KoKoLo Donburi

Xtina

I can't say enough great things about this Gem. It's all the rage !!! Daniel, the manager was solid. He is always so warm and inviting . He took great care of us during our 2nd visit here and we'll be back again, and again and again. Food Amazing. Tried 3 menu items this far and each meal is Great 👍🏽 especially the Curry

Alan Yao

Nice home style Japanese food. A little on the pricey side but portions are very large. Tendon was delicious, a huge pile of well made light tempura. Katsudon was solid all around, although the breading was fried more to a dark brown than golden brown; could have also been crispier inside, especially compared to other katsudon served in Japan. Sukiyaki udon: udon was excellent, served in a not too salty tsuyu broth with a rich flavor. Sukiyaki itself was okay, but there were some odd flavors from the beef that weren't fully cooked out (typically indicative of not the freshest beef or not enough sake used in cooking) and the beef was rather tough. Would lean more towards the katsudon. Karaage was good for a side but a huge pile. Great to share among many people.

Israel Madera

My daughter and I enjoyed a few drinks on my birthday at KoKoLo. We had some delicious sake, some beer, and a few gyozas. The bartender was an absolute delight to chat with and she educated us on the various sakes as we enjoyed them. It was the perfect setting for birthday celebration on a Saturday afternoon. Looking forward to tasting more of their sakes.

Warren Zhu

Been here twice, was good both times. The main draw of this place is the good value, especially with food becoming ever more expensive. The katsu curry served here is about $3 cheaper than I find at most other Japanese places for similar quality and quantity.

Daemon Chadeau (Gothpolitik)

First off, big kudos to the manager Daniel for giving us his recommendations as our first choice for breakfast was busy as hell. Turned out some Katsu Curry was what the doctor ordered! The pork was super tender and the breading maintained its texture even under all that yummy curry sauce. We even got the sample a takoyaki, which are these little fried balls of squid served with this amazing sauce, topped with nori and bonino flakes... And they were just utterly to die for; super light, crispy, and full of freshness. It's may be a little bit spendy, but its definitely worth it!

Laura Concha

I absolutely love this place! I’ve been coming here for little under a year and I think at this point i’m a regular because they already know what i’m going to order and that makes me feel 100% special. <3 I LOVE their stir fry udon with beef, it’s always consistent with their great flavor and never disappoints me. My boyfriend always gets something different but it always comes out fast and great. These are amazing people with a great restaurant. Thank ya’ll for being here!

From the moment you walk in the door, the vibe is welcoming and chill. I ordered the katsu curry don and it fulfilled my craving! Danny, the manager, took good care of me and all the customers present. Good food, good service, good people.

Traditional Japanese fare. I was surprised to see unagi on the menu… that says a lot about the quality of their kitchen as sea urchin gets spoiled very quickly and requires a lot of high maintenance to remain fresh. I didn’t try it myself, but the chicken donburi and takoyako were both very good. I also tried the imported Citrus drink that was also tasty. I don’t know if it was my mind, but the rice seemed to have some sort of very slight lavender aftertaste to it which was …interesting …overall good experience.

Very good food and lovely service. The ambiance is spacious and uplifting. I had the shrimp cabbage pancakes which were delicious and a huge portion. My friend got the tofu, also tasty and huge. Great prices too

Aileen Pagtakhan

From the moment you walk in the door, the vibe is welcoming and chill. I ordered the katsu curry don and it fulfilled my craving! Danny, the manager, took good care of me and all the customers present. Good food, good service, good people.

C.

Traditional Japanese fare. I was surprised to see unagi on the menu… that says a lot about the quality of their kitchen as sea urchin gets spoiled very quickly and requires a lot of high maintenance to remain fresh. I didn’t try it myself, but the chicken donburi and takoyako were both very good. I also tried the imported Citrus drink that was also tasty. I don’t know if it was my mind, but the rice seemed to have some sort of very slight lavender aftertaste to it which was …interesting …overall good experience.

Jack

Very good food and lovely service. The ambiance is spacious and uplifting. I had the shrimp cabbage pancakes which were delicious and a huge portion. My friend got the tofu, also tasty and huge. Great prices too

Donburi is a traditional Japanese rice meal in a bowl and that is what you get. KoKoLo is very casual but don’t let that fool you. The decor is based on Japanese styling. It is spacious enough with plenty of seating and quiet for conversation. The food is flavorsome and very filling. Pair it with a good beer and you are all set.

I really enjoyed the unagi donburi and the hamachi Kama from Kokolo. We ordered takeout from DoorDash and the wait was minimal. I would say that despite my dishes hitting the spot, some of the dishes (like the mapo tofu) were lacking. Will try a few more items to see if the quality holds true throughout the rest of their dishes.

Been driving by for a few months now and finally got a chance to try the outdoor service. We ordered the Beef Waygu and the Chicken Katsu. The Waygu was amazing! The soup broth was on point and everything in the bowl tasted fresh and authentic. The Katsu had good flavor, but the chicken was a little on the chewy side. They have good Japanese beer and sake though, so it made up for the chicken. The staff was also super friendly and nice. The host took care of us incredibly! Will come back and try more dishes here. And try to take pictures before it gets devoured!

