I was at that place last WE for the first time and this place will turn into one of my regular digs! Very tasty and nice people, really feel like a neighborhood joint that has been there for a while. I can't wait to try ALL of their food!

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Thank you for the heads up, but I much prefer my very own schweddy balls.

They have outdoor seating available today, if you like cold balls.

Koro Koro over on Jersey Avenue has become my go-to place for fast-casual food on my way home from work.

Over the last few weeks, I have tried most of the rice balls and, so far, the Cochinita Pibil is my favorite hands-down.

Two others I liked were the Cuban (sweet and satisfying) and the Roasted Red Pepper-Mozzarella-Basil special of the day (rich and decadent).

Tip: If you order the Conchinita Pibil along with one or two other rice balls, eat it last. Why? The bold (and delicious) flavors of the Cochinita Pibil (spicy, sour, citrus, garlic, cilantro) may linger if you eat it first and your palate may not be able to appreciate the more subtle combinations offered with the other rice balls (i.e., the other rice balls may seem bland in comparison when they're actually quite tasty!).

Word on the street is Koro Koro will be open 7 days a week, which will be a nice treat.

Last time I went, I got one more rice ball than I could consume. So I took it home, popped it in the fridge, and the next day I microwaved it for 30sec in the plastic wrapper. It came out perfect! Filling was toasty warm and the seaweed wrapper still crispy.

I think I've finally mastered unwrapping them and truly believe the wrapper is genius at keeping the textures right.

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After you pull the red strip, try unfolding the plastic entirely, tearing the sticker in the process. I?ve found that the two halves separate much easier that way.

I think this place is great and I'm glad it's in the neighborhood. However, I always have trouble unwrapping the rice ball. No matter how fast or slow I pull the corners out it always pulls out half my filling. That isn't their fault, it's just the nature of the style of food. However, I do admit that sometimes I don't want to fight with my food so I choose easier options. That said, I do like the place, and I hope they are successful. I just need to work on properly unwrapping them so it isn't such an "endeavor" for me. Having never had this style of food before I don't have any baseline to compare against regarding how flavorful it is. It seems good enough though the few times I've had it. It's always good to have different options around town though.

I have to agree with seagull. The rice isnt done as well as it should be. The balls are pretty bland. The concept is there, I hope they do well.

Really enjoy this place. Through three visists I have tried the Miso Beef, Yama Chicken, Indian, Moroccan, and Cochinita Pibil. The cole slaw is excellent, as is there iced tea. The owner and staff are always friendly and helpful (when needing to open the wrap properly)

I found the rice balls to be small (and therefor overpriced), and rather bland.

Not impressed.

I had the Salmon which was really good & the Mediteranian which had a sweet(ish) taste & was really yummy.

Finally went this week. Tried the salmon. Total convert.

Ok. I have had it a few times again and I am now a total convert; seaweed and all. I have only tried the Indian and Miso beef and love them both. I also honed my opening skills so the whole process is more enjoyable. Definitely a good go to spot for a quick and cheap ( and tasty) meal.

Tried it earlier this week and was impressed. As I walked eating my rice ball I reminisced about the many times doing the same thing in Hawaii but at an ABC store and spending way less =)

I wish Kraverie's potato salad tasted like Koro's

Went last night for the first time to try some of their offerings. Got the Miso Beef, the Cuban and the Indian rice balls... all of them warm, fresh and delicious!! Will go back to try the other options in their menu. Thanks Vicente and team for opening up this little gem in downtown JC!

Freaking hippies, i'll show you what real food looks like.

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It takes a lot of balls to go through with something like this. I hope they get richly rewarded.

They were busy tonight!

Inside Koro Koro, a Kickstarter-Funded Rice Ball Cafe Now Open in Jersey City

The Village Voice
By Adam Robb Tue., Aug. 26 2014 at 8:16 AM

Forget everything you know about the tonjiki of 11th century Japan upon entering Koro Koro (538 Jersey Avenue, Jersey City; 201-432-9030), downtown Jersey City's Kickstarter-funded rice ball shop, now open a few doors down from Jersey Avenue's Choc-O-Pain bakery. Partners Carrie Grosso and Vincenzo Bove have converted a former Polish travel agency into the region's first cafe exclusively dedicated to the Japanese lunchbox eats, reinventing them with ethnically diverse meaty and vegan fillings pressed between hot white or brown rice, and wrapped up to order in triangles of fresh Nori.

Read more from the Village Voice

Thank you Atsushi!

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The one in the front is called Shirasuboshi. It's tiny dried fish (you can buy them at Mitsuwa).

The one in the back is called Konbu (seaweed). Again you can buy many different kinds with different flavors at Mitsuwa.

Oops. It was spicy salmon, not tuna. Really tasty.

I had spicy salmon, not tuna.

Where is everyone finding the spicy tuna? I don't see it on the menu and I didn't see it listed on the menu above the counter.

Atsushi,
I have a question if you don't mind. The Wikipedia entry for onigiri shows a photograph of two rice balls. Do you know what the topping is on the one in the foreground? They look like sardine fry (as in baby fish) that I know from tatami iwashi, but I'm just guessing. Thanks!

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In Japan, they are called Onigiri or Omusubi. Onigiri comes from a verb, Nigiru, which means sqeeze or grab. Omusibi is comes from another verb, musubu, which is to tie a knot. So neither Onigiri or Omusubi does not imply any shape.

https://www.google.com/search?q=%E3%81 ... &biw=1245&bih=834&dpr=0.9

As you can see in the above link, Onigiri or Omusubi can be either sphere or triangle.

I think whoever came up with the translation, Rice Ball just had spherical ones in mind.

Stopped in for a snack last night and really liked the spicy tuna and the Cuban.
I've never had a Japanese rice ball before but I loved the combination of warm fluffy rice filling and crispy seaweed exterior. I'll be back for a full meal soon.

The very friendly guy helped us unwrap the first one and we took over with the second. The elaborate packaging comes directly from Japan - they were unpacking it while we ordered. It does the trick for keeping the seaweed crisp.

I figured that, since sticky rice crystalizes do quickly. But leaving them out overnight won't be good either. I figure letting them cool, and then packing them in a container that can be vacuum locked by my Food Saver may keep them from being too bad even if refrigerated. It's worth the experiment anyway.

I tried it last night with my girlfriend. She was extremely skeptical, but with the first bite, was won over. The packaging has a bit of a trick to it, but the demonstrations help, and it really does keep the nori crisp even though the rice is warm and moist.

They conveniently mark each wrapper with the filling so you can eat them in the order you want. The mild ones really should be eaten before hitting the spicier ones.

I had had the yama chicken, Cuban and spicy salmon. My girlfriend had three of the vegetarian options, including the Indian, which she liked best.

I would definitely go again, and I am glad a non-pizza, non-deli, non-thai, non taco option is available for a quick meal. I am tempted to grab a few and see how they refrigerate and reheat, for the couple of days a week when I get up too late to pack a lunch.