7.5/10
Melon's Rating
Taste: 8/10
Ambience: 7.5/10
Service: 8.5/10
Overall: 8/10
Have fun customising your curry! Pika's advice: For vegetarians, I believe plant-based curry is available at all outlets. Besides that, two outlets in Shinjuku and Akihabara, Tokyo, offer Halal options.
Coco Ichibanya
(カレーハウスCoCo壱番屋)
1 Higashikujo Kamitonoda-cho
Minami, Kyoto
Japan
(Daily: 11.00am - 11.00pm)
*Prices quoted are subject to 10% VAT.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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