Tampa darling Chop Chop Shop to transform into Chanko Ichiban

Chop Chop Shop is one of the most celebrated culinary hot spots in Seminole Heights. After years of serving the neighborhood on the rise Chop Chop Shop ownership is ready t try something new. They announced the restaurant would close back in April 2022, and later reopen under a new name with a more concentrated focus on a specific item. On May 23 they announced a brand new name: Chanko.

“Chanko” translated from Japanese means “parents to children” and typically describes foods made by sumo wrestlers (“chanko-nabe”) that they prep and eat together.

For the restaurant’s purposes, it’s meant to describe their restaurant culture. Here’s what the ownership wrote in a Facebook post: “Cook together, eat together.We’ll be specializing in Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, rice plates (mainly katsu), and Japanese curry.”

Chanko Ichiban opening in Seminole Heights

Additionally, Chanko will have limited offerings of bubble-tea with some original flavors. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is different than the more commonly known Osaka-style, according to Chanko.

Instead of a batter filled with ingredients cooked as one thick savory pancake, Hiro-style is built in layers. Layered crepes, cabbage, leeks, soy bean sprouts, dry-style noodles (yakisoba), fried egg, topped with okonomi sauce, tempura crisps, furikake, aonoriko (seaweed flakes), and your choice of meat/protein and style. Their okonomiyaki is traditional with slight modifications to fit their model. Japanese curry is milder, a bit sweeter, and more gravy-like than Indian curries.

Follow the owners on Facebook for updates on an opening timeline.

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