Kokoro in Reading

Been eating Kokoro for over 10 years, and it remains a reliable comfort food after all these years. Would recommend half chilli chicken and half katsu chicken + curry sauce on the side. Makes for a wonderful blend of textures with a juicy and perfectly spicy dish that you can keep topping up the curry sauce in

First time at KOKORA, fantastic. Great service, absolutely delicious food and great portion size for the cost. Highly recommend the sweet and sour chicken with noodles and side portion of vegetable spring rolls. I now want to try the mix and match option next time. Thank you

A very convenient, quick and tasty lunch option in central Reading. Chicken Katsu Curry with rice is a favourite, and a very generous serving.

Unfortunately the food from here made me sick this evening. I ordered a sweet and sour chicken with rice. It was 3/4 rice but aside from that the chicken texture seemed odd and didn’t taste particularly nice and the batter was really soggy, almost mushy like it had been sat too long (I visited around closing). I reluctantly ate it because I was hungry and a few hours later I had stomach pains and felt nauseous. I put it down to the food and won’t be eating there again unfortunately. I used to enjoy the London branch in Battersea where I used to live but food quality at this branch is poor.

I usually have no complaints about kokoro food, it's actually my favorite but this Branch put me off, the chicken katsu tasted off, texture was not right and I was afraid it would make me sick, sweet chilli was great, portion size was not what I was accustomed to at the other branches. Customer service was not very awesome. I love kokoro but I wont be having it in reading again.

Average,food arrived quickly but not particularly memorable. Friendly staff,halal chicken...double check at other branches

Were regular customers due to living in town, Ordered chicken katsu udon gave me wrong order gave me a chicken katsu curry with noodles, they refused to correct the mistake or offer refund will never be going back after that keep the 10 pound

Serving sizes are great and chicken katsu curry and sweet chilli chicken are the best. I’d day these two flavours are quite distinct than the Korean Bap place.

I used to love Kokoro, but its quite disappointing now as they increased their prices by £1 to £2 and they reduced their servings. Before it was heaping full now it barely reaches 3/4 of the regular or large. Its not a value for money anymore.

Very disappointing. Me and my family used to like this place. They have increased their prices as well as their quantity. I got a chicken Katsu noodle . The lady who was preparing it was actually fluffing the noodle to make it look more, she then started cutting the chicken and when my order was about ready she started preparing another order. The worst thing is that she and a man from the kitchen started taking out the chicken from my order and placing it in the other reducing my quantity.

Generous portions of chicken with rice or noodles, friendly staff greet you with a smile, better value than the local chinese takeaway, and you get a choice of Japanese and Chinese food. Seating is limited, but we managed to find a space in the evening. Well worth a visit if you are hungry.

This is one of my best restaurant. Kokoro🥰

Not the first tme! Not the first time! Not the first time! Very disappointed.... Booked the meal at 20:00. The order was canceled at 20:02???? It took me 30mins to get there! They canceled my order after the booking time for no reason!!! No compensation!! Speechless....

Soo disappointed to find out that there was NO CURRY sauce in my chicken katsu curry takeaway …… the lady serving me forgot to add the curry to the dish which is just unacceptable. Also I have observed that in my usual takeaway of sweet chilli chicken, the quality has downgraded - the chicken is very chewy and dry. I have tried many other Kokoro branches and can say most of them have much better quality.

Usually Kokoro serves delicious food but I bought some shrimp gyoza today and when I got home I realised it smelt awful and gone off even though it says it's in date till the 20th. Quite disappointing as it used to be my go to.

Always good! Chicken Katsu my fav!

Solid Japanese take out bento, good for an office lunch. Epic portion sizes in here. The teriyaki is a little sweet for my taste, but really enjoy the katsu.

Is this an acceptable portion of wasabi?

The members of staff were basically rude and undertrained. I repeated 6 times chicken katsu curry with rice large and a set of pumpkin korokke. The lady at the front couldn't understand at all and ordered them incorrectly for me. Then her other colleague stepped in to help and asked me to repeat and say louder. The manager stepped in and said I won't be served as I was rude. Hope they can also put themselves in to their customers shoes and understand their feeling about repeating 7 times in total and still couldn't get their order right. They put 2 quids for an extra portion of curry sauce but charged me 2.5. I asked for a complaint email from the manager and did just throw a piece of paper in front of my face with the invalid email address on it. I expected the staff understand what they've got on their menu as a customer. Very shocking that how the manager dealt with this situation and not too adaptable and no apology at all. I believe it is inappropriate to refer an unknown customer as rude chinese. Update: I just opened my bag and only 2 pumpkin korokke were there but I paid for 3.

