A decent, straightforward bowl of oyakodon. The sweet-savory dashi had good flavor, and the rice soaked it up perfectly. read more

Koko Izakaya - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Really nice spot for a late night eat and drink with a date or friends! Food smells really good and they have some nice games playing in the background. Servers seem really nice too read more

Koko Izakaya - Drinks - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Nice food and environment, provide both Japanese and Korean food, BBQ Galbi taste good read more

Koko Izakaya - Bento Box - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Koko Izakaya has a great atmosphere, and the vibes are just right! As mentioned on their menu, "A PLACE WHERE GOOD FOOD, DRINKS, AND PEOPLE COME TOGETHER." It's located in the Hacienda Center plaza between Marie Calendar's and Michael's. 4.5 rounded up to 5. SERVICE This is the only area needing improvement. Usually, only two servers are present, and water refills or check deliveries aren't quick. We've had to wave down servers twice to settle checks, though we weren't in a rush. We also heard a table next to us waiting impatiently and loudly yelled, "excuse me," to get a server's attention. FOOD - Takoyaki - Bento Box (spicy pork and chicken katsu) My partner and I ordered bento boxes the first time we visited. It comes with soup, salad, and a choice of sushi. There are several protein options. The portions are generous for the price, and everything was delicious and enjoyable. On our second visit, my party ordered quite a few items to try, and everything was tasty! The Flamin Dragon roll was set on fire while in foil and left for two minutes, which added a fun element to the experience. - Galbi Korean BBQ Short Ribs - Skewers: Chicken Thighs, Asparagus & Bacon, Rice Cake - Special Sushi: Caterpillar, Flamin Dragon Overall, it's a great spot to grab drinks, enjoy good food, and have a good time. The vibe is super chill. read more

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Nice to see another Izakaya spot pop up in Sunnyvale. This one has an extensive menu. Also lots of Japanese influences in the decor. Nice aesthetics. Clean and organized. Tried some of their skewers and plated items, including their garlic steak and grilled fish (saba). Food was tasty. Izakaya is generally not cheap but what's nice about it is you can order a bunch of small plates to try a wider variety of items. This restaurant is in a plaza that also houses Michael's and Safeway. Large shared parking lot is available. read more

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Definitely not impressed. When we walked in, we were pointed to a table. Not led to one. Pointed to one. When we said we needed a bit of time to look over the menu the server rudely told us: "order from the tablet then. It also has pictures" Well...as you can see from the pictures below, no pictures were on the tablet menu. Our appetizers came. Miso soup was warm, not hot and overwhelmingly salty, which meant it was not fresh. And there were no tofu pieces in it. Gyoza was the same story. Warm, not hot. I've also never have described sushi as "puffy" before, but my Philly roll was OVERLY caked in rice. Also all fish tasted off, so the fish was not fresh as well. This is the first time my partner and I left food on the plate. At no point did any staff check on us. I had high hopes for Koko. But we will definitely not be returning. read more

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Great food. Tried pork belly skewer and bibimbap, which came with miso soup and kimchi. Love the cute Japanese vibes in the store read more

Loved our dinner here! Chicken karaage was crispy and juicy, grilled shrimp skewers and California roll were both excellent. Fresh ingredients, cozy atmosphere, solid choice for Japanese comfort food in the area. Waiter is really responsive！ read more

Koko Izakaya - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Chill place to just hang out with friends and to go for a casual dinner. It's a Korean / Japanese izakaya featuring many drinks and food options (including appetizers, skewers and mains). We had tried their eggplant skewers, sukiyaki and sushi before and Id say the quality is also in the same order! The sushi is probably our least favourite - their spicy tuna is really spicy so order at your own risk! The eggplant skewers have always been solid but sometimes can be overly greasy. Same for the sukiyaki - but generally always tastes great! Esp the glass noodles! Service is average - and they do have an iPad for the table to order which is convenient! read more

