On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Hillcrest
Loading...
They had a great happy hour for a while. Apparently on Saturday nights it's back, but for week night dining it's best to pass.
The sushi is standard fast food sushi fare. It's alright and it won't kill you. They've priced themselves out of the category they're in. Sushi Deli quality, but Ono prices make this little joint a tough pill to swallow.
Hopefully they review their pricing and get back on track.
Popped in here with my friend for a quick bite --- blah it was just okay. Mostly rolls and when I asked if they had uni she said no. UGH!
We got 3 rolls -- California, salmon skin and crunchy -- I'm definitely not a rolls kind of gal and we only popped in here because I wanted Japanese and it was convenient. It was late and they were open and I was starving and it was a matter of getting my tummy filled rather than getting my tastebuds fulfilled -- know what I mean?
I doubt I'll ever return again even though service was friendly and when I asked them to pack up the leftovers with some wasabi and shoyu, they even put chopsticks and napkins in there.
2.5 stars
With the exception of the salmon, this is my favorite little go-to spot in Hillcrest for Sushi. Now, this is not because it is the best. Not at all. It is because my date and I can sit down and not be constantly bumped into by people's butts as they motor in for their takeout.
The Ichiban across the street? Only takeout for me from now on.
Some decent specifics and some joys as well as disappointments:
Mixed:
Fast service, but sitting at the bar means telling the sushi chef you need drinks. He then tells the waitress. She does not visit often
Great presentation usually. however, that means big platters. You can run out of room fast.
Sake? Yes, but only the house varietyis warm.
Pros:
Excellent sushi and good sashimi, and there is plentiful ginger on the wasabi comes formed in shapes and is also in good supply.
Very good teriyaki chicken and beef if one likes the Funky Samurai dish, a great value itself.
Hibachi dishes are excellent and the Japanese fried rice is killer.
Fried things in the tempura are good and not soggy or juicy.
Cons:
Bad salmon, teriyaki or otherwise, Seriously, this is the "not good" salmon. Avoid it until someone raves. It seems a little freezer-burned or something.
Sometimes the Teriyaki is a bit sugary and almost sweet and sour in flavor. Yuck.
The sushi is often served with their spicy sauce all around. A small drizzle over the actual rolls would be nice. Laying it on loose fried panko makes it unwieldy.
I will be back again and again until they get it up to a five. But if they slip, there is always Sushi Itto!
The rolls were yummy. I got the crunchy roll and rainbow roll but dammit they don't have a combo meal with rolls. Otherwise, pretty deeelish.
Decent, would eat there again but would choose Ono sushi or something else before this place. It's quiet, friendly service, no complaints but have had better.
I really did not want to give this place a bad review but with all of the good reviews raving about it, I thought I would share my experience.
Friday happy hour pretty non-existent. No wonder it was so slow on a Friday night. Service was fast. Nigiri pieces were big. Smoked salmon-worst I've ver had. Mackeral-was it even mackeral? Tasted liked canned lemon tuna fish.(We had it taken off the bill.)
The rolls were pretty big but not so big that they should have fallen apart as easy as they did. The eel was cold and the caterpillar didn't taste too fresh either. I like to eat it without all the soy sauce and wasabi. You may need it here to taste any good.
In conclusion..... If you go on a Monday-Thursday at happy hour and overserve yourself before eating-you'll be okay.
If you drown your selections in wasabi and soy sauce-you'll be okay.
Like I said.....I didn't want to give a bad review but I have had better
mini-mart sushi.
I went here for lunch randomly because I was craving sushi and it was not all that great. I ordered the rainbow roll and miso soup. The soup was the best part of the meal, the sushi was not very fresh, the tuna and salmon didn't taste too great. Don't think I will be back. Service was good, server was very friendly.
Their off hour prices are a bit high, if you can make it to any of their specials 30% to 70% off, I'd recommend it. They're very time specific but especially the Saturday special is a good primer for a Saturday night. Large beer/sake for $1.80. Wow.
not loving it anymore. Stickin to ichiban (plain vanilla) this is not very good and expensive for the quality. Maybe it would be the bomb in South Dakota but in San Diego it fails.
Im a big fan of the cheap eats of Ichiban in good ole Hillcrest. I saw that this place was moving in… Read more »
Dizzamn.... there's some low ratings for this place. The first time I came, I hated it. My GF had to pull my arm to get me to come back, but the second time, I loved it because of the great deals and the tasty rolls we ordered.