This was my first visit to Kokoro, I had the chicken katsu curry and loved it! There was plenty of curry and the katsu chicken tasted very fresh. The portion was amazing as well. Not the best photo, but it was amazing !

When paying £8.45 for a bowl three quaters full of rice with a little of the dish you ordered,then it's just paying high price for bowl of rice. The burrito bar just around the corner offers far better value for money and you're not still hungry afterwards.

Very disappointed to see yet another price hike. This used to be one of few places to get a fresh, quick, reasonably priced lunch to take out. Now prices are close to £10, it's just not worth it. This is evidenced by the noticeably reduced footfall. This kind of greed will be the downfall of the business.

Disappointment with Recent Price Increases Dear Kokoro Owner, I hope this letter finds you well, though I regret to say that my purpose for writing is to express my deep dissatisfaction with the recent price increases at your establishment. To say that I am lost for words would be an understatement. It is disheartening to witness two price hikes within a single year. As someone who, along with my team, regularly patronizes your facilities on a weekly basis, I find it difficult to comprehend the justification for such frequent and substantial increases. I, personally, had to cease using your service in Reading due to the last price hike earlier this year. It pushed the cost beyond my daily budget, forcing me to limit my favorite lunch to just once a week, if at all affordable. Today, as I returned to your Reading branch on my team's request, I was shocked to notice yet another price increase. Astonishingly, it is now £1.00 dearer than the same time last year. How can this be justified, especially during a time when there is a cost of living crisis affecting your customers? It is with great disappointment that our office has decided not to support your establishment any longer. We are collectively expressing our dissatisfaction by voting with our money. I intend to share my views on social media, urging fellow customers to consider alternative options. The introduction of smaller containers for takeaway medium and large options, seemingly for increased profit, coupled with these relentless price hikes, leaves customers feeling taken advantage of. Your business appears to be closing its doors to customers, evident in shortened queues during peak times and reduced footfall – a direct consequence of what seems to be motivated by greed. This marks the end of my patronage at Kokoro. I sincerely hope you reflect on the impact of these decisions on your customer base. Wishing you all the best,

I have been visiting kokoro for the last 4 years . They have increased there price which is understandable but they have significantly decreased the serving. I had chicken katsu curry recently and had a really bad experience with the amount of chicken that was provided. I think this will be my last visit to kokoro. I love the taste but it's just not worth it anymore.

Very expensive compared to the oder fast food places

I am writing to express my deep concern and disappointment regarding my recent dining experience at your restaurant on 25/10/2023. Unfortunately, I encountered a severe issue with the quality of the food I ordered, and it has had a significant impact on my health！

Great asian taste reasonable price with quality

They cancel orders when they tell you they are on their way, disappointing, I do not recommend it

Absolutely Amazing Will Be Back Again Best Curry In The Whole World 🌎

Small place, large portion is small now, not worth £8 , staff was expecting customers to know how kokoro ordering works and he was a bit rude when we asked for water, they just indicate with hands without talking.

I come here at least once a week, the food is always amazing. 4 stars because the portions aren’t consistent - some staff are quite stingy. Updating my review as recently one of the katsu chicken was slightly raw in the middle and sometimes the rice can be partially uncooked during peak times. The quality has really started to drop.

Small shop, not the greatest availability to sit down

I went to Kokoro today and ordered my favourite pumpkin katsu curry. They did not have any so the lady at the till asked me if I can wait 5 minutes to which I agreed. 15 minutes go by and it still was not ready. I was not in the best mood already but staff said it would be extra 2minutes. In the end the lady gave me free spring rolls and a large instead of the regular pumpkin katsu I ordered. This really made my day! I would recommend kokoro Reading to everyone and wish all the best to the nice lady who upgraded my order without asking her to do so!

They really try to fill and then overfill your box with whatever toppings you ordered. Very good food and value for money.