I wanted so much to like this place. Cool rock n roll sushi vibe, everything looked new, lined up sushi bottles. Nice posters of sushi and donburi in the window. The menu was good, but turned out to be too good to be true. It had some traditional items. We actually came in for Curry Chicken Katsu, which was quite decent. Katsu was nicely breaded, curry was fresh and flavorful. The hot bowl had a Hawaiian looking item: the Spicy Kimchi Tuna Nabe. Or was it just some Korean fusion mashup. Anyways, I asked the guy, and he said it was a popular item. So we tried it out. The thing was more like tofu hotpot, with tuna chunks thrown in. It had glowing red hot oil floating on top. Even with rice, it was a little too spicy for what you'd expect in a Japanese bowl. We didn't finish. They had a lot of rolls, too, so we tried the 3 roll combo. Not bad, not great. Saved $10 off the three. The Jalapeno Bomb Roll was a baked spicy tuna thing, with a creamy topping. I liked this the best. Sexy cassanova and El Camino were more like spicy tuna rainbow roll variations. I guess we were tricked into buying 3 fancy rolls, and we were pretty full. When finishing up, I tried deconstructing the rolls, to eat the "expensive" parts. I have to say, eating the fish itself, sashimi style, revealed the mediocre quality of the fish. Dunno, if you like innovative fusion places, with a fun vibe and friendly service, come give it a try. But looking for familiar dishes, with good quality? Maybe not on a midweek night. read more

Koko Izakaya - Rolls a plenty. Baked fancy rolls better, sashimi topped rolls a little too brave for the quality of fish. - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

A new Izakaya style restaurant doing both Korean and Japanese dishes! A very interesting spot - rather than doing fusion they just do both mentioned cuisines. I really like the ambiance/lighting of this spot. They have lot of hanging lanterns that cast a lot of soft light across the whole restaurant. Seating seems decent, if somewhat small. Me and my party of 8 ordered a variety of dishes. Portions at this restaurant were huge! And there's a decent variety of stuff to choose from. The sushi flight is very value for the price, and the holy shit roll was surprisingly very spicy but fun to eat. The Spiderman and the El Camino were pretty standard but definitely good. I also tried some of my friend's katsu curry and while the katsu was a little tough, the curry was very good! I personally ordered a bento box with chicken teriyaki and combo tempura, and it was huge! The tempura was maybe a little thick, but the fresh tempura was super tasty, and the portion of tempura was exceptionally big! I ended up taking over half of my bento home. Overall, I would recommend this spot for their solid food, huge portions and value. Definitely get the sushi flight or the bento boxes. read more

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I had Andy as my server he was awesome! Not only that, the food is absolutely delicious and the service is soo fast.. I just put in the order for my roll on the ipad and it came out like a min later. No wait at all, lol.. Also, the rolls are huuuge look at my picture.. They have happy hour on Tuesday and Wednesdays , so Im definitely coming back for the rolls and any other specials.. Thanks , Andy for the great service! read more

Koko Izakaya - One piece is bigger than my hand! - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Very good Good service and food is amazing Nice aesthetic Food came quick as well read more

We went here for my husband's bday and OH DANG did I suffer! Hahaha! The staff was super attentive and friendly. We even talked about one of the rolls, "holy sheit!". There were a lot of different food here and the ones we got was pretty good. If you really want to challenge yourself and burn your butt, try that "holy sheit". read more

Tried Koko Izakaya a couple days after the name change and new ownership. They're doing 20% off right now for online and in‑store, which is a nice excuse to sample a bunch of dishes. Overall... pretty okay, with hits and misses. Least fave was the beef teriyaki. The meat needed a real sear, so it ate wet and flat, which hurt extra at $28. Agedashi tofu was underseasoned and didn't have that light, crisp shell I expect. Rice and salad were fine. California roll and rainbow roll were basic and pricey, but the fried scallop topping was a fun touch. Beef tongue was cooked nicely, the sauce just didn't land. The spiral sausages were underseasoned but not tragic. Best bite for me was the sake maki. Would I rush back? Probably not. Was it worth a try with the discount? Yeah. If you go, stick to the simpler sushi and the tongue, and maybe skip the teriyaki until the kitchen finds its groove. read more

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Good food and atmosphere, would recommend. Attentive service and clean environment. We came for dinner, will try lunch another time. read more

Koko Izakaya - Good atmosphere and food, will come back. - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Craving Korean and Japanese food? This is the perfect spot because you can get both in the same place. We got the chicken and scallop skewers. The chicken one was the highlight as the meat was fresh and delicious. For the combination bento we ordered tempura and gyoza. The batter on the tempura was thicker than traditional Japanese places. Not a bad thing if you like thick batter. We also got the beef tofu soup which was hearty and good comfort food. The banchan on the side were all right. Overall this place has potential. Currently offering 20 percent off and will eventually have happy hour pricing. read more