We had a large sapporo for like 2.50, and three different rolls. The total for our bill came out at about 25 bucks, but here's what we had (24 rolls all together):
1. crunchy roll - my favorite out of the three
2. philadelphia roll - not as great as other philly rolls that I've tasted but decent
3. spicy tuna roll - sushi rolls sitting on tempura with sriracha sauce and a raw tuna filet on top... soooo good.
All in all, I was full, my thirst was quenched, and i payed a little bit more than the cost of two value meals at McDonald's. It beat McDonald's, that's for sure.
Pretty good sushi. Fine. Actually, on a Sunday at 2pm, this is one of the best places...if not ONLY places for sushi you'll find open. Why do they all open at 5pm on Sundays? Nobody has a late sushi lunch on Sundays? Geez! This was the 3rd place we'd been to for lunch...
I digress.
Ambiance for our lunch was adequate, but...we did have to move inside from the patio because the bushes were emanating a urine smell. uck. Inside was okay. Flies were around, but...it added a special effect, like we were eating in an adventurous and remote locale, not Hillcrest. Usually you don't get flies in Hillcrest.
The bathroom was alright. Though, I'm not 100% sure there isn't a hidden camera in the women's restroom behind the slightly broken door of the locked cabinet....perhaps I should check YouTube for Ichiban on the Pot videos?
In any case, only 1 out of the 3 of us felt ill after dining...but that could have been because we'd just come from bowling where she drank 3 beers before noon?? So...I give 3 stars. I'd go back, but I'm not in a hurry.
Im not really sure why the owners of Ichiban felt compelled to open up another Japanese restaurant when they already have a Japanese restaurant just down the block. To me, it would seem like they were competing with themselves in addition to all of the other Hillcrest sushi bars.
I live in the area and I do notice that the original one seems busier.They do have some cheap happy hour specials, including sake and beer specials. Im sure they wanted this offshoot to be a little classier, judging by the interior decor. Everything looks brand spanking new and polished.
I'm pretty sure my friend Yoshi works here as a sushi chef but Ive yet to run into him. The last time that we spoke he told me that he worked at Ichiban, unless he was referring to Ichiban in PB, which is more like fast food Japanese for the beach crowd.
They have all of the usual suspects, nigiri , sashimi, custom rolls etc etc. Sashimi is pretty straightforward, if the fish is fresh and if its cut properly, then theres really nothing else to it. Nigiri is completely dependent on the rice. Well prepared rice will complement the fish. Poorly prepared rice will make the fish taste off, even if its very fresh.
Whenever I go to a new sushi restaurant there are a handful of items that I always order just to kind of gauge the freshness of the ingredients and the skill of the sushi chefs. There are so many small details that as a whole could make a break a place for me. Attention to detail, garnishes, knife skills, presentation, correct use of traditional sauces, etc etc.
Overall I liked this restaurant . For the price range its a good bargain. You could spend way more elsewhere and may or may not have a better meal. In all honesty, if you want to impress a date with dinner out at a sushi bar, this probably wouldnt be my first choice. If youre a local and youre walking and you dont want to deal with the people and the obligatory lines at Ono Sushi , then this would be a good alternative.
I don't know if it's been a while since I had sushi but the sushi I had last night was not great. I wouldn't say bad, just not great. I met a fellow Yelper, Grace for dinner with my partner Brian and I chose this place because of Happy Hour and hoping to get a great meal, good prices and wonderful conversation. Well 2 out of 3 is not bad.
Can't fault the service nor the attention. However, I just feel that the sushi could have been better. We didn't order very much food 4 Sushi Rolls, 2 Nigiri, some sake and the Gyoza (fried) vegetables only.
Gyoza starter was okay not excellent, the sauce provided was barely 1/3 of the oversized serving bowl which only highlights the lack of dipping sauce.
Sushi came on time but not wowed in the taste department. Left over too much - Caterpillar, Rainbow, Spider and Eel roll - none were satisfying enough for the sushi palate.
I know our server was trying to clean up fast but she removed the separate plate that was empty except for the wasabi and ginger in it eventhough we had plenty of sushi left to use those condiments.
I am seriously becoming more critical of food despite my lack of expertise because the economy has all of us on the edge on how we spend our money. So if I go out, I want to enjoy not only the company, the conversation but also the food.
Recommended? Nah..better off going across to the cheaper Ichiban when they have the happy hour.
