Coco Ichibanya has really tasty curry and their heat scale is real so beware don't order too high of a level if you can't tolerate heat. I usually am pretty good at eating spicy food but level 5 kicked my butt. I got the katsu with fluffy omelette served over white rice and it was delicious and felt like home cooking. I only wish they have non curry options as well since my kids are not curry fans so I can't come here often. It is located in Aliso Town Center right next to 99 Ranch Market so it makes eating and food shopping in one trip very easy. read more

Coco Ichibanya - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

I'm at a crossroads between 3 and 4 stars. First off, the food is really good. From the first time I've been there vs. now it just seems like service is not really there. Water- is lukewarm and barely filled if you are dining inside and with the spice level the curry has... I need lots of water!!!... *I would advise to bring your own ice water, it would make the experience better* We asked to see a physical menu and they said they only had 2, what??? The table has iPads but it just takes away from the dine in service. We were seated quickly, and the food is good, but the service is not great. And I think this is due to being understaffed and it's just all too fast moving for them to keep up. I pressed the service button on the table and nobody came and we also tried to flag down a worker but she was in a huge rush and didn't hear us and kept moving. So more so something for management to look at because you never want to leave someone waiting for a simple task. Those minutes make or break the experience! The inside is tiny but it's nice and clean. Everytime someone leaves they make sure to wipe down the tables. I will keep coming to coco, but I hope that aspect gets better! read more

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When they first opened I was so happy as I've been to this restaurant in other locations even in Japan! This store is .....ok. The katsu was overcooked and not very good. Curry was fine but quite disappointing overall. I literally haven't returned since that experience. Curry isn't hard to make and for katsu curry, you've got to get the katsu right and they didn't. Also the cut of the meat had a huge piece of fat on it .... So cut was bad and overcooked so the meat was dry. Curry was fine. Not sure if I'll go back as there's competition for good curry now popping up everywhere. I just think this location is too inconsistent on the quality of the food. read more

Update: they have iPads to order on the tables which makes it much quicker to order and get your food. We loved the new mango lasse? It tasted like a Yakult that was ice blended. Keema cheese fries were great! Ambiance, chill. Easy meal. Definitely a dine in kinda food. Also really appreciated the update of bells at the tables to get servers attention. read more

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I do love Coco Ichibanya ! I've been to a few locations before but this was my first time at the Aliso location. I was disappointed in the browning lettuce that came out with my salad. Grateful that it was only $3 because I had to pick around many pieces. Curry was great! Large portions and plenty of leftovers. read more

Coco Ichibanya - Browning lettuce - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

Our group came pretty late into the night around 9pm and had a great time here. The curry was delicious and very customizable. Orders are submitted via tablet and the staff will bring out your food to the table. Absolutely great curry read more

Coco Ichibanya - Chicken cutlet, fish, mango lassi, garlic naan - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

Friendly staff, the ice cream machine doesn't work so the kids don't get a soft serve at the end of the meal even though it states it on their ad. Otherwise it's good, small but it's not too busy. Good quick fix for curry spot. read more

Coco Ichibanya - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

Came away so full. The curry was excellent and awesome to see this option in south OC. You can choose from mild to spices options in your curry. There are different curry options from chicken to pork to beef patties and can add in many options to your liking. Staff is very friendly and the place is clean. It's a very good local go to. read more

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Stopped by to try the curry at the store. It is one of the rare Japanese restaurants that serves spicy curry. Got a level 5 spicy curry to dine outside of the store. The kiosk ordering is like how it is in Japan. The interior seating is bright and spacious. Since I took my order to go, I appreciated that they separated the curry from my rice, so it was not all mixed up when I was eating it. read more

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Coco Ichibanya is a staple for Japanese curry. The pork cutlet is simple but delicious and very hearty. read more

Coco Ichibanya - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

If you're looking for some comfort food, I would highly recommend coming here as they have many selections that is worth trying. Its atmosphere resembles a casual Japanese style similar to Curry House, but they carry all sorts of curry, including Indian style. I do want to warn that their spicy scale of 1-10 is deceiving. Level 2 is already at hot Cheetos level so choose wisely. The waitress did explain it a bit but more elaboration would be nice. You can also add many types of toppings to the curry as you like. The curry French fries appetizer is also very good. Highly recommend if you want a quick grab that makes you very happy afterwards. read more

