Coco Ichibanya Announces Cocoichi London’s New Japanese Curry Opening | Eater London

"Set to open at 39 James Street in Marylebone (taking over the former Jason Atherton venue) in December 2019/January 2020, this new outpost is part of a large Japanese curry group that already runs over 1,000 restaurants in Japan and planned additional UK sites that year, with a particular focus on shopping-centre locations. The offering centers on karē raisu (curry rice) that diners can heavily customise — choosing base sauces (beef, pork, hashed beef or a vegetarian option), rice portion, sauce sweetness (“mild”) and heat (from mild up to level 10) — and adding toppings such as tonkatsu, tori katsu, scrambled egg, hamburgers (including cheese-filled), frankfurter-style sausages, fried fish, squid, prawns, cheese and many other options. The dish itself has historical roots in Japan from the Meiji era, arriving with Western influence and later becoming a mainstream yoshōku staple, its popularity further boosted by naval adoption to help prevent beriberi." - James Hansen