Overall, I was happy with this place compared to going to their cheaper namesake Ichiban across the… Read more »
I came here for happy hour with my brother the other day. We've been here before for the specials. They have large banners advertising 1/2 off rolls which are hard to ignore. Anyways, they have select rolls that you can get at 50% off from 5:00 - 7:30 pm and they have sake and beer specials until 7:00 pm.
We ordered off of the happy hour menu and it was pretty good. The selection is basic. There are elements that remind me of Sushi Deli. I enjoyed the green tea and I'm glad they brought me the pot because the waitress didn't time her visits right. The service was decent and the HH prices are right.
Consistently good sushi, I have tried about 6 or 7 different rolls and they were all quite good. If you buy a pitcher or Sapporo you get to put your hand in a box and pick a prize! Once we got a plate of edamane and another time a California hand roll. Their seaweed salad is delicious and the service is very good.
This was a huge disappointment. I was visiting San Diego this weekend and wanted to try some sushi. This place was close by and it looked decent and quaint. Got a average review on yelp so I decided to give it a try. Boy, was it NOT worth it. It was overpriced for the amount and size of rolls they served. Rice was harder to chew than the normal sushi rice. It tasted old and dry if you asked me. Fish didn't even taste as fresh. I ordered a special roll but it wasn't special at all. It was overpowered with wasabi. Overall, I was very very disappointed. I would never consider this place again.
WORLD'S MOST TERRIBLE SERVICE, EVER! If I could give zero stars, I would.
With a party of five, we walked in and were promptly seated. There was one other party dining at the time. She took our orders for drinks: 1 lemonade, 1 sprite, and 3 waters with lemon.
Next, she proceeded to take our main course orders. I started off, asking for a Spicy Tuna Roll, and she curtly instructed me to mark sushi orders on the paper. What paper? Oh, the one she hadn't given us yet! Duh, what were you thinking, Elaine?
She took the orders for the two bento boxes (which bore the terrible name, "Sexy Geisha"... how awkward!), then took our sushi order form: Eel Roll with no cucumber (which we wrote in the margin), Spicy Tuna Roll, & Tiger Roll.
We sat for a few minutes, and the lemonade and sprite came out. No waters.
Five more minutes... still no water. I get her attention and ask again for three waters with lemon. In a couple minutes, she comes out with three waters, no lemon. It's okay, we figure. Not worth bothering her for lemon slices.
About ten minutes pass, and the sushi comes out, all on one platter. The Eel Roll has large chunks of cucumber in it. We bring it to her attention, and she takes it back, then brings another one out after about ten minutes. This one has large chunks of avocado in it. Seriously?
1) my brother (who ordered the eel roll) doesn't eat avocado, 2) the menu description doesn't include avocado, 3) the first time they brought it out with the cucumber, there was no avocado! Apparently they just assumed that since we didn't want the cucumber, they should throw in some avocado that we didn't ask for! We didn't didn't say anything, because we figured they might start spitting in our food if we asked them to remake it. (Ever see the movie "Waiting"?)
I sit and help my little brother pick out the avocado chunks with our chopsticks as we wait for the bento boxes to arrive.
Five minutes pass. Our waters are on empty, but we've had no offers for refills.
Ten minutes pass, no bento boxes. We start playing the games we play in line at Disneyland.
Twenty minutes pass, still no bento boxes. Our sushi rolls are getting warm.
Thirty minutes pass. She brings us our check, and says "Thank you."
WTFrappuccino??! At this point, we've been in the restaurant for over an hour, haven't had a bite to eat, still haven't received the orders of two people in our party, and she brings us our check?? All the sushi is CLEARLY untouched (aside from the dissected eel roll, which has a pile of avocado on the plate next to it), and two people in our party have a large, empty, meal-beckoning space on the table in front of them, hmm, perhaps for the bento boxes??
We look at her in disbelief, for she was the only waitress who served us the entire hour (if you could call it service). I look around. The one group that had been there when we arrived has now been replaced by another small party. There were two parties in the restaurant this entire time, ours included. We told her we still hadn't received half of our food, and she went to "check in the back". She came out and apologetically said something about a paper falling on the floor and our bento boxes never being made. "I'll bring out appetizers for you, ok? On the house, ok?" We shrug and say okay. At this point, we're just fed up and decide that this woman will receive nilch in tips. I've never not left a tip before. Our waters are still empty, and we're tempted to just walk out.
