I ordered the Curry Tonkatsu Bowl with chicken and I enjoyed the chicken. The chicken katsu was crunchy and thick with meat. The meat also wasn't dry. The curry flavor had a strange taste. It was very sweet compared to normal curry. The proportion size compared to price is pretty average. The restaurant is self service. It's actually a very good place to sit and study with friends because the tables are huge and I think the restaurant is generally not too crowded. The ambiance is also very casual. I would come back just to hang out with friends again and try another thing on the menu.
Miko M.
Cashier was friendly and accommodating which is always nice. Food is great, curry tonkatsu is fantastic but the sukiyaki blew me away. This place is by far my favorite when it comes to Japanese rice dishes.
Alice L.
Ordered the mapo tofu rice bowl. They ran out of pork, so I went with ground chicken, which was not quite the same. Fresh but could use a little more seasoning since the only flavor I tasted was the spiciness. Overall, an average dining experience.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Alice L.
Ordered the mapo tofu rice bowl. They ran out of pork, so I went with ground chicken, which was not quite the same. Fresh but could use a little more seasoning since the only flavor I tasted was the spiciness. Overall, an average dining experience.
Umar Mas
If you are looking for delicious Japanese food and a chill vibe, all at a good price (for the Bay Area)? Look no further! I had a great time having lunch here with my wife and son. We had the Unagi-don, Okonomiyaki and Fried Chicken and they were all delicious and comparable to what we got in Japan. I am surprised that this restaurant has <4 review as I think it should at least be at 4.5. Highly recommend!
V J
Best value for money. The curry donkatsu is amazing. I seem to order it at least twice a week.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Travis Fraser
The curry is just bad. This may seem unfair, but after recently returning from Japan (for 4 months) and eating Coco Ichibanya semi-regularly, I was expecting Kokolo to maybe have a comparable curry, seeing as Coco is a cheap curry chain, but I was thoroughly disappointed.1. Overpriced. Small portion of rice and an even smaller portion of curry that couldn't last the length of the meal. 14 dollars for this is criminal.2. Overcooked. The tonkastsu was way overcooked, far too chewy, dry and just unpleasant to eat. While the portion was big, I was almost wishing it wasn't.3. Bad flavors. The curry was just sub-par, the spice was not good. The fukujinzuke pickled radish side is not fukujinzuke at all, and is something else entirely that isn't very good, and far too little was included.I've also had other dishes as well here in the past and would rate them between 2-3 stars. The curry is hands down just bad, do not order it.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Cameron Cage
food is pretty
Food: 2
Sherry G.
It looked like a "rice" day, so I decided to check this place out. I got the Gyudon (Wagyu Beef Bowl), and I thought it was pretty standard fare, which is good. The meat had flavor, but not too much, and wasn't overly dry. The rice had a good consistency and was not mushy (though it was wetter than I would have liked). I didn't really like having the small red ginger bits, but to each their own. Since I eat less than an average person, I had enough leftover for about another meal. The inside of the place gave me a cafeteria vibe (especially since you pay at the counter before getting your food), so dining in would probably be just as fast as getting takeout (and would eliminate waste from to-go boxes). They have surprisingly sturdy picnic tables and benches. ECO NOTES (Dine-In) Dine-In Dishware: Reusable bowls Napkins: Single-use disposable paper napkin (they brought it when they brought the food to the table) Utensils: Disposable wooden chopsticks & plastic forks & spoons in a holder at table, so it's easy to use your own reusable utensils. Water cups: Single use paper cups (self serve) Bins: It looks like they only had a landfill bin and did not have recycling or compost bins in the self-bus area. I was hoping they'd at least also have compost.
Kristen Monica Lue Chin
Log tables and TV. Bathroom and Water. Katsu don was delicious.
On the corner in downtown berkeley, I really enjoyed this little shop. The cashier was super helpful when asking what was good and food came out fast and fresh. The inside was super clean and I feel like that's all you can really ask for! Definitely go give it a try
Aaron Lowe
UPDATED:Second time here. They were out of teriyaki chicken. Had to pick fried. No brown rice option.First time here. Tasty braised pork rice bowl with yam and pickled vegetable. Pork is very tender. Comes with miso soup. At $10.99 that is a cheap lunch in Berkeley. Looks like they have a nice sake and beer selection.
Recommended dishes: Sauce
Agustin Barrera Cruz
Mediocre food, bad customer service, and overpriced. Go to Sumo Roll instead.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Chaz N.
Best empanada ever. Looove this place. Great people too. Would def return to this place.
Celine Tan
Ordered the oyakodon and chicken wings for takeout. Chicken wings were pretty good, but the oyakodon was incredibly disappointing. Eggs were rubbery, and the chicken was incredibly bland and dry while somehow simultaneously having too much pepper and fish sauce (?). Rice had too much water added to it, so it was way too soft for the type of dish it was meant for.
