Coco Ichibanya Inspired Japanese Curry

Coco ICHIBANYA, also known as Cocoichi, is a popular Japanese curry restaurant chain in Japan and around the world. The very first Cocoichi restaurant was founded in Aichi, where I was born and raised. I grew up with their curry, and it’s still one of the restaurants I always visit whenever I go back to Japan.

These days, most Cocoichi restaurants look quite similar, but when I was little, there were still smaller locations—some tucked into strip malls. My neighborhood Cocoichi was one of those cozy spots. I still remember the owner working in the kitchen—sometimes he was the only one running the whole place! I grew up enjoying many of their dishes, starting from the kids’ curry set to my favorites like cheese curry, korokke curry, and chicken katsu curry.

Now that I live far from home, the Cocoichi in the U.S. is too far away for a quick visit. So I thought—why not try making it at home?

Ingredients

Serving: 4

• 100g/0.22lbs onion

• 50g/0.11lbs carrots

• 140g-150g/0.3-0.33lbs pork belly

• 4 cubes of curry roux/ JAVA Curry Hot 650ml Water or 700ml water(thicker consistency for 650ml)

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp Tonkatsu sauce

• 1 tsp BBQ sauce

• 1 tsp Tahini

• 1/2 tsp curry powder

• 1/2 tsp sugar

• 2 tsp vegetable bouillon

• 1 tsp grated parmesan cheese

• 2 Tbsp fried onions

• 1/2 tsp rice vinegar

• A pinch of white pepper

• 1/4 tsp onion powder

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

1. Prep the ingredients

   • Slice the onion thinly.

   • Cut 50 g of carrots into small pieces.

   • Cut 140–150 g of pork belly into small pieces.Since everything will be blended into a purée later, you don’t need to worry too much about the size—just cut them small enough to cook quickly.

2. Caramelize the onions

   • Heat a little oil in a pot over medium heat.

   • Add the sliced onions and stir to coat with oil.

   • Cook for about 2 minutes, until the bottom of the onions start to brown.

   • Pour 10–20 ml of water into the pot, stir, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom.

   • Cook until the water evaporates, then repeat this process 3 more times.

   • This is a quick and easy way to caramelize onions!

   • After the 4th time, let the water evaporate completely, then transfer the onions to a plate.

3. Cook the carrots and pork belly

   • Return the same pot to medium heat and add a little oil.

   • Add the carrots and cook for about 1 minute.

   • Add the pork belly and cook for about 2 minutes, until browned.

4. Simmer the base

   • Pour in 650 ml of water (use 700 ml if you prefer a thinner consistency).

   • Add the caramelized onions, fried onions, and vegetable bouillon. Stir well and bring to a boil.

   • Right before it starts boiling, skim off any scum.

   • Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

   • After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let it cool slightly before blending (this prevents splashing).

   • Blend until smooth and creamy.

5. Add the curry roux

   • Return the pot to medium heat and bring the puréed mixture to a simmer.

   • Turn off the heat and add 4 cubes (half a box) of curry roux. Stir until fully melted.

   • Turn the heat back to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

   • Tip: partially cover the pot to avoid splashing and to keep an eye on the simmer.

6. Season and finish

   • Once simmering, add Worcestershire sauce, tonkatsu sauce, tahini, and BBQ sauce.

   • Mix in onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, grated Parmesan cheese, and curry powder. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.

   • Stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.

   • Just before turning off the heat, add a pinch of white pepper and ½ tsp rice vinegar (I like to grind 3 whole white peppercorns).

7. Serve

   • Your curry is ready to enjoy! Cocoichi has endless topping options.

   • My favorites are korokke, cheese, or tonkatsu. (Check out my Tonkatsu and Korokke videos if you’d like to make them at home!)

   • The curry tastes even better the next day, as it thickens and deepens in flavor. When reheating, you can always add a little water to adjust the consistency.