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Ichiban Sushi & Japanese Cuisine
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
19 reviews for Ichiban Sushi & Japanese Cuisine
Ichiban's appetizer, Ebi Shumai, tastes like Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
Ichiban's sashimi tastes like what I believe Megan Fox tastes like.
And for those unenlightened rouges among you...these are good things.
Similar to my experience at the Chinese restaurant. ichiban was an ok japanese restaurant. Probably its great for SLC...but not the best I've ever had.
IT is an interesting space in use being an old Church. They've done a lovely job of converting it but I understand it was an Italian restaurant before.
The only time that I've been able to eat at Ichiban was for a friend's birthday dinner. They have a moderate sized parking lot, which can fill up quickly during their peak hours. Luckily, there is on-street parking available if needed. The restaurant looks nice, for the most part. I was only able to view the North side of the building and the lower floor, where the bathrooms are. For the most part, the decor is lovely.
There's nothing too special about the sushi. I honestly think I can find other places who will price their sushi cheaper and make it taste more delicious. It might be more worth it if you order something off their entree menu. I was able to snatch a bite of my friend's shrimp tempura and it wasn't too bad.
As far as the service, the servers did a very good job managing a large group. They took no delay in taking our order and bringing our food out momentarily.
Ichiban is one of the best places for quality sushi you can get in the SLC area. It is one of the few joints that get REALLY fresh fish, which is what makes it a step above most of the other ho-hum sushi places popping up. There is a wide variety of choices on the menu and though it can be expensive, I do believe you get what you pay for here. They have a good wine and beer menu, as well as a good selection of saki.
Though it is not the best sushi I have ever had, it is the best you can get at a place that is NOT right next to the ocean. Check it out if you're willing to pay a little more to get a little more.
I am not a big fan of Ichiban. I have only been a handful of times because of the reputation it seems to maintain, so I continually give it "another shot" but every time I am left saying "meh, we should have gone to Happy Sumo or Takashi."
The atmosphere is good, the wine list is good, the service is okay, and parking is easy. However, the food is overpriced and some of the more inventive rolls are really lackluster. Another issue I have is the seating-- each time I have been it has only been 2 or 3 of us and they cramp us at a tiny table and then suddenly another couple is seated 2 feet away from us, which is awkward. I like my space when I am eating my sushi! It would be one thing if it was an intimate space, such as Takashi, but Ichiban is an open, airy space with plenty of room! I will also add that I am not a fan of the location, which I feel is kind of random.
So, in this vicious cycle I am sure I will end up there again but I am skeptical it will be anything more than "meh."
I have no complaints. Our server, Mike, was very nice. I enjoyed everything I tried. I ordered the Jazz roll, octupus seaweed salad and tried one of the crab wontons. They were all great. The menu is simple but you can find everything you need. The fish itself was fresh. I was very pleased. This is one of the best, if not the best, i've had in Salt Lake City and I grew up eating sushi in San Diego. If it was a little less costly, i'd eat here everyday! This place deserves more credit.
One of my favorite sushi places in the country.
Writing this review makes me realize that my *real* last meal on Earth would have to be an X 96 roll and a Mars roll from Ichiban.
Service is always fast and polite, and they don't mind making huge take-out orders. Win win win.
I wavered between a one star & two star, but I'm just not impressed. I sat at the sushi bar - I tried to order from the sushi chef and he informed me that he wouldn't take my order. So I waited, literally, 15 minutes before I could place an order and another 7 minutes to receive my order - for an order of maguro (tuna) nigiri. When I asked if they had bluefin, the sushi chef stated that he didn't know what it was. The other chef quickly jumped in and said that they do have it from time to time. Ordered a chicken dish from the kitchen that was wrapped in shiso leaf (japanese mint leaf) and tempura fried. The chicken was unbelievably dry. I sat at the sushi bar so I could get in and out. My total time spent there was just over 2 hours. That was FRUSTRATING!!!
There is a reason that Owner Peggy Whiting has been in Fine Cooking Magazine, at the top of Zagat's year after year, and cutting fish to a packed house for decades.
There is simply no better sushi bar within 500 miles of Ichiban. A couple of other good ones around, but none really come close. Old-Timers will remember when Ichiban was up in Park City catering to well-to-do types in a cozy little spot on the main drag. They moved down to SLC in 99 and took over an old Lutheran Church to create what might be one of the prettiest places to eat in the city.
Oh yeah, the fish. It's about the fish at Ichiban. Peggy was trained by a "Real Live Honest-to-goodness" National Living Treasure in Japan by the name of Master Ino (I think the spelling is right). Her training was even more rigorous since she was female and foreign, but that didn't stop her. She took everything that was thrown at her and became a master -- at the time the only American Female to achieve this -- and set up shop in Park City.
