When I heard that Coco Ichibanya was coming to London I was over the moon. Located at the former Abeno Too location in Covent Garden. Japan’s biggest curry house chain Coco Ichibanya opened up their very first UK outlet. My very first experience of eating at a Coco Ichibanya outlet was on a holiday trip in South Korea, inside Lotte Fitin Dongdaemun mall and it was a memorable experience.   

Coco ichibanya location

The Covent Garden location at Newport Street has limited seats inside and I’ve seen huge queues during the evening. I went for a quieter time around lunch hours. Interior follows the bright yellow colours used from their logo and light wooden tables with a few booths and high bar stools by the window. The kitchen is open by the seated booths and you can see the cooks prepare each dish before it goes out.   

Menu

On the menu at Coco Ichibanya, there are many toppings you can get with the curry. Mixed curries, vegetables, meat, seafood, curry gratin, omelette, for those who don’t fancy the curry. There are salads and fried food baskets.   

What’s great about the restaurant is the food can be customisable, you can have less or more rice, choose the spice level, and add more toppings. I opted for a basic chicken katsu curry £11.90 with 2 extra items for the extra £2.50.   

The plate arrived quickly; the katsu chicken glowed in the perfect golden-brown hue colour. Crispy breadcrumbs, encased the chicken, sliced in the same thickness. The omelette is cooked until it is soft and fluffy covering the rice. Whilst the curry sauce is poured underneath. What I love about Japanese is the mildness, it’s up to you how spicy you want it, but in general, it has tangy savoury richness. Japanese curry is a real comfort to me, especially matched with the crispy katsu, you demolish it in no time. The katsu is cooked to perfection, the outside is super crispy upon every bite.    

For more information the visit Coco ichibanya website.   

17-18 Great Newport Street  

London WC2H 7JE  

Tel: 020 3904 5633