Nothing like the Woking branch! Serving was small and not as tasty as the one we had when we were living Woking. Very disappointing 😭

Great food, bowl was filled to the brim Very nice fast food, top tier

Food is good however I was told they will charge 50p for tiny paper cup to serve tap water when asked!! It was never the case before here as I have eaten numerous times! Plus no food joint has ever asked for money to serve TAP water. It was shocking service!! Table/chairs are cramped and too close to each other thereby makes it difficult to even pull & sit.

When order my katsu curry with rice ,the boy who’s serving is extremely arrogant and dictates what to put in your bowl even if you’ve told him that you don’t want any sauce or less rice.I will never use the Reading franchise.

Very affordable but very tasty, many choices to pick, crews are very nice too

I LOVE the food here. The staff is also really nice to be fair. Not very big, but clean, reasonably priced, and delicious food

Chiken katsu curry always on top

It's just a hype because the food is really cheap.

Amazing! Great price! Great taste! Really good stuff, way better than Itsu, honestly I hope no one walks past Kokoro and goes to Itsu as I did that once and not only was it poor food but I felt sick and so did my friend after me. Best like noodle and rice dishes for when you're on the go and in my book it's my favourite! Thou maybe not the healthiest.

The food here was really tasty, very plentyful and gave me something to look forward to after a 2 hour commute into Reading for work. I still miss it 3 years after no longer commuting into Reading whic says something!

Incredible food and friendly staff. I regularly come here for the sweet chill chicken. Highly recommended!

Great portion sizes but not exactly good quality food. If you're hungry it will suffice.

Didn’t give me the option of rice or noodles, tofu, rice and sauce fell into the chicken and they put it into my meal when I’m a veggie, will never go back

Usually buy food here on my lunch as I am working in the area, but lately the food is getting served in a very rude and gross way, and makes you loose the appetite

Really good serving, the tofu is delicious

In Redding, which used to be a wasteland for Korean restaurants, there was a restaurant where you could get a quick meal. The food is delicious, cheap, and everyone working is friendly, making it a pleasant store.

Someone please inform the staff today that the portions are much less than what customers are used to and expect. Kokoro's standout point v. its competitors is satisfyingly generous portions of quick, simple Asian food -- key word being generous. Needless to say it was disappointing when expectations weren't met.

Beautiful fresh ingredients, huge portions

I tried sweet and sour chicken with rice here and gyoza and fell in love! Very very delicious, big portion (at least for me, I took some home because I couldn't finish in one go) and nice prices!!

Absolutely love this place...especially because they have added some yummy vegetarian options to the menu. The pumpkin katsu curry is to die for. Even veg sushi is amazing. The staff is super polite. The sitting even though limited - is comfortable and clean.

Kokoro food is outstanding everytime! Only let down for this store is its sooo popular & there store is so small. They need a bigger store to manage for the amount of people!

I could not eat here as all the chicken is halal, I only discovered this by chance as it’s not very clearly displayed. They also do not accept cash! No thanks I will eat elsewhere.

I ordered something I was expecting to be udon with chicken but it turned out to be ramen where on-screen it's not divided in any way. Plus it was full of nori which I can't stand. Only card payment. 4 staff inside only 1 working. I'm quite unhappy about this visit.

Nice big portions. Definitely value for money. Also serve halal meat too. Can get super busy at lunchtimes though.

Disappointed Sat down with my food and thought the place looked really dirty and grubby. The food area didn’t looked the cleanest. So I decided to check out the food hygiene, It was only a 2-Star. Totally put me off my food.

Was staying near three similar-looking places: Kokoro, You Me Sushi, and Iro Sushi. At different times, I had a katsu curry takeaway from each. Iro Sushi’s was the best, in my opinion; but You Me’s was close and similar. Kokoro’s was far and away the worst of the three, for me. The food’s already cooked and sits in tubs, like school dinners. So no waiting time–but is that a good thing? They don’t even heat it back up. The lady took a lump of pre-fried chicken and cut it into slices with a pair of scissors before chucking it on a dollop of rice she’d scooped from another tub. Looked like the heap of pre-fried chicken will be used whatever chicken dish you order. Then she poured on the curry sauce, a brown gravy about as curryish as something you’d find in a jar. £10.50 with 3 spring rolls. It all tasted awful. In fact, I couldn’t eat it. To be fair, the chicken was real, not processed, because there were random bits of bone in it where the kitchen scissors had splintered it. But the coating was horrid, as far as my tastebuds were concerned. The sauce was like a semi-cold Bisto–I’m guessing made from one of those catering blocks of concentrated sauce you have to dilute. To make matters worse, the one spring roll I tried was cold and tasted unpleasant. Couldn’t identify what was in it. Kokoro’s katsu curry made its two Friar Street rivals round the corner seem stellar by comparison. Which they weren't. But theirs had veg in them, such as the usual big peas; Kokoro’s was just rice, chicken, and sauce. Had all the hallmarks of a cheap buffet, except without the choice and quantity of a buffet. Threw most of it away outside, as it stank out the apartment. Best Japanese meal I’ve had in Reading was at Sushimania. Their chefs would shudder at what Kokoro dishes up in the name of their country.

