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This is our go to favorite izakaya in Sunnyvale. Love the ambience, very cozy and they open late. Which perfect for us, corporate slave haha. We ordered sake maki, tempura udon, Galbi skewers, oyakodon, and katsudon. The food portion was large with good quality for the price. Will definitely coming back for more!!!
*USP: Korean and Japanese restaurant with an extensive menu covering bibimbap to udon and rolls to bento boxes and skewers. *Ambiance: cosy restaurant with a huge mirror along one wall and Japanese style paper lanterns on the ceiling. *FOOD: we tried a little bit of everything and across the board the food was kind of decent but not memorable. Chicken karaage: the batter on this one was weird. It was more like popcorn chicken and very greasy as well. Our family normally tends to clean this dish up in a few minutes but here there was a lot left and no one wanted more after the first serving. Bento box: nice way to try a lot of dishes, we got the veggie rolls as one of the sides and it was good. Nabeyaki udon: strong flavor of unwashed chicken. Not very enjoyable. Bibimbap: this one was difficult to eat and there was no cohesive element binding the individual components all together.
Koko Izakaya has a great atmosphere, and the vibes are just right! As mentioned on their menu, "A PLACE WHERE GOOD FOOD, DRINKS, AND PEOPLE COME TOGETHER." It's located in the Hacienda Center plaza between Marie Calendar's and Michael's. 4.5 rounded up to 5. SERVICE This is the only area needing improvement. Usually, only two servers are present, and water refills or check deliveries aren't quick. We've had to wave down servers twice to settle checks, though we weren't in a rush. We also heard a table next to us waiting impatiently and loudly yelled, "excuse me," to get a server's attention. FOOD - Takoyaki - Bento Box (spicy pork and chicken katsu) My partner and I ordered bento boxes the first time we visited. It comes with soup, salad, and a choice of sushi. There are several protein options. The portions are generous for the price, and everything was delicious and enjoyable. On our second visit, my party ordered quite a few items to try, and everything was tasty! The Flamin Dragon roll was set on fire while in foil and left for two minutes, which added a fun element to the experience. - Galbi Korean BBQ Short Ribs - Skewers: Chicken Thighs, Asparagus & Bacon, Rice Cake - Special Sushi: Caterpillar, Flamin Dragon Overall, it's a great spot to grab drinks, enjoy good food, and have a good time. The vibe is super chill.
One of the few places open later in the area. Had a lot of different choices on the menu but also a lot was sold out. The food was overall decent. A good place for a late night meal.
Nice to see another Izakaya spot pop up in Sunnyvale. This one has an extensive menu. Also lots of Japanese influences in the decor. Nice aesthetics. Clean and organized. Tried some of their skewers and plated items, including their garlic steak and grilled fish (saba). Food was tasty. Izakaya is generally not cheap but what's nice about it is you can order a bunch of small plates to try a wider variety of items. This restaurant is in a plaza that also houses Michael's and Safeway. Large shared parking lot is available.
Good oysters, very generous with the lemon slices, makes it look cute too! The cocktail sauce is balanced.
I really enjoyed the chicken gizzards, and the ramen broth was full of flavor. The restaurant had a great atmosphere, and I love that they're open until 11 p.m. It wasn't too crowded when I visited later in the evening, which made the experience even more enjoyable. It's a great spot for a relaxed, late-night meal!
The service was good. It has sushi rolls & beef tofu soup was pretty good. There wasn't much options for the skewers. I ordered the chicken gizzards & hearts, they were dry & hard. No bueno. They offer happy hour for mainly the drinks & tofu soup.
Very unhappy with our experience at Koko Izakaya. The suggested tip amounts printed on the receipt were significantly inflated. Our pre-tax subtotal was $121.00, so a 20% tip should have been $24.20. Even calculated after tax, using the total of $132.80, a 20% tip would be $26.56, not the $31.16 shown on the receipt. Customers should check the math carefully before paying. The food was also mediocre and overpriced. The unadon bowl seemed to contain roughly three servings of rice for every one serving of eel. The seafood udon pasta arrived with about half of the clams and mussels still closed, which made us uncomfortable eating them. The restaurant offered to remake the dish, but the replacement had the same problem, with about half of the shellfish still closed. Between the inaccurate tip suggestions, high prices, and disappointing food quality, this was a 1-star experience.
