These days, it’s easy to make Japanese curry at home – just buy some rice, potatoes, chicken, and pre-made curry package to mix all together. However, to find some good Japanese curry at a restaurant can be daunting. These are my top three places in Orange County for this wondrous food.

For authentic and traditional curry, go to the food court at Mitsuwa Market in Costa Mesa. For a mere 7 bucks at Miyabi-Tei, you get rice, chicken cutlet, side salad, and a rich thick curry sauce with onions to smother all over. It’s often a popular place, so the lines can be long during lunch time. However, the food is worth it. The chicken cutlet is crispy and tender. The curry sauce is very flavorful and cooked for a good amount of time. It’s definitely not watered down like what you find in other places.

The old standby is at Curry House in Irvine. The food there is about average and may or may not be better than the curry you make at home. It’s a little bit pricey too. There’s a good variety of curry choices like beef, chicken katsu, or if you’re feeling adventurous, there’s curry spaghetti. Service may be a little slow during busy peak times, but overall, the food comes in a timely matter and is good and hearty!

Finally, the newest place for curry is at the Diamond Jamboree Plaza in Irvine. Curry House Coco Ichibanya has been opened for about a month now. The service is still a bit lacking, but they may improve and get out the kinks in time. The food is relatively simple to order – you choose the amount of rice, level of spiciness, and the multitude of different proteins. I opted for the Stewed Chicken and Chicken Cutlet combo. The Chicken Cutlet was crispy with a nice thin panko batter. It was very light and ethereal. The curry sauce was a bit spicy liked I ordered and flavorful. The portion size is just about right and filling. Coco Ichibanya is a fresh and welcomed new place to go for curry!

So, if you’re in the mood for curry, the O.C. is the place to be.