When I first walked into Ichiban Sushi Bar, I was immediately greeted by a homely, humble atmosphere. Japanese fans lined the ceiling while a single waitress bustled around the small dining room of 15 tables. After deliberating over the lengthy maki menu (and I mean deliberating!) and deciding on the mango shrimp tempura, the crazy roll, the rainbow roll, and the salmon avocado roll, I learned that the young waitress taking my order was the sushi chef’s daughter, while the other older waitress was the chef’s wife.The traditional Japanese way of sushi preparation proved to be successful - the sushi I experienced was nothing short of the best sushi I had ever had. The thick slices of fish on the rainbow roll were mouthwateringly fresh, exposing hidden flavors as they melted in my mouth. The crab mixture was white and savory, rather than the dry stringy red “supermarket” style of crab found in other sushi restaurants like Wasabi. The rice was the perfect texture - not too hard but not gummy or soft. The mango shrimp tempura quickly became one of my favorite rolls, as the freshly fried shrimp blended perfectly with the sweet mango, which did not have the sour after-taste found in many frozen mango slices. The salmon avocado roll further proved the superiority of Ichiban’s fish. The thick slices of avocado seemed perfectly ripe as well, a rare occurrence at other sushi restaurants in Saint Louis (mainly Wasabi). I think the clear winner of the four rolls was the crazy roll. This roll was so stuffed that I had to take two bites to finish each piece. What’s even more crazy than the crazy roll itself? It had the ability to actually make me full from a sushi meal, which is something I never thought possible until Ichiban.So what did I learn from this experience? Your favorite sushi restaurant is making sushi wrong. This is how sushi is supposed to be: thick slices of fresh fish, fresh ingredients, and stuffed rolls.
Great sushi. Fish is as fresh as you can get it! The beer is ice cold. And the miso is hot. Their service is very quick and attentive. A very humble atmosphere. Very traditional for a sushi restaurant so it makes you feel comfortable if you’re from out of town looking for a great sushi spot. The late open hours make it perfect for the traveler or a late night sushi craving. With many options in the area. Im glad i made this my choice. Sushi in a strip mall is always…. always, the best choice. Five Stars! Will be back again.
Cute little sushi restaurant. The food was really good and the owners were super friendly!
Amazing food. Excellent service. Great atmosphere. This place has it all.
Our family has been to sushi restaurants everywhere. Ichiban IS THE BEST! They serve nigiri sushi the way it should be like in Japan. . .very small rice portion and thick & big-sized fish. If you're lucky to have o-toro & chu-toro, when available, Mr. Park prepares them perfectly. . .they're to die for! The rolls are impeccably delicious as well! The other dishes on the menu are equally excellent i.e. tempura, teriyaki, sukiyaki & etc.
They are extremely polite. My wife loves it here and used to be a regular before we moved. They still treat her like a regular and treat her to a free extra pieces of sashimi. The sushi here tastes authentic (used to live in japan).
You should go there for Lunch hour. The Lunch Specials price was great. Fish was good and the rice is really good.
Very good quality fish - I've been twice and got the chirashi don both times, because it's just such a great dish. Rolls are tasty as well, good combos of quality ingredients, not over sauced. The service can be slow - this is understandable given that there seems to be one chef and one server for the whole place, but I wish they could hire a couple extra staff to make the process smoother.
My favorite sushi place in Saint Louis. The owners are very nice and friendly. Good service and fresh nigiri all the time. Highly recommended!
Eel related everything is good! Plum sake is very classic. And matcha ice cream is the best dessert!