If you're not a real expert or hard-core sushi/sashimi nut, there's plenty of dishes and "pseudo-sushi" to eat -- Peggy's concocted lots of rolls that are actually really tasty and not "challenging" at all. Your mom and dad won't be afraid!
But if you're into the "real thing" like I am, go ahead, make your day. Feel Lucky. Ask them to bring it, and you'll get what you want. Try to get in front of Peggy and stump her. She'll leave you full and begging for more. I've had some pretty exotic stuff there -- once they know you are a cognoscenti, there's stuff under the counter that will blow you away. Spectacular!
SUSHI & SKIING
I know you might be thinking to yourself "Great Sushi in UTAH?"
Uuummm excuse me but wheres the ocean.. where the Asians.. and how does this happen.
Well Utah better known for it AMAZING skiing (Ski-Alta-WOW) and Mormons (one of the wealthiest churches.. Bling Bling). One will be surprised to find one of the better sushi places right there.
Well from what i have heard though i could be wrong... the owner who is Mormon was on her religious mission where Mormons will go to other places in the world and attempt to spread/teach the religion she happened to go to Japan where she learned how to make and master the art of sushi.. and she definitely has mastered.
Any hoot onto the experience, the place is rather large but very comfortable located inside a old church the whole feel of the place seems like such a mixture of culture style and more. I have sat both at the tables and one of the private rooms. In both areas service was prompt and very helpful especially cuz I'm one of those ppl who always forgets the name of the thing he ordered last time and has to explain it hoping the waiter will know what I'm talking about.
The fish is fresh and well presented, each dish seemed to have an originality but still sticking to a traditional aspect as to show respect to the whole idea of "if it ain't broke don't fix it". I must say if you are in Utah and looking for a nice place to eat this would be top of my list.
I wish they sold the shirts that the servers had also i would buy one!!!
Wow! One of the best sushi restaurants I have ever been to. As my fianc and I were traveling cross country we stopped in to eat at this restaurant. Before even commenting on the food itself, I need to say something about the location and decor. Being situated inside an old church was simply fantastic. The stained glass windows and old wood made the place very elegant.
The food was absolutely amazing. If you ever go here you simply have to order the Caterpillar Roll - to die for! I know if I am ever back in Salt Lake City I will be eating here again!
It isn't the best sushi I've ever had, however, it is pretty yummy nonetheless! I do have to say that I think part of what makes Ichiban a great experience is the venue. I believe the building was originally a church and now it is a restaurant. Very high celings and japanese accents. Absolutely a beautiful space.
Food was very tasty, my favorite being the tuna sashimi... granted, I think that is probably going to be my favorite no matter what but still, I had to give a shout out to that! The rolls were creative. I believe it was the Funky Charlie roll that I found to be very interesting. I'd skip that if you're looking to count calories but it was quite tasty. I really like the wasabi dressing they put on it.
Frankly, this place was just as good as many of the sushi places we have in SF. Service could be better but all in all, a solid sushi restaurant. My only regret is the limited time I had in Salt Lake so I wasn't able to come again. I'll be back on my next visit.
The fish is very fresh and the rolls were creative and artistically presented. The interior is gorgeous (deconsecrated church, apparently) and it's worth it to sit at the sushi bar to admire (with no small bit of irony) the immaculately maintained tropical fish tank.
The only reason I didn't rate it higher was because the rice seemed quite undercooked to me. If someone wants to tell me that that's because of the altitude and/or hard water, I will believe it, but it did put me off a bit to be chewing on "al dente" white rice.
I hate the be the wet blanket but this wasn't the best sushi I've ever had. It wasn't bad, so I gave it 3 stars but it couldn't have been better. I ordered the Jazz Roll and the Mars Roll. I enjoyed the Mars roll but the Jazz roll didn't have much flavor. It really needed to be dipped in soy sauce with wasabi. And I'm a stickler when it comes to playing the appropriate music for the cuisine. Ichiban was playing Reggae, I would have preferred something Japanese, even if it's pop. The old church, transformed into a restaurant, is very cool. Cool atmosphere but no booths. Everybody was very nice and full of smiles. There were 2 Japanese men behind the sushi bar, the rest were YOUNG WHITE KIDS. I'm a little weary of that. Again, they weren't bad, just ordinary at best.
THEY DO NOT TAKE RESERVATIONS - waitress told me so.
Hands down some of the best Sushi I have ever had, ANYWHERE. I've been to dozens of Sushi restaurants, mostly in the Northeast and really have TWO that I like in the Boston area, but Ichiban tops both of those. It's a good atmosphere and the sushi is delicious!
The "Would I go again?" report:
I try to go back every time I'm in Utah! Duh!
