This place is a rubbish copy of Benihana. The food was very mediocre (rice was plain, steak was very fatty, soup tasted like burned mushrooms) and more importantly the service was terrible (food I ordered just didn't show up, never refilled our drinks once, never asked if we needed anything even once). There were maybe 20 customers and 8 servers and yet I never got a drink refill or a napkin for my kids. I really wanted to love this place as a local Benihana alternative but man not even close. I preferred Panda Express honestly and it was a third the price. So disappointed! read more

If it were not for the 1/2 off deal (on the "sushi" side for dinner ONLY) I wouldn't step foot in here. I go here occasionally with a friend when we are both really broke and craving sushi. Service is usually OK and the decor is alright. But this place is nothing great or special. Majority of the time our rolls come out with warm (if not hot) rice.. yuck. The rolls are usually small too. I order more rolls here than anywhere else. At first I thought it was because my "eyes were bigger than my stomach", and I was getting greedy due to the 1/2 off. But then I realized it's just merely because the rolls are so small that I need to overcompensate. They have had this 1/2 off deal since they opened the doors.. guess they figured it was the only way they'd stay in business, because I'd rather go to Miki any day. Heck, I would take Yotsuba, Godaiko AND Totoro over this place. Good thing for them I'm too broke to have a choice.. read more

Wow this place is a rip off. First off don't go for lunch and expect 1/2 price sushi that deal is dinner only. The sushi is ok. The crab roll I had wasn't great but it wasn't terrible. The MI roll was actually pretty good, but not up to the level of at least 3 other Sushi restaurants within a 15 minute drive of this place. They actually charged me 1.25 for my hot tea. I've never been charged at a Sushi restaurant for hot tea. Worst part was the waiter never even refilled it. If I'd have known one cup of tea was going to be 1.25 I'd have made sure he filled it at least once. The miso soup and salad were $5 and not good at all. The miso had no flavor and the salad dressing reminded me more of a ranch than a ginger dressing. The bento box was very small. They didn't even served a couple of california rolls with it, but the price was the same as a similar box at a place that includes rolls. If the sushi had been half price it probably would have been worth it and I'd go back. At full price I can't see returning when there are so many awesome sushi places in A2 in the exact same price range. The saddest thing about this meal is we had to drive past Yotsuba to get to Ichiban. We won't make that mistake a gain. Our bill for 3 people was $62 but the food wasn't any better than Panda Express. read more

This place used to be the ish. I mean who could turn down 50% off sushi EVERY NIGHT?? The service has always sucked in there, but you could forgive it for the awesome prices! Sadly, they recently changed it to 30% off sushi :( The bill definitely sees the difference - and it's not a good one! I have been back maybe two times since then, and will go back of course, it just seems like before we used to go weekly! Now the appeal just isn't there. The sushi is good though, but I am not a sushi snob. read more

Eaten here before at the table, but since today is Father's Day we tried to surprise our dad with the hibachi, his fiancée was in on it, but they would not seat us at the table until our entire party was here. No apologies or reasoning, just no, the entire party needs to be here. Very rude old man. Just don't. read more

Monday 12/13/2010 - had the office holiday luncheon here. The 17 of us fit nicely around two grills and didn't have to feel like we were separated. The grill show was great, the sushi was fresh, and the portions were appropriate for the cost. Highly recommended for small group luncheons. read more

Love the hibachi grill! Service has always seemed to be standard. Not really note-worthy but thankful its not bad either.

Food good, service could use some help. Pricey though on par with the quality and taste of food. Better specials would attract more people. Lunch specials are good deal. read more

I have not had their hibachi but their sushi is great! I was not a fan of sushi for the longest time until I went to Miami and fell in love with it. So when I came back to Michigan, I tried different places looking for sushi that tasted like it did down in Miami & so far, Ichiban's is the closest I've found to it. Very good. They also do great sushi lunch specials where you can get 2 rolls, soup AND salad for $11! Can't beat that. read more

Great place! Our lunch was wonderful, and the price was decent. I would definitely come back if I'm in the area.

Up until recently, I had only been to Ichiban and had their hibachi dinner. Now I can do a more balanced review - hooray! Their hibachi is pretty good (and entertaining, for that matter). It's a lot of fun for a big group, but I don't think I'd do it in a small group. I'm not a fan of being forced to sit with random people at dinner for the sake of entertainment. Weird. I've had the steak & shrimp combo hibachi and it's always been really, really good. I finally had dinner there and, while I can't speak to their sushi (I don't particularly like sushi), their other entrees are quite good! We ordered the gyoza and calamari katsu for appetizers, and both were absolutely excellent. I'm a fiend for good gyoza and calamari, and both had a good blend of flavors and were tender and succulent. Yum. Their miso was also really, really good. I ended up having the shrimp tempura for dinner - also very yummy. Cooked to perfection! My fiance had the chicken katsu, which was also very good. I honestly wasn't expecting Japanese food in Ann Arbor to be very good, but their katsu was quite tasty! I think, at this point, I'm much more likely to go back for traditional dinner as opposed to hibachi. Definitely a must-try! read more

