Coco Ichibanya Sawtelle

We had a group dinner on Friday night at Coco Ichibanya, Sawtelle location in LA. Parking was hard to find. We sat outdoor for group of 8 people. They had heat lamps for outdoor seating. To view their menu, you had to use the QR code provided at the table. We all ordered different dishes and at different spice levels. The meals took a while to come out but they were hot with steams so that’s a plus for us. However, some of our dishes had lots of curry sauce but some had very little curry sauce. So, we ordered extra curry sauces at level 10. After waiting for more than 10 minutes for the extra curry sauce, we had the waiter to check on status. Waiter told us the kitchen placed the priority in getting the new dishes out for customers who were waiting for their meals and lower priority placed for customers who ordered extra sauce. They said that the extra curry sauces had to be cooked separately as new orders. So we had to wait for another 7 minutes and got the extra sauces. We honestly couldn’t tell the differences between spice level 2 or spice level 10, all tasted like the normal average level. What surprised us the most was we saw extra fees for different spice levels on our bill. So, there was a charge for each higher spice level. That’s weird. So overall, curry food was decent and would satisfy the curry craving on a cold, rainy day. But their curry sauce was inconsistent in terms of taste flavor, colors, spice levels and the sauce textures. On the positive note, restaurant has a decent variety of options to have with curry such as chicken, fried cutlets, pork, beef, meatballs, shrimps, clams, dumplings, etc. Also, they have assortments of toppings like corns, eggs, tomato and mushrooms. You can choose to have curry in rice dishes, udon dishes, keema or with naan bread. Note that you can order extra white rice and sauces (extra small curry sauce was around $3.7). They have limited dessert options. We will not be coming back to this restaurants for various reasons as there are lots of other restaurant to explore on Sawtelle.

The curry is absolutely to die for. Such amazing flavor and savory taste that I was not expecting. The price and portion of each plate is great — it’s on the cheaper side and fills you up so much! I couldn’t even finish my food. I highly recommend checking out of these locations if you have a chance.

Casual quick-service restaurant. Pork cutlet was slightly overcooked. Spice level 9 was adequately spicy, but paid an additional charge. Additionally, I ordered the omelet rice, which was OK. I felt like everything was prepared in a microwave oven then poured the curry sauce over it.

Pork katsu was not that crispy by the time it got to us via takeout. They would benefit greatly from separating it from the curry and having a container that allows steam to escape. Taste wise it was just okay. I feel that the curry cubes you get from Japanese supermarkets are much better.

I had cocos the first time in Japan and was so excited when they opened one here! I finally stopped in to see if it was just as good as the original and it did not disappoint. Fast service, great curry!

Coco Curry always brings me and my family back to our Okinawa days. We came in, a party of 7, to celebrate my son's birthday. It was packed, so we had split tables. When another table next to us became available, the staff was so accommodating and cleaned the area promptly so we could all sit together. The taste has always been consistent. My kids are adults now, and we're so happy to hear about this location cuz it's near all the other places we visit. This taste is Home. Arigato gosaimasu, Coco Curry.

Japanese curry chain. You can order takeout via the screens there or dine-in. It is vegetarian friendly. There’s indoor and outdoor seating. Street parking. Credit cards accepted. We got the pork cutlet curry with rice and the chicken udon curry - both were yummy but if you’re there for the first time, I’d recommend getting a curry with rice. The takeout boxes are cleverly designed to separate the curry sauce from the dry foods, and it comes with pickled veggies. The curry sauce is thick and flavorful. You can choose what level of spice you’d like; I went for a 6 and I think I personally could’ve gone higher. They do have mild options. Vegetarian options are available. The portion sizes are generous and you can get two servings from a plate. The employees were nice and the atmosphere is casual.

Visited here after hearing many recommendation from LA friends, and was pleasantly surprised by how tasty the curry was here. It was the perfect amount of flavor at regular for someone who likes the small kick of spicy but can’t handle spiciness. Out of everywhere I’ve went to during my trip so far, this place is probably gonna be the one I miss the most and hope to come back to again!

