We recently finished a 3-week long trip around Japan with family who came to visit us from England. It was a jam-packed trip where we tried to fit as much in as we could. But, some nights we were too tired to walk very far or find somewhere new to eat. That’s until we stumbled across CoCo Ichibanya!
“Curry House CoCo Ichibanya” otherwise known as “CoCoIchi” is a popular Japanese chain curry restaurant with shops all over Japan. They’re known for their fast-serving tasty curry, and what’s even better is that CoCo Ichibanya has vegan options too!
So let me tell you the vegan options at CoCo Ichibanya!
About CoCo Ichibanya
Chances are, if you’re visiting a city, you’ll probably have a CoCoIchi around the corner or somewhere very close, they’re literally everywhere!
They offer super convenient, filling, tasty meals that are affordable and are a great option you can fall back on. Especially, if you can’t be bothered to research where to go or, to cook for yourself. Coco’s is one of three chains in Japan with vegan options.
Other info:
- Take out ok
- Delivers
- Card payments ok
The space

Each shop I have visited has been slightly different, some have had booths and counter seats, and others with only counter seats. But, they all basically look the same. Dark wooden countertops with an open kitchen and you help yourself to water, cutlery and napkins, which is pretty typical of a Japanese restaurant.
The CoCo Ichibanya menu
Their menu is pretty extensive, especially for a curry house. It’s a rather large menu with quite a few pages. However, apart from some of the vegetables you can add to your curry and a salad, there is only one section on the menu we can order from.
Is CoCo Ichibanya curry vegan?
Going through the menu, you will come across options that look vegetarian and vegan-friendly but stay away! Regular curry sauce can have the following in the sauce:
- Meat
- Fish extract
- Milk
- Cheese
- Honey
Always order from the vegetarian section!
Vegan options at CoCo Ichibanya

If you flick through the menu, you will come across a green page with a few curries and a clear labelling saying that these curries shown on the page have no animal-derived ingredients in them.
The curry choices are:
- CoCoICHI vegetarian curry (plain curry but you could choose to add your choice of vegetables for an extra)
- CoCoICHI vegetarian curry with soy meat hamburger
- CoCoICHI vegetarian curry with vegetables
How to order
As you enter the restaurant, you can sit yourself down at any open table or chair without talking to the server (this may vary but all the ones I have been to have been like this), and they will bring you a nice cold glass of water as you look through the menu.
When you decide what you’d like, you just say “sumimasen” which means “excuse me” and they will come on over to take your order.
Su mi ma se n
すみません
When ordering the curry, the servers will ask you your required spiciness and how many grams of rice you’d like. I stick to normal spiciness and grams of rice, (300g), and you can say that by saying “Futsuū Onegaishimasu” – this means “normal please”.
Fu tsu ū O ne ga i shi ma su
ふつうおねがいします
普通お願いします

If you’d like to change something, you can point to the grams and spice levels on the menu and you should be able to communicate your needs.
During our trip, Jonny and his stepdad challenged each other and ordered the largest amount of rice you can get at CoCoIchi – 600 grams! When we ordered two of those, the server didn’t even bat an eyelid, maybe people order that much curry?

However, when it came out, we absolutely lost it! I’d never seen a curry so big, and Jonny’s face had regret plastered all over it, it was so funny!


I don’t know how but he somehow finished his 600 grams of curry in 10 minutes, this was before I could finish my normal one, I won’t lie I was a little impressed!
The vegan curry at CoCo Ichibanya
CoCoICHI vegetarian curry with vegetables

How did it taste?
Japanese curries that taste like this one used to be one of my staple dinners growing up in Japan. The curry roux has a stew-like consistency and a sweeter taste compared to other Asian curries, but still with a bit of a kick and is perfectly combined with yummy vegetables – potatoes, carrots and green beans. The normal 300-gram curry is more than enough for me, it’s super generous and so filling.
How much was it?
¥841 (£4.90/ $6.14)
CoCoICHI vegetarian curry with soy meat hamburger

UPDATE: The soy meat hamburger has been taken off the menu as of summer 2023
How did it taste?
This is Jonny’s go-to curry when we visit CoCoIchi. The hamburger patty is made by Zeromeat, a Japanese company making meat substitutes from soy products. It has a nice meaty texture and a good bite to it. But, I personally find it too meaty and am not a fan of the beef-like taste.
How much was it?
¥827 (£4.81/ $6.04)
Vegan sides at CoCo Ichibanya
For those of you who fancy a side with your curry, the following are vegan-friendly:
Green salad | ヤサイサラダ
Includes lettuce, cabbage and a sprinkle of sweetcorn.
Price: ¥180 (£0.99/ $1.27)
Order the salad with a curry: ¥140 (£0.77/ $0.99)
The salad and drink set price with a curry: ¥250 (£1.37/ $1.76)
Allergen: none
Corn salad | コーンサラダ
Includes lettuce, cabbage and a larger serving of sweetcorn.
Price: ¥260 (£1.42/ $1.83)
Order the salad with a curry: ¥220 (£1.21/ $1.55)
The salad and drink set price with a curry: ¥330 (£1.81/ $2.32)
Allergen: none
French fried potatoes | フライドポテト
Fancy some french fries on the side of your curry?
Price: ¥150 (£0.82/ $1.06)
Allergens: soy, wheat
Rice | ライス
A 150g bowl of rice.
Price: ¥150 (£0.82/ $1.06)
Allergen: none
How to find a CoCo Ichibanya
As mentioned, this chain curry house is everywhere, just simply type CoCo Ichibanya into your maps and your closest restaurants will pop up!
Open: Each branch varies, but CoCo’s is great for late-night runs if you get peckish with some shops staying open till 12 am.
CoCo Ichibanya vegan curry will always be a winner for us, especially on the days we just can’t be bothered to cook for ourselves. It’s reliable and cheap (we can get two curries for under £10 /$13!) They are super tasty and the portion sizes are so generous! Get yourselves down to CoCoIchi for a cheap and tasty curry -It’s saved us on a few occasions whilst travelling and I’m sure it will save you on your trip too!
Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming food-related posts from our 3-week trip. We ate so incredibly well and I can’t wait to share all the amazing places we visited!
If you’re after easy, quick and cheap vegan food in Japan, Mos Burger has a permanent plant-based option on their menu!