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Oysters here are great! Love the skewers and rolls too. I come here almost every other week read more

Koko Izakaya - Love the skewers and hotpot here! The Holysheit roll is - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

*3.9* My boyfriend and I stumbled upon Koko Izakaya while searching for somewhere new to eat. This used to be Sakebomb, but they changed ownership three weeks ago into what it is now. Since it's still their grand opening, they're offering 20% off the entire bill. The service was friendly and prompt. The interior decor stood out to me and made the atmosphere feel homey. The menu's pretty extensive, with a mix of Korean and Japanese dishes so there's probably something for everyone. Food: - Raw oysters: I'm not the biggest fan of chunky oysters so these were a good size. The oysters didn't taste fishy or too briny, and had a subtle amount of creaminess that lingers on your tongue at the end. Half a dozen/$24 - Assorted Skewers (7pcs): This included eggplant, asparagus, shishito peppers, chicken, pork belly, sausage, and shrimp. They weren't anything special as we thought some lacked flavor (ex. asparagus, pork belly, chicken). We definitely were surprised by the small size/quantity of the some of the skewers as this plate was $25. - We tried three of their special rolls - the In & Out Mango Roll ($21), Sexy Casanova Roll ($23), and Titanic Roll ($26). Unfortunately, they didn't live up to expectations. While the fish was clearly fresh, the rolls themselves lacked the creativity or flavor you'd hope for at that price point. Honestly, the prices here are a bit steeper than what I'm used to seeing at Izakayas and regular sushi spots in the South Bay Area. read more

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Food here is absolutely delicious, with a nice cozy atmosphere. I especially liked the raider roll, fire dragon, and the oysters read more

Koko Izakaya - Oysters - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

The ild Sale Bomb sushi te concepted. Seems pretty similar to the old place maybe less sushi? They switcherood July 15 ! read more

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Sorry Sis. I tried to like Koko, as there was a dish you wanted to try. In the end, it left me scratching my head internally more than it should. So, Koko Izakaya/ここ, "here" in Japanese, is an izakaya on Sunnyvale's El Camino. The trait of the place to keep in mind is that it is a Japanese and Korean izakaya. It also is noted for its oysters. There were parties chatting away, making the place lively. A statement I need to bring up before I give the good and the ugly. The place was ready to get a 3 from me, but there is a logical reason why I dropped a star, a reason that popped into my mind just minutes before I started typing this review. Okay. Onto the nitty gritty. The good parts. To be honest, there weren't that many. The check up to see if we're okay was there, and of course, this is an izakaya trying to have a Korean touch added on. Oh, the ugly parts. Normally, I penalize places for not having a kid friendly or decaf drink outside of water. Thank goodness I'm grading an izakaya. Otherwise, the place would get docked for it. I still don't like its drink list though since it doesn't carry my go to sake in Sayuri's among others. While I'm on the subject of drinks, don't be fooled by the 4 star rating as of today, the 2nd of February. Way too many of the perfect star reviews are short so that people could get a free drink. Without the short 5 star reviews, the place is a low 3. (I got it calculated and did the math, although I didn't make 1000 songs that made you move it fast. You're welcome everyone.) I don't remember everything multiple siblings ordered. I do remember a scenario. Typically, when you take a while to figure out what you want, it's because you can't decide on the many amount of choices that are good. In my scenario, I took a while because there's not an ideal amount of choices that made me take advantage of what's supposed to be the trait that makes this izakaya different from others. So, I got a galbi skewers set and vegetable udon on my set. The udon's there. Supposedly, the set has 3 skewers, but I only got 2. Whether or not it's a nerves thing, I don't know, as we went on a Sunday afternoon. Multiple siblings wanted to try the intestines plate, but they found it to be a disappointment. I remember the siblings saying that the staff needed to have the parts cleaned. (It's a Korean method I hear.) Usually, I get the best dish out of the family, but my sis got the best one in the mentaiko cream udon pasta. The logical reason. I figured that there'd be a part I miss if I didn't review the menu online. Good that I did because I so would have missed the severe flaw of the bungeoppang/ahboong/taiyaki scenario. (Read my Snowtime review if you actually don't know the difference between the two treats.) Now, because of this headache scenario, I go from giving the place a 3 to a 2. Koko is a flawed spot. While it has spunk, the place carries too many flaws. This is probably the lowest I have ranked a Japanese spot, and I figured that the place would know Japanese precision well enough to be an okay spot at worst, but it just doesn't. If you want to try a daring izakaya, sure, go try this spot. If you want a Japanese or Korean food place with precision, stick with your regulars. +/The place has the check up hospitality part down along with the boldness to be a Japanese and Korean izakaya. -/Koko hopes of a perfect score are killed instantly because of bad technique and flaws regarding its menu overall, especially with it not showcasing its ace well enough. read more