Definitely not impressed. When we walked in, we were pointed to a table. Not led to one. Pointed to one. When we said we needed a bit of time to look over the menu the server rudely told us: "order from the tablet then. It also has pictures" Well...as you can see from the pictures below, no pictures were on the tablet menu. Our appetizers came. Miso soup was warm, not hot and overwhelmingly salty, which meant it was not fresh. And there were no tofu pieces in it. Gyoza was the same story. Warm, not hot. I've also never have described sushi as "puffy" before, but my Philly roll was OVERLY caked in rice. Also all fish tasted off, so the fish was not fresh as well. This is the first time my partner and I left food on the plate. At no point did any staff check on us. I had high hopes for Koko. But we will definitely not be returning.
I wanted so much to like this place. Cool rock n roll sushi vibe, everything looked new, lined up sushi bottles. Nice posters of sushi and donburi in the window. The menu was good, but turned out to be too good to be true. It had some traditional items. We actually came in for Curry Chicken Katsu, which was quite decent. Katsu was nicely breaded, curry was fresh and flavorful. The hot bowl had a Hawaiian looking item: the Spicy Kimchi Tuna Nabe. Or was it just some Korean fusion mashup. Anyways, I asked the guy, and he said it was a popular item. So we tried it out. The thing was more like tofu hotpot, with tuna chunks thrown in. It had glowing red hot oil floating on top. Even with rice, it was a little too spicy for what you'd expect in a Japanese bowl. We didn't finish. They had a lot of rolls, too, so we tried the 3 roll combo. Not bad, not great. Saved $10 off the three. The Jalapeno Bomb Roll was a baked spicy tuna thing, with a creamy topping. I liked this the best. Sexy cassanova and El Camino were more like spicy tuna rainbow roll variations. I guess we were tricked into buying 3 fancy rolls, and we were pretty full. When finishing up, I tried deconstructing the rolls, to eat the "expensive" parts. I have to say, eating the fish itself, sashimi style, revealed the mediocre quality of the fish. Dunno, if you like innovative fusion places, with a fun vibe and friendly service, come give it a try. But looking for familiar dishes, with good quality? Maybe not on a midweek night.
Reviews are largely positive. Many highlight the fresh and flavorful food, cozy and lively ambiance, and friendly and attentive service.
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1 month ago
Nice staff, nice food!!!! Asparagus tastes good!!!!! Unagi express is crispy and delicious!!! read more
3 days ago
Great tapas! chili chili cucumber / cucumber salad - very refreshing Agedashi tofu - solid and filling read more
The staff was wonderful in accommodating me and my party. We had a very massive party, and they were cool with it. They asked for time to get enough seating for my party. For that, I appreciate it. Staff were extremely helpful. They let us know regarding size portions of food and getting us specific utensils. The menu was full of many great Japanese and Korean food. I ended up with the Korean Army soup. It was so filling. It was spicy but not blowing my socks off. I enjoyed my time here! read more
This is our go to favorite izakaya in Sunnyvale. Love the ambience, very cozy and they open late. Which perfect for us, corporate slave haha. We ordered sake maki, tempura udon, Galbi skewers, oyakodon, and katsudon. The food portion was large with good quality for the price. Will definitely coming back for more!!! read more
2 months ago
*USP: Korean and Japanese restaurant with an extensive menu covering bibimbap to udon and rolls to bento boxes and skewers. *Ambiance: cosy restaurant with a huge mirror along one wall and Japanese style paper lanterns on the ceiling. *FOOD: we tried a little bit of everything and across the board the food was kind of decent but not memorable. Chicken karaage: the batter on this one was weird. It was more like popcorn chicken and very greasy as well. Our family normally tends to clean this dish up in a few minutes but here there was a lot left and no one wanted more after the first serving. Bento box: nice way to try a lot of dishes, we got the veggie rolls as one of the sides and it was good. Nabeyaki udon: strong flavor of unwashed chicken. Not very enjoyable. Bibimbap: this one was difficult to eat and there was no cohesive element binding the individual components all together. read more