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Delicious food . Was expecting standard Japanese curry with a mild spicy flavor. To our happiness there was a spice scale 1-10! We tried the 6&7 level in our curry. Yum! Nailed it the menu is touch pad and the add-ons' are numerous. Healthy and flavorful. Service is driven from the touchscreen. The restaurant is a tad small but clean well lit and cute inside. Enjoy we will be back. read more

Coco Ichibanya - Wall ad - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

The space has modern finishes and the service is incredible. I went with the egg and chicken katsu curry, and loved all the customization options - like getting to choose your rice portion and spice level. Honestly, not much else to say. The curry was incredible, the chicken was tender and perfectly crispy, and the portion size was generous and perfect. Highly recommend read more

Coco Ichibanya - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

Food is decent, the service is horrible and their rewards program is a complete rip off. They keep changing the program so they don't have to pay out. All I ended up with is 2 useless pieces of paper with 21 stamps. Each stamp represents 1 meal. To management: those electronic ordering devices are NOT a substitution for service. read more

Coco Ichibanya - I collected 21 stamps. My reward? NOTHING. Their rewards program has changed AGAIN. - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

We went to the new CoCo Ichibanya in the new Aliso Viejo plaza tonight with some friends (party of 5). There was plenty of parking and the interior was clean and updated. We waited about 15 minutes before we got seated but you can wander around the neighboring shops! I tried the minced beef cutlet for the first time since I've been enjoying beef katsus recently and wanted to try CoCo's version. It was really good! The cutlet was very crispy and the meat was juicy. The curry had a nice consistency and spice level for regular spice. We all thought this location's quality was better than Diamond Jamboree's location! The only con of the meal was when my dish came almost 10-15 minutes after everyone else's. It's just a bit of awkward pacing for a larger party when one person doesn't have their food. Overall, I would definitely come to this location again! read more

Coco Ichibanya - Minced Beef Cutlet - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

So happy to see Coco Ichibanya has opened a new location in AV! We came for lunch right when they opened at 11:00am. No wait, no lines, and the friendly worker said we were free to sit wherever we'd like. Very clean and spacious inside with ample seating. Their menu is straight forward and the pictures are always visually pleasing. My husband went with his usual Keema Curry with regular spice, which he polished off like a champ! I went for the Chicken Cutlet Salad (dressing on the side). I also got an order of Keema Curry Fries (level 3 heat!). We enjoyed it all wholeheartedly! Get their stamp card to earn points! Note: Card only CHEERS and happy eating till next time... read more

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Coco Ichibanya has opened a location in Aliso Viejo! I never thought that I'd see the day that one would open in my neighborhood! But it happened and it's glorious! We had previously tried the location in Irvine at Diamond Jamboree but it's a bit far if you don't feel like driving into Irvine. My husband and I decided to have date night on Friday and we put our names down on the waitlist and walked around the Commons. We live nearby but it's fine to waste a few minutes in the Daiso next door or even the Lucky Strike arcade. Once our table was close to being ready, they texted us to return to the restaurant. We were seated within a few minutes of checking in and handed menus. The menu is straightforward with photos if you're not sure. My husband got the pork cutlet curry with vegetables (spice level 5) while I got the chicken omelet curry (spice level 7). I could have gone higher but I did not want to blow my husband's palette to be considerate. I also ordered the Thai iced tea and had to ask for extra cream as it was not creamy enough. They brought me extra half & half which helped. Service was excellent and the food was delicious. We had amazing Japanese curry in Japan and this is just as good. The curry is comforting on a cold wintry night. I'm so glad they opened a location in this plaza! Welcome to Aliso Viejo, Coco Ichibanya! read more

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Staff: The team here was nice. Our server took good care of us but kinda disappeared at the end of our meal. Luckily, the rest of the staff filled in. Quality/Quantity: We ordered garlic fries, steak Katsu, chicken katsu curry, and stewed beef. The curry is incredibly delicious and the food was really good. However, the meat quality of the stew was not great and very chewy. Value: Seems fair for such a filling and tasty meal. Overall: Big fan and would return for sure. It has a nice ambiance with seating for about 25 people inside and maybe 8 outside. read more

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I've been here 3 times. 2 out of those 3 times, horrible service On one I waited for an hour for my food to get out. Almost all the people who came after me got all their orders out first and I got mine after an hour. No apologies made. Second, same thing, a bit shorter wait of 50 mins but same scenario, this time they apologized that my order, quote unquote got lost in their queue. I almost walked out both times, maybe next time I will after 15 minutes because that sht is ridiculous. Not even offering a free drink or piece of naan as an apology. Service is nonexistent. The remaining 1 time, it was pretty quick but I guess because I was the only one there. read more

