With over 1400 locations all over the world, Coco Ichibanya is like the McDonald’s of Japanese restaurants. Instead of hamburgers and fries though, you’ll find curry and rice. Nice. Introduced into Japan by the British, curry became so popular that it’s even considered a national dish.

Coco Ichibanya is a strictly casual affair, though a step up from McDonald’s as it’s a sit-down restaurant. The menu is primarily focused on curry – you choose a rice portion, spiciness level and toppings.

In addition to the curry rice, there are salads and udon. There are even side dishes like naan, fried teriyaki chicken and French fries, adding to the somewhat eclectic nature of the menu.

My husband’s vegetable curry with brown rice, came with carrots and potatoes. Liking things spicy, he chose a spice level of 4, which was six times the normal level of spiciness.

Damn. It was spicy. The levels go up to 10, which is 24 times spicier the regular curry. The mind reels.

Since I’m a wimp, I got the regular, though if you’re really sensitive there’s a mild/not spicy level below that. It was perfect. I added pork cutlet, which came as a nicely fried pounded thin piece of meat. The curry wasn’t too thick, the perfect consistency for dragging strips of fried pork cutlet through and then mopping it up with rice.

Coco Ichibanya is a decent place to get your curry fix. While they may not exactly be McDonald’s, you may want to order fries for dipping into that curry. You’ll be lovin’ it.

Location: 12007 Wilshire Boulevard, # 12007, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Website: http://www.ichibanyausa.com
Kid-Friendly – Yes
Kid’s Menu – Yes
Vegan/Vegetarian Friendly – Yes
Gluten-Free Options – Yes