kokobento eat different in Lancaster

Short Story: We went to Koko Bento in Lancaster for the first time today and had a really awful experience. Everything was normal, the service was nice and the restaurant was pretty quiet (went at 17.30pm ish). We were shown to our table by waitress no.2 and left to pick our food. When looking at the menu, we noticed that it specified if the chicken dishes had thigh meat. So my husband chose the "Mochiko Chicken Curry" because he really doesn't like thigh meat (makes him feel sick). When the mains arrived, he took a bite and said that it was definitely thigh meat and that he couldn't eat it. He flagged waitress no.1 and said to her that he was really sorry, but the main was chicken thigh meat and that he couldn't eat it, so please could he send it back and get another main. Waitress no.1 said that because he had ordered it and didn't ask about the meat, that it was his fault. My husband repeated again he was sorry, but he couldn't eat the food so could he change meal. Then waitress no.1 went and asked waitress no.2 (who was downstairs) who said it was our fault and that the ingredients were already used so he had to pay for the food he couldn't eat plus a new main. We said politely that this wasn't right and that we wouldn't pay for the main that my husband didn't eat. The other waiter then brang my main (which was good and I thanked him) and saw that it was getting a bit heated and he tried descalate the situation which we thanked him for. Waitress no.1 then rang the manager who wasn't in and tried to make us speak to this manager over the phone (while I was eating my main), which was pretty rude and inappropriate. After my husband said he didn't want to talk to a manager over the phone and that again he wouldn’t be paying for food he didn't eat - we were left alone by the waitresses. When I finished my main, we went downstairs to pay the bill.  Waitress no.2  was at the till and asked if we were going to pay for "everything" in an annoyed tone. And we calmly said we wanted to pay but wouldn't pay for the mochiko chicken curry that wasn't eaten. She then began to argue at us that it was our fault, didn't we know this was a business, we should pay because they had wasted ingredients, etc, in a raised voice, which was very unprofessional. We again said that yes, we could have double-checked about the chicken in the dish, but as it wasn't eaten that we categorically weren't paying for it but were happy to pay for everything else. She then told us to take a seat because she was ringing the police. We said that was fine and sat down at the counter and waited. The call went on for a few minutes before she ended it and walked back to the till and said we could pay now. The till has a screen where you can see the order items and the total bill. We could see she had taken off the mochiko chicken curry, and we paid the bill. My husband asked. "So the police said that you couldn't force us to pay then?". Waitress no. 2 then began to raise her voice at us, saying the same spiel that she had said before she rang the police. My husband said let's just leave it and go and told her she was being really unprofessional and that it was wild that she had tried to get us arrested over a dish we didn't eat. As we left the restaurant, she shouted that we were pathetic and told us don't come back. I said, "Don't worry, we won't ever come back" (sort of laughing because I was so taken aback and shocked by her behaviour to customers). She then tried to mock me as we walked out of the restaurant. I'm posting this to let other people know that this could happen to them if they don't like a dish they've ordered at Koko. We obviously won't be coming back, and it's a real shame that this was how the restaurant handled this as it was our first time eating there. It could have been sorted really easily, but that's not how it played out, unfortunately, and we ended up having a horrible time when we wanted to go for a nice meal together. I've attached a picture of the end of our meal, showing that my husband didn't touch his food. Thanks

The beef bento and pork bento are great. All side dishes are delightful, especially the stir fried vegetables. The best Japanese restaurant in Lancashire.

As a first time visit I was impressed with the food a wide choice to choose from very friendly staff and quick service,will definitely be back to try more

Food was tasty, but I asked to swap the rice in my bento box for a seaweed salad, which they agreed to but then charged me an extra £4 for at the end. Wouldn't mind but they didn't say that when I asked to swap, and it was a tiny seaweed salad, which is an absolute rip off for what I got, bringing my bento box to £21. The food is fine but massively overpriced.

Firstly waited an age to get our food, other tables in after us were eating before us. I got my huli huli chicken first, but my wife's chicken katsu took ages to arrive, infact I was almost finished before it arrived.

Had a spur of the moment "it's too hot to cook, let's go and get food". First time at Kokobento. I had the tofu with hulihuli sauce which was delish, and my partner the chicken katsu which he really enjoyed. Fabulous staff, perfect level of attentiveness but not in your face.

Lovely food had a Bento beef meal fresh ingredients , good service well worth a try ! Pretty simple decor but it's the food that counts !!

I had amazing teriyaki with loads of interesting meal options and a great way to discover some authentic Japanese cuisine. Lovely team and excellent detail and decor, sadly only visiting whilst at RLI but will have a to pop back for lunch before I go tomorrow!

BEWARE ALL VEGETARIANS. I ordered tempeh but was given chicken. realised too late and ate some. when we called they weren’t too bothered and barely said sorry. it definitely ruined my day and made me feel sick. was offered to get a second delivery but i will never eat from there ever again. response to the owner: i really dont have to explain myself, but i realised after a second bite, i eat a lot of fake meat so didnt realise what i was eating and forgot what i even ordered. my partner said to you that he threw it in the bin and that we don’t want a redelivery cause i was feeling sick for hours after the experience, very disrespectful suggesting that i wouldve eaten the whole thing which is a lie… i suppose your answer here-trying to blame me for your mistake-is also a very good snapshot of your tragic customer service, so yeah, beware people

Lovely place, great food and friendly staff. Hope to take my husband and little boy here soon. Have also recommended it to my bro.

Really enjoy eating here - simple, healthy and a bit different.