Ironically, we came here in a rather large party with two families, but none of us actually ordered a curry dish! We ordered salads, naan bread, drinks and several kids' meals. The kids' meals were pretty good, but everything else was just okay. They had a big sign up advertising free ice cream with kids' meals, but unfortunately the machine was down. Service was overall pretty lackluster, as it was hard to get straws, utensils, refills, or service in general. Kind of odd considering we came at a rather off time. In sum, this place is slightly below average. read more

Apparently this place is so popular that it often has a wait, but we came here around 11:30 on a Wednesday with a group of about 8 and we were seated right away. I ordered the pork katsu curry with veggies, and I thought it was great! Similar to other Japanese curry spots that I've tried. I got non-spicy curry but I was able to add just a touch of spice after it came since they have custom spice blends on the table. They also have little jars of pickled radish, which was a nice addition to provide some flavor contrast. Their seating area is not all that big - probably 5 or 6 different tables of various sizes, but you can always order it to-go if you don't want to have to wait. Luckily we didn't have to wait so it was perfect! I really enjoyed this place, and the portion sizes are pretty good too. read more

Coco Ichibanya - Pork cutlet curry with veggies - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

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A welcomed addition to The Commons and one we were highly anticipating to make its debut! So happy to have a location in South County! As with all newly opened restaurants, expect some improvements over time because service can be a bit wonky. We came through during Thanksgiving week for lunch thinking it would be chill, but we stumbled upon a packed house. They have a waitlist system via QR code, but it was unclear whether they checked or serviced walk-ins at the door, so we just stood by the door. Once seated, the wait time for ordering was a little longer than usual as they were quite busy and seemed short staffed. I had the okra tofu curry at level 2 heat and added pork sausage (+$3.50). I love the customization options for toppings and rice as I can cater to any craving or portion sizing I may have. Level 2 was more temperature heat than spice, but it does provide a little baby kick. I did find it odd though that when they brought our food, it was without utensils and water. We had to flag someone to inquire about those, but after receiving, we were happy to dig in. Overall, service could be better, but understood they are trying to find their flow. Food was good as usual and no complaints. read more

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I'm so happy Coco Ichibanya opened a new location in Aliso Viejo/South OC!! I hated going anywhere near the Irvine / Diamond Jamboree location. Parking is way easier at the Aliso location and it's much much more convenient to dine-in or do a takeout. The orders are ready quickly and hardly ever take more than 10 minutes. I have never had an instance where my stuff wasn't ready upon arrival if ordered online ahead of time. The food is always fresh and nothing amiss. The spice levels are perfect as are the freshness of rice, croquettes, cheese naan, you name it. I haven't had an instance where I found the curry itself greasy either. My only gripe is the sad state of pork katsu and chicken katsu. They tend to arrive rather dry and stale. I also wish they offered the tuna cutlets. Either way, I am still pleased with everything this location has to offer and I don't see how there's much to complain about! read more

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This new restaurant & plaza is a great addition to the neighborhood! There is Trader Joes, Philz coffee, Daiso, Marugame, Coco Ichibanya and many more. The plaza is still fairly new and there is plenty of parking. The staff here are friendly and always greeted our table with a smile. Restaurant just opened on 11/8, so they are still working out the kinks - though I didn't experience any, seems like other have during prime time. I love Coco because the options with [japanese/indian] curry are endless - whether it is with deep fried chicken or mushrooms. I love that you can also adjust everything to your liking such as the amount of rice you want on your plate or the spice level (anything above 5 aint no joke!!). I got a pork katsu plate with small rice and level 6 spice. The katsu was fried perfectly and the curry was delicious. The spice was a bit too spicy, but I love the burn LOL. You could catch me chugging my glass of water as the waiter would come by refilling my glass haha. Super glad the location is closer to us now!! Definitely a place to check out if you love curry and rice. read more

We ordered a drink, coming with short hair. Didn't care much about it, but as we almost finished meals, found more hair in pork cutlet as well as curry. Store is extremely dirty, shelves are not wiped at all, lots of hairs are found on floor. Store manager didn't care much about dirtiness as I pointed out they are dirty. This place requires health inspection visit immediately, read more

Coco Ichibanya - Hairs in pork cutlet and curry - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

