When arriving at Kokoro in Lafayette, Indiana you are greeted with this warning: our food is prepared by the chef so it may take an hour and a half to be served." Were we up for it? Absolutely!
We decided to do what we would have done at home: drink a glass of wine and chit-chat.
Kokoro in Lafayette, Indiana
I chose Kokoro because they are known for their sushi. My husband is a huge fan of sushi so I was happy to surprise him with a restaurant that deals with it! At Kororo, there's more than sushi here (and I knew that going in). Whatever you order, it all has a Chef Tony twist.
It's nice in here with an eclectic yet comfortable mix of decor. It felt large and spacious -those light fixtures are so great! There's a few more reminders up about the long wait time so that there is no confusion.
The menu was full of sushi. I know my husband was beside himself with glee! The way the place smelled was so good-I knew that it would all turn out wonderful. Spoiler alert: I was right!
Since dinner would take some time, we decided to order the calamari appetizer. Now, if you have ever eaten calamari and thought it was rubbery and gross, it only tastes that way when it has been overcooked! Done correctly, it is amazing. That's what we were hoping for.
Menu at Kokoro
For entrees, my husband knew he was going to get the sushi. There's a ton of options! Cajun sushi, Bahama sushi, and even Lafayette sushi. They were, unfortunately, out of his first choice, the spicy rainbow (a sushi made with seven kinds of fish) but our server recommended the Alaskan sushi in its place. It features salmon avocado, cream cheese, and cucumber.
I was having a bit of trouble deciding between the ginger pork, Thai fire chicken (because I LOVE Thai food), and the pork katsu curry. I decided I needed a second opinion. Asking the server is always the best idea! He said that they are all good BUT that the curry is amazing, that it takes hours of preparation. Well, that sounded like something I needed to try!
So my husband and I settled in. It was later in the evening so there weren't many other people. But everyone was having a good time, laughing, sipping their drinks (there is a full drink menu), and enjoying the food as it was brought out. We couldn't wait to get ours! My husband went for the Tokyo bloody Mary, Shochu, bloody Mary mix, Japanese peppers and wasabi-filled olives. He can't handle spicy foods (no, you can't!) so, although he thought it was great, those olives were just too much for him. I, on the other hand, loved it! It was different from the typical bloody Mary (that we have perfected at home).
Lafayette, Indiana Restaurant
Our calamari was the best I have ever had and remember, we've lived on both coasts so we've had plenty! This had a delicious breading and two dipping sauces. It was so good! Served with chopsticks, it was really fun to eat after I got the hang of it. We fought over the last piece so I cheated and stabbed at it. I won!
After tasting the calamari we became more excited for our entree! When it arrived, I was shocked at the size of the portions! Can you say "humongous?"
My husband's sushi was also larger than the typical smaller sushi sizing. I didn't even try a bite of his because of my curry-he couldn't believe how wonderful it was either! It had this phenomenal crispy coating and the curry sauce itself was just...incredible. I don't even know what was in it or what it was made of. All I know is that I had enough of a portion leftover that I had it for THREE more meals! I was rather full from my drinks and the calamari (also a generous portion) so I think it would typically make two meals.
Go There
The server told me that it gets better with age and reheating and oh my goodness was he right. Each meal was just as good as the first. Kid #1 was around so I let him share it with me. He absolutely loved it too.
Know going in that it WILL take awhile. That's all there is to it. Be patient. TALK to each other. Make some memories-and enjoy darn good food.
All images were taken with my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE phone courtesy of Verizon Wireless. It was supposed to be a date night but it was so good I had to take pics to share with all of you.Small Towns: Destinations, not Drive-Thrus! I'm Jessica Nunemaker and THIS is little Indiana!
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