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Kokoro

4.5 (79 reviews)
ModerateRamen

Order Kokoro Takeout or Delivery

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KOKORO ATMOSPHERE

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Recommended Reviews - Kokoro

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Danica V.

I've come to Penn State a couples of times a year- coming from a busier city it's always appreciated when a see a business with diverse foods, especially Asian cuisine. My partner and a friend went to Kokoro on a Thursday for lunch, it wasn't busy and we took some time to order at the front register. We each ordered the tonkatsu ramen, and it wasn't good. The ramen had a very sweet flavor, almost tasting like barbeque. It seemed like the meat was chopped up like a bbq type of brisket style and put on the broth, but it did NOT remind me of traditional tonkatsu ramen. The taste was simply off, had none of that delicious umami flavor and was very overpowered by whatever bbq-like sweetness it had. I wasn't too impressed, and frankly I think that Todoro's ramen is more on par with a traditional tasting tonkatsu ramen. I hope to visit again and have my mind changed, though.

A1 Pork Gyoza (6pc). I should have ordered these fried but they were absolutely delicious steamed.
Shantelle C.

Food and services was top notch. When in the area agin I will definitely visit. The flavor profiles were great.

This is the steak and shrimp ramen I got to go and I stilll had leftovers
Jonathan S.

So working in a college town this place is a diamond in the rough. The food is delicious and the portion for ramen was huge. The service was pretty quick for delicious food. I got a chance to talk with the owner and they were pretty cool. We got to swap experiences we had working that area and I can tell you the ambiance was a typical college Resturant but it was pretty spacious inside. I would very much recommend this place if you're looking for great food.

It was pretty and tasty!
Linda E.

We have been here twice now and both times we have really enjoyed everything we have tried! Today we had gyoza, egg roll, ramen and rainbow sushi roll. Along with that we were served some wonderful cucumbers for free too! Great service and very friendly too. Give it a try!

Dessert!

This place is the BEST! Friendly, fast service and the food is fresh and delicious. We had the the 12 PC. Dumpling with chilli oil and beef brisket Raman soup. The brisket melts in your mouth and the broth is packed full of flavor. The dumplings were tender and stuffed full. They gave us a free dessert. Very kind humans.

Nelli T.

Nice variety of food. I would have lived a different broth in the ramen but enjoyed the veggies and noodles. Portions are big, and the location is easy to access by campus. Definitely get some apps for the table!

V2 Mushroom Ramen beautifully delicious

We came here earlier tonight, not knowing what to expect as first timers passing through State College, on a foggy empty night. We really enjoyed our experience here. From the start the owner was very friendly and treated us so well. We really enjoyed chatting with him throughout our dinner. There were signs in the restaurant about being kind, working hard, and staying humble. I think these really describe his values. Not only did meeting him make us happy, but all the food also tasted good and made us happy as well. The vegetarian based ramen with mushrooms was the best I've ever had so far. And the only one that was so good that I had no complaints about it. I'm usually restricted to vegetarian versions unless halal so that's why I chose a vegetarian option here and I'm usually disappointed with the taste and quality at other places or at least don't like something about it. Rarely am I able to completely finish it. Also you can request beef/ chicken broth if you don't want pork broth. Although it's not stated as an option in the menu. And any can also be substituted with vegetarian broth (given as an option in the ordering menu on the machine). We're unlikely to pass through state college again, so I'll probably really miss this ramen, but of course would love to come back if we do ever come through this area again.

Goyoza
Paige C.

Went here last night had a great experience food was delicious owner was thoughtful and very accommodating would definitely recommend the ramen the fried shrimp were very good and Goyoza! Will definitely go back and highly recommend that you try you won't be disappointed

RS2 Seafood Ramen Soup SA6 Chicken Momo (12pc) A9 Veggie Spring Roll (4pc)  SA1 Bao Bun (6pc)

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

very fast service. Everyone was very attentive. I had the spicy beef ramen and it delicious

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2 years ago

Food was excellent and packed nicely for takeout. Real care and attention to detail is evident. Thank you!

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4 years ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

Excellent Ramen and dumplings. Wife really enjoyed the cucumber salad and the service was top notch!

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

Pick up was easy and quick. Food was delicious, got the dumplings and they were very good!

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

Great food. Not busy. Great service. Super friendly. Will definitely work our way thru the menu.

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2 years ago

Nice workers. You can get beer at the bar across the street and bring it in. Delicious ramen. Even brought us cheesecake dessert

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2 years ago

Food was amazing. I especially loved the cucumber salad and the curry tofu ramen. Service was great. 10 out of 10. Would recommend.

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4 years ago

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3 years ago

Incredibly friendly staff, good prices, great ingredients and overall just a pleasant place to get some of the best ramen I've ever had.

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4 years ago

Very good service. Fresh bun and juicy, delicious dumplings! Would recommend trying this place.

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2 years ago

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Page 2 of 2

Ask the Community - Kokoro

Bistrozine - Crispy Duck Roll

Bistrozine

4.3(97 reviews)
0.0 mi
•$$

We were in State Collage for a sports event and found this gem by campus. Fusion Asian with…read moretiramisu, not expected, but it hit. We shared three dishes - beef stew, drunken noodles with tofu and beef ribs. They were all really good. The ribs were meaty, slightly sweet and fell off the bone. Served with a sunny side up egg, spinach and rice. There was an egg with the stew as well and it made the dish feel silky. The beef seemed slow cooked and the basmati rice went well. The tiramisu was solid, light and airy and very pretty plating. Service was a little apathetic, but the food was good enough to offset. Reasonable prices too. Would definitely go back if we lived here.