This is probably the best location (been to this one, Torrence, and Irvine). Consistent with the spicy level and seems like I get more/regular amount of thin sliced beef compared to the other locations. Service and ambiance are great. Only thing is that parking might be horrendous to find unless you live in the area

Last Saturday I tried it and for the first time and I really liked it. 3.5 stars There is over 1000 Cocoichi in Japan but I have never tried it when I grew up in Tokyo. I thought it was low priced mediocre old-man chain restaurants by the train stations. (i.e. regular pork curry is priced at $3.53 /todays currency rate) Good: -Great curry flavor. I like the thin consistency to accommodate variety of the topping choices they offer. - Delicious omelette curry - You can choose spice levels. I enjoyed level 7. - Their Fukujinzuke (Japanese sweet pickles / mustard have for Japanese curry) is delicious and not colored with fake red dye. Not so Good: - Not attentive service. They forgot us and served water and took orders from people who came after us. - Katsu and Chicken Katsu were dry. Potato croquettes tasted like mass produced frozen kind - No alcoholic beverage offered

I love how customizable your dish is - from the portion size of rice to the toppings. Consistently delicious and everything is cooked perfectly. It is so, so loud in here. It can be hard to hold a conversation or even place an order with the staff. Metered street parking is right outside. For those with peanut allergy, please be careful. Their curry is made with peanut butter.

Ichibanya was a pretty cool spot on sawtelle. They seat people pretty quickly and the servers are always moving around and checking in on people. The food is really good I got the pork cutlet with spicy teriyaki chicken and it was delicious. Both the spicy teriyaki chicken and the pork cutlet was cooked really well and tasted great. The curry was good and was the perfect spice level. I highly recommend trying this meal. The fries were cool could have been seasoned more in my opinion. The cheese Nan was good but nothing out of this world overall a good dinning experience.

I'm honestly surprised I haven't tried this place sooner! My bf and I love Japanese curry but always struggle to find a good place. We finally tried this place one weekend! Street parking, right in the heart of Sawtelle's Japantown. There's plenty of seating and even a patio. We got there around lunch but maybe it wasn't a busy day so there were maybe like 2-3 other parties there. Ordered the garlic shrimp curry and he got his usual Katsu. I was super excited because it was all my favorite things all in one plate but I was a bit disappointed. The Japanese curry is always going to be absolutely delicious but unfortunately my garlic shrimp was super, super rubbery. It was barely edible and I wish it had more garlic flavor. I ended up only eating the curry and rice because they really messed up the shrimp. I thought about getting something else but I also don't like wasting food. The curry rice was enough for my lunch but they definitely need to work on their shrimp...I definitely want to come back and give them another try at some point but I'll probably order something else. IG: @ammysalamii

Love this place! 1-20 spicy levels, plus no spice, and regular. I'm not a spicy guy but I need taste so I got regular. 3 isn't going to be enough of you love hot. Chicken was not too thin and they gave me enough. The panko breading is delicious! The curry was very flavorful and savory. I like my curry a little thicker but still have it a 5. Restaurant was Zoey Friendly, very clean and service was excellent. There were no hidden fees as you can see (receipt). I highly recommend if you love Japanese curry.

I was so happy when this spot opened up! Finally made my way out to check it out. I got a 5 spice level, squid and vegetable curry. The squid was OK. I probably wouldn't get it again. I'm not the biggest on spice and honestly I thought a five was pretty spicy. Probably lower on the spice next time. My partner got the chicken cutlet and sausage curry spice level six. He Said the chicken was cooked until crispy and it was good quality chicken. I honestly thought it was so good ! The quality and taste is the same as other locations that I've been to. Parking can be brutal just because there's no formal parking area . It's all street parking. We waited about 15 minutes to be seated. I love that everything is customizable and every time you come, you can mix up your order. I'll be coming back.

