CoCo Ichibanya: Japan's Finest (And Most Famous) Curry

I've been meaning to put in some time/space on this part of the internets to share some of my/our favorite places to find fuel and energy for our many adventures in and around Tokyo... so here's a start.  And it's an easy start, as I'm going with one of my longtime favorite places.

CoCo Ichibanya, also known as CoCo Ichi to many locals, CoCo Ichiban to some, and "CoCos" to many Americans in Japan, is a popular and well loved curry rice restaurant chain in Japan, and has some footholds outside of Japan as well (such as in Singapore, and the United States).

The curry is very palatable, delicious, and relatively easy on the budget.  But how is it so popular, above all other places that serve curry?  Being a fan and frequent diner at CoCo Ichi, I've tried to brainstorm the reasons:

-It's everywhere (trying searching for it with your iPhone; any sizable city or semi-sizable city has at least a couple of CoCo Ichi restaurants within a few minutes drive or a short train ride away.

-Customizable to your exact tastes/moods:  from the spice levels (from mild to number 10 level spicy) to the type of curry sauce (default is pork, with options of vegetable/beef and possibly more) to the toppings (meat/vegetables/seafood/etc) you will undoubtedly be able to order something that suits you.

-Service: friendly/professional to Japanese standards, and the food comes to you within just a few minutes of completing your order.  Need to bring some home for the family/crew?  Takeouts are a regular occurrence and easy to do at CoCo Ichi.

But to me, having been to several places, with several different people ranging from family to friends and everything in between, I'd have to say that the warm curry combined with the additional warmth brought about by the spice level and the warmest memories of all I've shared a curry lunch/dinner with, it is one of my comfort "places" in Japan, not just food.

An added bonus for tourists are the take-home "boxes" you can buy; they are actually pouches of curry sauce which can be prepared by microwave heating or dropped by the pouch into boiling water for heating (5 minutes).  They aren't exactly like what you'd have served in the restaurant but the taste is definitely there.

While you're in Japan, don't miss out on CoCo Ichi.  And take some home with you if you love it as much as we do!

CoCo Ichibanya
Location (nearest to Camp Zama):

Nadeshiko: A Unique Sushi Experience

In Japan, and especially Tokyo, you won't have to go very far to find a place to enjoy sushi.  Nadeshiko Sushi in Tokyo's Akihabara district, though, is unique in that it is the only one in Japan where the sushi chefs are women.

Dressed in kimonos and headscarves, the Nadeshiko sushi chefs are prominent here even amidst the nice looking, traditional Japanese décor and bar.  In a neighborhood dominated by maid cafes and other similar themed restaurants/cafes, Nadeshiko fits right in while being one of its kind, ironically and beautifully so.

If, like me, your only previous experience was with "conveyor belt" sushi chains, then Nadeshiko will be a new, cool, and eye-opening experience.  It was my first time to actually see the chef prepare what I ordered (salmon avocado rolls, and snow crab nigiri) with my own eyes.  The videos I'm sharing here capture the vibe of the place, and a bit of the imagery/process of the actual sushi making.

And the food was delicious!  I ordered menu items I don't typically see elsewhere, and really enjoyed it.

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Nadeshiko Sushi, Japan’s only all-woman sushi chef restaurant #nadeshikosushi #sushi #akihabara #japan #gopro #goproherosession5 #japanese

A post shared by akiba16 (@akiba16) on Jan 3, 2019 at 8:40pm PST

If you love sushi and want to try something unique and different from the sushi chains, Nadeshiko is definitely worth a visit.

Recommendations:
- As is the case with many "themed" restaurants, especially in Akihabara, the prices can be steep for the typical tourist (though still cheaper than many of the more "traditional" sushi restaurants.  If tight on money, an option is to go here for an "appetizer" and drop by one of the more mainstream places for your real meal (many ramen/steak places around Akihabara).
- Photos are okay here, in contrast to many of the other places in Akihabara.  Feel free to Instagram-away here!

Specifics:
Nadeshiko Sushi
Hours: 1700-2200 on weekdays, 1200-2200 on weekends
Location:

Ramen Is Life in Japan!

Ramen: Japan's beautiful dish (or is it bowl) best enjoyed with others!

I think it's safe to say that my favorite Japanese food is ramen.  And I'm not talking about the instant hot water stovetop stuff, but the kind you'll find at ramen places just about anywhere and everywhere in Japan.  From the business districts, restaurant areas, the Japan Ministry of Defense (!), and the shopping mall food courts, you can find ramen... and each place, each bowl, has a warm lovable a delicious charm to it.

Actually, rewinding the tape of the story of my life a bit, I thought I knew all about ramen, but until I tried it here in Japan, I didn't know what I was missing out on.  And for anyone who hasn't tried ramen in Japan, well, I'll say you haven't really had ramen in its true, fine form.

I won't go into the different types of ramen, or specifically into the ramen shops, but there's several reasons I love this dish, "easily":

- Easy on the wallet; unless you're getting a huge bowl with a huge amount of toppings, it won't cost you much more than, say, 600 yen.  That's cheaper than the typical fast food combo meal nowadays.  And while it might not completely "fill you up", it will keep you satisfied for a while.

- Easy on the palate; there's a definite taste to ramen but it doesn't come to you as "too strong", there are a few exceptions depending on the place and type of ramen, but usually it comes with just enough to satisfy your taste buds.

- Easy to find; as previously mentioned and as you'd discover here, ramen is everywhere in Japan!

- Easy to get into;  even at peak lunch/dinner hours if you're on the outside looking in, ramen tends to be relatively quick to prepare and consume, so unless it is a very popular place with a very long queue, the wait should not be too long.

- (Relatively) easy to enjoy with others.  I say relatively because since pork tends to be a staple of most ramen varieties, it does prevent some from enjoying this with you.  But otherwise, who doesn't look a good bowl of noodles with tasty broth?

And speaking of enjoying with others... I am not ashamed to admit that I love ramen and love all that I've ever shared a ramen meal/experience with.  The photographer in me never fails to capture my "ramen with friends" memories.  So I share those with you as well as some recommendations from the guy one of my friends calls "ramen boy"!

Recommendations:

- If you haven't quite mastered the skill required to eat with chopsticks, try to brush up on this!  If not, be prepared to either ask for a fork or bring one with you every time, which is not as uncommon here as you might think.

- Ramen is more enjoyable in the colder times of the year than the hottest ones, but I wouldn't recommend shying away from ramen in the summer, it's still good!

Ramen Slurping; customary but not mandatory!

- Regarding the "slurping" that is known/perceived to be a Japanese thing, even among Japanese not everyone slurps loudly.  Among everyone I go to ramen with I'd say about 60% are loud slurpers and 40% are not, and contrary to stereotypes not all women are quiet either.  So feel free to slurp in public (or not), either way you'll enjoy this heart and stomach-warming Japanese dish!