I missed the timing for lunch and couldn't take a break at a chain store. I was unsure where to go, but I ended up at CoCo Ichibanya. I ordered the spinach curry with fried fish and eggplant toppings from the menu. It may look like there are a lot of vegetables, but it's just my way of making up for missing lunch. It was a delicious meal that I could enjoy without worries. I would like to visit again when in trouble.

Yesterday afternoon (April 27), I went to the usual Coco Ichibanya near my office. It was surprisingly empty, so I decided to try something different. I saw a limited-time menu item called "Roasted Spice Chicken Curry" but then I noticed the "Handmade Pork Cutlet Curry with Spicy Garlic" set below it. I ordered that instead. The spicy garlic was served separately and it looked delicious. The curry was a bit messy but when I tried the garlic on the rice, it was amazing! The flavors were so good that I didn't even need the curry. I highly recommend trying the spicy garlic if you visit Coco Ichibanya. This menu item may not be available at all locations, so make sure to check. Overall, I loved the dish and will definitely be coming back during the holidays.

Yesterday, March 4th, I had a craving for Coco Ichibanya curry, so I decided to go for it. I think I had been going there occasionally, but the last review I posted was back in June 2021. Looking at my photo stock, I realized that I visited in October, November, and December 2021 after that. In 2022, I went three times in January and once in February. I had some free time after finishing work in December, so I guess that's when I started visiting more frequently. Coco Ichibanya has this strange addictive quality to it. The quality of the curry is not necessarily high, but there's something about it that makes you keep coming back for more. Personally, I enjoy their limited-time offerings, and recently, I saw they had a "Roasted Spice Chicken Curry" on the menu, which sounded delicious, so I decided to go check it out. I went around 3 pm, and it was pretty empty. I ordered the limited-time curry and added a cream croquette on the side. My wife, who usually doesn't like seafood curry, surprised me by ordering one this time. I personally don't like seafood curry because of the fishy smell, but I'm okay with seafood toppings like fried squid or shrimp. The curry arrived quickly, and it looked delicious. It was spicy, even though I ordered the normal level of spiciness. The chicken was tasty, and the pieces were a good size. The cream croquette was filled with crab, but I couldn't really taste it. It was just a regular cream croquette. Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Coco Ichibanya, and it's a place I find myself craving regularly.

It's been three years since I visited Coco Ichi for lunch and it's not crowded, probably because it's a weekday. But there are customers coming in for takeout one after another. The background music is Miles Davis. I couldn't find the fried oyster curry on the menu. Where is it listed? I couldn't find it. A friendly staff member kindly explained to me that it's not fried oyster curry, but fried oysters as a topping. I ordered the pork curry with 250g of rice at normal spiciness. It was ready in about 10 minutes! The piping hot pork curry was delicious. The fried oysters were a bit oily. The Fukushin pickles were tasty. Pork curry costs 570 yen, the limited-time fried oysters cost 408 yen, and the 250g of rice was 26 yen extra. Thank you for the meal.

Today, I drove from Otaru to Mount Yotei, Lake Toya, Lake Shikotsu, and back to Tomakomai. The weather was clear and I enjoyed the tour without realizing I had forgotten to eat lunch. As I had time before checking in for the ferry and started feeling hungry, I decided to have curry at CoCo Ichibanya. I ordered the classic Tonkatsu Curry. It had been a while since I last had CoCo Ichibanya, but the taste was as good as always, which was reassuring. I poured CoCo Ichibanya's rich sauce over the Katsu Curry and enjoyed it. Even though it was a regular size, it was filling. Thank you for the meal.

Whenever I go, I always order pork shabu with cheese topping. I ordered the same this time as well. It arrived shortly after. I ordered the spiciness level 2 this time. I felt like it could have been a bit spicier. I also thought that there was too much cheese this time.