There was barely any wait! I ordered the vegetable curry and it was delicious. I loved the texture of the rice and I thought the curry was very flavorful and that the egg was soft. There is nothing particularly special about the ambiance - I think I loved it more for the food and the service (our waitress was so sweet). There are also a lot of options to customize your dish based on spiciness levels or add ons!

I have been craving some Japanese curry for awhile so I came here since I was in the area. I will say, I have come to other locations of this restaurant before and they were much better in my opinion due to the service. When I got inside, it took awhile to be seated and once I was seated I wasn't handed menu. I waited a little longer and still no menu so I just asked for one in the front and sat back down. Maybe they were understaffed that day. Once I ordered my food, it was delicious. I got the vegetable curry with the omelette and my boyfriend got the chicken cutlet curry with an omelette/ dumplings. We also tried the naan there and it was delicious! Would definitely be coming back for the food!! Japanese curry never goes wrong!! My stomach was very fulfilled after this meal.

Have ordered from Coco ichibanya for over 8 years. Tonight Just ordered this for delivery. No longer the same quality. 1) came in a generic styrofoam container (used to be a compartmentalized plastic tray) 2) the curry was super watery and bland (used to be thicker) 3) no pickles came with it. I had to double check it came from Coco ichibanya as this wasn't what I used to get when I ordered. Sure enough it has their name on the bag and receipt. Sad they have cut costs and the quality is terrible. Will not be ordering from here again.

Curry disappeared from the Sawtelle Japantown area when Curry House, Hurry Curry, and even Asahi Ramen all closed. I was so looking forward to curry in the area again. This place is good but it's not the most consistent when it comes to flavor. Some nights are tastier than others but I'd still recommend coming here to satisfy that curry urge. There's a decent variety of things you can have with curry - hot dogs, chicken, spinach, beef, fried cutlets, french fries, meatballs, shrimp, even dumplings! And then there's also an assortment of toppings to choose from like mushroom, egg, corn, and tomato. The wait shouldn't be long for a small table. Worth a visit if you're in the mood for curry and in the area.

So lucky that a Coco opened up here on Sawtelle, especially after the closure of Curry House! Coco is such a staple and I'm addicted to their Chicken Cutlet Katsu Curry. I literally don't even know what else is on the menu because this is so good that I just order that again and again. Shoutout to their Naan though which is also surprisingly delicious! It's a fast casual place but definitely expect a wait on a weekend evening. We came at about 9pm on a weekend and we had no wait but that could also be because we asked to sit outside with our dog. They do seem pretty understaffed and it was definitely a struggle to try to flag someone down to order and pay.

When Curry House closed all its stores in 2020 it broke everyone's hearts. It was the gold standard of Japanese curry. My favorite locations were definitely Little Tokyo and Beverly Hills. Three of my four children all got to enjoy what Curry House offered for them-- best kids' meal to be found anywhere. Then comes Coco Ichibanya. It took countless visits for me to finally write this review. For those who remember Curry House it was easily 5 stars for those top two locations and four stars elsewhere. So in comparison, Coco Ichibanya is around 3 stars everywhere except for this Sawtelle location which is easily 4 stars. Let's start with the foods. The food definitely hit the spot. You cannot compare it to Midoh but for a chain and its efficiency/quick turnaround I would say it's definitely very good. I highly recommend any of the cutlets and yes the kids' meal is definitely excellent in value. If your child is a big eater you may want to get a side for him or her as well. As for service I can just say it's sufficient. At the previous WLA location on Wilshire the service was definitely on the hit or miss side. I have seen significant improvement at this new location. That goes with the decor and interior of this place too. Last but not least we came here for the kids meal and it was "excellent" quoted my little guy. He even got to pick out a toy for himself. Let's say we were happy campers. Oh, did I mention the value of this place? Considering the crazy inflations these days this place definitely doesn't hurt your wallet as most places nearby. Curry on!!