Five minutes later, she comes out with our glorious complimentary appetizers: three bowls of miso soup! Oh joy!! I couldn't believe that miso soup was supposed to make up for our experience thus far.
Five more minutes. She brings out a laughingly small dish, with about five pieces of edamame on it, smothered in salt. I look at her in disbelief. She would've been better off not bringing it out at all. I look at her, pretty annoyed by now, and ask, "You know what? It'd be great if you could just throw in another eel roll. No avocado, no cucumber." She looks at me. "Umm... another eel roll? Umm... Okay then." She takes back her 5 precious pieces of edamame, and goes to her cash register and punches a few things in. Is she ringing up the eel roll?
The 2nd Eel Roll comes, this time finally made correctly, and just to double check, I ask her:
"You're not charging for the eel roll, right?"
She looks confused.
I ask again, "Are you charging for the 2nd eel roll?"
"Yes."
"Uhm, I asked for it for free."
She thinks for a while. "Oh, okay then."
She brings our bento boxes out, and in the process knocks a tempura prawn off the plate and onto the table. She offers to bring out another prawn.
We dine quickly and pay (I know, right?), then find another waitress, and request to speak with the manager. The punchline of this entire joke of an experience? Our waitress WAS the manager!
I wouldn't come back here if you paid me.
Very overpriced for what you get. The sushi is alright, but the rolls and portions were really small. I've been to other cheaper sushi places that were more affordable, just as tasty if not tastier, and bigger portions. I say meh.
I had lunch here with an old friend today and discovered a new favorite happy hour spot. We were enthusiastically greeted and took a seat at the sushi bar. As we were the only guests, I briefly thought about the fresh-factor. A preview of the seafood at the sushi bar assured me we would be eating delicious fresh food from the sea.
So many specials to choose from: 99 cent hot sake all day long. 30% off all sushi during happy hour, great lunch combos and reasonably priced rolls all translate into "recession-friendly" restaurant.
What we ate: vegetable tempura with a hot tempura sauce with fresh grated ginger and tempura'd rice sticks that looked like a tree coated in fluffy snow baron of it's leaves in the wintry months. It was, in fact, a work of art. Next up: miso soup - lovely warm, ocean-esque seaweed presence. Add a hot sake ~ no complaints. Ready for some rolls: spicy tuna roll and the AWESOME seared albacore roll. Both were delicious and the albacore roll's presentation was beautiful.
The staff was friendly and efficient and the room filled up as lunchtime progressed. I will definitely go back for their happy hour as I know the rolls are worth it and at 30% off, why wouldn't you? And by all standards, an all day 99 cent sake special is impressive.
With so many sushi restaurants dotted around San Diego, many get lost in the landscape, especially when they are tucked into the corner of a strip mall like Ichiban on the Rocks. Regardless, it is worth venturing out to and hey, parking is free too!
Big cucumber!
Tried it out for the first time during happy hour when certain rolls are half off.
Taste was okay, but big price of cucumber in them & little fish.
Taste was okay. So if your not picky...
But not for the Sushi afficiando.
Decided to try it out because I was in the area and in the mood for a cheap sushi lunch. Was enticed by the $6.50 lunch special. Ugh--I was sorely disappointed.
The service was bad, even though there was hardly any one there. The chicken teriyaki was fatty and gross. The rice in the california rolls was waaaay overcooked. Ok, fine. But then add insult to injury when I ask for another diet coke (a drink came with the meal special, +1 in my book) and the waitress says "refills aren't included. It's a $1.50 extra." A DOLLAR FIFTY? Ok, I know that's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. But seriously, a $1.50 to fill up an already used glass with $.05 worth of soda? It's the principle of the thing. And then, on top of it, they charged me 50 cents (without telling me they would, I might add) because I used my credit card to pay for a meal under $10.
Food being bad is one thing. Nickle and dime-ing me for bad food is quite another. Ichiban is an Ichi-no-no.
Ok, I should add a disclaimer, this gets an extra star of nostalgic value.
I'd won a bit of dough at one of our local Casino megaplexes, and wanted to take this guy I'd just met out on our first "date" with my winnings. We stopped at Urban Solace (one of the better date places in San Diego, I feel) but arrived 20 minutes before closing, and even through my magical powers of persuasion, I was unable to secure us a table. We opted to drive around and look for something that was open, and happened upon Ichiban on the Rocks. By this time, they were also getting ready to close, but made no fuss about seating us anyway.