I was part of the group of eight dining here today when my friend found plastic in her food. The…read moreowner said it came from the enoki mushroom packaging and repeatedly dismissed it as "not a big deal." That response was unacceptable--identifying the packaging doesn't excuse having it in someone's meal. The service was poor, and the owner handled the complaint with a rude, dismissive attitude. My friend asked to have the automatic 15% service charge removed from her bill, but the owner refused and insisted she pay it. She ended up paying. Seeing how my friend's concern was handled left a very bad impression. I would not recommend this restaurant.

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Bistrozine - Always trust a restaurant that will let you see into the kitchen if you want to

Always trust a restaurant that will let you see into the kitchen if you want to

Bistrozine - Basil Rib Eye

Basil Rib Eye

Bistrozine - Chocolate Truffle Bomb

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Chocolate Truffle Bomb

Yummy Cafe - Sesame balls w/ red bean, pan fried pork dumplings, hot and sour soup, wontons in chili oil, green tea.

Yummy Cafe

3.2(65 reviews)
0.1 mi
•$

Yummy cafe is my favorite Chinese restaurant in State College mainly because they serve actual…read moreauthentic Chinese food. Most places around here have catered their flavors towards an American food palette and is usually underwhelming. Yummy Cafe is not afraid to give you authentic dishes. I always get the eggplants with garlic sauce and it is always consistently delicious. The ma po tofu is sweet and spicy but the spice does not overwhelm the dish. The only thing that was lacking were the sesame balls but they were also REALLY good. The red bean paste was just a bit dry. I think one thing the restaurant can improve on is their menu, only the take out menu has the right prices. But, the waitress is really nice and made our experience at the restaurant pleasant. In regards to the ambiance, the interior design is a bit old and could use an upgrade but I think it bring authenticity to the overall experience at the restaurant. Overall, I highly recommend checking out Yummy Cafe. I come here all the time and every time the food has been amazing!

Happened to be in the area and was in the mood for authentic Chinese food. Sichuan food is always…read moredelicious for their more spicy dishes and a lot of fast but light wok fried food. My party was seated right away and the server was so nice and attentive. All the food looked delicious but I went for my go to Sichuan favorites: cumin beef (or lamb if available), sautéed string beans, and steamed egg. The food was delicious and was exactly what I was going for. It may not look like the nicest place on the inside but the food is truly authentic and amazing. Definitely stop by if you're in the area!

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Yummy Cafe - My current and foreseeable future

My current and foreseeable future

Yummy Cafe - Seasame Balls with red bean paste  - came out fluffy and hot   - 7/10

Seasame Balls with red bean paste - came out fluffy and hot - 7/10

Yummy Cafe - Garlic Sauce with Eggplants   - sweet, mildly spicy   - 9/10

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Garlic Sauce with Eggplants - sweet, mildly spicy - 9/10

Momezon Korean Market

Momezon Korean Market

4.5(19 reviews)
1.9 mi
•$

If you're looking specifically for Korean ingredients/goods, this is your stop. Exceptionally clean…read moreon the inside, their sign outside is in hangul, so just look for the Korean lettering by the carpet store. There's a good selection for the space - there's dry/packaged foods on the left and produce on the right, and if you come on Thursday (I think), they're usually selling some prepared food (there's a kitchen on the back; I got the kimbap and some rice balls last time and all was good). Slight markup from typical prices, but hey, it's the only Korean store in Happy Valley. Definitely try to come on Thursdays - that's when the produce is fresh in, though their goods are very clean/nicely packaged and keep for a while in the fridge if you don't need it right away. Slight discount if you pay with cash, and the man at the register is so nice.

I think I've been in here once before when I first moved to town but my most recent visit was to…read moreget some ingredients so I could make my own kimchi! The store isn't very big but they have a lot of stuff. I found what I thought I needed and asked the lady working if I could make kimchi with it and she said no, then walked me around to get the items I DID need and I really appreciated it! My kimchi turned out tasty, but who knows how authentic it actually is haha. One cool thing is they serve fresh kimbap on thursdays (I think), and I hear it's usually very limited quantities but I've had it before and can vouch that it's delicious! They sell their own made in-house kimchi too which looked good. They have Korean specific ingredients but also some other things that are more generally used in Asian cuisine. They're a little pricy but worth it if you need something quick! They still recommend masking (something I think it's maybe time for us to move on from...) but they don't require it, just know if you go in unmasked you may get some unpleasant looks. It is what it is.

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Momezon Korean Market
Momezon Korean Market
Momezon Korean Market - JapChae glass noodles, pickled radishes, toekkbokki and spicy fish cakes, kim bop, pickled cucumbers and beef marinated in soy sauce!

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JapChae glass noodles, pickled radishes, toekkbokki and spicy fish cakes, kim bop, pickled cucumbers and beef marinated in soy sauce!

Kokoro - ramen - Updated October 2026

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