Japan's biggest curry rice restaurant chain has finally embarked on its first Malaysian foray, bolstering a cross-border network that spans more than 1,300 outposts in the U.S., China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand & Singapore.
Coco Ichibanya at 1 Utama sticks to the chain's tried-&-tested formula - customers can customise their curries by selecting toppings, rice quantities, sauce quantities & spice levels (1 is 'medium hot,' 5 is 'crazy hot'), enabling endless permutations.
Pork cutlet's the top recommendation, chunky & tender (RM21); we topped it with grilled pork, kimchi & cheese (RM9 surplus) & chose a sweat-spilling 'Level 5' of spiciness. The curry's creamy & fairly flavoursome, while the rice proves a satisfactory foil.
Clam & tomato curry (RM22) with an extra egg (RM3); seafood options abound, with shrimp, squid & salmon all also available.
Vegetarians can eat their fill too, thanks to the spinach & eggplant platter (RM23), best enjoyed in the mildest, most mellow curry sauce, with a sweet savouriness that caresses the palate without too much tongue-tingling. Pretty basic comfort food.
Curry omurice comes with omelette-wrapped rice surrounded by hashed beef in a tangy gravy, not quite our favourite (RM25).
Green tea lovers can revel in matcha milkshakes (RM11) or made-in-Thailand matcha lattes (RM8). Service is pleasant & efficient at CoCo Ichibanya Malaysia, which expects to launch its next outlet later this year at Penang's Queensbay Mall.
Curry House CoCo ICHIBANYA Malaysia
LG333A, Lower Ground, New Wing, 1 Utama, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7732-8937
The Eat Drink KL mobile app is now available, connecting restaurants & customers to promote a positive spirit of community.
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For iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/my/app/eat-drink-kl/id958657326?mt=8
For Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eatdrinkkl.EatDrinkKL
Every restaurant on this app rewards users with a 6 percent discount, instantly & conveniently, everyday, all day long.
In return, users share photos of their experiences at these eateries, creating a new community of restaurant lovers.
For every transaction, RM0.20 will be channelled to a different charity every month.
Check out the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favourites, featuring 100 recommended restaurants for January-March 2015. This eBook is available to read or download at this link: http://eatdrinkkl.cld.bz/2015
This link expires March 31, 2015. Please check the newest blog entries after that for fresh links.
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Sausages to sambal. Muffins to marshmallows. Peanut butter to mango chutney. Cornflake ice cream to honey aloe yogurt. Lavender-laced lemonades to lychee-&-guava juices.
Eat Drink KL: Small Businesses, Huge Flavours is the first eBook to help customers navigate the diversity of independent F&B entrepreneurs who bake & boil in their own kitchens, offering some of Malaysia's finest, most fascinating food products.
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