Host was very rude and not helpful. She wouldn't seat me until my second guest arrives, even though it was slow and 2 pm

Three stars come from the 50% off sushi rolls special at dinner - 'nuff said. Quality is decent, again not top notch, but I don't expect it to be. Their ginger is blah, presentation is okay to plain weird (once got this weird vertical stalk of cucumber with a ball of wasabi on top). Service is alright - depends on who you get. Wonder how long this will last.. it's been going on for half a year now so, we'll see. It's another Chinese-operated, plastic Japanese-decor Sushi and "japanese steakhouse" place... which I'd really just give fewer stars if not for the deals. In terms of pricing, the "other" items do add up quickly - add a bottle of Kirin, ginger salad, miso soup and your bill is suddenly twice as much as it would be if you were frugal and just got sushi rolls. But that just attests to how cheap the sushi is. I feel lots of people come here for the sushi. I'm not sure about reservations, but they do have take-out. They won't seat you until your whole party arrives so don't say you have a table of 4 but show up with 3 people and expect to get seated... Then again - there are also people who show up and request "the thing where they do the tricks" (true story) read more

They messed up my order. I ordered steak and they gave me chicken, super frustrating. I only ordered it for the steak so i did not eat it.

I've only been to the place twice. But the first time I really enjoyed myself. On the first visit, I went with a friend. It was pretty empty for Hibachi so we were seated with others. The people we were seated with weren't too happy about having company... I ordered the salmon and steak combo... My salmon was perfect and the yum yum sauce was addictive! Aside from the awkward table pairing I enjoyed the show and my meal. The second visit was for a birthday dinner... I really didn't like that. The chef was rude and my side of the table barely got any rice or veggies. I was a bit disappointed seeing as my first visit was so positive. Still good food. Just the service that changed a bit. I haven't been since, but now that I think of that yum yum sauce... :-) read more

This place satisfied what I'm looking for in a Japanese steakhouse. The food was excellent, and the griller was entertaining. I ordered the hibachi steak, and was not disappointed. My only complaint is that I feel this place costs maybe $2-3 more per plate than some of its competitors. read more

Ichiban reminds me of California's Benihana where they cooking everything you have ordered right in front of you.. I ordered the steak and shrimp and the MI sushi roll which was good.. The only thing I didn't like was, we were seated right away but we had to wait until our table was completely full to have our cook take our orders and start. To there were a total of three different families on the table. read more

Ichiban - Steak and shrimp combo - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Good service, tasty food and drinks. My family came here to celebrate a birthday and had a great experience. Our server was attentive and good natured, the food was delicious, cooked to each person's taste by our chef, and the beer and cocktails were refreshing. We were treated to a surprise dessert complete with a lit candle, happy birthday song, and congratulatory ring of the gong. The birthday girl was embarrassed in the best way possible and thoroughly enjoyed it. We will be back. read more

I actually do like the food here, generally. We eat here quite a bit because we like hibachi and there's not much around. However, this one star is because of the manager. He is so rude. Every time we come in he is rude and even when calling to order pick up he is rude. Have been refused service when coming 20 mins before closing. The rest of wait staff is very nice. read more

So I went here with some of my friendos for the hibachi. It was actually a better experience than I recall in terms of hibachi. The last time I went to hibachi (@ benihana in california) I recalled the meat being kinda tasteless and the show uninteresting. Our chef had some pretty cool tricks (instead of just the steaming onion volcano he lit it on fire) and also flipped pieces of veggies to us to catch in our mouths. I had the hibachi chicken dinner which was a pretty generous portion of food. I got soup/salad, a whole breast of chicken, a portion of fried rice, and two shrimp for appetizer. I was definitely full by the end. The food also was above par from what I recall in the past. The chicken was definitely fresh and good. The shrimp also were quality. In regards to the sushi, I would have to agree it's not super great. I had a piece of nigiri (raw shrimp) which I've had better at other places. The salmon skin was okay but nothing to write home about. The sushi was 30% off when I went. Reading other reviews, I see they used to be 50% off for dinner. I could see it being good for that price, but not for only 30% off. I'd recommend going to sushi town instead. Outside of that, it was an enjoyable though expensive experience. read more