Coco Ichibanya is a chain that has many locations scattered around. Pretty known for classic, fast japanese curry fixing. Standard. A place where you just eat and leave fast. This location is in sawtelle on the same strip block of many popular stores. If you are hungry and want to be filled / feeling really full this is probably the place to go. I came out feeling so full that I felt sick. Truthfully I wouldn't go again. The curry was good when we had it at the store but waking up the next day I was so thirsty that my throat was left dry from the loads of msg they used For the ambiance- the place has out/indoor seating. Not really a wait, does takeout using a kiosk in the front too. When you sit the menu is scanned with a QR code and there is a call button if you need assistance. The staff had their hands full but was attentive when needed. Food comes as it's made. As for the food- like I said standard, not bad not totally amazing either. The pork cutlet with omelet (egg on top) of rice with curry was good. There's an option for less rice for 50 cents off that I should have done since I was feeling really, really full after eating. The garlic nan tasted like any typical one. My friend got the garlic shrimp which was really dry and could have been ordered without over the tomato and asparagus curry. We also got the jumbo Thai tea and the watermelon that wasn't that expensive (less than $5). The jumbo tea we packed the leftover in a Togo after the meal and it ended up filling a whole take out cup.

I love Coco Ichi and wish they would open a location in North OC! Coco Ichibanya is a Japanese curry spot and they offer protein and rice options to go with it. My favorite part about this restaurant is being able to customize everything from your spice level, to your rice or curry amount. I got the Vegetable Croquette Curry with small rice and level 5 spice. My husband also got the Chicken Cutlet Curry with regular rice level 3. To share we got the Keema Fries, which looked and tasted like Japanese-style chili cheese fries. The curry is a thinner curry and it just has all the Japanese Asian curry flavors. If you're not sure what Japanese curry tastes like, just imagine if someone took American gravy look and consistency and add asian flavors to it. The portions are huge, and it definitely hit the spot on a cold rainy day. The workers there were also super nice and our food came out super quick! Parking here (and anywhere in LA) is the worst, but there's a small parking structure labelled "Retail Parking" and there's street parking.

I got a Chicken curry omelette with cheese with a spice level 3. There is so much flavor hitting you all at once, and it's absolutely delicious. My friend that introduced me to this place, we first tried the one in Irvine and he always talked about this place because it was one of his favorite places to visit while he was in Japan. Once he found out it was in the United States, we had to make a trip and he said it's a very close comparison to the one here in the United States compared to Japan. Staff very pleasant. I went around 5pm on a Wednesday afternoon, no wait and plenty of places to choose to sit. Just be mindful if you go on a Friday night or a weekend, it can be a potentially long wait especially when ucla is in session (since ucla is down the street and a lot of college kids come eat on this street)

SPICY Their spice level is no joke, I got level 3 out of 20 and it was hot! I never thought I could get spicy Japanese curry. But everything was good! I should have got the small portion because the regular is a lot. But you get a lot for what you pay for. I highly recommend the Spicy Teriyaki Fried Chicken!! Crispy, sweet, and spicy! Also, I ordered vegetable curry but they just gave me regular curry Service was good but the wait for food took a while which I can't blame. Its a pretty popular spot, and just as we sat down, there was a line forming. Depending on how busy they are, you can choose to sit inside or outside, both very nice. Great lighting and nice bathrooms.

The curry didn't come out hot and it didn't taste like anything special. We ordered a higher level of spicy for an additional $0.80 but the curry tasted the same compared to the average spicy level. The service was lacking. The restaurant wasn't packed at 11:30am but the servers were still forgetting to get our water and boxes. We had to remind them twice.

So yummy, it was my first time eating at this shop and I would 100% come again. The staff were super nice and attentive and it looked so clean and nice inside. You are able to do add ons to your curry to make it more than just a sauce and a cutlet but I didn't do that for my first time but seeing other peoples plates i definitely will add veggies.