Koko Izakaya has a great atmosphere, and the vibes are just right! As mentioned on their menu, "A PLACE WHERE GOOD FOOD, DRINKS, AND PEOPLE COME TOGETHER." It's located in the Hacienda Center plaza between Marie Calendar's and Michael's. 4.5 rounded up to 5. SERVICE This is the only area needing improvement. Usually, only two servers are present, and water refills or check deliveries aren't quick. We've had to wave down servers twice to settle checks, though we weren't in a rush. We also heard a table next to us waiting impatiently and loudly yelled, "excuse me," to get a server's attention. FOOD - Takoyaki - Bento Box (spicy pork and chicken katsu) My partner and I ordered bento boxes the first time we visited. It comes with soup, salad, and a choice of sushi. There are several protein options. The portions are generous for the price, and everything was delicious and enjoyable. On our second visit, my party ordered quite a few items to try, and everything was tasty! The Flamin Dragon roll was set on fire while in foil and left for two minutes, which added a fun element to the experience. - Galbi Korean BBQ Short Ribs - Skewers: Chicken Thighs, Asparagus & Bacon, Rice Cake - Special Sushi: Caterpillar, Flamin Dragon Overall, it's a great spot to grab drinks, enjoy good food, and have a good time. The vibe is super chill. read more
4 days ago
Quality of the food was a lot better than expected. Mentaiko pasta recommend. Service is good read more
10 days ago
This restaurant has a lot of different foods in one. The atmosphere is great lots of planters read more
3 months ago
Nice to see another Izakaya spot pop up in Sunnyvale. This one has an extensive menu. Also lots of Japanese influences in the decor. Nice aesthetics. Clean and organized. Tried some of their skewers and plated items, including their garlic steak and grilled fish (saba). Food was tasty. Izakaya is generally not cheap but what's nice about it is you can order a bunch of small plates to try a wider variety of items. This restaurant is in a plaza that also houses Michael's and Safeway. Large shared parking lot is available. read more
28 days ago
Good oysters, very generous with the lemon slices, makes it look cute too! The cocktail sauce is balanced. read more
28 days ago
I really enjoyed the chicken gizzards, and the ramen broth was full of flavor. The restaurant had a great atmosphere, and I love that they're open until 11 p.m. It wasn't too crowded when I visited later in the evening, which made the experience even more enjoyable. It's a great spot for a relaxed, late-night meal! read more
1 month ago
The service was good. It has sushi rolls & beef tofu soup was pretty good. There wasn't much options for the skewers. I ordered the chicken gizzards & hearts, they were dry & hard. No bueno. They offer happy hour for mainly the drinks & tofu soup. read more
2 months ago
Very unhappy with our experience at Koko Izakaya. The suggested tip amounts printed on the receipt were significantly inflated. Our pre-tax subtotal was $121.00, so a 20% tip should have been $24.20. Even calculated after tax, using the total of $132.80, a 20% tip would be $26.56, not the $31.16 shown on the receipt. Customers should check the math carefully before paying. The food was also mediocre and overpriced. The unadon bowl seemed to contain roughly three servings of rice for every one serving of eel. The seafood udon pasta arrived with about half of the clams and mussels still closed, which made us uncomfortable eating them. The restaurant offered to remake the dish, but the replacement had the same problem, with about half of the shellfish still closed. Between the inaccurate tip suggestions, high prices, and disappointing food quality, this was a 1-star experience. read more
3 months ago
Definitely not impressed. When we walked in, we were pointed to a table. Not led to one. Pointed to one. When we said we needed a bit of time to look over the menu the server rudely told us: "order from the tablet then. It also has pictures" Well...as you can see from the pictures below, no pictures were on the tablet menu. Our appetizers came. Miso soup was warm, not hot and overwhelmingly salty, which meant it was not fresh. And there were no tofu pieces in it. Gyoza was the same story. Warm, not hot. I've also never have described sushi as "puffy" before, but my Philly roll was OVERLY caked in rice. Also all fish tasted off, so the fish was not fresh as well. This is the first time my partner and I left food on the plate. At no point did any staff check on us. I had high hopes for Koko. But we will definitely not be returning. read more
9 months ago
I wanted so much to like this place. Cool rock n roll sushi vibe, everything looked new, lined up sushi bottles. Nice posters of sushi and donburi in the window. The menu was good, but turned out to be too good to be true. It had some traditional items. We actually came in for Curry Chicken Katsu, which was quite decent. Katsu was nicely breaded, curry was fresh and flavorful. The hot bowl had a Hawaiian looking item: the Spicy Kimchi Tuna Nabe. Or was it just some Korean fusion mashup. Anyways, I asked the guy, and he said it was a popular item. So we tried it out. The thing was more like tofu hotpot, with tuna chunks thrown in. It had glowing red hot oil floating on top. Even with rice, it was a little too spicy for what you'd expect in a Japanese bowl. We didn't finish. They had a lot of rolls, too, so we tried the 3 roll combo. Not bad, not great. Saved $10 off the three. The Jalapeno Bomb Roll was a baked spicy tuna thing, with a creamy topping. I liked this the best. Sexy cassanova and El Camino were more like spicy tuna rainbow roll variations. I guess we were tricked into buying 3 fancy rolls, and we were pretty full. When finishing up, I tried deconstructing the rolls, to eat the "expensive" parts. I have to say, eating the fish itself, sashimi style, revealed the mediocre quality of the fish. Dunno, if you like innovative fusion places, with a fun vibe and friendly service, come give it a try. But looking for familiar dishes, with good quality? Maybe not on a midweek night. read more