Hands down the best Hibachi in the area. The staff is okay. The chefs are all really good at cooking and they all have a handle on the 'typical' show. But lets be honest, you've been to one hibachi restaurant you've seen all the tricks. The service is polite but not above and beyond, which is fine by me -- if you keep my drink full and get my order right, I don't need a whole lot more from a hibachi restaurant. The steak in particular is a lot better than most hibachi steak in the area. You don't have to order filet to get a piece of steak that will be tender, which I really appreciate. read more

I have to address this before anything else: anyone who says their dressing for the house salad sucks obviously smokes a lot of crack. It is the most delicious dressing I've ever had at a Japanese restaurant. Not at all bitter like other ginger dressings - (and although one person likened it to ranch, I find that ludicrous) - it's more like a combo of ginger and a delicious exotic mustard. I cannot describe it effectively using any language known to man - suffice it to say, it gave me ladywood. Whew. The sushi is pretty good. It always tastes fresh, and it's fast. The waitstaff is sometimes a little overwhelmed/apathetic, but I understand, because serving sucks. I haven't been much more impressed by the quality of the food at any other area sushi restaurants...if you want the most delicious sushi in the state, head up to Omi in East Lansing - you will not be disappointed. Regardless, the half-off roll situation (which sadly ends today...although they'll probably bust it out yet again in a few weeks if history is any predictor) is an AWESOME deal. It left me free to try some more of the "special" (read: expensive) rolls that I never dared to try before because of my pathetic monetary situation. Overall, I like the spicy tuna roll and the shrimp tempura rolls the best. I am an Ichiban fan. I will continue to frequent this establishment...there are no other good sushi restaurants that are closer to Ypsi. read more

Good food, decent service. Best deal is the lunch hibachi or the bento box. Seriously, though - what's up with Mr. Unfriendly? He might be the boss, he might be the criminal mastermind, but he is most definitely Unfriendly. Seemed annoyed to have people there at all! read more

Daniel was great! Attentive and patient with a group of 13, including lots of kids. My wife and son split a steak and shrimp dinner and he listened attentively and recommended against the extra plate because my son wouldn't eat the extra veggies. I elected to have sushi in lieu of a hibachi dinner, and the presentation and timing were seamless. Very easy to split the check, too! Sushi, the M I roll and Alaska roll were excellent. Spicy tuna was passable. Everyone was thrilled with the hibachi in terms of flavor and done-ness, the theater was typical :) read more

Ichiban had been the closet to Benihana that I could find in this area but tonight's poor service accompanied with unacceptable excuses has convinced me that for the high price that they charge for portions that don't match Benihana, I won't be spending my hard earned money there again! It was cold inside the restaurant; we had to ask for silverware twice; the waitress was slow and inattentive; our orders were barely warm and incomplete; and then at the end we had to to wait 20mins to get the bill and to go boxes. Terrible experience for an $80 meal! read more

Went with a party of 5 plus me (for total of 6). And I was on a separate ticket since I was with my friend and her family. The waitress was obviously clueless she's been there 2mths (I asked) and my friend ordered an app. And it didn't come till the end of the meal after having to ask for it and their drink had to be asked for 3 or 4 times This was my first time ever at a hibachi and u was not impressed (we did NOT sit at a grill table) . But the waitress brought me the clear soup which was okay. And the salad that had tons of dressing on it. And that's it. My meal was never fired until we was ready to go. (We had to ask where it was twice) My friends husband ordered a combo and never received his soup & salad. When we complained to the manager she offered a desert while waiting but I just wanted my food... And we waited over an hour for my food. And got a whole 20% off. Sad. I didn't even get to enjoy my meal as they was closing and it was already late. (I live 2hrs away) We had to ask another waitress for boxes and a bag for my food. And when we paid our bills we had to ask for our change & receipts which was over $25 for my friend and again I had to wait for my change. Doubt I will ever return. read more

I have always loved this Ichiban! I always have a great experience when I go and the food always tastes amazing. I have no idea why people are giving them such bad reviews because I've never had a problem read more

Awesome service! The food is always amazing everytime &never fails to disappoint. My favorite server by far is Sergio. I highly recommend him for guaranteed top notch service!! Very attentive.(: read more

Spicy Tuna Roll & the Jalapeño Scallop Roll were good, definitely some heat with the jalapeño. The teriyaki chicken needed a bit more flavor but the fried rice was spot on! All in all a great place. Friendly service and our waitress Nichole was awesome! She was very knowledgeable with the food and drink menu and very courteous. The restaurant and bathrooms were both very clean. We were greeted and seated right away, happy lunch. read more

Ichiban - Spicy Tuna Roll & the Jalapeño Scallop Roll were good, definitely some heat with the jalapeño. Teriyaki chicken. - Japanese Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Always good, manager is a doll and waiter a little rush as soon as i finished my food kept asking if i was done etc