Stopped by on a Sunday afternoon to try this place. It wasn't too busy and was about half full. They made us sign in through the waiting list instead of just going straight to the front counter. Sat down at a table after waiting maybe 5 minutes. Scanned the QR code at the table to see the menu. Someone came by and took our order. He didn't seem friendly or helpful with recommendations. He said he'd come back with water for the table but didn't. The food took a while to come out. A second person came to our table with our food. He noticed we didn't have water or utensils and apologized and rushed to get them for us. The food was decent for the price and it hit the spot for us. I probably would like this place more if the service was better. Once I hit the call button on my table, my first server came back and just handed the check and walked away. I didn't even say anything to him yet and he didn't even check if that's what we wanted. Kind of surprised me since we weren't there for very long. Overall, not sure if I'd come back. Food is okay and service could be better.

Coco is a adequate place. Not incredible better than average. In my opinion, Their Curry is not superior to the curry my workplace, I would say it's well balanced One of my favorite items is keema curry , fries really good with cheese, although there isn't enough on the fries. Stay with the fried items for your curry. They fry very well. My favorites are the spicy fried chicken kaarage & minced beef cutlet. Their stewed dishes are terrible. stay away from sliced beef it's bad & a embarrassment. They should get some decent quality sliced beef. Poor folx (like me) are being ripped off, a $15.00 disappointment!

Japanese curry chain. You can order takeout via the screens there or dine-in. It is vegetarian friendly. There's indoor and outdoor seating. Street parking. Credit cards accepted. We got the pork cutlet curry with rice and the chicken udon curry - both were yummy but if you're there for the first time, I'd recommend getting a curry with rice. The takeout boxes are cleverly designed to separate the curry sauce from the dry foods, and it comes with pickled veggies. Service was friendly and helpful.

Am a fan of Japanese curry, but CoCo House Curry Ichibanya doesn't quite excite me as much as they used to. The add-ons are fun and a great way to make your curry more interesting, but we found both the quality of the rice and quality of the curry a little more average than anything else. The value game is strong and the large salads are particularly massive and affordable, but the fried chicken curry also had pretty ordinary fried chicken bits, as substantial as they were. Vibe is modern as befits the building they're in, and has more character than the other restaurant right next door, but ultimately is not quite as homey or appealing as some of the other locations. As a plus, service is pretty good.

WHEN: Sun @6pm It was only about a 10 minute wait to have the outside patio seating for just me, but it did get busier within the hour. You can easily join the waitlist with the options seatings of counter (facing the wall but back to the exit) or table. Each table has a QR code for you to scan and view the menu. What I approved is you pretty much can build your dish to however you like--they charge by the item/toppings/sides. Because I did not want leftovers, I wanted something "light" which I appreciate them having salads. So here's what I ordered: FRIED CHICKEN SALAD (Reg) - $6.24 This is pretty much: Green Salad ($1.99) + Fried Chicken ($4.25). What's great is you get a whole bottle of sesame dressing to use to your desire! It was really good! KEEMA SAUCE (Small) - $3.15 I felt I SHOULD try the curry while I'm here, but It doesn't look like the photos (no chunky bits of anything). Apparently it's curry that is not vegan/vegetarian, and you can't adjust the spicy level. It's like mild--a bit of a kick but easily handled. It was like having a nice side soup. I honestly wish there was a description that explains what keema is and how it's different from the regular curry sauce. This place is quite nice and the staff is attentive. I appreciate all the different options of seatings and how easy it was order despite all the many different items!

Delicious curry, tastes super authentic. It's nice that there's custom options for how much rice and how spicy you want it. They have a button to ask for service too. Nice and casual dinner spot.