Andrew

Donburi is a traditional Japanese rice meal in a bowl and that is what you get. KoKoLo is very casual but don’t let that fool you. The decor is based on Japanese styling. It is spacious enough with plenty of seating and quiet for conversation. The food is flavorsome and very filling. Pair it with a good beer and you are all set.

George Dy

I really enjoyed the unagi donburi and the hamachi Kama from Kokolo. We ordered takeout from DoorDash and the wait was minimal. I would say that despite my dishes hitting the spot, some of the dishes (like the mapo tofu) were lacking. Will try a few more items to see if the quality holds true throughout the rest of their dishes.

Cody Cassani

Been driving by for a few months now and finally got a chance to try the outdoor service. We ordered the Beef Waygu and the Chicken Katsu. The Waygu was amazing! The soup broth was on point and everything in the bowl tasted fresh and authentic. The Katsu had good flavor, but the chicken was a little on the chewy side. They have good Japanese beer and sake though, so it made up for the chicken. The staff was also super friendly and nice. The host took care of us incredibly! Will come back and try more dishes here. And try to take pictures before it gets devoured!

Visited this restaurant as I was looking for a good Japanese curry eatery while in Alameda, the menu has a good amount of selections from appetizers to mains. I ordered a tonkatsu curry bowl, the katsu was on point, meat was tender and hearty in portion, good to share if you want a light meal but plentiful for a serving. The curry for me was on the lighter side, I prefer it a bit more darker and bold in flavor, it is what I am used to. I look forward to trying a different dish next time. But overall, this place has a nice vibe to it, Daniel was great and super hospitable.

Stephanie Umali

Visited this restaurant as I was looking for a good Japanese curry eatery while in Alameda, the menu has a good amount of selections from appetizers to mains. I ordered a tonkatsu curry bowl, the katsu was on point, meat was tender and hearty in portion, good to share if you want a light meal but plentiful for a serving. The curry for me was on the lighter side, I prefer it a bit more darker and bold in flavor, it is what I am used to. I look forward to trying a different dish next time. But overall, this place has a nice vibe to it, Daniel was great and super hospitable.

The food is just okay which is pretty disappointing considering how lovely the interior of the restaurant is. The chicken katsu don curry bowl wasn't very flavorful.

liyah

The food is just okay which is pretty disappointing considering how lovely the interior of the restaurant is. The chicken katsu don curry bowl wasn't very flavorful.

As of writing on June 26th, 2024. It seems this place has been closed for some time prior to this posted review day. Upon arriving I was surprised to see it closed even though it was listed as open online. There was also a pile mail at the entrance that appeared to have been there for quite some time. On Yelp it says it will not be reopening until late January of next year which would mean this place would be closed indefinitely. I was wanting to eat at this place again as I really enjoyed the curry bowls they made. It is saddening to know this restaurant is closed. Kokolo Donburi was a go to place for me because of the wider variety of Japanese rice bowls. With the closing of this restaurant, I don't really know any other restaurant similar to the experience I had here.

A Random Gamer 1

As of writing on June 26th, 2024. It seems this place has been closed for some time prior to this posted review day. Upon arriving I was surprised to see it closed even though it was listed as open online. There was also a pile mail at the entrance that appeared to have been there for quite some time. On Yelp it says it will not be reopening until late January of next year which would mean this place would be closed indefinitely. I was wanting to eat at this place again as I really enjoyed the curry bowls they made. It is saddening to know this restaurant is closed. Kokolo Donburi was a go to place for me because of the wider variety of Japanese rice bowls. With the closing of this restaurant, I don't really know any other restaurant similar to the experience I had here.

I don’t know if I went there the wrong time or what, the chicken karage is one of the worst I have ever had. It was super dry, over battered, and has a taste of old oil. Seriously, don’t order this.

leon luo

I don’t know if I went there the wrong time or what, the chicken karage is one of the worst I have ever had. It was super dry, over battered, and has a taste of old oil. Seriously, don’t order this.

Ordered jidori karaage, katsu curry don, and wagyu beef curry for take out. We got home to find out that we didn’t receive the katsu for katsu curry don. When we called to let them know they wouldn’t believe us and continuously emphasized that they packed the katsu for our order. Why would I waste my time and money to lie about not receiving an order I already paid for? They didn’t offer to make another katsu and said they would refund my katsu curry don. Terrible service.

April Park

Ordered jidori karaage, katsu curry don, and wagyu beef curry for take out. We got home to find out that we didn’t receive the katsu for katsu curry don. When we called to let them know they wouldn’t believe us and continuously emphasized that they packed the katsu for our order. Why would I waste my time and money to lie about not receiving an order I already paid for? They didn’t offer to make another katsu and said they would refund my katsu curry don. Terrible service.

The service and atmosphere are pretty good but the food is subpar. The rice tastes like minute rice, very watery. The breading on the katsudon was soggy, giving wet cornflakes vibes. Overall seems like the food sits around for a while before being reheat and served.

Kyle Townsend

The service and atmosphere are pretty good but the food is subpar. The rice tastes like minute rice, very watery. The breading on the katsudon was soggy, giving wet cornflakes vibes. Overall seems like the food sits around for a while before being reheat and served.