The Japanese Curry Taking Over Petco Park Is Coming to Hillcrest

I’m a creature of habit. When I go to Petco Park for a Padres game, I order two things without fail: a Swingin’ Friar ale from Ballast Point and a Friar Frank (extra mustard, no ketchup). I might supplement with tri-tip nachos from Seaside Market, or splurge on fancy fish tacos from Deckman’s at the Draft, but there’s no way I’m going to a ballgame without enjoying the classic combo of a beer and hot dog.

But this season, I’m faced with a conundrum. CoCo Ichibanya, the world-famous Japanese curry chain with locations in Convoy District, Los Angeles, Orange County, and Texas, debuted this March at the Mercado near Section 104. I recently attended a game against the New York Mets when I noticed a woman sitting in the row in front of me with a giant helping of chicken katsu curry. I hadn’t seen CoCo’s curry in the wild at the ballpark yet, but the aroma of the crispy fried chicken bathed in savory curry wafting over her shoulder absolutely intoxicated me (and ended up being a nice distraction to the 7-3 loss). Hopefully, she didn’t notice me leering with envy, but I’m 92 percent sure I got some drool on the guy next to me.

The world’s largest Japanese curry chain isn’t done popping up in San Diego quite yet. This July, CoCo Ichibanya will open its second standalone store in San Diego on the ground floor of the Denizen building in Hillcrest.

First launched in Nagoya, Japan in 1978, CoCo Ichibanya specializes in Japanese-style curry dishes, a comfort food signature. Unlike fiery Thai and Indian curry, Japanese curries are often more like gravy, served over rice and alongside katsu pork, chicken, or beef, or as curry omurice (omelet rice). The chain expanded to the United States 15 years ago, and owner Teruyoshi Ono says they’d been eyeing more opportunities in San Diego for some time.

The location in Hillcrest spans 2,585-square-feet with seating for around 49 guests. Menu favorites like the chicken cutlet curry with vegetables, the pork cutlet omelet, and Thai tea will be available, but Ono said Hillcrest will be the first location in the US to offer one major crowd-pleaser: alcohol. And keeping with local baseball fandom, “We will also have Padres x CoCo Ichi limited merchandise at our Hillcrest location,” he promises. 

Ono also revealed that CoCo’s future expansion plans include looking for more locations across Southern California and possibly more in San Diego. While the Japanese yen remains at a historic low against the dollar (making it an absolutely unbeatable time to visit the Land of the Rising Sun), why fly overseas when you can get a taste of Japan in your own backyard—or ballpark?

CoCo Ichibanya Hillcrest is slated to open at 3833 5th Avenue in July.  

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San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events

Beth’s Bites

• Leucadia, gird your loins for a bagel bonanza. New Wave Bagels is ready to sling its sourdough delights in time for the July 4 weekend, promising bagels, breakfast sandos, and a limited sandwich menu until a hard launch on Wednesday, July 8. Maybe we should rename Independence Day to Carbohydrate Day? 
• First a Michelin star, now number one—Carlsbad’s darling Lilo was just named the number one restaurant in the US by Robb Report, the luxury lifestyle site (which coincidentally happens to be owned by Penske Media Corp., the new owners of Vox Media and Eater as of today). What can’t John Resnick and Eric Bost do??
• B’s Bodega, a New York-inspired deli and convenience store inspired by the late Brandon Zanavich of The Friendly, is slated to open later this year. But before it does, you can get a taste of the Big Apple energy on June 27 at Bock in South Park, when the B’s team will be on hand hosting their first sandwich pop-up. Sneak a peek of what’s to come and grab a beer while you’re at it.

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