Cold curry noodles? Is Japan's favorite curry rice restaurant's idea crazy enough to work?
Nine times out of ten, or heck, 99 times out of 100, when we walk through the doors of Cocoichibanya (aka Cocoichi), we're there to get ourselves some piping hot curry rice. And yes, on our most recent visit to Japan's biggest curry restaurant chain, we did get curry…but we had no rice, and no heat either.
That's because as of this month, you can get cold curry noodles at Cocoichi too.
Now, it is true that Japan has a variety of cold noodle dishes, such as hiyashi chuka (cold ramen noodles with sliced ham and cucumber) and zaru sobs (cold buckwheat noodles with shredded seaweed). And yes, curry udon is a thing too. But cold curry udon? That's something you won't normally encounter in Japan, so when we heard that that's exactly what Cocoichi has added to its midsummer menu, we had to try it and see if they were incredibly clever or completely mad.
The Chilled Curry Udon is priced at 990 yen for eat-in, which is actually a little more expensive than we're used to Cocoichi meals being. The photo looked tasty, though, and included the parenthetical reference that you get a piece of chicken tempura as part of the deal, so we put in our order.
In addition to the chicken tempura, there's also grilled eggplant, lettuce, and okaka (bonito flakes) in the bowl, and, of course, the curry and noodles.
If you've never had curry udon before, you might be assuming it's the same as curry rice, just with noodles replacing the rice. Actually, though, curry udon uses a mixture of curry roux and dashi (bonito stock) broth, and depending on the ratio and exact recipes used for each part, there can be some pretty big differences in terms of texture and how harmoniously the flavors blend together…and Cocoichi has done an excellent job.
Both the curry and dashi notes are bold and flavorful, but they complement each other instead of competing to conquer your taste buds. The broth is also fairly thick, which helps it cling to the plump, firm noodles so that you're getting the full flavor in every bite.
And true to its name, the Chilled Curry Udon's broth and noodles are both legitimately chilled. There's no mistaking them for ordinary curry and udon that's just been left to cool down to room temperature. They're refreshingly cold and extremely satisfying to dig into on a swelteringly hot afternoon.
Even the toppings were great, with the tempura chicken a nice cut of meat and the grilled eggplant a classic example of one of Japan's favorite summer vegetables.
The only possible problem is that the portion size might feel a little on the small side if you've got a big appetite, but thankfully Cocoichi also allows you add any of the many toppings it offers for curry rice to the Chilled Curry Udon, so if you want to add a pork cutlet, fried chicken, or even the traditional curry rice veggie combo of potatoes and carrots, those can show up in your bowl too.
So while the idea is a little unusual, Cocoichi's cold curry noodles have thoroughly won us over. As a seasonal item, the Chilled Curry Udon will be available for a limited time, and it's also not offered at all Cocoichi branches, but with more than 70 branches in Tokyo alone offering it (as per the nationwide list here), it shouldn't be too hard to find.
Photos ©SoraNews24
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
-- Japan's favorite curry rice restaurant chain also runs a bakery with more than just curry bread
-- Japan's most popular curry rice restaurant chain losing customers as it raises prices
-- Cold curry? Mujirushi makes one of our favorite hot meals chilly, but does that make it good?
External Link
https://soranews24.com/2025/07/10/cold-curry-noodles-is-japans-favorite-curry-rice-restaurants-idea-crazy-enough-to-work/
© SoraNews24
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
3 days ago
- Japan Today
Cold curry noodles? Is Japan's favorite curry rice restaurant's idea crazy enough to work?