A new Izakaya style restaurant doing both Korean and Japanese dishes! A very interesting spot - rather than doing fusion they just do both mentioned cuisines. I really like the ambiance/lighting of this spot. They have lot of hanging lanterns that cast a lot of soft light across the whole restaurant. Seating seems decent, if somewhat small. Me and my party of 8 ordered a variety of dishes. Portions at this restaurant were huge! And there's a decent variety of stuff to choose from. The sushi flight is very value for the price, and the holy shit roll was surprisingly very spicy but fun to eat. The Spiderman and the El Camino were pretty standard but definitely good. I also tried some of my friend's katsu curry and while the katsu was a little tough, the curry was very good! I personally ordered a bento box with chicken teriyaki and combo tempura, and it was huge! The tempura was maybe a little thick, but the fresh tempura was super tasty, and the portion of tempura was exceptionally big! I ended up taking over half of my bento home. Overall, I would recommend this spot for their solid food, huge portions and value. Definitely get the sushi flight or the bento boxes. read more
18 days ago
The titanic roll is so good!! First time taking out friends here and they love it. Our kids like the skewers too... lanterns are pretty too read more
2 months ago
Tried Koko Izakaya a couple days after the name change and new ownership. They're doing 20% off right now for online and in‑store, which is a nice excuse to sample a bunch of dishes. Overall... pretty okay, with hits and misses. Least fave was the beef teriyaki. The meat needed a real sear, so it ate wet and flat, which hurt extra at $28. Agedashi tofu was underseasoned and didn't have that light, crisp shell I expect. Rice and salad were fine. California roll and rainbow roll were basic and pricey, but the fried scallop topping was a fun touch. Beef tongue was cooked nicely, the sauce just didn't land. The spiral sausages were underseasoned but not tragic. Best bite for me was the sake maki. Would I rush back? Probably not. Was it worth a try with the discount? Yeah. If you go, stick to the simpler sushi and the tongue, and maybe skip the teriyaki until the kitchen finds its groove. read more
3 months ago
25 days ago
Craving Korean and Japanese food? This is the perfect spot because you can get both in the same place. We got the chicken and scallop skewers. The chicken one was the highlight as the meat was fresh and delicious. For the combination bento we ordered tempura and gyoza. The batter on the tempura was thicker than traditional Japanese places. Not a bad thing if you like thick batter. We also got the beef tofu soup which was hearty and good comfort food. The banchan on the side were all right. Overall this place has potential. Currently offering 20 percent off and will eventually have happy hour pricing. read more
*3.9* My boyfriend and I stumbled upon Koko Izakaya while searching for somewhere new to eat. This used to be Sakebomb, but they changed ownership three weeks ago into what it is now. Since it's still their grand opening, they're offering 20% off the entire bill. The service was friendly and prompt. The interior decor stood out to me and made the atmosphere feel homey. The menu's pretty extensive, with a mix of Korean and Japanese dishes so there's probably something for everyone. Food: - Raw oysters: I'm not the biggest fan of chunky oysters so these were a good size. The oysters didn't taste fishy or too briny, and had a subtle amount of creaminess that lingers on your tongue at the end. Half a dozen/$24 - Assorted Skewers (7pcs): This included eggplant, asparagus, shishito peppers, chicken, pork belly, sausage, and shrimp. They weren't anything special as we thought some lacked flavor (ex. asparagus, pork belly, chicken). We definitely were surprised by the small size/quantity of the some of the skewers as this plate was $25. - We tried three of their special rolls - the In & Out Mango Roll ($21), Sexy Casanova Roll ($23), and Titanic Roll ($26). Unfortunately, they didn't live up to expectations. While the fish was clearly fresh, the rolls themselves lacked the creativity or flavor you'd hope for at that price point. Honestly, the prices here are a bit steeper than what I'm used to seeing at Izakayas and regular sushi spots in the South Bay Area. read more
2 months ago
Good sushi roll. Perfect for drinks and food. Good service and good vibes. Lots of parking read more
26 days ago
We ordered the super star sushi roll. It tastes great! Fish is fresh, very delicious. The service is also good, waitress is polite and nice. Love this place, will come back. Would recommend to friends! read more