The cold unfiltered nigiri sake was delish, but it doesn't really speak to their skills as a sushi restaurant. Our sashimi was mildly slimy and smelled a bit too much like Ranch 99's meat seafood area. Rolls were padded with rice and I believe a random piece of asparagus. For the prices, we were cheated out of actual raw fish in our rolls. The seaweed salad was pretty decent, though the crunchy roll was over-stuffed with imitation crab. The rainbow roll and caterpillar rolls were forgettable.
The nostalgia however, is two-fold:
1. Immediately following the date, we returned to his apartment to find his roommate's cat deceased under the couch. Madness, sobbing, frantic phonecalls, and my heroic handling of a stiff feline corpse ensued, while I debated rushing for the door, never to return.
2. We got married six weeks later.
No idea how this place stays so busy. The food was not very good (Hibachi Chicken with spicy teriyaki). The dishes were not clean, as if they just soaked it in plain water and placed it back on the table. Something I'd expect to see from a restaurant in China Town in LA, but not a Japanese restaurant in San Diego. The plates on the table were so ridiculously greasy! Unbelievable. And it wasn't just one plate either.
California roll was complete crap, the rice tasted like something straight from the rice cooker at home. Not sure how it's only rated "$$" for price, while it was at least $10 per plate for dinner. That's not cheap! Anyhow, the "other" Ichiban across the street (a much cheaper alternative) is much better than this place, they shouldn't share the same name! The only positive thing it had to offer was the salad. It wasn't too bad. Otherwise, don't waste your time or money. Try a real Japanese place called "Umenoya" in Miramar.
My friend and his girlfriend came down to visit from Los Angeles, and we decided to all go out to lunch.
Ichiban on the Rocks has great friendly service. We were greeted the minute we walked in the door, with a smile. Drink orders were taken right away. We looked through the menu, and marked down our choices on the paper provided. When our waitress came back, she double checked our orders, asked if we wanted soup or salad, and away she went.
Our drinks and soups/salads were out with the quickness. I enjoyed the miso soup a lot. My friend's girlfriend raved about the salad, while Eric through it was just okay - he thought the ginger dressing was a bit much.
Our sushi and rolls came with the quickness, and everything was delicious. Among our choices: Spicy Tuna Roll, Crunchy Tiger Roll, California Roll, Crunchy Roll, and a couple pieces of nigiri (I personally had the freshwater eel and enjoyed it).
Our total was about $25 per person before tip - and that was for either our soup or salad, we each had a beer, and our mass quantities of sushi. We were all stuffed afterwards - and very happy.
I snagged a take out menu when I left, so that one of these days I can get some to go!
When I was on my search for the perfect Miso soup this place won - its reasonablly priced and has the perfect amount of salt taste, tofu, and seaweed.
The sushi wasn't bad either.
To put it simply: VERY low quality sushi for good quality prices. It would get one star, but I didn't get food poisoning or anything here. I would take Ichiban across the street over this place ANY DAY! Very appropriate that this place is called Ichiban ON THE ROCKS...hopefully an indication that they are on the rocks and about to disappear.
I tried 3 rolls: spicy tuna, Philly, and unagi. In all three, the size of the fish was comparable to...let's see...head of a pin would be too mean, but a dime would be WAY too generous. A pencil eraser would be about right. That's an accurate estimation of the size of the pathetic fish here. In the Philly roll, the cream cheese was 3 times as big as the piece of salmon. The rice was not good, and neither was the seaweed.
Service: Slow, and not so friendly. We ordered 2 beers, but decided we wanted to switch it to one large beer. As the waiter was rushing around, we said "excuse me." He looked at us, and said "one minute," with the "hold on" finger motion. And he came back a few minutes later with the 2 beers. Now...as a server, don't you think that if someone flags you down after they just ordered drinks, you might want to see what they were going to say before you grab their drinks?
Blah Blah Blah...describes the food, service, prices, and what my words would be if I attempted to say anything else about this waste of space sushi place.
First, my friend and I took a look at the menu posted outside. I picked out one that I think sounds really good for about $11 and we then walked in, no one greeted us. (there were 1 sushi chef, 2 waiters and prob 2 table worth of customers inside ( 3 table outside) Took a while for the waitress to even acknowledge us(while she's running around, in front of us, talking on the phone, not phone order) So, finally she seated us. As we go through the menu, the inside menu posted of the same item that I picked out for $13.50 instead, and it was a 5 piece of Triple Salmon something roll.