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24 Nine times out of ten, or heck, 99 times out of 100, when we walk through the doors of Cocoichibanya (aka Cocoichi), we're there to get ourselves some piping hot curry rice. And yes, on our most recent visit to Japan's biggest curry restaurant chain, we did get curry…but we had no rice, and no heat either. That's because as of this month, you can get cold curry noodles at Cocoichi too. Now, it is true that Japan has a variety of cold noodle dishes, such as hiyashi chuka (cold ramen noodles with sliced ham and cucumber) and zaru sobs (cold buckwheat noodles with shredded seaweed). And yes, curry udon is a thing too. But cold curry udon? That's something you won't normally encounter in Japan, so when we heard that that's exactly what Cocoichi has added to its midsummer menu, we had to try it and see if they were incredibly clever or completely mad. The Chilled Curry Udon is priced at 990 yen for eat-in, which is actually a little more expensive than we're used to Cocoichi meals being. The photo looked tasty, though, and included the parenthetical reference that you get a piece of chicken tempura as part of the deal, so we put in our order. In addition to the chicken tempura, there's also grilled eggplant, lettuce, and okaka (bonito flakes) in the bowl, and, of course, the curry and noodles. If you've never had curry udon before, you might be assuming it's the same as curry rice, just with noodles replacing the rice. Actually, though, curry udon uses a mixture of curry roux and dashi (bonito stock) broth, and depending on the ratio and exact recipes used for each part, there can be some pretty big differences in terms of texture and how harmoniously the flavors blend together…and Cocoichi has done an excellent job. Both the curry and dashi notes are bold and flavorful, but they complement each other instead of competing to conquer your taste buds. The broth is also fairly thick, which helps it cling to the plump, firm noodles so that you're getting the full flavor in every bite. And true to its name, the Chilled Curry Udon's broth and noodles are both legitimately chilled. There's no mistaking them for ordinary curry and udon that's just been left to cool down to room temperature. They're refreshingly cold and extremely satisfying to dig into on a swelteringly hot afternoon. Even the toppings were great, with the tempura chicken a nice cut of meat and the grilled eggplant a classic example of one of Japan's favorite summer vegetables. The only possible problem is that the portion size might feel a little on the small side if you've got a big appetite, but thankfully Cocoichi also allows you add any of the many toppings it offers for curry rice to the Chilled Curry Udon, so if you want to add a pork cutlet, fried chicken, or even the traditional curry rice veggie combo of potatoes and carrots, those can show up in your bowl too. So while the idea is a little unusual, Cocoichi's cold curry noodles have thoroughly won us over. As a seasonal item, the Chilled Curry Udon will be available for a limited time, and it's also not offered at all Cocoichi branches, but with more than 70 branches in Tokyo alone offering it (as per the nationwide list here), it shouldn't be too hard to find. Photos ©SoraNews24 Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Japan's favorite curry rice restaurant chain also runs a bakery with more than just curry bread -- Japan's most popular curry rice restaurant chain losing customers as it raises prices -- Cold curry? Mujirushi makes one of our favorite hot meals chilly, but does that make it good? External Link © SoraNews24
Japan Today
3 days ago
- Japan Today
Japanese can maker says it's OK to microwave cans with their new invention
By SoraNews24 Daiwa Can, whose latest product, called the Range de Can, claims to let us microwave metal cans with impunity. It's quite simply just a plastic cap, or rather an anti-cap, as it goes on the bottom of the can rather than the top. According to Daiwa Can, the hazard of microwaving cans is that the bombardment of microwaves can cause free electrons in the can's metal to come loose and ionize the air around it. This is most likely to occur near the bottom of the can, where the space is tight and microwaves/ionized air can become more dense, creating little lightning storms. ▼ On the left side, a normal can in a microwave lights up like the Fourth of July, but on the right Range de Can provides enough clearance so electricity is less likely to arc. Range de Can fixes this simply by putting more space between the can and the bottom of the microwave. This reduces the chances of ionized air condensing and triggering sparks. According to Daiwa Can's testing, the chances of sparking drop from 28.3 percent to 0 percent when Range de Can is used. There are some very important things to note before using this item though. First, you have to open the can. Keeping it closed could cause pressure to build up inside until it explodes and creates a much bigger problem than a few sparks. Secondly, it's very important to note that metal reflects microwaves, so the food inside might not cook so well. On the other hand, the metal can could also transfer the heat of the food throughout it more easily than other materials, so depending on the size and shape, it could all balance out. Thirdly, neither microwaves nor cans are all created equally. Some ovens might have certain layouts or wattages that Range de Can isn't prepared to handle. Also, some cans use certain plastic or chemical linings that aren't meant to be heated in a microwave and could affect the quality of the food inside, so make sure you know what you're working with. ▼ Thermal imaging of a can of Pacific saury in miso sauce heated with Range de Can. In all of Range de Can's promotional images, a can of fish is shown. This would make sense since these cans are shallow enough for the food to heat up more thoroughly than taller cans. This kind of fish is also cooked while inside the can during manufacturing, meaning the material of the can is designed to safely withstand high temperatures. This item is not quite at the mass production stage yet, though, so more detailed information about what can and cannot be used by Range de Can may come out by the time it goes on sale. For now, however, it appears more suited to a nice can of mackerel than some Chef Boyardee, but good luck finding Chef Boyardee in Japan anyway. Source: Daiwa Can, PR Times, Images: PR Times Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Sony Warns Not to Put Your Gaming Console in the Microwave, Leaves Online Community Dumbfounded -- Canned fish rings now on sale at capsule machines across Japan! -- Fact: CDs and Candles Produce Stunning Effects When Microwaved (Don't Try This at Home) External Link © SoraNews24