I ordered the Curry Tonkatsu Bowl with chicken and I enjoyed the chicken. The chicken katsu was crunchy and thick with meat. The meat also wasn't dry. The curry flavor had a strange taste. It was very sweet compared to normal curry. The proportion size compared to price is pretty average. The restaurant is self service. It's actually a very good place to sit and study with friends because the tables are huge and I think the restaurant is generally not too crowded. The ambiance is also very casual. I would come back just to hang out with friends again and try another thing on the menu.
Cashier was friendly and accommodating which is always nice. Food is great, curry tonkatsu is fantastic but the sukiyaki blew me away. This place is by far my favorite when it comes to Japanese rice dishes.
Ordered the mapo tofu rice bowl. They ran out of pork, so I went with ground chicken, which was not quite the same. Fresh but could use a little more seasoning since the only flavor I tasted was the spiciness. Overall, an average dining experience.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Ordered the mapo tofu rice bowl. They ran out of pork, so I went with ground chicken, which was not quite the same. Fresh but could use a little more seasoning since the only flavor I tasted was the spiciness. Overall, an average dining experience.
If you are looking for delicious Japanese food and a chill vibe, all at a good price (for the Bay Area)? Look no further! I had a great time having lunch here with my wife and son. We had the Unagi-don, Okonomiyaki and Fried Chicken and they were all delicious and comparable to what we got in Japan. I am surprised that this restaurant has <4 review as I think it should at least be at 4.5. Highly recommend!
Best value for money. The curry donkatsu is amazing. I seem to order it at least twice a week.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The curry is just bad. This may seem unfair, but after recently returning from Japan (for 4 months) and eating Coco Ichibanya semi-regularly, I was expecting Kokolo to maybe have a comparable curry, seeing as Coco is a cheap curry chain, but I was thoroughly disappointed.1. Overpriced. Small portion of rice and an even smaller portion of curry that couldn't last the length of the meal. 14 dollars for this is criminal.2. Overcooked. The tonkastsu was way overcooked, far too chewy, dry and just unpleasant to eat. While the portion was big, I was almost wishing it wasn't.3. Bad flavors. The curry was just sub-par, the spice was not good. The fukujinzuke pickled radish side is not fukujinzuke at all, and is something else entirely that isn't very good, and far too little was included.I've also had other dishes as well here in the past and would rate them between 2-3 stars. The curry is hands down just bad, do not order it.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
food is pretty
Food: 2
It looked like a "rice" day, so I decided to check this place out. I got the Gyudon (Wagyu Beef Bowl), and I thought it was pretty standard fare, which is good. The meat had flavor, but not too much, and wasn't overly dry. The rice had a good consistency and was not mushy (though it was wetter than I would have liked). I didn't really like having the small red ginger bits, but to each their own. Since I eat less than an average person, I had enough leftover for about another meal. The inside of the place gave me a cafeteria vibe (especially since you pay at the counter before getting your food), so dining in would probably be just as fast as getting takeout (and would eliminate waste from to-go boxes). They have surprisingly sturdy picnic tables and benches. ECO NOTES (Dine-In) Dine-In Dishware: Reusable bowls Napkins: Single-use disposable paper napkin (they brought it when they brought the food to the table) Utensils: Disposable wooden chopsticks & plastic forks & spoons in a holder at table, so it's easy to use your own reusable utensils. Water cups: Single use paper cups (self serve) Bins: It looks like they only had a landfill bin and did not have recycling or compost bins in the self-bus area. I was hoping they'd at least also have compost.
Log tables and TV. Bathroom and Water. Katsu don was delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Baked Katsudon Bowl
Restaurantji Recommends
On the corner in downtown berkeley, I really enjoyed this little shop. The cashier was super helpful when asking what was good and food came out fast and fresh. The inside was super clean and I feel like that's all you can really ask for! Definitely go give it a try
UPDATED:Second time here. They were out of teriyaki chicken. Had to pick fried. No brown rice option.First time here. Tasty braised pork rice bowl with yam and pickled vegetable. Pork is very tender. Comes with miso soup. At $10.99 that is a cheap lunch in Berkeley. Looks like they have a nice sake and beer selection.
Recommended dishes: Sauce
Mediocre food, bad customer service, and overpriced. Go to Sumo Roll instead.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Best empanada ever. Looove this place. Great people too. Would def return to this place.
Ordered the oyakodon and chicken wings for takeout. Chicken wings were pretty good, but the oyakodon was incredibly disappointing. Eggs were rubbery, and the chicken was incredibly bland and dry while somehow simultaneously having too much pepper and fish sauce (?). Rice had too much water added to it, so it was way too soft for the type of dish it was meant for.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3