We investigated a suspicious noodle store on Uber Eats only to have our curry udon dreams come true.
For many visitors to Japan, including myself, Curry House CoCo Ichibanya (colloquially known as Cocoichi) is usually their first experience of what Japanese-style curry is, and the experience can often be fascinating. The sheer level of customization over what the final form of your curry will take is mind-boggling, as different levels of spice, a variety of toppings, several different curry sauces, and the amount of rice can all allow you to sculpt your perfect curry.
One unfortunate thing is that not every store has the same items on offer, and while that can make some visits special when you stumble across one that does sell something you seldom see, it can make things very difficult if you’re in the mood for its curry udon only for there to be no stores selling it near you.
That being said, the possibility still remains. However, what if you wanted to take it one step further and dine on a dish combination that doesn’t make an appearance on any of its regular menus: Curry Udon with Lightly Crisped Chicken.
Seasoned diners of the chain restaurant might scoff and answer, “Well couldn’t you just order the Curry Udon with Lightly Crisped Chicken and the Curry Udon at the restaurant and put it on yourself?” That is certainly one possible solution, if a single curry isn’t quite sufficient and you happen to be near a location that sells curry udon. However, we have discovered an avenue that foregoes this brute-force DIY method of frankensteining two dishes together: Menya CoCo Ichi.
If you’ve been in Japan a while, you might recall curry ramen restaurants of the same name that once existed in the past, but this is an online, delivery-only version that pops up when searching through the Uber Eats app. It can depend on the area you’re in, but it does show up when searching for it. When we first spotted it, we were a little suspicious that it might be a knock-off store riding on Cocoichi’s famous branding, but after confirming with Cocoichi’s headquarters, we learned it is an official shop operating exclusively online.
True to its name, Menya CoCo Ichi has an abundant noodle menu that goes way beyond their usual rice dishes. Their normal curry udon is naturally a given, but there is also the Curry Udon with Lightly Crisped Chicken (2,017 yen [US$12.42]), Curry Udon with Thinly-Sliced Pork (1,998 yen), Shrimp and Asari Clam Curry Udon (1,840 yen), and many more. Though other stores might price them differently, these were the prices for the store we checked, excluding delivery fees.
▼ You can also select your preferred spice level and portion size on the virtual menu too.
However, we noticed that our coveted Curry Udon with Lightly Crisped Chicken happened to be 25 percent off at 1,513 yen, so we honestly had no choice but to order it then and there, and soon it arrived at our door.
Immediately placing the crispy chicken on top of the curry udon and taking a bite, we were overjoyed to discover it was exactly the flavor we had been expecting.
The curry is the rich, comforting, classic Cocoichi curry udon broth, and the udon is a chewy, doughy type rather than a firm, springy noodle.
The crispy chicken is also the same, signature flavor you get at the restaurant, but what was surprising was how the batter stayed genuinely crispy even after traveling in a delivery container.
Menya CoCo Ichi is exclusively found online, so dishes like this Curry Udon with Lightly Crisped Chicken are something you have to order through apps and delivery services, but as Cocoichi frequently has regional stores that roll out their own unique local menus, it still might be possible to happen across some exceptions to this rule.
According to the headquarters, not all physical stores offer Menya CoCo Ichi on the apps, with plenty of locations not offering it, so you’ll need to check on a delivery app to see if you’re lucky enough to find Menya CoCo Ichi operating in your area. If it doesn’t show up… well, the power play of going to a physical store and ordering both Curry Udon with Lightly Crisped Chicken and Curry Udon to build your own hybrid bowl to satisfy your cravings isn’t too bad of a fallback option either.
Related: Curry Udon Cocoichi Store Locations
Photos ©SoraNews24
Screenshots: Uber Eats (iOS)
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