Ichiban Sushi Bar

I've been to Ichiban several times for their all-you-can-eat menu. The quality of the ingredients is quite high and the presentation is lovely. I will admit that the service is a little slow at times as the lone waitress on Sundays struggles to keep up with all the tables. This restaurant (like many sushi places) should really consider hiring more wait staff. That being said, the woman I've had has always been quite friendly. If you plan on attending, I'd recommend going at an off time for the obvious reasons mentioned above. Sidenote--the BBQ eel sushi and spicy salmon roll are delicious.

I've been having a really hard time finding a...

I've been having a really hard time finding a decent sushi restaurant in London, and I think I finally found one. It's a touch pricier than I am used to paying, but considering that it's the same price as Green Tea (but much better), I can't really complain. If you really really wanna be full you'll probably spend about $30 here. The decor is really nice, and the service is friendly. I wasn't a huge fan of the kimchi (it was like the spices had fermented on it), but their seaweed salad and sushi are excellent.

I've eaten at Ichiban three times now. If it were...

I've eaten at Ichiban three times now. If it were not for my second visit, I could definitely say I would never return. The first time, I spent a good $30 on sushi rolls and miso soup. And I was not impressed. It wasn't bad -- but it was bland and lacked taste. The second time, I ordered a teriyaki chicken noodle dish with some sashimi and sake on the side. Excellent food completely... Then, I returned once more and decided a complete sushi roll meal, even though it would be more expensive, would be in order. Well, I ate my fill but I can't say I was very impressed. I think Ichiban has the potential to be great - as my second meal emphasized. But I do think it's hit and miss. I would like to emphasize, however, that while my food was mixed, the service and atmosphere was excellent. I've never felt out-of-place and it's a very attractive restaurant.

Overpriced, poor selection. Even the all you can...

Overpriced, poor selection. Even the all you can eat menu is at least $5 more than everywhere else. The sushi is fairly bland, maybe a little better than what you'd find in a grocery store. I would not recommend this place to anyone who has even slightly discriminating taste.

Worst Service in London

After being seated at a table, we waited for at least 20 minutes before our order was taken. Our food took quite a long time, and the appetizers and the pot of tea arrived WITH our meals (we would have preferred to have gotten those items before our actual meals). The waitress had completely forgotten to give us our soup and salads, and the Chicken Yaki Udon was cold when it was served. Not only were we not given plates to eat off of, but service was so terrible that flagging someone down was not enough. In order to get the server's attention, we had to physically step out of our booth and stand in their way to get any sort of assistance from them. The food itself was good, but it was nothing I could say wow over. I was quite disappointed as I have heard really great things about this restaurant. Upon finishing our meal, we waited for at least 40 minutes (no exaggeration) for our bill (and even this had to be requested forcefully). Like another reviewer on this page, this was the first time in my life I have not left a tip.

Felt Rushed through Supper

This is our second visit to Ichiban and this time we were in and out in 30 minutes. We felt that we were being rushed through our meal even though the restaurant was almost empty. Our salad, soup, appetizers and main dish were all served within 15 minutes. I was still eating my salad when the main meal arrived. The pork katsu had no taste at all, however, the chicken teriyaki was quite good and a huge portion (had to take a doggy bag). The vegetable Gyoza was a bit soggy. Not sure if I will visit again.

I thought the service was excellent. Where else...

I thought the service was excellent. Where else can you go where the head cook will bring over something for you to sample on the house. The freshest seafood in london served at the right temperature. The white tuna and atually everything i tryed was incredible. I visit the place once a week and i look forward to it everytime.

Ichiban is by far, the best value for your sushi...

Ichiban is by far, the best value for your sushi dollar in London. Camparitively, the quality of the food is high and definately beats most sushi places in TO, certainly benihana... which I thought was way over priced & the quality was low. Anyhoo, the one big issue with Ichi is the service, which has only been a problem for us once. We have a serious addiction to this place and have gone every friday night for the past two years. The trick is getting there early, before 7pm and on a Friday. Saturday they are swamped and you will wait... a LONG time, unfortunately. The other problem is the place is under -staffed. There is usually only one server on Friday night, two on Saturday night. Even for a small place, that's not enough to put forth really solid service. The cool part of our visits is that the servers know us by name and the chefs usually cook us off-menu items for tasting. It's a great place to go, just know that if you plan to go when everyone else goes, there will be a wait. Also, forget the bento boxes... if you go for sushi, order SUSHI! There Crazy Roll and Sashimi is insane.

Mother's Day dinner, restaurant not very busy so...

Mother's Day dinner, restaurant not very busy so service should have been ok. Three people finished entire meal and waiting before Mother got her Bento Box. No explaination or anything. Then waitied a very long time for the bill. First time in our lives we have not left a tip.

Great food - LOUSY service. Extremely slow, from...

