Chanko

Chanko is so cool. It’s like an oldschool diner and I am here for it. You walk in order everything from a kiosk, and then they call your name when your food is ready. Now I’m old school and I HATE ordering at kiosks. Like, it stresses me out more than it should, but they have pictures of EVERYTHING on the screen which made ordering approximately 900 times easier because apparently I need to SEE my food before I can commit to it. I got the pork belly okonomiyaki and my husband got the chicken katsu with rice. Mine was really good… BUT THAT CHICKEN KATSU. 😭🔥 I kept eating his. I’m already planning my next visit just so I can order the chicken katsu. Food came out super quick and everything was delicious. Can’t wait to go back!

A new place for me, maybe new digs for this business but a very old structure that has the diner look and vibe. The menu is mostly Japanese/Korean but that and the decor is where Asian stops. The rest has a very old American vibe. While alot of painting and touch-ups have taken place, I see dust of ancient times in bathroom corners and the wear and tear of by gone days on the floor. The place however seems to be kept as clean as possible, still shines and gleams in many places and has a comfortable and laid back atmosphere. Weathered picnic tables outside for outdoor dining. A very helpful and friendly staff. Kiosk ordering with prepay only option and plenty of free parking to the side. I ordered a side of Chicken Karage, sauce on the side. Also a side of Pork Belly, sauce on the side. Then I also tried something new for me, Okonomiyaki Myagi Style which in addition to the traditional list of items also had japanese pickles, wasabi peas and japanese mayo. It contains yakisoba noodles, crepe, fried egg, leeks, cabbage bean sprouts, furikake, seaweed, tempura crisps and "oki" sauce. A complex dish with surprising flavors that melded well together in a pleasing unity. A variety of textures and flavors hidden below a crispy facade. I chose beef as my protein which was tender, savory and succulent. Sadly my Chicken Karaage had sauce all over it and on the side. Rude, when you specify you want it "ON THE SIDE", the dish was ruined for me. But who am I to extoll the virtues of "ON THE SIDE", for I am just the customer, deep breath Robert, let it go, let it go. The Pork Belly was a sad rendition of a very typical protein with huge potential. I actually made 2 very simple versions at home in the past week that were much better. Big strikeout on that one. My 2 sauces were Chanko and Oki. They were pretty good but I used very little of it. They did not suit the pork belly. They matched up better with the chicken. For me, the Okonomiyaki salvaged my experience. A delightful dish that I am likely to try again. I am curious about their curry and rice, maybe sometime in the future. It did appear to be popular among the younger Seminole Heights crowd, it stayed busy for the 1 and a half hours I was there.

This is a self-serve restaurant with seats but there is no table service. I loved the vibes, definitely feels like your transported to a diner in a Tokyo neighborhood. I have never had OKONOMIYAKI before but wow it was amazing. Definitely a unique flavor and paired with the mayo and pasta it was delightful. Their portions are massive so I had enough food for dinner and lunch the next day.

All right, so finally I get to try this restaurant when you first come in there’s some monitors where you can order the food. They don’t have a someone hosting you when you come in. They don’t have someone there helping you so if you’re …

Don’t let the kind of rough neighborhood scare you away. It’s a very delicious Japanese restaurant with some of the best curry in town. You quickly figure out why everything comes in a takeout container as the portions are massive. Every dish is basically two meals! Definitely hits good when you’re hungry. This will be one of my favorite spots quickly. Highly recommend!