Wow so rich and so many options! If you like curry come here. Yes it's a chain but it's worth the buck. Service is lost and too busy but not there fault, sometimes short staffed. It's a fun fast casual spot. Not as authentic as the rest of Sawtelle but it's so good. Try the omelette

Pretty tasty, the curry wasnt watery and they cooked the omelette to perfection. The portions are pretty big too. It does get busy often so watch out for that

It was really busy! Didn't realize how popular it was. The people come off rude because they're so busy but they're all very kind. Food is okay

Coco Ichibanya provided an excellent dining experience during my son's spring break. The food was amazing with options for kids, high chairs, and even a squishy toy and apple juice for the little ones. The customizable curry, spiced up to your liking, tasted fantastic on a scale of 1 to 10. Quick service and attentive staff made it a delightful visit. Highly recommend for families seeking delicious meals in a welcoming atmosphere.

I'm confused by the rave reviews and crowds since my pork cutlet was pretty dry. They did give a lot of rice. My go-to place for juicy tonkatsu on Sawtelle is Midoh and price is similar, so no reason to come back here. Maybe their other dishes are better?

Honestly felt like the curry was pretty average nothing special at all. I ordered the Spicy Teriyaki Chicken regular with vegetables and vegetable croquettes. The curry and chicken ended up being too sweet which personally I like my curry a little on the hotter less sweet side. I could have gone a little spicier in my curry, but they charge for that and I didn't think it would matter so much since I ordered the spicy chicken... but oh well. Also everything seems to be extra money if you want to add anything. Overall can probably find better curry somewhere else. It is fast out so that's nice and the service staff were attentive and asked a few times if I needed anything. Parking is hard to find, they do have a garage across the street with public parking for $23 if you go past 12 minutes.

if coco ichibanya has no fans then i'm dead!! cuz omg i love this place i never was a fan of japanese curry until i started eating coco and i literally could eat this everyday and all day. such a comfort food and especially good in this cold weather. i've tried the level 10 and i would say it doesn't have a kick but nothing too bad (i do have a high spice tolerance tho) inside is pretty big with a large patio outside. service is always quick too

cocoichibanya on sawtelle is like every other one I've been to. Just solid. Portion sizes are small for what you pay for. Food is standardly good but nothing mindblowing. Service was fine. Place is a little small, expect to wait to be seated if you come at a normal dinner time.

First impression: The interior of this location is very nice and spacious. I had no trouble getting around the restaurant to my seat. Chicken Cutlet Curry 5/5 - The curry was so good. It mixed very well with the chicken cutlet which was also cooked well and was no dry at all. The combination of the two hit the spot and I found myself finishing it really fast. I would absolutely get this again in the future! Vegetables add on 2/5 - I wouldn't recommend spending the extra ~$2.50 on this. There was a very small portion of vegetables and the sizes of these vegetables were also pretty small. Jumbo Thai Tea 4/5 - When I was initially checking out the Yelp reviews I saw a couple others rave about this. I didn't think it could be the thaaat big, well I was wrong this thing is HUGE! It's not the best Thai tea I've ever had, but man do you get a bang for your buck at $5. Would absolutely get it again.

Unbeatable price for what is insanely delicious chicken and pork katsu and generous portions. We know with the prompt and friendly service and deliciousness, this is going to become one of our regular go to spots. What's great about CoCo Ichibanya is it straddles the line between quick service and regular sit-down affair. I'd say more like elevated quick service in some way. The location along Sawtelle offers great people viewing opportunities. There's a good bit of patio seating but even the interior has floor to ceiling windows allowing you to take in the street life. We both added the tofu + okra to our curry along with the omelette. Wouldn't have changed a thing. Dom arigato!

The food was delicious, don't get me wrong. There were a ton of options and modifications, all delicious. However, it took the servers 20 minutes to take our order and took them equally long to get us our check. Unfortunately, the service was terrible.