Great food - LOUSY service. Extremely slow, from ordering all the way through to receiving your bill, and very little in between. We've been on a number of occassions because we really do enjoy the food. Unfortunately the serive has been horrible each time, and now my partner refuses to return. Unfortunate, because the chefs do a great job. Perhaps we'll try again in a few months.

We have shopped around and this is the best sushi...

We have shopped around and this is the best sushi in London. Unfortunately the service is always poor. So go if you are not in a hurry or order take out. We order take out weekly (it only takes them 20 minutes to prepare our order). We are completely addicted. The seaweed salad beats most sushi bars in toronto!

My husband and I thought we would try something...

My husband and I thought we would try something new, so we visited Ichiban for dinner. Newer restuarant, nice atmosphere, although quaint. The salad was small, but I think north americans expect it to be oversized sometimes. I thought the small salad was a nice starter, along with the miso soup cup. We rarely eat sushi, so we have little to compare the food with, but we did enjoy the platter of sushi and maki very much. The fish was fresh, and the presentation was appealing. We left feeling full and satisfied. The only thing that I would warn people about is the service. Yikes! We sat for almost 10 minutes before we were offered drinks. The waiter did not check on us during the meal, and at the end of the meal, we waited a lengthy time again for the bill (until I stared him down to get his attention). Not the most charismatic staff... If you have the patience to sit and wait for a good meal, then you have nothing to worry about. We will return, but hopefully the service improves.

I am surprised by the negative comments. My...

I am surprised by the negative comments. My husband and I love Ichiban and have never had a bad dish or experience. We highly recommend Ichiban as the best sushi in London. The last time we went the chef offered by 9 month old an avacodo roll, now that was nice!

the food was amazing and also the service. I...

the food was amazing and also the service. I have been to many sushi resturants in London and this one is certainly the best...

First off in the door we waited in a near empty...

First off in the door we waited in a near empty restaurant to be seated for over 5 mins. Actually we where never seated the chef at the back of the restaurant pointed us to a table. Once seated the waitress ignored our table while serving guests that arrived after use. In general the tea served was burnt, the salad was extremely small and the miso soup was lacking flavour. The service was extremely slow in between this and our main course and looking around the restaurant we weren't the only ones waiting! For the main dishes I can only speak directly to mine although my guests weren't pleased with theirs either. The klabi was the wrong cut of beef and not very tender, rather it had tendons in it (which it should not). It was also the wrong preparation in general, don't be fooled! The tempur battered vegetables were not crisp but soggy. And the remaining side dishes that came with this order were lacking in taste. In the end we all left over a $100 lighter in our wallets and still with a hungry tummy

The service was horrible. Enough said. If the...

The service was horrible. Enough said. If the owners don't like providing customer service, than they are in the wrong business.

Looking for a sushi resturant in london is tough...

Looking for a sushi resturant in london is tough. I stubbled upon this one with some friends and we went for dinner. It was generally a good resturant, the food was good. However the prices were a bit high. The waitresses were nice.. but it wasnt until after my meal that things got frusterating. I paid half on visa and half with cash. The way i was brought up was to leave a tip in cash on the table. We were getting ready to go and since i hit NO on the visa tip thing a waiter approuched us and told us how rude we were for not leaving a tip. I explained there was one on the table. But after that I took two of the 5 dollars i had left back. It was rude and uncalled for to assume like that.

Alright for all of those who have not enjoyed...

Alright for all of those who have not enjoyed this restaurant let me be the first to tell you that you need to give it a second chance. I am a frequent visitor of Ichiban and by far it is my most favourite place to eat. The servers as well as sushi chefs know me by name. I can tell you right now I have waited for service way longer than 15 minutes @ a few other restaurants....if it's really busy, of course it will take a little bit longer to get someone to the table. As for the food....I LOVE IT!!! I think that is pretty much self-explanatory. ICHIBAN rocks!!

Absoutly the best sushi restaurant in London...

Absoutly the best sushi restaurant in London! The service was AMAZING our server Bryan made sure we enjoyed our experience. The layout of the restaurant is very modern compared to other sushi restaurants in London. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone and everyone that enjoys great food and great service. Thanks Ichiban!

I am a regular diner at Ichiban, and I am...

I am a regular diner at Ichiban, and I am disappointed to see several negative reviews. Except for one time when I got a different waitress than the 2-3 I usually see working, I have had EXCELLENT meals! They know my regular drink, and my regular Chirashi entree. The waitresses are attentive, the sushi chefs are friendly, the drinks are generous, the owner has brought me "on the house" items from time to time - I find the place homey and comfortable, so I go back as often as possible. The sashimi is fresh, and I've absolutely swooned over the albacore tuna, white tuna, toro, mackerel, and even the salmon. The softshell crab appetizer is plentiful. I highly recommend this restaurant - if you haven't gone, go for lunch as the Chirashi is a very good deal, and comes with miso soup, salad, and refreshing dessert of mandarin orange. Yes, it's busy as heck on Sunday, recommend you go any other day or evening. Ask for So-young if you want an excellent waitress!