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    A & J Ichiban

    3.5 (193 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    A & J Ichiban Photos

    A & J ICHIBAN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Grilled golden fish lunch entree
    Deborah W.

    Rating: 2.5 stars My friend and I stopped by for a quick take out in the middle of our road trip. After ordering, we were told that the food would take 20 minutes to be done so I waited in the car until it was. We had arrived around 12 PM on a Tuesday afternoon and the restaurant was pretty empty. The restaurant decor is on the older side and seemed a little disorganized. I got two lunch specials. Both came with either fried rice or white rice. The fried rice was ok. It was a little bland but did contain some small vegetable pieces. They also were served with miso soups. The miso soup was great, not too salty and held a great taste to cut down on the oil of certain items. One lunch entree we ordered was the GRILLED GOLDEN FISH. The fish was pretty bland, not really seasoned and held a strong fishy taste to it. The egg it was covered in was pretty well cooked though. We also got a PORK KATSU. The katsu was perfectly fried and flavored well. It came with katsu sauce as well which was tasty. The lunch entrees were both served with a side of their golden miso sauce and one egg roll, salad and two fruit slices. The golden miso sauce was a nice accompaniment to different items in the special. The egg roll was a nice flavor and perfectly fried. The salad and fruit quality unfortunately was pretty questionable so I did not really touch it. All in all, a quick lunch that unfortunately leaves much to be desired but does satisfy some cravings on certain items.

    Tekka roll, Hamachi roll, & Philadelphia roll
    Molly I.

    A&J Ichiban has been a long time favorite of mine for both takeout & dining in. Their sushi is the best value in town and always tastes fresh. They also have soooo many options to choose from!! The fried rice is delicious, especially in the whole bento box meal. The tofu teriyaki bento box is my personal favorite bento box, but I don't think you can really go wrong. Also- the orange citrus sauce is SO GOOD. Waitstaff are always friendly, sweet, and punctual. Truly love this little gem!

    Seating area.
    Pat L.

    Great Japanese restaurant in the heart of Downtown Eureka. They have a variety of Japanese food from sushi, tempera, teriyaki dishes, and even ramen. We loved the staff and the restaurant has alway been busy when we went. If you love Japanese Restaurant - you must visit A & J Ichiban

    Island Mango (special of the day), Kappa and Tempura Yam roll
    Makani S.

    Most inexpensive sushi in Humboldt! There are many sushi restaurants to choose from between Eureka and Arcata, by far, Ichiban offers the most bang for your buck with most rolls priced at $5-$7. Vegan and vegetarian rolls available too! My friend order the vegan Tempura Yam roll which she said was delicious made with avocado, tempura yam and almond butter. I ordered the special of the day Island Mango which was surprisingly very tasty and well presented made with tempura shrimp, mango, sauce and cilantro. Outdoor seating is now available too! It was so nice to enjoy the summer afternoon. The server was attentive and nice too.

    Beautiful sunny day after a heavy rain last night. On a day like this we prefer the outdoors.

    Polite and attentive staff, delicious food, ambiance, quiet atmosphere. Nice place for conversations.

    Fried rice
    Neil A.

    Used to love the fried rice for $3. Not only has it lost its taste in the past year, the quality in general of the place has suffered. The to go rice is now $5, the golden miso is $1 each and this is how much was in it when opened. Absolutely ridiculous. Will not be going back.

    Montage of images from A & J Ichiban
    Ed U.

    For some reason when I came here, I thought of a very old SNL skit where they recreated a Godzilla movie and the mad Japanese scientist shouted "Eureka! Eureka!" to which his young assistant responded, "Yes, father". That always cracked me up. Anyway, here I was in Eureka looking for an open restaurant on a Sunday evening. This one looked like it would do. I had to actually cross 101 to get here because it actually turns into a thoroughfare with cross signals in Eureka. Kinda scary since it's a speed demon's delight. It was a rather ordinary restaurant with a wedged-in sushi bar near the entrance. I have to say the service from the veteran server was rather curt. I wasn't that hungry and didn't order much, which she must've interpreted as a cutback in her tip money. Well, she was right. I ordered the $4.50 Edamame which came with a hefty amount of salt (photo) and the $10.95 Rainbow Roll which looked somewhat incomplete even with all the fresh fish wrapped around it (photo). Listen, I didn't expect to find Nobu in Eureka but maybe something a bit more to make me scream "Eureka!" "Yes, father." LOL. FOOD - 3 stars...fairly middling Japanese fare AMBIANCE - 2.5 stars...ordinary SERVICE - 2 stars...borderline indifferent TOTAL - 3 stars...Eureka?...no, not really RELATED - Taking an adventure in this part of Northern California? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2A1YVjy

    Ramen

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    4 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Had a wonderful lunch. Menu had plenty options for everyone . Fried rice was excellent. Thank you for excellent service as well.