4 months ago
3 months ago
I had Andy as my server he was awesome! Not only that, the food is absolutely delicious and the service is soo fast.. I just put in the order for my roll on the ipad and it came out like a min later. No wait at all, lol.. Also, the rolls are huuuge look at my picture.. They have happy hour on Tuesday and Wednesdays , so Im definitely coming back for the rolls and any other specials.. Thanks , Andy for the great service! read more
3 months ago
Loved our dinner here! Chicken karaage was crispy and juicy, grilled shrimp skewers and California roll were both excellent. Fresh ingredients, cozy atmosphere, solid choice for Japanese comfort food in the area. Waiter is really responsive！ read more
9 months ago
I stopped in for lunch for the first time today and was blown away by the service. Shawn, my waiter, was fantastic right from the start. He was so thoughtful--he specifically recommended I take the corner seat by the glass windows, which turned out to be the most comfortable and relaxing spot in the house. On his suggestion, I ordered the Army Soup, and it was delicious. Throughout the meal, Shawn checked in just enough to make sure I was taken care of without being intrusive. The general vibe here is wonderful; it felt really warm and communal. Seeing a mother enjoying a bonding lunch with her son at the next table and groups of friends catching up nearby just added to the great atmosphere. Highly recommend asking for Shawn if you visit! Definitely coming back with the kids! read more
I love a good Japanese restaurant that has all the things, so we can all get what we're craving even when we want different aspects of Japanese food! My husband was craving skewers and curry rice , I wanted a grilled chicken rice bowl , and the kids wanted sushi so this was the perfect spot ! It replaced another Japanese restaurant that used to be in this plaza with Safeway and Michael's. Order from the iPad at the table, though the server was very attentive as well. The menu is huge ranging from bento boxes to curry dishes to rice bowls to udon noodles to hot pot to sushi, etc.. They serve sake, beer, and wine We tried a variety of things and thought everything was good The saba fish was nice and juicy. My husband enjoyed his chicken and shisito pepper skewers and his chicken Katsu curry, though personally I thought the ratio of fried batter skin to actual chicken was too high . The Oyakodon was delicious with super fluffy egg caked over tender chicken . We enjoyed our two sushi rolls - they have an apple amount of options from classic rolls to House signature rolls. The sashimi cuts in the sushi tasted fresh. We'll be back ! read more
We came here because they had yakotori and nabe on the menu. We got the bulgogi nabe - the soup was slightly sweet and kinda reminded me of sukiyaki. The skewers and tempura were good as well. The restaurant was spacious and good for big and small parties, and the server was very attentive in refilling our water. read more
6 months ago
Oysters here are great! Love the skewers and rolls too. I come here almost every other week read more
9 months ago
Foods are very basic and mediocre. Unfortunately for them, bay area is full of good Izakaya places and Japanese food in general. Price here is the same or even slightly more expensive than the other places. No reason to come here. Note that 5 stars review here are mostly in exchange of free drink, you can tell from the short comments they left. We ordered grilled salmon, sushi, and skewers. Skewers are lacking selection and they are all smothered with overly powering generic teriyaki sauce and/or bulgogi sauce you can get at any asian supermarket. They all have one-tone sweet flavors. The skewers don't have smoky taste at all. The sushi is very basic, and lacking fish. The fishes are soo thinly sliced you can barely taste them. At the end of the day, the foods taste like a typical generic "Asian food" that an ignorant American would make. Everything has very basic taste profile and meh texture. read more
New korean japanese izakaya spot that has a pretty decent deal for their special rolls-- order 3 rolls for $50! The sushi rolls were sooo fat! Pretty good value for the price. The bulgogi nabe was a bit sweet. The assorted skewers was fun to try but I just wish it was easier to share amongst the group. Mentaiko udon pasta was very garlicky and not as creamy. read more
5 months ago
Good food and atmosphere, would recommend. Attentive service and clean environment. We came for dinner, will try lunch another time. read more
11 months ago
The Tonkotsu Ramen was delicious! So was the hot sake Service is fast and polite. You can also order via touch screen. read more
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More info about Koko Izakaya
759 E El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
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(408) 743-5025
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https://kokoizakaya.com
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