Ichiban Japanese Sushi and Grill

We were seated immediately upon arrival at 6:05 on a Tuesday evening. We didn't realize that they have sushi roll specials on Tuesday evenings from 5 PM until close. If you buy one roll you get the second one for 1/2 off. What a cool deal!

Manuel was our very friendly and helpful server. He put my skeptical mom at ease with his wonderful descriptions of several dishes and his genial demeanor. Mom wanted salmon, but after reading the descriptions, she doubted that she would enjoy any of the various salmon dishes. Manuel suggested a particular dish and promised her that they would prepare her salmon anyway that she desired. This allayed her fears in ways that I could not. With my coaxing and his amiable demeanor, I was able to persuade her to try something different.

We started with the edamame, which I absolutely loved. Their version was not salty and had a slight peppery spice (not hot) that really enhanced the taste of the soybeans. It wasn't overpowering, nor did it make my tongue throb (like the edamame that some restaurants serve) when I finished eating them. For this I was pleasantly surprised. Also, I really appreciated that Manuel brought a compact waste container for our soybean hulls.

Of the offered accompaniments that come with each entree, my mom chose the cucumber salad and I chose the miso soup.
The cucumbers were served in a slightly acidic, sweet, water-based liquid. It was so delicious that not only did my mom eat all of the cucumbers, she wanted to drink the liquid from the bowl once she'd finished. Lol! Only etiquette prevented- I certainly didn't. Life is too short not to enjoy anything that brings you pleasure. My miso soup also was delicious. With the pleasant flavors of these light appetizers, I was eager to sample the main course.

My noodle dish with chicken did not disappoint. My mom's salmon entree, ordered with Manuel's suggestions, was amazing. The presentation was beautiful and the flavors were wonderful. My mom was so focused on eating that she didn't talk to me anymore for the remainder of our dinner. lol! That's normally what happens when a good salmon dish is placed in front of her.

I am so glad that I encountered my mom to try something different and that I choose to dine at Ichiban.

Above average Sushi and Japanese with very nice ambiance and even better service.

Had two lunches there and one was on Tuesday where you get one roll half off with order of another one. Their bento box is way more than enough to eat and they have a simple but great cucumber salad, one of my faves.

Decent beer selection and hot sake too among the drink offerings. See my pictures for more detailed info on the meals.

Pretty good for takeout sushi. I wouldn't rush back, but it's a convenient location and definitely on the better quality side than competitors. I'd like to dine in to see if that experience is any different!

I was exploring options for Japanese food and found Ichiban on Yelp.... The reviews looked good for the most part so I decided to give 'em a try.

To begin with they are quick with a friendly greeting, happy to get you seated right away, and happy to answer questions....

In browsing the menu, it seems they have a bit of an Asian identity crisis. With your bento box you choose either egg flower or miso soup. On the tray you automatically get a pork egg roll in addition to your teriyaki, or whatever other selection you make.

They offer some really interesting sushi rolls, and even though the menu says no substitutions on bento boxes, they are all too happy to change out rolls for their patrons. With that offer, I chose to try the cowboy roll; steak, bacon, cream cheese, and avocado quickly deep fried and topped with spicy mayo and unagi sauces. Very tasty, very unique roll!

The one thing missing for me from the bento box was rice. Instead of rice they serve two salads; the standard lettuce & dressing as well as a shrimp and asparagus salad. I'd be content with one salad and a scoop of rice, but it was good nonetheless.

The place itself was clean, inviting, and comfortable. I'll plan to come back on a Tuesday evening when sushi rolls are buy one get one for 50% off.

Go there hungry. You'll want to try everything as this place is top notch for good value. You can tell how the food taste by watching the plates leave the table. And the kids also ate everything on their plates. Definitely will visit here again.

Our second time around! Ariana is the best this is the second time waiting on us and she's very knowledgeable with menu. I love that when someone knows the menu. Always relaxing atmosphere and I enjoy their style of music too. Chilling eating good food listening to Chet Faker. Another good meal at a cool place.

This is another super cute locally owned restaurant that is Korean owned. Says right on the menu that they have a sister Korean owned restaurant right down town Pensacola that you should also try.

Having said that, this is supposedly a "Japanese sushi restaurant" that is really a Korean sushi restaurant that serves some really unique dishes with some korean foods also.

I keep coming back to try new things bc I love that they serve Teriyaki salmon & beef, hot green tea & an amazing ginger salad.
The miso soup here is also very good.

I get the Teriyaki salmon without the teriyaki sauce. I just like it plain with ginger, soy sauce & wasabi. Their cut of salmon is of very good quality.

I also like their version of a salmon skin roll here. Their sushi is very unique, not your typical sushi, they have some very unique rolls. They will customize some for you.

You can get most simple things like; california rolls, tuna rolls, salmon & avocado etc., it's not authentic Japanese but it's good quality seafood.

This last visit I tried a few new rolls & they were all pretty good, the fish was super fresh, however, the rice less roll ironically, the "Happy Salmon" was poorly constructed wrapped in cucumber that was way too thick making it impossible to eat before it fell apart. Not happy with the "Happy Salmon" roll.
The salmon & avocado roll was very nice.

They make a lot of mishaps here, like once they forgot my hubby's soup, but they gave it to him the next visit. And this last visit they forgot to give me my Credit Card back.

However, they gave it back to me the following day.
No one is perfect, we all make mistakes. It's how you handle the recovery that matters.

And my experience here has always been pleasant & if they did make a mishap or mistake, they quickly corrected it gracefully, respectfully.
Mistakes are usually honest mistakes & honest mistakes are easily forgivable.

I look forward to returning to try many more of their unique dishes.
To be unique, is to just be yourself, and they have all that in spades.

Recommend.

Ichiban consistently exceeds expectations as my top sushi destination in the U.S., a remarkable feat considering my frequent travels. Each visit unveils an unparalleled experience of freshness, with their sushi rolls not only tantalizingly delicious but also generously portioned. The ambiance is further elevated by the warm and welcoming staff, who contribute immensely to the overall delightful dining experience. Ichiban is a culinary gem that never fails to impress.

I got the ginger tea and it is already sweetened which I didn't know or I wouldn't have added sugar - eek!! But it was good. Smoothed my stomach for sure. My husband got the steak and didn't like the sauce and felt like the cut wasn't tasty. He only ate like maybe half. He really didn't care for it. I was obsessed with my salmon teriyaki though, it was super good!

I placed a to-go order for crab salad for lunch. It was ready in about 10 minutes and super fresh! The platter was huge and I actually couldn't finish it. It was full of kani crab, seaweed salad, cucumber, and micro greens. On the top was eel sauce and crunchy tempura pieces. It was delicious!