TOKYO, Sept. 1 -- Japan's largest curry rice restaurant chain, CoCo Ichibanya, could be sold after its parent company said it was considering options for the business, sending shares in its operator sharply higher.

The Japan Times reported that House Foods Group, which owns a 51 per cent stake in Ichibanya, was weighing a potential sale, including the possibility of taking the restaurant chain private.

Shares in Ichibanya jumped 16 per cent in Tokyo after House Foods confirmed the report, giving the company a market value of Euro174.2 billion (RM4.43 billion) as of Monday.

CoCo Ichibanya is known for its thick Japanese curry served with rice and a wide range of customisable toppings, including pork cutlets, cheese, vegetables and fried...