If you haven't checked out the FAMOUS Coco Ichibanya yet, definitely CURRY up and stop by their new location in Sawtelle! As someone who often craves curry, I've been defaulting to cooking my own curry at home (since Curry House closed). I was so glad to see that Coco Ichibanya opened so close by me in Sawtelle, and even happier with how incredibly authentic and high quality their curry is, while still being very reasonably priced (especially for this area). I ordered the chicken cutlet omelet rice, which was perfectly cooked - the chicken was perfectly fried, while having a tender interior, while the egg was super soft and evenly cooked throughout. I'll definitely be back to try more items (and test out their infamous spice levels) soon!

Adore this place. My favorite curry. The menu is large and allows customization for whatever people need. The call button allows for calling for service without behind annoying. Parking is hard but it's Sawtelle so that's the only star knock I'll take off. Lots of families, dates and more at dinner at a weeknight.

My favorite curry on Sawtelle. Reasonable prices, easily customizable to your tastes.

The curry is hands down delicious and some of the best I've had. The portion size and presentation is a hit or miss as you can see in the images (fried chicken...what happened? Lol). The service is some of the worst I've had ever. We joined the Yelp waitlist and were seated at 9PM (they close at 10). Ten minutes go by and they haven't brought water. Then they seated a large group of 9 and brought them water immediately. No one came by our table to offer water or take our order until I locked eyes with the server and mouthed "we're ready." He took the order and the food came out fast. That was the last we saw of any server. We saw some tables being brought their check while other tables went up to the register after waiting 20 minutes for their check and not getting it. I'd be more empathetic if they were truly understaffed but I can't excuse the servers standing at the front desk on their phones. My recommendation is to order to go.

Amazing comfort food! If you like saucy dishes, this is for you! We came shortly after they opened (maybe it was an off time or before word really got out) so it wasn't that busy. The staff were really friendly and explained the menu to us. Everything was flavorful but incredibly heavy. The jumbo Thai ice tea is no joke, it's huge! I had to ask for a to go cup after our meal was finished!

1. Understaffing 2. Staff Training: Waiting for 20 minutes without being asked for drinks or orders was frustrating. 3. Quality Control: The quality of ingredients, particularly the freshness of lettuce used in salads. 4. Pest Control: flies in the dining area, which is a significant concern. 5. Management Accessibility: It was disappointing to learn that the manager was busy cooking and couldn't attend to customer concerns. The food is undoubtedly good, but the overall dining experience was overshadowed by service issues, pest problems, and management unavailability.

I had the chicken cutlet katsu to go it was a hearty meal. I enjoyed the curry sauce a lot.

A great new addition to Sawtelle! We love to drive down to Sawtelle for all the delicious food and are so glad that we now have another reason to make the drive. I love curry but have never had Japanese curry, so I was super excited to make the drive to give it a try. Absolutely delicious. They have such a wide variety of different curries on the menu - both meat and vegetarian options. First off, you have to get your curry omelet style - it has a layer of fresh egg on top that just really elevates the dish and is the perfect compliment to the curry, meat/vegetable, and rice. We tried the Chicken Cutlet Omelet and the Cream & Mushrooms Omelet, and both were super delicious! You pick your spice level, and I'm not a big fan of spice, so I got the regular, and it worked well for me. The chicken was super crispy on the outside but tender inside, and the curries were smooth, hearty, and full of flavor. With the added cream with the mushrooms, it made the curry even richer. These meals weren't just delicious but are such a good comfort meal. They also have options to create your own curry with different meats, toppings, spice, etc. While we didn't try it, they had so many different combinations that this also looks like a great option. We got the garlic nan with it - super fluffy and rich with garlic and butter. Perfect for dipping in the curry. The Spicy Teriyaki Fried Chicken was also a great side - super crunch outside, tender chicken on the inside, and a great, spicy flavor. Great addition to the meal. Service was super efficient, and they have both indoor and outdoor seating. We came in mid-afternoon, and we were seated right away. But I'd imagine, being on Sawtelle, that it gets super busy. They do offer an online waitlist that I'd recommend taking part in. Parking can be a bit of a challenge as it is on Sawtelle, but it is totally worth it to enjoy this delicious curry.