I think, ok, it was my first time, I'll give it a shot. I ordered that and a california roll. My friend had a miso soup, a spicy tuna roll and a philyRoll. After we finish writing on that piece of paper for sushi, we set it by the edge of table waiting for the waitress to come take the order.....took while, my friend gone to the bathroom and back and the order still sits there.
Finally she came and got the order, mind you, there's about 2 table of customer inside and 3 outside. The only 2 waitress are running around like crazy.
We waited a while, noticing that you can't see where they post the "A" rating sign, the nepkin that my friend had was dirty with food on it, the chopsticks was not covered with a sleeve and we begins to wonder.
Waited a while, then the sushi came. My friend was like, WTF, we waited all these time, the soup never came, and the waitress showed up with a big plate of dingy looking sushi and asked my friend did he not get the miso soup yet (do you SEE a bowl any where on the table?!) She said ok, she'll get his soup...and finally the 2nd waitress brought it over.
So, the supposedly fancy Triple Salmon sushi that I ordered which cost $13.50, sounded like this glorious thing....showed up as just a simple 5 pieces sushi with some dingy things on it and few salmon eggs and come with this peanut/seasame souce that doesn't taste any better when put it on. The tiny little Americanized california rolls tasted better than that and only cost $6.50(expensive for tiny little rolls).
We both ate, and it wasn't very fulfilling. And I spend about $22 on just my 13 dingy rolls(8 mini, 5 so so). Both of my friend and I was pissed. Through out the whole time, it takes forever to get the waitress's attention and there were only 2 table inside and 3 outside.
This place give authentic Japanese sushi restaurant and Japanese professionalism a very bad name. Don't go there, I know I won't and I'm gonna tell every one I know my horrible and expensive experience.
Pretty good I like their happy hour specials.
I gave this place three stars because it just doesn't stand out. It is better than Ichiban across the street. However, the sushi here is not cheap, and does not have any flair.
With so many sushi places to choose from in San Diego, you've got to stand out. Sorry Ichiban on the Rocks.
I am so surprised at all the bad reviews of the sushi at Ichiban on the rocks. I wouldn't say that it is the best sushi ever, but they have some things I really like (seared albacore roll for $4.25) and they have some interesting appetizers. The rice is always good, which for me is a dealbreaker on sushi.
I have never thought the sushi wasn't fresh, and the service is always delightful.
Now they have half-price rolls and big happy hour and lunch specials, making it an even better deal.
First impressions usually make a lasting impression. That's what happened to me at Ichiban on the Rocks.
I just had a pretty bad weekend, so my cousin was nice enough to take me out to dinner. Nothing like emotional eating to get my mind out of a funk. She raved about how much she and her boyfriend loved the place. I was a bit skeptical because we don't see eye to eye about sushi. But, hell, she was buying. Who am I to complain?
We scored seats at the sushi bar and before I know it, we were both being entertained by our Japanese sushi chef. Though most people tend to lean more towards rolls, we actually stuck to the sashimi menu.
I gotta admit, by the end of the night, I was really pleased with everything I ate. Even the monk fish liver, one of their seasonal dishes!! I don't even like liver in ANY form. As we tried every dish, we were able to question our awesome chef about his creations. I mean, really, miso mousse? Flavored sake and chardonnay jelly cubes? Sashimi with a jalapeno sauce? I couldn't help but feel like a judge on Iron Chef, asking about the different elements of the dishes. Asking him about how he came up with his dishes. He was highly entertaining, even saying once 'I was drunk out of my mind when I came up with that one.' Awesome.
Place is clean. Sashimi is extremely fresh. If you don't want to commit to any one sashimi dish, Ichiban offers a sampler option. I can't comment on the other items, as I didn't even try them. Sushi chef - very friendly and entertaining. Price is moderate, but worth it. Between the 2 of us it was $65, after ordering 7-8 different items, including 2 sampler plates. Parking in the area sucks, so you might be better off finding street parking. Overall, the place is awesome. Can't wait until the next time to visit again!
I've been here at least 5 times hoping that each visit will be better than the other, but that has not been the case. They have some good happy hour prices on sushi and saki but the food and service has never been consistent.