The food is super delicious but minus 1 star as now their curry is thin and watery , not thick like before all these years. Service was great. Our gal was super sweet, friendly, patient and kind. Our fried chicken was tender and crispy with good flavor. It would have hit the spot more if the curry wasn't so watered down. I like the interior decor a lot, nice vibes. Not as good as it used to be but I still like it enough to keep coming back for my fried chicken Japanese curry with rice. It's delicious with the side of pickles they offer. read more

Coco Ichibanya - Fried Chicken Curry with large rice - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

WELCOME TO SOUTH OC! Im so excited they opened a location closer to me. There is plenty of parking here. The service is quick and they have plenty of seating. I opt for pork katsu omelette with spice level 3! The pork is juicier than the chicken, but both are really good. We'll be back! read more

Coco Ichibanya - popular dishes and toppings menu - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

We were so glad to see Coco Ichibanya opening in Aliso Viejo. Came here for dinner last night. The restaurant was full but we were lucky to secure a small table for two right away. Curry was just as delicious as the Irvine location; however, the piece of chicken katsu was much smaller, and prices are just a tad higher. We just ate at the Irvine location the weekend before so everything was still fresh in our mind. :) I had the fried chicken curry with a side of tofu and okra, level 4 spicy, and it was piping hot and good. Keep in mind that there's an extra charge for each higher level of spiciness. Hubby had the plain chicken curry with vegetables and it was good. Service was good. There was a bit of a wait for the foods but that was fine. read more

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Today was sadly a let down. The curry was very goopy as if it was loaded with too much cornstarch and it was diluted and watered down. First time was amazing and we were sure this was our new go to curry spot. Not sure what happened today, but we are very disappointed in the quality we received today. read more

Coco Ichibanya - Spicy Teriyaki Chicken Cutlet Curry - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

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Finally got to try this place. The curry is delicious. I ordered the chicken katsu, spice level 5, and added mushrooms and corn. I like how you could also choose the amount of rice. I ordered my plate with small rice so it was $0.50 less. They have various toppings you could add as well. The spice level goes up to 10. I got a 5 and it was just perfect. Service was good and friendly. read more

Coco Ichibanya - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

I've eaten here several times and tried multiple items, including both entrees and sides. Now that I've become somewhat of a regular, I feel more comfortable leaving a review. Overall, if you like Japanese curry, this is a good restaurant to eat at. The quality is consistent and taste is good. The restaurant is clean and the servers are friendly. You'll get pretty much what you expect each time. They're also open late. That's a HUGE plus in my book. Now for the not so great part, and this is somewhat subjective. Pricewise, I don't think there is a huge value here. The protein servings are small and without loading up on add-ons, I feel like I would be left feeling hungry after finishing my meal. I think it's somewhat wrong that entrees don't come with sides other than rice. One could argue that it allows a diner to customize his meal, both for selection and price, but I feel it leans more towards getting you to rack up the charges. The prices for the extras seem a bit egregious once you break it all down. Also, I think the stewed beef tends to be a bit tough. You really have to work to tear it up sometimes. They should find a way to make it fork-tender so it shreds more easily. Sometimes there can be a bit of a wait. This place gets A LOT of take out orders so if you're wondering why your food might be taking a little bit longer than expected, just keep an eye on the shelves by the front counter to if they have to-go bags lining up. read more

Coco Ichibanya - Stewed beef omelet (add vegetables) - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

My order of curry with shredded beef tasted good, but it cooled off more quickly than expected. I went at a busy time (weekend night) and cold air kept entering the restaurant when people entered. Going to the Irvine location seemed better because of the more expansive menu. Over there the popular chicken katsu was ordered and it stayed warm, adding to the overall feeling of satisfaction. The taste of the shredded beef, which has the texture of sukiyaki beef but not its sweet flavor, was very good with the curry sauce. I'm a fan of the sauce and the varying options for spice (or no spice) levels. The iced green tea is better than ones served at a lot of restaurants because there is less sugar and more of the matcha taste. The same opinion I had in my review of the Irvine franchise holds true: the rice used is not the best. Service here was efficient and nice. read more

I've always wanted to try it but the Irvine location is so crazy busy. Hate looking for parking at Diamond Jamboree plaza. So happy there is one now in south Orange country. Parking is easy. Lot of choices. Tried the classic chicken katsu curry. Spice level 2 was perfect. Just a bit spicy. I could probably go less rice. You save $0.50. I love the unlimited pickled radish. Wanna try the omelet curry next time. read more