Ichiban is by far the best Japanese Steakhouse I have ever been to. I have been to other ones such as Benihana and Champion House, but they do not compare to service and dishes available at Ichiban. I first visited Ichiban last year for a business party, and I have been since going there at least once a month. There are two sides to the restaurant: a dining side where you mainly order sushi and a steakhouse side where you order hibachi dishes that are cooked in front of you. The dining side offers a wonderful array of sushi rolls and nigiri. The elaborate presentation is always the best because they take pride in making each plate. Whereas the sushi is good (and also 30% off) the steakhouse is the best. All the chefs are really nice and friendly, and they keep customers entertained. The nice part is they take an effort to interact with the customers by either squirting them with their squirt toy or just asking a sincere, "Hi, How are you doing today?" They really take an effort to get to know their customers. Overall, I would highly recommend this place. I haven't had a bad experience thus far and I have been going there for well over a year. Don't be discouraged by the negative comments from pessimistic others because this place is fantastic. read more

I was craving hibachi and sushi so I decided to finally try Ichiban. I prefer Benihana when I have these cravings (viva la chicken hibachi rice!) but Ichiban was close and I gave them a whirl. I went on a very quiet early afternoon. Service was very good, and I ordered the steak bento box. Not bad! The steak was cooked well, but had too many onions. Next time I will ask that they not give me so many. The shrimp and vegetable tempura was very good: light, crisp, and not too greasy. The hibachi rice was a disappointment - not nearly as good as Benihana, but not bad. The prices were good and I will go back, but when I'm really having a craving, I'll hit up Benihana. read more

4 stars because I know they can do better... I am a regular (once a week) for the hibachi side. We love their food and know each of the chefs. We appreciate that they cook for us and accommodate us by not using as much butter. We were sad to hear that one of our favorites had left this week and was replaced. We experienced his replacement, Jacky...I hate to admit that this was our worst meal here. His personality was dry, and seemed very inexperienced. All of his food was way overseasoned. I hope that all of this is because he is new and needs to get the kinks worked out. We will continue to come back here like we normally do because we love the atmosphere, the staff, most of the chefs, and more importantly the food. And we will definitely give Jacky another chance...hoping to see some improvement from him! Everyone else, keep up the awesome work! read more

Price didn't match the quality or quantity . Wasn't bad but for 60 dollars I expected a little more

The food was amazing but our server Daniel seemed more attentive to the other group. He seemed to have an attitude about my friend's ID. At first my friend asked if her paper ID was fine and he said yes. Her ID was recently lost and she had a paper ID from secretary of state that was just issued. She also had a picture of her ID on her phone but Daniel said he would not take that ID. It was completely understandable that they could not take the paper ID but the attitude was unnecessary. We asked for manager and he explained that they could get carded but at the same time, the servers attitude was unnecessary. I love eating here, they have amazing food but if the servers aren't welcoming, it makes it hard to want to come back. 15 Minutes later: Had to rush home because my stomach was gargling and I had the runs. read more

I love getting hibachi at Ichiban. They close between lunch and dinner, so watch out for that. They also have little private rooms that are so cute and perfect for dates (or arguments if you're an established couple hehe) if you're not getting hibachi. It's basically just a booth with a shade, but I love it. Sushi is good for inland, hibachi is cool and cheap, I recommend checking this place out. read more

Pricey and nothing special. Had the lunch sushi. Miso soup was okay and salad was ok. Nigiri was good except the salmon was too chewy. California rolls were nothing special. read more

Our love for hibachi and the good reviews took us to Ichiban this evening. Sadly, we weren't too impressed with their food or service. It started out well as we got a table and drinks quickly. The part that was below our expectation was the chemical taste of the drinks and the not so tasty hibachi, and green tea mochi. In comparison to other restaurants in this price range the quality seems to be below standard. read more

I ordered the yaki soba and I've had meals at no-Thai that were better than this. Absolutely no flavor, little portion size and the broccoli wasn't even cooked. Absolute waste of money and highly recommend not coming here. read more

I've been going to this restaurant for years now. The hibachi food is for the most part verygood (especially the hibachi shrimp) but the soup that they serve is so watered down it's almost tasteless and the salad is mostly iceberg lettuce. The shows put on by the chef are always entertaining. However for the past few years or so my husband and I have been going to the other side for dinner and typically order sushi and sashimi. It's always very good and very fresh. The shrimp tempura role is awesome (I order it without the sauce). Their tempura batter is some of the best I've ever had and it's very light and crisp. They recently changed their menu with some new additions and also raised the prices. The wait staff are always attentive and friendly. (Last night we had Erin who was very nice and attentive. Additionally my husband had a salmon skin hand roll which tasted horrible and Erin immediately removed it from our bill). Oh and one other attractive draw to the restaurant is that sushi rolls are 20% off for dinner. Overall we really like this restaurant and continue to go back. read more