I found Ichiban on the Rocks one day when my sis and I were craving sushi and in the Hillcrest area. I had been to the Ichiban across the street, which was very good, but I wanted to sit inside a restaurant and I'm a sucker for some ambiance. We had a great experience! It was happy hour and the rolls were half price- we shared three rolls and all were great! I believe we had the rainbow, spicy tuna, and the philly? We also had the sparkling plum wine, which oddly enough might have been the best part! It was served in a martini glass over ice and was the perfect companion to the sushi. Yummy! The best part was that we had an appetizer, 3 rools, and 2 sparkling plum wines each, and only paid $20 each! That included a generous tip. We have been back many times since and always try to make sure that its during happy hour:)
Say what you will but Ichiban on the Rocks is quickly becoming my new favorite sushi restaurant. What can I say? Their food is actually affordable, but still quality. I end up here at least once a week with friends, usually between 5-7pm so we can catch their happy hour specials. The bucket of beer has one each of Kirin, Sapporo, Asahi and a small sake, and is only $10 during happy hour, perfect for two people. I've tried a decent number of the rolls, but keep going back to the Sunny Roll, a cali roll with salmon and avocado on top. Their nigiri and sashimi is also better than you would expect for the prices - either that or I'm just used to being overcharged. Probably both.
The service has always been very attentive as well, no matter if I arrive just as the restaurant opens at 5pm or in the middle of the dinner rush on a Saturday. Is this the most "authentic" sushi restaurant in San Diego? No. Does this bother me? Not in the least. The sushi-spoiled SD natives I've brought here for dinner certainly aren't complaining either.
On a side note - the "2nd beer for 1 cent" and "late night happy hour" I've seen referenced in other reviews no longer exist, sadly. It seems that was just to build an initial customer base upon opening, and now that this has been accomplished they'd like to at least make SOME money... go figure.
"Ya, I'll have a spicy tuna roll with a side of Salmonella please...."
'Nuff said.
I went here the other night with my girlfriend. She did not like it at all. The parking situation was pretty lame. Some delivery driver for Papa John's yelled at her and called her a name, then we found a parking place.
I had the triple salmon roll, spicy tuna roll, and we shared the vegetable roll. The vegetable roll was huge. How do they expect you to fit these huge things into your mouth? Still, I enjoyed the food. I should've gotten one of the combinations, it would've made the price more reasonable. The service was pretty quick. I would go back, but I think my gf does not want to have anything to do with this place after the Papa John's driver.
I went to Ichiban on an early Friday evening. There were only two others tables in the place.
I was seated within 10 minutes of walking in, even though they were not busy. I've been a waitress I know what busy looks like.
My order was taken within 10 minutes, and it came within 20. The fish was pretty average in quality for the price, as well as small for what you get.
I was never asked "How is everything?" Not once. And then I come to find out my tea which was never refilled was 3 bucks! For a tiny cup of tea.
I had no idea it was going to cost that much! I gave them no tip, because they did not deserve one. THe food was brought and I did eat, so I of course paid for the over-priced average sushi.
This really isn't a great place.
My dad and I have eaten here twice now and its been quick and very good. I love the plating and the fact that its more sit down then the pb place. You will pay for the "nice" tho.
We used to come here a lot when we first moved in to San Diego and weren't really familiar with the area. They have "okay" food, but their sushi is over priced for such low-quality fish. You might as well just go to Sushi Hut - their Sushi is not so good either but at least they're cheap. Their Teriyaki Chicken is ok... but trust me if you explore more, you will find something better. But my friend always enjoyed their happy hour - if you drink, you can try it.
I have to admit I was hesitant to try Ichiban on the Rocks b/c the other reviews here were mediocre, but since I am often in the neighborhood I wanted to try it out.
Some highlights: restaurants accepts reservations, has a happy hour menu from 5 PM to 6:30 PM consisting of 3-4 rolls/food options and a selection of drinks, and the service was excellent. Not only did our waitress answer all our questions, but she also gave us helpful suggestions based on what we were asking.
The happy hour menu has only about 4 rolls, but each is priced at somewhere b/w $3 to $3.5 and the ones I had were quite yummy.
Overall I could definitely come back again for an affordably priced dinner (or lunch).
Neighborhood: Hillcrest
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Hillcrest
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Hillcrest
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: Hillcrest
Category: Sushi Bars
Neighborhood: North Park
Category: Food
I have lived in North Park or Hillcrest for 90% of…
This list of one and two star hell holes is my…
I have officially gained 15 pounds in the last…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
If you're going to do happy hour, do it well!…
There is so much good stuff in Hillcrest...food,…
