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A Little Piece of London in Seoul: Bittersalt, a Pet-Friendly Terrace Cafe (Songridan-gil)

Aloha~ 🌺   Today, I’m introducing a hidden gem in Songridan-gil that is absolutely perfect for this warm spring weather! It’s a house-converted cafe with a massive outdoor terrace, and it’s even pet-friendly. Here is my honest review of 'Bittersalt', a cafe filled with a relaxing, European vibe~ How is everyone’s week going? The weather has been so gorgeous lately that it feels like a waste to stay indoors. While looking for a sunlit cafe with a nice terrace for my hangout in Songridan-gil, I stumbled upon 'Bittersalt'! 1. European Vibe Reminiscent of Hampstead Heath, London 🏡 Bittersalt is a cafe built by fully renovating an old house. While most cafes in Songridan-gil are quite small and crowded, I was completely shocked by how spacious their front yard terrace is! From the exterior to the interior details, it instantly reminded me of the old, cozy pubs right in front of Hampstead Heath park from back when I lived in London. It’s a space filled with a charming, vint...
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Secret Copycat Recipe: How to Make Coco Ichibanya Curry at Home (Copycat Recip

Aloha! 🌺 It’s Jihye in Seoul.

Today, we are taking a little detour from Korean food to visit a beloved classic. Have you ever tried the famous Japanese curry chain, CoCo Ichibanya?

When I first tried it, I found it fascinating that the curry itself was smooth, almost like a rich gravy, serving as the perfect canvas for all sorts of amazing deep-fried toppings. It didn't take long for me to fall completely in love with it!

However, when I was living in London, it was quite difficult to find this specific style of comforting Japanese curry. So, I did what any food lover would do: I recreated it in my own kitchen based on my taste bud memory. This versatile recipe features a secret ingredient that perfectly mimics that deep, restaurant-quality flavor. Let's get cooking!

After many delicious experiments, I’ve finally cracked the code! This recipe uses a secret ingredient that perfectly mimics that deep, rich, restaurant-quality flavor of Coco Ichibanya. It tastes exactly like the real thing!

A delicious plate of homemade Coco Ichibanya style Japanese curry served with rice and crispy toppings, garnished with green onions.


🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

The Curry Base:

  • Oil: 1 Tbsp (Vegetable oil or butter)

  • Minced Garlic: 1/2 Tbsp

  • Onion: 1/2 (Roughly chopped)

  • Carrot: 1/2 (Roughly chopped)

  • Water: 600ml

  • Curry Roux: 100g of S&B Golden Curry blocks (I highly recommend the 'Hot' version!)

Jihye's Secret Seasoning:

  • HP Sauce or A1 Original Sauce: 1 Tbsp (This adds that complex, fruity tanginess!)

  • Organic Raw Sugar: 1 Tbsp

Toppings & Base:

  • Rice: White rice or a sweet brown rice mix

  • Garnish: Chopped salad onions (green onions/scallions)

  • Your Choice of Topping: Deep-fried pork cutlet (Tonkatsu), sausages, hamburger steak, grilled vegetables, or thinly sliced shabu-shabu beef. The sky is the limit!

👩‍🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Sauté the Aromatics Place a pot over medium-low heat and add your oil (or butter). Add the minced garlic, chopped carrot, and onion. Sauté them gently until the onions turn a beautiful light brown color.

Sautéing chopped onions, carrots, and minced garlic in a pot until lightly browned and fragrant.


2. Boil and Soften Pour in the 600ml of water. Put the lid on and let it cook for about 15 minutes until the carrots are completely soft.

Vegetables boiling in water inside a covered pot to soften them for the curry base.


3. Blend for that "CoCo Ichi" Smoothness Turn off the heat. Use a hand blender (immersion blender) or carefully transfer the mixture to a regular blender. Blend everything until it becomes a completely smooth liquid. This step is crucial for getting that silky, gravy-like CoCo Ichibanya texture!

Using a hand blender to puree the boiled vegetables and water into a smooth, silky soup base.


4. Melt the Curry Blocks Bring the smoothed base back to low heat. Add the 100g of S&B Golden Curry blocks. Stir continuously and well until the blocks are completely melted into the soup.

Stirring S&B Golden Curry blocks into the smooth vegetable base until completely melted and thickened.


5. Add the Secret Ingredients Here comes the magic! Add 1 Tbsp of HP Sauce (or A1 Sauce) and 1 Tbsp of raw sugar. Stir well. This combination gives the curry that deep, slightly tangy, and sweet restaurant flavor.

Adding a spoonful of HP sauce and organic sugar to the simmering Japanese curry to deepen the flavor.


6. Plate and Serve! Place a generous scoop of rice on a plate and add your desired toppings. Pour that gorgeous, silky curry sauce all over. Finally, sprinkle with chopped green onions. Enjoy!

Pouring smooth, rich Japanese curry sauce over a bed of mixed rice and crispy toppings



If you try this secret copycat recipe at home, please let me know how it turned out in the comments! Don't forget to subscribe to my blog for more delicious recipes from my kitchen to yours.

Have a wonderful day! 

Mahalo! 🌺 

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