On the evening of November 12, 2021, around 8:30 PM, there was only one group of customers when I arrived, but then seven more groups came in. It was quite busy with night customers. I tried the limited-time Chicken Spice Curry with extra-large 350 grams portion, topped with tomato garlic and spinach, and chose spice level 3. The chicken was chunky and the curry was properly spicy. I really enjoyed the refreshing spiciness of the tomato garlic. I had tried the limited-time spice curry before, and I really like the clear spiciness of the spice series. I wonder if there will be another spice series next time. The late dinner of spice curry was delicious. Thank you! (^_^)

After 8 o'clock, it becomes takeout only, so I arrived just in time and managed to eat inside the restaurant. I ordered the Chicken Spice Curry level 1 spicy, but it was too spicy to enjoy. I remember the curry being just right when I ordered level 1 spicy before, so maybe the spiciness varies depending on the curry. Perhaps it was too spicy because it's a spice curry to begin with. There were five pieces of fried chicken on top, covered with a shower of spices. I could taste the complexity of the spices, but it wasn't really to my liking... The mysterious pink sweet and sour side dish, was it onions? I wonder what it was. My companion had the Chicken Feast Curry with chicken, fried chicken, and chicken cutlet? Seriously, a chicken feast. The Steamed Chicken and Multigrain Caesar Salad was supposed to be a Lemon Salad (which was delicious) but it was replaced with a multigrain salad. It had a nice chewy texture and seemed really good for the body. It was tasty too, but I miss that sour dressing. I might try making a Lemon Salad at home. Thank you for the meal!

On July 13, 2021 (Tue), I suddenly felt like eating curry and checked my visit records to find that it had been about 4 years since my last visit. I ordered a summer limited menu item, Chicken and Tomato Hot Spice Curry with spinach topping. The curry had plenty of chicken pieces in it, giving it a satisfying texture. It felt quite spicy, maybe due to the jalapenos added to it. Trying out these limited-time items is refreshing and enjoyable. Thank you for the summer spice curry meal! (^_^)

I saw this curry on Tabelog and decided to come try it. I went to Maltoma Shokudo, but there was a 20-minute wait so I gave up (lol). I ordered the Chicken and Tomato Hot Spice Curry for 980 yen, and added 20 yen to make it spicier. It was just the right level of spiciness for me. The toppings were onsen egg, okra, and nagaimo, adding a nice slimy texture. The jalapeno was subtly sour and spicy, a good supporting role. I can't make this kind of curry at home, so I was satisfied eating it at the restaurant. My companion had the usual spinach shabu-shabu cheese, which was also delicious! It's been a while, but checking out limited-time curries once in a while might be a good idea... Thank you for the meal!

Yes, curry! Yesterday was my last time savoring the beef curry... as planned. From June 1st, the new limited-time menu is "Chicken and Tomato Hot Spice Curry" with variations like spinach, scrambled eggs, and cheese. However, I opted for the "Kagoshima Black Pork Cabbage Menchi Curry" topping on my curry. The restaurant is set up with individual seating arrangements, which feels safe in these times. I ordered the beef curry even though it's almost gone, and the spice level was kept normal. The curry had a unique sauce that added a sweet and creamy touch. The Kagoshima Black Pork Menchi was a bit larger than usual and delicious. The chicken in the curry was reminiscent of chicken tikka with a slightly spicy and tangy flavor. Overall, the curry was satisfying, and I enjoyed every bite.

So, it's been about a month since my last visit ^^; This was my third time - just the other day. This time, I tried adding chicken cutlet on top of the beef curry. What a luxurious combination! It's absolutely delicious, no doubt about it! I mean, Coco Ichibanya never disappoints. I'll definitely be back again. I wish I could go every weekend, but there's a reason why I can't. It's still not the season for outdoor work to start, and there are other places I want to visit. But that's a story for another review. So, Coco Ichibanya it was - beef curry with chicken cutlet on top!

Sorry for the delay since the last post ^^; This is my second time trying the limited menu item "beef curry." This time, I opted for the variation with "crab cream croquette on top." It's a bit over 1000 yen, but I really love crab cream croquettes. I'm not a fan of crab meat in general, especially the crab miso, but I can't resist a good crab cream croquette. The combination with the curry is delicious! The beef chunks in the curry are also very tasty. I love how quickly the food is served at Coco Ichibanya. This limited menu item is available until the end of May, so I'll have to go back soon!