Service was fast, food was delicious, and the restaurant was clean. Place was packed when we came in read more

Koko Izakaya - Special Roll Flight - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

I stopped in for lunch for the first time today and was blown away by the service. Shawn, my waiter, was fantastic right from the start. He was so thoughtful--he specifically recommended I take the corner seat by the glass windows, which turned out to be the most comfortable and relaxing spot in the house. On his suggestion, I ordered the Army Soup, and it was delicious. Throughout the meal, Shawn checked in just enough to make sure I was taken care of without being intrusive. The general vibe here is wonderful; it felt really warm and communal. Seeing a mother enjoying a bonding lunch with her son at the next table and groups of friends catching up nearby just added to the great atmosphere. Highly recommend asking for Shawn if you visit! Definitely coming back with the kids! read more

Koko Izakaya - Army Soup - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

I love a good Japanese restaurant that has all the things, so we can all get what we're craving even when we want different aspects of Japanese food! My husband was craving skewers and curry rice , I wanted a grilled chicken rice bowl , and the kids wanted sushi so this was the perfect spot ! It replaced another Japanese restaurant that used to be in this plaza with Safeway and Michael's. Order from the iPad at the table, though the server was very attentive as well. The menu is huge ranging from bento boxes to curry dishes to rice bowls to udon noodles to hot pot to sushi, etc.. They serve sake, beer, and wine We tried a variety of things and thought everything was good The saba fish was nice and juicy. My husband enjoyed his chicken and shisito pepper skewers and his chicken Katsu curry, though personally I thought the ratio of fried batter skin to actual chicken was too high . The Oyakodon was delicious with super fluffy egg caked over tender chicken . We enjoyed our two sushi rolls - they have an apple amount of options from classic rolls to House signature rolls. The sashimi cuts in the sushi tasted fresh. We'll be back ! read more

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We came here because they had yakotori and nabe on the menu. We got the bulgogi nabe - the soup was slightly sweet and kinda reminded me of sukiyaki. The skewers and tempura were good as well. The restaurant was spacious and good for big and small parties, and the server was very attentive in refilling our water. read more

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Very tasty casual izakaya! The best tasting was the galbi bbq beef.The service is good and they're very nice to answer your questions . read more

Koko Izakaya - Galbi BBQ Short Ribs - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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Foods are very basic and mediocre. Unfortunately for them, bay area is full of good Izakaya places and Japanese food in general. Price here is the same or even slightly more expensive than the other places. No reason to come here. Note that 5 stars review here are mostly in exchange of free drink, you can tell from the short comments they left. We ordered grilled salmon, sushi, and skewers. Skewers are lacking selection and they are all smothered with overly powering generic teriyaki sauce and/or bulgogi sauce you can get at any asian supermarket. They all have one-tone sweet flavors. The skewers don't have smoky taste at all. The sushi is very basic, and lacking fish. The fishes are soo thinly sliced you can barely taste them. At the end of the day, the foods taste like a typical generic "Asian food" that an ignorant American would make. Everything has very basic taste profile and meh texture. read more

Koko Izakaya - Great food. Service is fast - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Had two bento boxes and the California roll. The fried gyoza was good, between the teriyaki chicken, teriyaki beef, and the tonkotsu pork the beef was the best, followed closely by the chicken. The tonkatsu was a bit dry. California rolls are basic so it was that. The atmosphere was nice and calm. It was also very clean. The server was kind and came by just enough however not too much as to be overbearing even when we were taking our time. The price is decent and pretty typical of a restaurant that has bento boxes. I will be coming back again when we are wanting that bento box dinners that make it easy to choose and always works out. read more

