Horrible service, long wait. It's ridiculous how oblivious they are to customers wanting their check and how slow the food comes out when there's nobody here. While the food is decent, I can't stand crappy service. read more

Best Sushi ever--no, best sushi in Chico--YES! I love this place, it is a great casual place to go get a good meal, especially when your tired of all the chain restaurants. Every time we go the staff has been friendly and the service wonderful. I usually want to have everything on the menu, but often get the Bento box, I love the teriyaki salmon, and the miso soup is the best I've ever had. The price is not cheap, but also not outrageous, especially compared to some of the other sushi restaurants in town. On a nice evening when heading out to eat and socialize with friends I will always suggest going here as the food is good and sitting at their outside tables is relaxing. read more

Had dinner here with family last Friday evening. Very busy.Apparently there were 2 check in lists. We got on a females and then Dan had another. After about 45 minutes we finally were seated. Dan apologized and our waitress was very nice and attentive. Our meal was delicious and service was great. I eat here a few times a month. Never had any issues . Still love this place and it's close to my job and home. I will continue to come back. Good service and nice staff. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by the ramen here. I've had ramen in Japan and Los Angeles and this bowl was good. It's tucked away in a parking area so the outside seating is pleasant. I am always looking for settings acceptable for my toddlers.... The outside area looks like a place I might bring my children. read more

The food was really awesome! We had the crab tacos which were really good and we also had the energy roll which was super yummy. And there service was really good plus everyone was super nice and had everything came in time definitely coming back soon my wife and my kids loved it! read more

This is my favorite place for sushi ever. They are fast, polite, pretty decor, great value, and delicious food. Also the live music they have is so fun. I never have a complaint, and I am picky about service. read more

Worst sushi in my life. It literally looked like the sushi roll was thrown together, the teriyaki chicken had zero flavor and the waitress knew we were unhappy so the customer service went out the window. I would have been better off eating Taco Bell smh read more

Best sushi in town! The service is always amazing. Ask for Hannah, she is by far the best waitress. Always attentive and always makes sure your experience is more than what is expected. Tony, the sushi chef, is an artist as well as a magnificent manager. Ray is the cook behind the scenes that always makes sure anything that comes from his kitchen is prepared to perfection. The Japanese tacos are by far my favorite thing there. I recommend it without cheese. I always feel at home when i come into Izakaya Ichiban. Never had a bad meal or bad experience. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for great sushi, great service, and a welcoming atmosphere. P.S. the owners are amazing. I am always welcomed with a hug and smile. They are truly three of my favorite people on this earth. read more

This place really needs to get their act together. No hostess and only a few waitresses running around like chickens with their heads off. I sat in an ever increasing line at the door on a Saturday afternoon and gave up after 15 minutes. A couple at the bar was complaining about not getting waited on and some big party was shoving their way into the building demanding the attention of the overworked staff. Food might be great but I'll never know if I can't get inside. read more

WAS my favorite spot in Chico because of the Chico Roll and the crab tacos but after tonight going anywhere but here. Called my order in and was told it'd be 25 minutes.. Showed up 20 minutes later and still waited another 25+ minutes in the restaurant, only to walk back to my car to double check my food because the last 2 times they've put cheese on my tacos when I've ask for no cheese and I see they ONCE AGAIN put cheese and gave me my Chico roll with no onions sprinkled on top when I asked for extra. A little frustrated I go back and just asked for a refund because not a single employee apologized or asked to fix it. They simply stared at me as if I'm supposed to fix the problem myself. The guy who was going to refund me asked for help and got brushed off by his coworkers which was even more frustrating since that meant I had to stand around as he went and asked everyone for help! Maybe some day I'll reconnect with this place because I'd hate to boycott this place because of this certain staff working this day but for now I'm going back to my old sushi place Ojiya which is a couple dollars more expensive but amazing service and taste! read more

Really enjoy the food and the staff. The music?... not so much. (Really annoying!) Our favorite appetizers include the Japanese Taco and the Gyoza. Sitting outside is also a treat. read more

My favorite sushi place! The sushi is delicious and at a good price. The bento box is my favorite thing and it is great for sharing. It is the perfect place for date night or girls night out! read more

Good sushi. Very good izayaka -- especially skewers. The best takoyaki I've ever had (and I travel to Japan at least once a year). Super nice staff. read more

We love Big Tuna but today but they're full so we went to Izakaya instead. We waited for 15 minutes, we hollered a guy that we're ready to order and he said "he's not a waiter" we waited 10 minutes still nobody asked us for water or anything. We've decided to leave. We are so disappointed of the service here. read more

It was a busy Friday night, and I came in with a fairly large group. They told us it would be a bit of a wait for seating, and that our food would take a minute. Anyone who's worked in the food industry and understands how restaurants operate would know that this is normal when a restaurant that size is packed. They compensated our wait time with a few free drinks, the food was delicious and our server Madison was super friendly and very helpful. I highly recommend this place, the chefs are knowledgeable and experienced, and the staff is awesome! read more

