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Taste: ate here on a Monday night, busy. Despite the high demand of customers present, food came prompt and still very hot. (Mixed tempura) we had the Niagara sushi, that was served with a generous amount of cheese sauce! and had some crunchy bits on the topping along with the roe... may have been Panko crumbs ? But worked so well with the Niagara sushi in itself. The beef teriyaki was tender, juicy and was marinated well with the teriyaki sauce.. would probably suggest a bit of tangy dressing on the salad served on the side. The mixed tempura had a pretty good variety of vegetables and 2 pieces of prawn. The cuts was not too big, not too small which was perfect as an added dish to share as it was not too filling on its own, was served with a good sized bowl of tempura dipping sauce.
Look: very elegant and pleasant
Service: very friendly staff, and quick service.
Ambience/crowd: busy but pleasant
Location: a bit difficult to find parking
Price/value for money: a bit steep, but worth the money.
My daughter insisted that on her birthday she should get to pick the restaurant for dinner. Her immediate choice…..the Smiley Face Restaurant. Ok, so that is not it’s real name but you can understand my daughters confusion. Kokoro is a Japanese restaurant that has been in Gungahlin for ages. We have been going to Kokoro for about 6 years now. In fact I remember going the first time when my daughter was a baby. I have tried most of the menu and have never been disappointed. The people are also super nice. The chefs yell out hello to you from the kitchen as you walk in and the service has always been great, even when my kids have trashed the place. They have an excellent lunch menu where you can get $12 udon noodle soups (hmmm miso-licious) and bento boxes. I am working on a replica udon soup but it hasn’t been perfected yet. The noodles are easy as you can buy them pre-made but the broth has to be delicate and delicious, with just the right amount of miso. Broths are hard.
Kokoro is a hidden gem in Gungahlin! Who'd have thought you could find such great sashimi, katsu and bento box this far north in Canberra!
The seafood was fresh, sauces flavoursome and the quality was absolutely superb. Loved the flavours, decor, service and the overall experience! It's definitely worth the visit, Kokoro is Canberra's own tiny little slice of Japan!
Domo arigato Kokoro!
The sushi rolls are very creative and the volcano and Niagara are my favourite. The soft shell crab salad is nice. However, the tempura and set meals taste alright.
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After heading to our favourite Japanese restaurant in Dickson to find it was closed we headed out to Gungahlin to try Kokoro for the first time. I'd read some read good reviews so I had pretty high expectations! We arrived at about 7pm on a Saturday night and didn't have a booking. The restaurant was quite full but we were lucky to get a table for two. We love Japanese food and ordered a selection of dishes including agedashi tofu, okonomoyaki, seaweed salad, gyoza, a sushi set and tempura. Everything was delicious and the service was excellent too. I don't like it when you order heaps of dishes and it all comes out at once. So I was really happy when they asked us if we wanted to wait a few minutes before bringing out the sushi and tempura. They're not licensed so if you want a drink make sure you bring your own. I had a blooming peach tea and it was lovely. I'd say it's mid-range when it comes to price. Not as cheap as the one we go to in Dickson but there's others that are more expensive. I'm glad we ventured out to Gungahlin to try this restaurant and we will definitely be returning. If you have a big table I would recommend that you book a table!
If anyone's around this area, drop everything and head to kokoro for lunch or dinner.
I seem to have lost my photo on the Yosenabe udon, but that dish blew me off my mind. That was literally a King portion serve of udon jam packed with an assorted mix of seafood. Crab, mussels, clams, prawns and squid (just to name a few).
One thing to note, they do close briefly after lunch and before dinner, so do make sure that you check or give them a call before heading down. And if you're planning to go for dinner on a Friday or Saturday night, do make a reservation beforehand.
Kokoro is a pleasant restaurant situated near Coles in the Gungahlin shopping area. It offers lunch specials and a variety of Japanese food and also is a place where you can try the Blooming Tea which is pretty to look at and nice to drink. As both Lindsay and Alexi desired sushi, sashimi, takoyaki, etc., ta decision was made to try a banquet for two people and thus this blog entry will be a little different to the normal entries.
If you're in the capital city and you like Japanese, come to this place. We've only been to two other Japanese places in this city (Acton and Dickson) and this place beats them hands down. We had a seafood yaki udon, a miso ramen, a soft shelled crab salad, a couple of miso soups and a floral tea. All were good to very good, and the service was friendly, courteous and reasonably quick. The only downside is its location. Traffic from the city to Gungahlin can be tricky (especially for dinner). Work that in your schedule/plan and it'd be worth the while, if you crave Japanese while in this city...
Outstanding Japanese food at very reasonable prices. Their sashimi is always fresh, takoyaki is just like having it in Japan, and 'main meal' dishes are generous servings. The tea is expensive for some reason ($7/pot), but otherwise all priced well.