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    7 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Great food, great service, and very chill atmosphere. Good spot for dates or family dinners.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Had to lower my review because someone there consistently will answer the phone put you on hold and not come back to take your order.

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    The food is the most delicious sushi in the county. The staff is attentive and always have a smile on their face.

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    4 years ago

    Pleasant and well priced local Japanese restaurant, with a fairly limited menu, including several kinds of sushi. Good service.

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    Rooftop - Salmon Lover and Hamachi Poke rolls

    Rooftop

    3.7(120 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    We went on a Saturday with no reservations (very risky!) and had about a 15 minute wait time, not…read moretoo bad, BUT we did have to sit outside and the wind was crazy! So beware and check the weather before going and dress accordingly. It's nice on sunny days but then you have to be mindful of the UV. I appreciate our waitress getting our drinks and food out to us through the chaos of people being seated outside, then being reseated inside when room opened up, or like one table, just leaving! Their plum sake is very good, smooth and light. I also got a hot tea but that was only hot for a moment out there, the sake definitely did more to keep us warm. Their ramen bowls are now my favorite in downtown, the pork is DELICIOUS, the broth could be a drink on its own and the marinated egg has a perfectly soft yolk; it's a very pretty dish. My favorite sushi is split between the Russian roulette and the ocean queen (I think that's its name).

    I don't normally write reviews but this restaurant failed me in several ways…read more Food: tough, almost inedible calamari. I left with the worst heartburn and likely due to whatever they fried it in. Golden salmon "specialty" roll. Meh. I've had a lot better at the other locally sushi places. Service: horrible. The place was 30 per cent full. It's Humboldt so I don't expect service to be quick. But the attitude of the wait person was abominable. I felt like we were wasting their time. Like they had somewhere else to be. Mind you this was 3pm on a Sunday afternoon. We saw them once again when they slapped down the check. Then they came to get it a few minutes later and we felt hurried out the door. The bus person was seen whisking food and debris off the tables instead of wiping them down. Several tables. The waiter's attitude was hurried, impatient, and not even a "how is your meal". Ambience: it was nice to be out on the deck. Otherwise nothing special. The host podium is crowded with stuff around it. It looks like they are storing things in the entrance. After hearing so much about how nice and it was, I was disappointed. I'd eat somewhere else and ride the elevator up to walk around the non-restaurant part of the rooftop to see the view. Honestly.

    Photos
    Rooftop - Interior

    Interior

    Rooftop - Soya ramen

    Soya ramen

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    View from the rooftop

    Ginger Restaurant - Bulgolgi

    Ginger Restaurant

    4.1(100 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    Driving through Northern CA and did not expect such a filling and fun meal…read more This spot is definitely a Chinese, Korean, Japanese fusiony spot that I did not expect to find here. We ordered the Chinese Style Lamb Stew, Cheese Corn, Kung Pao Vegetables, and it came with a side of banchan. Every single dish here was absolutely delicious and piping hot! We ended up ordering a second plate of banchan because it was so good. The daikon radish had the most satisfying crunch and the others- cabbage and bean sprouts were very well pickled too! Cheese corn was sweet and honestly a good pairing with the very soury/ pickled soup. The kung pao vegetables would have definitely fooled me if I wasn't told it was mushroom. The batter holds on the oyster mushrooms just like chicken does. Well seasoned. Service was very impressive - there was a single waitress serving lots of tables. She had amazing recommendations and really seemed like she knew what she was doing. Very kind and attentive the entire time. Would love to return.

    Friends had mentioned this restaurant a few weeks ago…read more We visited this restaurant a few days ago. We ordered several plates. Everything was delicious. This is the best Asian style restaurant in Humboldt county. Great dishes well prepared. They were busy, only two servers but they did a very good job. We even ordered plates to take home, food was that good.

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    Ginger Restaurant - Inside

    Inside

    Ginger Restaurant - DELICIOUS

    DELICIOUS

    Ginger Restaurant - The cheese pull on the Ginger's galbi was divine

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    The cheese pull on the Ginger's galbi was divine

    Pineapple Express Food Truck

    Pineapple Express Food Truck

    4.5(135 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    2 of 2 Yelp reviews…read more Quality/Quantity - A suggestion from Humboldt Bay Provisions and a home run! Today we got the following: Spicy Garlic Chicken Fries - #1 seller, so I have to try. Boy have I been eating so unhealthy on this trip, but you know that because you are following. Is that part of the reason I am having so much fun? This did not disappoint. I did not think it was very spicy, but my daughter said it was too spicy for her. Good thing she ordered the mild version of garlic chicken; see below. Decent portions. Garlic Chicken - A more mild version of the above. But with rice and mac rather than fries. A slightly healthier version. Ahi Poke Bowl - My wife's choice. Generous portions, especially the tuna; thank you. Because this is raw, we "forced" ourselves to finish this dish first. So good. And to wash it down, supporting local, Sticky Finger IPA. Ambiance - Small local business. The food truck was parked in the rear of the building. Due to the rain, I did not take pictures. Plenty of mall parking. Open 5 days a week, 11:30am to 7pm; closed on Monday and Tuesday. Service - Counter service. Overall okay. Price - $62 + tip. Reasonably priced as we pretty much took an entree to-go. We are light eaters. Owner Comment - Aloha, congrats on your success since 2017; we will be back!