Was so excited for this location to open up so I wouldn't have to go to the Irvine location. The restaurant itself is clean and new and the servers are nice. But that's about it. Trying to get the attention of a server is so difficult even with the press button feature on the table. It's like they are understaffed but they have 3 servers working and the restaurant isn't nearly as large as the Irvine location. Then only one entree of two arrived and we asked about the second one even though it's exactly the same entree. The second finally arrived and we didn't even get utensils so we had to flag someone down for that. Then we asked for a box to take the leftovers home and the check. The check came and it was not even our check. It wasn't even our neighbors check? Then we were scooping our leftovers into the box and they brought out ANOTHER entree ? We had to tell them we obviously didn't order this ? As we already paid and finished our meal. A month later , today we came for dinner, waited almost an hour to be seated, another 20 mins for one of the two entrees to come out. Again, ordered two of the exact same entree. We had to inquire if a second one was coming out and the server asked "oh another one?" Well, two adults weren't going to share one entree for dinner? Then we waited till the second entree arrived only to discover the chicken is almost paper thin. Considering this is not a cheap curry dinner option and is $19 only to receive pieces of the chicken to be this thin? The breading is literally thicker than the actual chicken meat... at some point there isn't even chicken in it. Didn't want to bother complaining there as we waited for this to arrive and my husbands entree was getting cold. Like another review said, the table next to us ordered a spicy teriyaki appetizer which they also didn't receive. They had to ask their server after they almost finished their entire entrees. The server also then asks "oh the appetizer?" Well yeah there's a reason why some things are appetizers? I wouldn't expect an appetizer to come way after I finish a meal. I wouldn't come back any time soon. There's way too many mistakes and these experiences make us rather drive to the Irvine location despite how crowded it might be. At least they are consistent with service and quality of their food. Incredibly disappointing. read more

Coco Ichibanya - Paper thin chicken katsu - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

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Yum!!! This is the kind of place that's PERFECT when you want something warm, filling, and super satisfying!! They're known for Japanese curry bowls (fully customizable by the way - spices, toppings, rice amount) - but the menu has so many other cozy options too, including beef udon, creamy mushroom omelette rice, crispy cutlets, and their BRAND NEW Chicken Cutlet Burger! It was actually my favorite item we ordered! Amazing portions at affordable prices too! I will be back again and again when I'm craving comfort food! read more

Coco Ichibanya in Aliso Viejo was, unfortunately, a letdown. We came at a pretty normal dinner time, around 6pm on a Monday, and it really felt like they were understaffed. There were only about three servers working the floor, and the whole experience had that "we're trying to keep up" vibe from the start. We ordered the spicy chicken teriyaki appetizer alongside our katsu curry entrees, and somehow the appetizer was the last thing to hit the table. Even worse, it wasn't just lukewarm, it was actually cold. When I mentioned it to our waiter, his response was basically, "Oh haha sorry, I'll just microwave it for you." Maybe I'm being picky, but that's not the kind of fix you want to hear when you're paying restaurant prices. At that point it honestly should've been remade without hesitation. The katsu curry itself was fine, but not great, especially compared to the Irvine location. The one bright spot was the curry sauce, which was genuinely good. I'm glad at least that part was on point. To be fair, the restaurant was clean and looked nice inside. But overall, this visit didn't earn a return trip. Next time I'm craving Coco, I'll just make the drive to the Irvine location instead. read more

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This location has a decent amount of seating and open spacious feel. The parking is plenty. The curry was good - but heads up for every number spice level you go up they charge 20 cents. For that I could have done without any spice lol. But, the curry is really good and the veggie croquette was crispy. Service was good even though she was super busy! read more

Coco Ichibanya - Vegetable croquette curry - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

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Go to Japanese curry for years finally in South OC. Great as takeout as well. Solid flavor, pricing, and quality.

We finally tried this spot that just opened in Aliso viejo at the commons town center. We ordered chicken katsu with veggie curry, garlic fries and large Thai tea. We enjoyed our meal very much. To me it's comfort food. I shared with my husband and it was enough for us. I would definitely recommend this spot and come again. The staff is very friendly and helpful. It's small spot so there is often a wait. But you can always order Togo and eat outside. There is outdoor seating around the plaza. read more

The level 5 was PERFECT, it was similar spice level to carbonara buldak. The garlic naan is a MUST have to go along with your meal. It's a small and quaint location but the servers were great--constantly refilling waters and checking up. Overall 5/5! read more

Coco Ichibanya - Chicken curry - Japanese Curry Near Me - Aliso Viejo, California

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