I didn't know this place was here. It is the same menu/ owners as Big Tuna. Good was great. This restaurant is much larger and open there the others. Even had live music. The Japanese tacos are amazing!!! Four and a half stars! read more

This is my husbands and I favorite place to eat now DELICIOUS food, awesome prices and friendly service!! we have gone 3 times so far and just found it 2 weeks ago.The Japanese taco and stuffed mushrooms are also a favorite of mine sushi rolls are also well crafted and yummy! read more

I love this place! I missed curry when I came back to the states but they have authentic Japanese curry here as well as other great selections. The wait staff is also very polite. read more

Good food but the service is unacceptably slow. The food took over an hour and a half from when we ordered.

First visit on a Friday night. Our server told us it was his first day, however I would not have guessed it. He was great and was able to answer all our questions and got our complicated order 100% correct. The place was packed and there was a wait for the food, but nothing unreasonable for a full restaurant at rush hour. Food was generally well prepared and visually appealing. My only knock was that the rice on my spicy tuna rolls seemed like they prepared a while before. The texture was a bit different than the other rolls we ordered. Not bad, but not 10/10. Will definitely go back and try some other specials. Nice vibe, great service and solid menu and food. read more

The food is good! On the other hand the service is terrible. Worst of all though is their new bar. The bartenders seem drunk all the time and their pours are really in consistent. Also the waiters and waitresses never remember your order. Seems like there isn't any management and if there is then maybe it's time to rehire someone who can actually train their staff. read more

I've had Big Tuna in the past when I used to live here and I recently had this place, had the energy roll no crab add cream cheese and a basic avocado roll. The avo roll was decent but the actual sushi roll itself was small. I'm used to at least 8 pieces, this was like 6. Just a thought though! Wasn't bad, will return again in the future! Also well put together, like package and everything! read more

Great service, and great food! The bento box is HUGE, enough for 2 people to share. The sushi is great and it's a nice little spot to relax.

Japanese tacos?! As strange as this sounds, this is one of the best appetizers on their menu. You can choose from spicy tuna or crab. The filling is fish and veggies. The "shell" is tempura fried eggplant. This an a dragon roll made for an incredible and affordable lunch. read more

Been in Chico for a month from the Bay Area. By far the best sushi we have had. The rolls were yummy, the goyza was very light. Our waitress was great and suggested a very dry sake ( my favorite). Outside seating after the lunar eclipse made for a great evening! read more

Poor service. Called in an order both here and big tuna (same franchise), both places I went to hadn't even put in my order by the time I had gotten there 20 minutes later. Ended up having to wait another 20 minutes to get my food. read more

This is my favorite sushi in town. It's always fresh, very reasonable prices, lots of variety and the staff is great. They are owned by the same people who own big tuna, so the menu is almost the same but not as many people know about this location so it's not as crowded. I've never had a bad experience, and like the outside patio during the summer. The Chico roll is my favorite, dragon roll is good too. If your not big on raw fish then I really recommend the chicken teriyaki. It has a creamy sauce that's different then usual. But it's a refreshing twist. read more

Went there tonight, for a Christmas Eve sushi excursion. The waiter was very helpful, all of his recommendations were delicious, especially the grilled mackerel and pork and veggie skewers. We also had the sushi sampler, which was exemplary. We usually stick with rolls and nigiri when we go out for sushi, but I'm glad we tried their other specialties. Did I mention the divine takoyaki? We will definitely go again! read more

I think I would have gone crazy living here, if I hadn't found this place! Nothing will ever come close to what I used to get back in the Bay Area, and of course the sushi that I had in Japan. However, this is the only sushi place I've been to in Chico, that comes close. They offer Takoyaki, one of my favorite snacks, and a selection of actual Japanese beverages. My favorite being the Melon Cream Soda. Their menu, while not extravagant, has a little bit for everyone. This is my favorite spot in Chico, so far. read more

Amazing! The Japanese tacos are worth the drive across town. Staff is friendly, great atmosphere and the food is delicious!