Chicken curry cutlet was decent but I personally like my curry a little thicker, cheese fries were interesting, lots of flies outside in patio area :/

The best dish is the stewed beef with the egg. Wish it came with more meat. I didn't like the chicken or pork cutlet. Maybe stewed chicken would be ok. Ambiance is casual. Overpriced for protein portion size

I usually don't order Japanese curry in a restaurant because it's easy to find those curry blocks in Asian supermarkets and they taste great. However, I don't fry anything at home because they use too much oil to prep and I try not to eat fried food. So when I found out this Japanese curry place (similar to the Curry House that no longer exists) and offers chicken or pork cutlet, I decided to give it a try! The first thing I noticed when I walked into the newly opened restaurant was a self-ordering machine. It was only for ordering food to go, but not for dine in...very strange. I thought this was a fast casual semi-self service place, but I guess not. I talked to the waiter and got a spot at the outdoor patio. Any place that has an outdoor patio is always a plus for me because I love to bring my dog with me on the weekends. The waiter was friendly and he came by and checked with us a few times. The menu was quite confusing. You could customize anything you want on the first page, but the menu also had a bunch of other options on the following pages. The waiter said I could pretty much pick anything I want and mix and match. And to my surprise, they offered to customize the spiciness level. They offered spiciness levels from 1-20 and I asked him what was the equivalent to the Thai spicy food. He said most people order 2 but he said level 4 was very spicy. So my wife and I ordered spiciness level 4. I ordered pork cutlet udon and she ordered chicken cutlet with omelet over rice, and we also added a karaage chicken on the side to share. The food arrived quickly and it looked appetizing. Both chicken and pork cutlets were cooked to perfection! They had thin crispy batter (not oily) and the meat was juicy. And the curry at spiciness level 4 was spicy! My wife thought it was too spicy for her and it was about as spicy as I could handle. Anything higher than this would make the dish too spicy and I wouldn't be able to taste anything else. The spiciness blended well with the base curry. The omelet wasn't the flowy omelet like what I saw on YouTube. It was just a scrambled egg over the rice. The karaage chicken had a sweet and spicy flavor to it, it was similar to Korean chicken flavor. Overall, I loved this place. Their curry was flavorful and you could customize the spiciness level that I couldn't replicate at home. Their cutlets were cooked to perfection. I can't wait to come back again.

COCO ICHIBANYA IS SO GOOD! Their omelette is soooo good. It's nice and soft, perfect consistency. What more can one ask for?? The chicken cutlet is crispy and good. The curry is more watery than others, but I kind of like it that way as it doesn't feel as heavy. I like level 3 spice, but if you're a fan of spice, I'd recommend a 4-5 to start. They go all the way up to 10 if you're feeling risky and bold! I think the service throughout the meal was good, everyone was friendly, but the staff did disappear here and there. Since they opened not too long ago, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt that it'll get better. Hence, 5 stars for my visit today! Kicked my curry craving!

4.5 stars. Finally a curry place in Sawtelle after Curry House closed! This is located in the less crowded area of Sawtelle. We got the Keema Curry Rice and it was too soupy but I liked that you have a choice of small size. The Curry Udon mild is nicely flavored with chewy noodles. The gyoza salad is a nice petite size for someone not too hungry. The food came out quickly.

When I go to LA, I go directly to cocoa to grab dinner. I also went here 2 years ago and the flavor is still the same. One of the best curry in California. Some can argue but I am just saying my preference. I love how easy it is to order from their menu. There are pictures on the menu to show you what exactly what You ordered. Plus there is a spice level. It's easy to choose from regular to level 10. Very spicy. I can only handle a level 2 and under. But for those you love spice, I'm sure you can go much higher. Give it a try and let me know :)