    First timer here! I…read morewas surprised with the spicy chicken garlic fries. I wish I could have ordered a side of sauce since the fries felt somewhat dry but delicious. The chicken was a generous portion. I enjoyed how patient the cashiers were. I used a VISA gift card and they didn't try to rush me, despite having clients in line. Thanks!! Moving forward, I am going to try and order dinner dishes to raise the rating.

    Photos
    Pineapple Express Food Truck - 1/3/26 FYI. Self service.

    1/3/26 FYI. Self service.

    Pineapple Express Food Truck - North Shore garlic shrimp

    North Shore garlic shrimp

    Pineapple Express Food Truck - 1/3/26 FYI. Table condiments.

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    1/3/26 FYI. Table condiments.

    Sansei Japan

    Sansei Japan

    3.0(7 reviews)
    2.0 mi

    It's your #1 place for nondescript bites of gristly thigh-meat and steamed cabbage/vegetable mix…read moreover rice or noodles! If you've ever been to a quick order Japanese teriyaki joint in any mall, you probably already know what to expect here. Beef, chicken, or shrimp (or a combination thereof) over fried/steamed rice or chow mein noodles with a steamed veggie mix on the side. Double chicken for a couple bucks more. All cooked to order on a grill right out front. Maybe some questionable boxed sushi as well. I usually get the teriyaki chicken meal with steamed rice and veggies. While this is definitely mall food (the bar isn't that high) I do have to say that things have changed for the worse over the past half-year or so that I've eaten there. I stopped recently because along with the subpar chicken, the sauce has gotten worse too. My beef with the chicken (Nyuk nyuk nyuk) is that the pieces tend to be gristly and thigh meat in general is pretty high in fat. The real nail in the coffin though is the sauce. In the past few months, something about the teriyaki sauce has changed to where there's no sweetness to it, and a lack of a distinct soy flavor which to me are essential parts of the flavor of teriyaki. As such it tastes more like a watered-down gravy which just doesn't resemble teriyaki at all. The last time I ate there I was about 1/4 of the way through my meal when I thought "I don't like the chicken and I don't like the sauce.....why am I eating this?" So I ditched it and haven't been back since. So all that really leaves is one star for decent service.

    The food is good, and they give you a whole bunch but they seem really understaffed …read more Customer service isnt bad but it feels like you are talking to a robot. The wait is looooooooooooooooooong I kinda think they prioritize door dash orders over in person

    Nori Sushi Grill & Sake Bar - Shimp Tempura & Inari Power

    Nori Sushi Grill & Sake Bar

    3.9(109 reviews)
    6.2 mi

    It's been difficult traveling and finding good vegan options, especially with smaller towns that…read morehave lots of hours/days they aren't open, especially "Off season". I'm hoping this helps another vegan out there, or anyone really. We came in for an early ish dinner. At the time it was pretty mellow but that was appreciated because we just needed to relax and enjoy sitting down after hiking the last few days. Something fresh and not too rich where we could take out time and not feel gross. I was curious about the soul options being vegan or not because miso usually isn't, but they had this yummy sounding mushroom and veggie broth soup with vegetables and tofu (I think it's called Kenshin jiru but I might be absolutely butchering that). GET IT! It's not too heavy but has such a great flavor, plus the fresh veggies and bits of raw tofu for protein (they accidentally forgot the tofu but when I asked my server if they could just bring it on the side for me they were super nice about it). I also got some standard edamame and avocado maki roll, both of these were "fine", they did the trick but weren't amazing. My partner had the large hot sake which he loved, and then a tuna maki roll and the omakase nigiri. Same thing with his maki, fine nothing to write home about, but he loooved his omakase. They didn't tell us what was on it but I think it was albacore, salmon, salmon roe, mackerel, yellowtail, and tuna. He said it was some of the best tasting fish/nigiri he's had in a while. Our server was great at refilling our waters and checking in making sure we had everything and was just very sweet, so we appreciated them a lot. We'd definitely recommend!

    Good little sushi spot downstairs in an unassuming spot in Eureka. We had the ramen (7/10), Lion…read moreKing roll (7/10) and chiragi don (again, 7/10). I think I'd upgrade the house sake next time though. Service was decent . We'd go back.

    Photos
    Nori Sushi Grill & Sake Bar - Sake bottles

    Sake bottles

    Nori Sushi Grill & Sake Bar
    Nori Sushi Grill & Sake Bar - Bar area, fresh fish

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    Bar area, fresh fish

    A & J Ichiban - japanese - Updated May 2026

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