I want to love KokoBento, but it's been inconsistent over two visits. Our first was excellent, our second was average and at £15-20+ per person it needs to be great every time.

I had the pokebowl and had it with the salmon and tofu. It was very tasty and the staff were very nice.

Very nice personnel, delicious udon noodles with beaf.

The poke bowls are soooo delicious!! Tastes so fresh. I love that they have a winter and summer menu. Staff are really nice too. Always a favourite

Best take on Japanese cuisine I’ve had in the UK, the vegan/vegetarian options were fire. Everything was well-seasoned and the waiter was very helpful and attentive. If I lived in the UK I would come to Lancaster again to try other dishes here! Amazing

I've walked past here so many times in Lancaster but never got around to try it until last night! And I'm very glad I did! I had the salmon ginger don, it was a big portion the salmon was delicious (two big chunks) and the waiting people were both lovely and friendly made us feel very welcome! I'll definitely go back and try the poke bowls next!

Amazing food and the people are so nice!

Visited Kokobento for lunch today and it was fantastic. Lovely resturant, excellent service and brilliant food. Would most definitely come back here again. Also ordered from here as a take away a few times and it’s also been excellent, fast delivery, and hot lovely food. Thank you :)

The restaurant was small but welcoming. The had foods covered and everything else was just looking clean. I ordered a poke bowl and it tasted fresh. You could made your own poke bowl with some sauces and toppings (yep, you can ask more than one sauces and toppings). They said they also used halal chicken for teriyaki, so fellow Muslims could eat here as well. Plus, the staff and the owner were very friendly, definitely will go there again. Thank you!

Visited here with some flat mates, the service and food was excellent. The waiter was clear, concise and friendly, providing excellent customer service. The food was delicious, with a great fusion and variety of flavours. I will return here again for sure. Nice drinks selection, but get there with good time to secure a seat.

A cut above the rest. When I used to live in the county, I'd frequent KOKO whenever I'd see family and on one occasion I was quite sick and called in for some Miso Soup - to my happy surprise the staff there had given me an extra portion. It's the simple and small things such as this that kept me coming back time again for KOKO not just because of the delicately crafted, well executed dishes that taste amazing but because of the service and diner compassion. Now I have a new account online I can leave the review I always wanted too - never stop being you KOKOBento!

Best place to eat in and the staff are great

Absolutely delicious. We did takeout and it was fabulous. Very friendly people and so fresh.

I love this place. I stay overnight in Lancaster for work on a weekly basis and as a vegan who loves Asian food Kokobento is a dream come true. Long may it thrive!

Delicious food and friendly staff.

Best food and service in Lancaster.

One of my favourite places for take-out and sit-in, the food is always amazing, be it the hot dishes or poke bowls. I've been back multiple times and will continue to do so!

Lovely food and very polite and attentive staff.

Not the cheapest, but really good food and great service.

Food is a bit expensive, but acceptable. If you want a healthy & delicious meal, do try their poké!

Lovely vegan options but massive portions! Space a bit basic for dining in so maybe more suited to a take-away experience. Friendly staff

Very good food, nice atmosphere.

Japanese food made for Brits, not the authentic Japanese cuisine.

Great quality food! Always fresh and tasty!

Amazing food, though it is a bit awkward with the servers if your order takes a while to prepare

Excellent poke bowls and they make a really good curry. Their special sauce for poke bowls are really good, strongly recommend it. The good thing about the poke bowls, some places offer you set menus, however a poke bowl should be something you create with the given toppings which is what kokobento does. In winter they also make ramens, which is something I will try next time I go there. Their curry is nice, and goes really well with the food, not spicy at all. I really wanted to try their sushi also but after the large poke bowl I was full (even though it looks small in the pictures and when you see it in person, it is really full filling). If you like Japanese cuisine, I recommend this place.

Very young and energetic (and friendly) staff. Very good food. Not that cheap for take away but it tasted fantastic.

Amazing food, amazing atmosphere. The staff are so friendly and helpful with all your requirements. I would definitely recommend.

Had the most amazing and delicious Poké bowl here today!!! Staff was super nice and food was just worth every penny and more. Definitely a great place to checkout for food lovers 😍

Great Hawaiian, Japanese fusion food takeaway

Saw this place while in Lancaster and looked very interesting. I ordered a poke bowl for the first time in my life. The experience was very cool and interesting. They have a wide selection of choice and crafting the sushi bowl is very easy and similar to making a sub at Subway. The food itself was delicious and the staff were very kind. Main downside for me was the price. My bowl came out around £16 as I had opted for the larger size and even then I was not full afterwards. It is a nice experience and I shall be back to try the other dishes. Highly recommend!

Fantastic poke, plenty of choice, lovely staff

Bought a sushi platter & yakiniku beef bento to share w hubz, friendly service staff giving great recommendations & most imptly - fresh & delicious Japanese-hawaiian food. Thank you Koko!

We've been meaning to try some food from here for a long, long time. Tonight we finally got around to it and didn't regret it. Often, after consuming a takeaway, I feel buyer's remorse: that the thing I've just consumed was overpriced and under-healthy. Not so, in this case: great value for money, tasted fresh and delicious. A total bargain.

Koko is the only restaurant as of now to serve Poke Bowls in all of Lancaster. Its a great place to eat at and to enjoy with a good quality Chicken Katsu Curry and Poke Bowls, but the price is a bit too high due to no competition in the area.

The best poke bowl I’ve ever had. Everything was fresh and the packaging was good! Definitely be ordering from here again!!!