Try the sweet chilli chicken with rice. Large portion for £8/9.

As always food is good. Really busy at lunchtimes.

Quick and fast, better for takeaway due to small seating area but the staff and food was good, I would come again soon

Always so good, fresh,yummy and very nice chilli

Go for the rice with spicy chicken, the best dish by far

No sashimi delivered, real shame as 1st time happened but spoils the meal and was becoming a regular... May just never order form here again and change to another Japanese place instead as there are plenty of choices around....

Meh, it's okay. Been a few times. It's like a Chinese takeaway but fast casual. Hot food quality is average, sushi is maybe slightly better than supermarket. The primary shortcoming for me is in user experience. A few pointers: - They really pack the pots with food. This is a good thing value-wise, but it makes it difficult to eat without spilling some. You also end up with a thick layer of topping that makes it impossible to access the rice/noodles until you've eaten half of it. I think next time I order the regular size I'll ask them to use the pot they use for the large size. - Most options are very light on the vegetables, too much meat for my taste. It got a bit monotonous eating the same meat over and over without enough vegetables to balance it out. - The rice/noodles to topping ratio is really off. Much more toppings than rice/noodles. Again, I suppose this is good value, but it's the reverse of how it is in other places. I would prefer to have more of the base and less of the calorically dense topping. I could probably ask them to change this when ordering, but I'm reviewing the default configuration so others know what to expect. - Ordering process could have been clearer. On the TV menu screens they lump every option together and don't have separate categories. More effort is required to grok the menu than would be needed if they separated stuff into categories. - This may be my specific instance, but the server got sauce down the side of my pot. I didn't factor this into my rating because it was probably a one-off accident, just bear in mind that it's something that can happen due to the nature or the preparation process. - Internal decor was cheap-looking. Cleanliness was fine, but borderline. Feels like 10% more effort on those fronts would lead to a hugely better experience. Example: the color temperature of the lightbulbs was mismatched, come on, it doesn't take much effort to install matching lightbulbs. Overall it's acceptable, I would go there again if it was the only thing open or I had a specific craving for this type of food. For what it does there are better options available locally; Wok To Walk for fast casual Asian-inspired food, Itsu (or one of the many other Reading sushi shops) for better-than-supermarket sushi.

I've just got back to my office and opened the meal that I ordered for takeaway, and I am disappointed to find that it is not the chicken katsu curry with half rice and half noodles that I asked for. Also, the pumpkin croquettes have a waxy texture and are pretty much inedible

Don't get noodles and maybe avoid the Cury sauce if you must eat there. If they don't have what you want just go somewhere else.

I enjoyed my meal, rice with sweet and chill chicken. The prawns were nice and crispy. Nice portions. The staff were friendly as well. I like kokoro.

One of the best quick meal in Reading

ordered a food via too good to go app. the food was given me food poisoning. :o the chicken was dry and old. I can recommend the sushi but be careful with the hot food. :(

Fantastic food, awesome customer service and outstanding quality food with superb quantity. Food is hot and juicy. Recommend food: With noodles mix Katsu chicken (no gravy) and the sweet chili chicken. With rice again Katsu chicken (with gravy) and any other prawns, pork or beef item goes very well. Hope this helps. Enjoy!!! Thanks.

Best quality. I am a frequent customer and I really enjoy their food.

FSA rating 2/5 as of 08 October 2021. The sushi is fine. But the hot cooked meals are of a very debatable quality of meat. Have tried a few dishes since they opened (now writing this review in June 2020) and I think the chicken cuts in particular are just not good.