SoraNews24
7 days ago
- SoraNews24
Can you use McDonald's French fries to make Japanese-style croquettes?【SoraKitchen】
And if you can, should you? In a shocking turn of events, we recently found ourselves with leftover French fries. And we're not talking about one or two unclaimed fries, but multiple orders of them. We're as surprised as anyone, given that SoraNews24 HQ is usually a sort of black hole in which unclaimed food is absorbed and devoured with cosmic-level force. But even our collective company stomach has its limits, and we'd reached them the other day after we noticed we had a whole bunch of free French fry coupons for McDonald's Japan which were all about to expire, so we used them all at once. This sudden influx of French fries itself was cause for joy, but as our stomachs filled and our giddiness wore off, we were left with a grim premonition. French fries never taste quite as good after they've cooled down and been reheated in the microwave, which meant we now had a couple of sub-par spud snacking sessions in our near future… …or did we? It's been said that crisis and opportunity are two sides of the same coin, and so our Japanese-language reporter Ikuna Kamezawa came up with a plan to flip things around. Instead of eating diminished reheated French fries, she would use our leftover McDonald's fries to make croquettes. She'd need a few other ingredients to do this: an onion, some ground meat, butter, flour, eggs, breadcrumbs, and cooking oil. Starting with the onion, she peeled and minced it, then added it to a frying pan along with the ground meat (in our case a mixture of ground beef and pork) and butter to sauté them together. ▼ Ikuna used half an onion, about 70 grams (2.5 ounces) of ground meat, and roughly 8 grams (0.3 ounces) of butter. Now it was time to get our leftover McDonald's French fries out of the fridge and start them on their path to rebirth. We had two medium-size orders to work with. Rather than try to mash them up cold, Ikuna put them in the microwave for three minutes so that they'd get very hot. Then she got to mashing with her spatula. This turned out to be surprisingly difficult. Though the fries were looking droopy and squishy after being reheated, they weren't easy to crush with the spatula. Ultimately, Ikuna ended up using the spatula's edge to stab at the fries, rather than trying to press on them with the flat face. After about 10 minutes, they looked like this. The next step was to combine the quasi-mashed potatoes with the sautéed meat and onions… …and then to form the croquettes, which Ikuna did by hand, placing a scoop of the mixture in her palm and pressing it like she would when making a rice ball. Our two medium-sized orders of fries were enough to make six croquettes. However, maybe because the fries weren't completely mashed, the croquette cores Ikuna formed felt like they were on the verge of crumbling almost immediately. This meant there was a ticking clock as she applied their breading, and she moved as quickly as she could to cover the croquettes first in a layer of flour, then a coating of egg, and finally an outer layer of breadcrumbs. Now all that was left was the final step, frying them in oil for three or four minutes, after which her leftover McDonald's French fry croquettes were complete! Ikuna, by the way, would like us to remind everyone that her croquettes do not look sloppy or unprofessional at all, but are simply bursting with rustic homemade charm. So, how do they taste? Not bad! But also not really great…? First thing first: they do taste like croquettes, so in terms of answering the simple question of whether or not you can use leftover McDonald's fries to make croquettes, the answer is 'Yes!' However, the flavor was definitely on the mild side. As you might have noticed, Ikuna didn't add any salt to her croquettes, figuring that the McDonald's fries were probably already salty enough on their own. However, she also didn't add any pepper, which is a common croquette ingredient but not something that the McDonald's fries were bringing to the party by themselves. There was also a bit of a discordancy between the mild flavor of Ikuna's croquettes and how oily they were, perhaps owing to the potato part now being twice-fried. The potato filling was also noticeably firmer than it is with conventional croquettes made with mashed potatoes. But again, they weren't bad, and when Ikuna added some of the Worcester-like sauce used for croquettes in Japan, the overall eating experience was pretty good, at least in line with normal croquette expectations. So since we've already answered that you can do it, the next question is whether or not you should make croquettes with leftover McDonald's fries, and the answer to that isn't quite as simple as 'Yes' or 'No.' Using McDonald's fries didn't grant our croquettes any special magical qualities beyond the results you could expect with using regular potatoes and mashing them, so we wouldn't go out of our way and make a French fry run with the specific premeditated purpose of using them as croquette ingredients. But on the other hand, the croquettes we made did taste pretty good, and this was definitely more fun than wistfully eating a plate of limp leftover fries that had been reheated in the microwave. So in the unlikely event that we ever end up with leftover fries again, we'll definitely have to keep the croquette option in mind. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