Coco Ichibanya's limited-time menu! "Beef Curry" ^^♪ Although it's a bit late now, the baton has been passed to "Chicken and Tomato Hot Spice Curry" starting from June, but... of course! I went to eat it yesterday, and I will share my review later. However, it seems that there is still some stock left, so the "Beef Curry" is still available! Oh, for those who haven't tried it, you must try this dish! ^^ Now, let's talk about the "Beef Curry" review. On March 31st, I happened to be working near the office, so I went for lunch at Coco Ichibanya. I sat at the counter and immediately decided on the Beef Curry. The normal version has only meat in the roux, so I opted for the vegetable curry. As expected from the menu photo, it did not disappoint! It was incredibly delicious! The roux was different from the usual Coco Ichibanya original, more like a demiglace, almost like beef stew. The meat was cut into large chunks and was so tender! It was so tasty that I didn't even worry about my dentures. I must eat more of this before the end of May! The price is a bit high, around 900 yen for the normal version and 1180 yen for the vegetable curry type, but I think it's worth it. As a fan of Coco Ichibanya, I will continue with more reviews of the Beef Curry. Stay tuned! ^^♪

Friday is curry day. I entered the restaurant almost as soon as it opened. I was happy to see that they had charging outlets rather than a collection of long manga inside. I ordered the shrimp and clam curry (692 yen). The curry arrived in about 5 minutes. Eating curry while looking at the boats was quite nice. Probably. I paid with WAON. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I ordered the pork sauce (standard) with medium spiciness, 400g of rice, topped with chicken stew, cheese, and chicken cutlet. The pork sauce has a addictive flavor, the chicken cutlet is tender, and it tastes exquisite when combined with cheese. However, I had a lot of rice left over, so next time I might order 200g of rice and add an extra serving of curry sauce.

It's been a while since my last post ^^; I love COCO Ichibanya, but unfortunately, the COCO Ichibanya I used to frequent in Itoi closed down. Now, there is only one store left in Funami near the port in Tomakomai, which is quite far for me living on the west side. However, earlier this year, I had a job near there and visited the Funami store a few times in July, August, and September, writing monthly reviews. My favorite at COCO Ichibanya is the Vegetable Curry with Tonkatsu topping. It's the best! I also enjoy their seasonal limited menu items, like the "Chikibeji" with shredded chicken in curry. It's flavorful with the right amount of spices, very delicious! Another favorite was "THE Asia," similar to Chikibeji but with shrimp, also very tasty. When I visited the Funami store, I tried the seasonal limited "Gyuu Menchi" which was a bit oily but had a nice flavor, reminiscent of hamburger meat. I also tried it with the Vegetable Curry, and it was quite good. In September, the Gyuu Menchi was gone, replaced by "THE Ethnic Asia" with clams, which unfortunately I don't like. I hope they bring back the Chikibeji in the future. Overall, I enjoy the ethnic flavors at COCO Ichibanya, and I look forward to their limited series releases.

I visited the CoCo ICHIBANYA curry restaurant near Tomakomai Nishiko Port for the first time in June 2020. The area also has a conveyor belt sushi restaurant called "Kaiten Maru" and a family restaurant called "Victoria Station," with a shared parking lot. I had previously tried the limited edition "Roast Chicken Spicy Masala Curry" for takeout at the Chitose branch and found it to be delicious. However, by the time I returned, it was already sold out. In its place, they introduced the "Spice Curry THE Chiki Veg." I had high expectations for this new curry, hoping it would be similar to the previous spicy masala curry. Unfortunately, it turned out to be slightly less spicy and more on the mild side, likely due to the abundant use of tomatoes, okra, and eggplant. Perhaps if I had tried this curry first, my opinion would have been different. Overall, I felt a bit disappointed. This season's limited edition menu includes three types of summer vegetable curries, so it might be worth trying out different options based on your preferences.

Sometimes I have an irresistible craving for CoCo Ichibanya... Today, with a hangover, was one of those days. Determined to try something new, I opted for the beef sauce curry for the first time! However, I ended up choosing the beef cutlet curry, which is actually based on the classic pork curry... Beef cutlet, huh. Oh well, my misunderstanding. The Beef Cutlet Curry, with its pork curry base, may have initially surprised me, but the taste that keeps drawing me back periodically is the magic of CoCo Ichibanya's founder, Tokiji Soji. I once had the opportunity to hear him speak at a commemorative lecture, and he is truly a fascinating person in many ways. The beef cutlet itself is just average, like something you might find in a frozen meal. The subtle beef flavor and crispy texture are its main attractions. Despite this mix-up, I'll probably visit again... That's the charm of CoCo Ichibanya, and it's also one of its incredibly strong selling points.