New korean japanese izakaya spot that has a pretty decent deal for their special rolls-- order 3 rolls for $50! The sushi rolls were sooo fat! Pretty good value for the price. The bulgogi nabe was a bit sweet. The assorted skewers was fun to try but I just wish it was easier to share amongst the group. Mentaiko udon pasta was very garlicky and not as creamy. read more

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Food is great! Fast service and cooking! Great place to dine. There's plenty of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. There's also a great mix of Korean and Japanese cuisine. read more

Koko Izakaya - Chicken curry katsu and sushi combo - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Amazing food, the bento box was good value! Service was so good, we accidentally spilled water, a little bit got on our devices, they helped up clean it up! The ambiance was like an authentic Japanese restaurant. P.S I ate a little bit. read more

Koko Izakaya - Chicken teriyaki, tonkatsu, salad, oranges, rice - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Overall, I'd say the experience was fine. Koko is not an authentic Japanese izakaya spot, more of a generic Japanese/Korean hybrid restaurant with a large variety of food on the menu that's all reasonably tasty. With a larger crowd, picky eaters, or less adventurous eaters, this might be a good pick to find at least a few things that'll please everyone. We came with a group of 7 on a Tuesday evening and the restaurant was pretty empty, no wait and no reservation necessary. Ordering was easy on the tablet, service was pretty consistent, food came out quickly. We ordered a bunch of rolls, some appetizers, some skewers and grilled entrees to share. I'd say everything tasted reasonable - nothing wowed me, nothing disappointed me, everything passed muster and was good to share with a larger group with a spectrum of dietary preferences. But price was pretty high for the casual atmosphere and more generic quality of food. Came out to about $50/person (excluding drinks) and I wasn't quite full at the end still. PROS: - no wait, pretty easy to get a table even for a larger group - easy parking - large variety of food options on the menu, including Korean staples (bibimbap, galbi, etc.) - easy ordering, relatively fast service - food was consistent and fit lots of palettes CONS: - price - this is my biggest complaint, for a "quantity+variety over quality" restaurant, I'd expect $50/person to have everyone leaving stuffed to the brim with food and drinks, but Koko left me wanting more and feeling a bit underwhelmed - food was all okay, but a little generic, nothing stood out Final take: it was fine, probably good spot for a large group, but nothing memorable and I wouldn't specifically seek it out again read more

Food has been overall good. Great service. Awesome decor. Plus can't argue against happy hour Tuesday and Thursday!

Great atmosphere inside, and a lot of variety of food. The service is interesting, you order on a screen and pay at the end. read more

Koko Izakaya - Menu - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

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The Tonkotsu Ramen was delicious! So was the hot sake Service is fast and polite. You can also order via touch screen. read more

Koko Izakaya - The Tonkotsu Ramen was delicious! So was the hot sake - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Skewers were so good. Server was really accommodating. The chicken skewers were tender but the skin was crispy. Pork belly had nice fat to it. I like the red lantern decorating the place and the low lighting fit the izakaya vibe read more

Koko Izakaya - Chicken thigh skewers and pork belly skewers - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

3.5/5 rounded up since they are still new in grand opening! It's an izakaya really meant for drinking, but overall their Korean food is quite decent. * Galbi (4/5) - taste is good, balanced notes of sweet and savory. Decent portion for $35, and well cooked. * Motsu Nabe (4/5) - beef intestines hot pot. I liked the dish overall. Good amounts of intestine and veggies like cabbage. The soup looks red, but it is actually a mild and comforting broth. * Garlic Grilled Beef Intestines Gopchang (3/5) - taste is decent! I just feel the portion could be bit bigger for $35. * Spicy kimchi tuna nabe (3/5) - it's ok. My least liked dish. The broth leads strong with kimchi sourness and fishy notes from the tuna. I'm assuming they use pre-packaged bagged kimchi, as it was very fermented and tart. Bold is an accurate description for the broth. read more

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Stopped by late night and enjoyed the katsu curry with a roll! The grand opening 20% discount was especially nice! Great service and very nice! read more

Koko Izakaya - Korean Near Me - Sunnyvale, California

Came here to try the new restaurant after it has been transferred to new ownership. Was pleasantly surprised with the items that we got. The skewers were definitely the highlight of the meal along with the gopchang which had a very clean taste and was paired nicely with the fajita vegetables. The KFC chicken had very good texture, but I wish there was more meat. As for the sake roll, it was pretty standard. Interior was cozy, and the staff were very attentive and welcoming. read more

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