Authentic Japanese cuisine, was greeted with 'Irashaemase' as we walked in the door. Overall pleasant dining experience.
Great meal. Went here after hearing some good things. Left completely satisfied. Ate the teriyaki salmon, my partner the teriyaki chicken. Both clean tasting, fresh flavours. The chrysanthemum tea was a wonderful addition . Nice atmosphere in there too.
Just watch out, it can be tricky to find... Is off the main drag, just past Wok it Up.
Well worth the effort.
Reliablely satisfying. Consistent in quality & friendly staff. Only criticism is the occasional running out of items when busy, & the lack of turnover in the menu selections. I've heard some patrons note that many of the staff are not actually Japanese -- but it is unfair to make such a comment when we don't expect Italian restaurants to have Italian staff etc.
Amazing.. I tried Kokoro for my first time this evening and I loved it. The staff were absolutely amazing. Extremely welcoming. The food itself is beautiful. So tasty. I highly recommend it.
Fantastic. My favourite restaurant in Canberra. Staff are very welcoming. They greet you when you arrive and when you leave. The food is fantastic, every last bit of everything I've ordered, cooked / not cooked. Do NOT be put off when friends suggest this place even if you don't like (or haven't tried) sushi/sashimi, there is so much MORE to chose from. $25 for entree wagyu is enough to throw anyone off, especially me BUT when I had it, it was heaven! I go to Kokoro for the Sashimi but also had crab salad, katsu don & teriyaki (which is the best teriyaki Ive ever had!) to name a few - all perfect in my opinion. You know what, I'm going to book now!
Loved this place! Great atmosphere and good food. The service was friendly and welcoming. I'm so glad there's finally some good Japanese in Gungahlin! Will definitely be back.
What a great little place. Good service and even better food. We will be back!
Awesome every time!. Been there quite a few times and the food is superb every time. The agedashi tofu is divine. Staff are friendly and the place is nicely decorated. Not the cheapest Japanese meal around (but not overly expensive either), but the food is pretty good quality.
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We all like Japanese food, so I made a booking at Kokoro Japanese Restaurant. I don’t drive to Gungahlin often, so I plugged the address (40 Hibberson Street) into googlemaps which led us to the central shopping market place. We found a parking spot behind Aldi and proceeded to walk around the block to find the restaurant. After one lap, we still couldn’t find it. Looking at Kokoro’s website, it states the restaurant is facing Gungahlin Place East which unfortunately doesn’t help when you have no idea where Gungahlin Place is or have any sense of direction. I later found out Gungahlin Place East is the name of the street (not the brightest when I’m hungry). My friends advised it was near Coles, which took us across the road and around the corner. The inside of the restaurant is lit with a warm glow and we are welcomed in by staff members. Wooden slabs have been cut thinly and featured as the main decor throughout the restaurant giving a slight rustic cool feel. I like it. We started off with the crab claw ($10) which came in a serve of four with Japanese vinaigrette. The deep fried outer shell was just perfectly crumbed and not too oily, and the whole thing is stuffed full with soft crab meat. I really enjoyed it. Not to mention you get a small side salad and lencon chip too. I really wanted to try one of Kokoro’s special makisushi. Prices are a little steep at $21.50 each but they sounded good. I decided on the ‘Volcano’ which is rolled with tempura prawn, cucumber and crab topped with spicy cheese sauce. The menu mentions a tuna ball but I couldn’t taste it. It did look like a volcano had erupted. I could immediately smell the wasabi which was thankfully put on the side. The tempura prawn had lost a bit of its cri
Tales Of A Confectionist
+4.5
Who knew you could find decent Japanese at the G! I will be back to order some noodles and Kokoro’s special makisushi. Thanks for the recommendation Katie!
I have been regular since I had a spicy sashimi don which can remind my hometown. Their staff always provide good customer service as well.
Difficult to know whether to give a 4 or 5.
We have been turned down many times due to not making a booking or because they had run out of sushi. ( Yes, true!)
Service excellent.
The sushi and sashimi platter and the takoyaki were very good, gyoza good, pork donburi ok.
Good value for $.
They are one of the longest running restaurants in Gungahlin town centre have been consistent over the years. I don't see any ups or downs.
I’d recommend dining in rather than ordering takeaway if possible. Their sushi rolls is highly recommended.
One of the best places for traditional Japanese food in Canberra. It is reasonably priced and the seafood always tastes fresh. The menu is large and they do lunchtime bento boxes.
My personal favourite is the udon and sushi set - best of both worlds!
Always a great spot for dinner. Excellent food and great staff. The Lencon chips are a hit.
My partner and I really enjoy eating here, the sashimi is always fresh and they have a large selection of dishes on the menu. Staff are always lovely.
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