Very fresh, very good. Go on Monday or Tuesday, they have a list of 1/2 price sushi roles. $4-7, wow! The same ones that are on the menu for $8-14. I sat at the sushi bar; my Mexican sushi chef was gifted. (C'mon, does it really matter? If you were blindfolded you'd never know the difference, amigo, uh, friend.) The room is nice, filled with young, good looking guys and dames. But isn't all SLC like that?
5 Stars for the venue! 4 for the hard efforts of the post Mormon mission owner to create a Japanese sushi-ya in SLC; 3 stars for the sushi itself; and 2 stars for the UU Ute freshman and Ski-bums working through off-season staff.
The real star of this place is the setting: a former church, appearing to be Lutheran in my opinion, with its high-peaked roof, stained glass interior windows and dark finshed wood plank ceiling and appointments. Added touches are the matching wood sushi bar; the blue coned drop spot light shades over the bar; the 500+ gallon salt water fishtank with colorful Tangs and Clownfish (not on the sushi menu, although they could have thrown in a humuhumunukunukuapua'a for all the Mormon Hawaiians in the area!); the painted wall murals (and restroom doors) of Japanese sumo and traditionally garbed characters; and the dozen wood, labelled chopsick holders for regulars, like the reserved bottles held for regular patrons in a Tokyo Shot Bar. The shoji screen like bathroom stall dividers is a nice touch, too.
The sushi is better than you would have thought to find in Salt Lake City (they didn't come from the Great Salt Lake or the reclaimed fresh water side!). The prices seem to reflect a $1 dollar (each dish)donation to the church, as everything was slightly higher than most decent places on the coast, but I guess the chi-chi decor needs to be fed some greenback. With $5 for mackeral, $7.50 for hamachi and maguro, the prices aren't exhorbitant, but not what you would expect in lower cost SLC (the gas here is 2.68 - 2.88/gallon!). I went with Chirashi, which is a good way to sample a lot without paying single order rates, and getting a feel for the quality of the fish. That was $25.95, a bit high in my book, but it was well stocked. 3 maguro slices, 2 hamachi, 2 flounder, 3 fresh and real small crab claw pieces, 2 tamago triangles, and 1 uni. Served on a bowl of rice, they added fresh spring mix lettuce leaves for color and texture, which isn't bad for Trader Joe's packaged salad lovers, but enoki mushrooms or something a little more Japanese would have been better. It was served in a stylish (yet inappropriate) white high edged uneven lip Dansk-like bowl. It is hard to eat rice with chopsticks from a deep bowl with tall sides, even for an "ohashi" native raised on chopsticks!
The sushi chef, appearing to be Sansei, was quiet, fairly focused and had a traditional Japanese name (Alex); the assistant looked to be 19, straightforward yet immature (e.g. talking/joking about personal matters in front of customers - this is a sushi chef no-no! Talk to the customers and make them feel special or don't talk at all and look busy!) The roll makers were a young filipina and a young latino male, both diligent but inexperienced, i.e. letting the rice sit spread out on the nori too long before filling, rolling and cutting, making the rice hard and the nori limp); the wait staff were caucasian blond males with ski instructor names like Chip and Jens (not using real names but you get the picture!); the hostess at the front door was knitting between customers; and what appeared to be the manager, who had one of those mop hairdos combed widely and stuck to the forehead, was also in his early 20's and talking to the 19 year behind the sushi bar, as if discussing the days business and closing procedures.
I guess owner Mom took a break and let her sons run the show?
There was no offer of green tea, miso, or fresh cut oranges like many traditional Japanese restaurants. They do offer a sake "Flight", which are tastes of 3 different sakes. $12 for domestic Oregon sake, and $15 for Japanese. At least one of each Flight is the unfiltered Nigori style.
Still, you should try this place just for the unusual ambiance. It is pretty large, with a lot of tables and a pretty good size sushi bar. The fish tank is beautiful and the decor strangely mixed, provocative, and a good conversation starter, sort of like an interesting mixed media abstract painting combining bright colored encaustics with dark oils and wood bark. Bring your date here who hasn't tried good sushi on the coasts and she/he will be impressed (let them pay, though!)
unfortunately, i don't dine often enough to have my own set of chopsticks set aside for me.
sake sampler was good and my maki rolls were tasty. the octopus tentacles looked slimy and fresh, but still weren't able to entice me into trying.
service was a little slow compared to other sushi places, but i guess that's the price one pays for finer sushi.
I love this place. I've visited it on several occasions for the past several years, have never been disappointed, and have recommended it to friends. I agree with others that when the ownership changed that it lost some of its charm, but it's still great. The nigiri is fantastic and seems to be what they do the best, the old church is wonderful, I even started to like the mix of 80's music being played on a recent visit.