Today july 1st, i bought takeaway for lunch and wasn’t disappointed, small place but has so many things to offer, food was so good i bought two mix and match large, with sushi’s cheesecake drinks and more and everything was delicious. Big portion, the katsu curry was my fav i wasn’t expecting much but the taste made me change my mind and i’ll definitely come back again. Plus point the staff was very friendly and welcoming, i was served by a lady who was very lovely and helpful with the menu. Loved it. Keep it up kokoro reading.

Guilty pleasure. I never have any rice, got loads of yummy chicken, they still fill the tub

My fiancé Deliveroos the spicy chicken without fail the second I walk out the door so it must be pretty good

An heavenly katsu curry ,large serving , what can you wish more from life ??❤

Served quickly and always really tasty - mine and my boyfriend’s go to!

In the UK, fast food options include dine-in and takeaway, and both taste OK.

Great tasting food and quick service

I will never get there. Food was mixed with fresh one. Lot's of dry meat and noodle without any taste.

I absolutely love this place the food is piled into the containers and always really hot. Best katsu curry I’ve had. Thank Kororo so glad you opened a store here.

Visited on 4 different occasions and they didn’t have tofu katsu curry all times. The option should be removed from the menu if it’s not available

Part of me feels like 5 stars is being a bit generous to Kokoro but I was honestly really impressed with the service and food it does feel right as well. Kokoro isn't really a restaurant, though there is some seating inside and outside, it's more of a take out place. Situated a couple of minute walk from Reading train station and town centre, I can see this would be a great place to grab food on your commute home, or on a lunch break. Service seems simple, you queue, go to one of the two tills and place your order for hot food (cold food is available in an open fridge to the left - similar to at supermarkets, coffee shops etcetera). You can have your food with rice or noodles (or neither if you prefer), and sizes are medium or large. I opted to go for the Chicken Katsu Curry with rice in a large portion. The chicken felt very generous at least half the container was filled with the chicken which felt very generous. The remaining half of the container was rice which was, honestly, a LOT of rice and I wasn't able to eat it all. The curry was spooned over the top at the end but despite the rice being mostly covered with the chicken, the curry was able to saturate most of the rice. My large portion came to £7 plus some pence, which I felt was very reasonable for the amount I had. I asked for a bag to carry it in which incurred an extra cost so worth bearing that in mind. Plastic forks or wooden chopsticks were also available. I do feel that this style of eating could lead itself to a lot of plastic waste, so on a personal level I wouldn't be happy eating here often, but if I was passing a Kokoro and wanted some Chicken Katsu Curry again I would certainly pop back in.

Amazing food here so fresh and tashy

I’ve been in numerous times over the last few months and there is never any tofu!! What’s going on?

Their food is delicious and their prices are reasonable

The tofu options are very, very poor. Loads of stale rice is the large option. The sides are okay though!

Fast service and you get a lot for what you pay. Katsu Curry was outstanding

I have been to other Kokoro branches but this one was first time. I ordered regular size which came with good portion and it was hot. Service was fast and staff were friendly. We visited during non busy hours so dinning area was almost empty. Loving it and will visit again.

Paint peeling off the walls inside the shop. Was freezing inside. The food gave me and my boyfriend food poisoning. I was so skeptical as the sweet and sour chicken was literally black underneath the sauce. Worst place. Don’t go there

Ran out of salmon and the tofu was a disaster

Great food and service!! Defenetlly recommended!!!!

Affordable fresh and tasty food. The only disadvantage is the small space inside and only 2 small tables space outside, so ideal for takeaways. I won't drop any stars for lack of tables and chairs as at the end of the day we talk about food quality.

Unfortunately veg options reduced to 2..and also the scissors and tongs used are the same to cut and pick meat options.. Also portion size reduced and price increased Won't be going back

I went in today and the prices on the board in store and in their paper menu is NOT what they charge…they charge more. I asked about it and they said they’ll change it soon. I paid much more than I expected. Another customer came back to also dispute the price. They do NOT honour the prices they advertise and just say ‘I’m following the till’. BEWARE!!

For the past two weeks when I've gone in at 5pm after work they've been out of noodles and very low on sweet chilli chicken. The time before that they gave me a normal sized portion of sweet chilli chicken when I ordered a large.

Always good, consistent, and gives generous portions.