7/26/14 3:30 p.m. We have been here before and enjoyed the outside patio. So, we thought we would try it again with our kids who are 12 and 14. We pulled up and parked in the handicap which was easy and close. However, backing out was an issue as the parking lot is small. We decided to sit inside because it was 104 outside so we could cool off and enjoy our food. Plus we have never sat inside before. Inside would be our main complaint. We sat down and it was so hot inside. I started fanning myself with a menu. The waitress came by about three times, on the fourth I asked it the air could be turned up. We were sitting next to the thermostat and it was reading 83 degrees inside. Wow! It wasnt comfortable at all. She hesitated but she did turn on the air. It took about 15 min before we could feel it but it made having lunch more comfortable. We didnt understand why they were playing Jamaican music in a Japanese restaurant and honestly, it was annoying. Our main waitress was good but lacked checking on us. The other girl that was helping her out was spacey and acted like she was on something while walking... has the personality of a three year old in a 22 year old body. Dont get me wrong. She was nice but I think being a waitress is not a good fit for her. The plus sides......we ordered the bento box for $12.95 and we got a lot of food! Enough for my daughter and I to share. We got a small salad in the bento box but dont put salad dressing on or on the side for you. So I asked my daughter to go up to the register and ask for some (because our waitress hardly came by). The spacey girl seemed confused and my daughter had to ask again and explain why she wanted it. BUT the dressing is amazing!! Probably one of my favorites now. The chicken wasnt so good. The chicken was thinly cut and over cooked...think chicken jerky. The sauce was a bit thick as if it was over cooked. However, maybe I got a bad serving because my 14 year old loved hers. Then again, she would eat top ramen all the time if I would let her. The sushi was good...I cant say too much because we only ordered the CA roll on soy...which I enjoyed dipping it in the salad dressing....did I say how great that is? The spring rolls and other deep fried roll tasted frozen so I wasnt impressed with those. Again, my daughter liked the deep fried potato roll. I almost forgot...we started our lunch off with the Japanese tacos. We think they changed the tacos from when they first opened but they are still amazing this way. Deep fried eggplant in crispy sweet batter for the taco shell...then crab, lettuce, cheese. The batter is the star of this dish! Perfectly, cooked. Not greasy or soggy. We thought the filling was chicken when they first opened but not listed as a choice now. Again, the Japanese tacos are amazing. The decor needs help...the chairs are uncomfortable. Im not a big girl but Im not small...and my butt hurt lol. The booths are booths that you expect to find at a diner..think Big Als. No padding and belongs in a ice cream shop or greasy diner. Not what we were expecting for a restaurant. Cheap. Like, I said the music was also disappointing as I feel music is what sets the mood when you eat. At one point we looked at each other and said..."Are we having Jamaican food?"..Joking of course...but playing Jamacian music takes away from the atmosphere and the authenticity of the food. Also, the selling of chips and other items as you are leaving with homemade signs made it feel like we were leaving a convenient store not a restaurant. Made it feel a bit cheap. I think this place could grow into something big because their food is great. But they will need to adjust their staff and decor. Unfortunately, people instantly judge when walking in to an establishment. It wouldn't be hard to update towards more of a modern, upscale, up to-date establishment. The biggest compliment I will give Izakaya Ichiban.....it was clean! Thats a big plus in my book. Even the bathroom was spotless! I'll go back again but only when the weather is cooler and I can enjoy the patio. Sadly, it looks like they are adding more and more to the outside decor and its starting to look a bit crowed and claustrophobic. They have tables and chairs which are squeezed in and it appears they have added more decorations. Once that small space is full of people its going to get smaller and smaller. I would recommend de-cluttering...as less is more sometimes. Let your food speak for itself...let your happy customers be your decorations. Invest in bigger quality items to decorate with...not 50 $1.00 items that cheapen your place. Your food it good...don't take away from it. Allow your customers to appreciate the colors and taste of the food. Dont take their attention away from the art that is being served to them by keeping their attention on the cheap decorations. Just my two cents read more

Just walked out of the restaurant. We were seated and waited 20-25 minutes and wasn't even approached once or even given a glass of water. Guess I'll take my money to 5th Street, Steak House read more

I just got back from this place. The food was really good and fairly priced, however I spent about an hour and a half in the restaurant because the food took so long to come out. Apparently they were like in between shifts or switching servers. I am willing to give this place another try because the food was good and they gave us a discount due to the long wait. If I come back and the food comes out in a timely manner, I would make my rating higher than 3 stars. read more

This is my favorite sushi place in chico! I have now tried every specialty roll on their menu and they do not disappoint. It's always so hard to decide on which one to get at the time because there are so many great options. The staff isn't always the most friendly but it's really hit or miss, overall I've always had a great experience. read more

Ate here first time today. Our server John knew all about the menu and helped us figure out our order. My friend had a bento box and I had veggie sushi. Our food was really good, very fresh, and presented beautifully on our plates. John provided great service and we never had to find him when we needed something because he was checking in with us. I would definitely go back and recommend this place to others! read more

I would like to start off by saying that I love the food here and my comment is for one of the staff. My friends put in an order Togo and I asked one of them to add Takoyaki for me because I was really craving it and it was only about $6 with tax. I was standing next to her when she put in the order. They go to pick it up and everyone gets their food (all rolls) except me. instead of takoyaki, there was an order for an energy roll $11. I called them and told them the order was incorrect and they told me I could come in and I could pick it up, no problem. I drove over and they had it ready but I had to pay for it. (Thinking back, I should have brought the energy roll with me to get the difference back, but the phone conversation was such a quick and simple "oh, we can get that for you", I didn't actually think of it). The part that got me was that when I told her that they were the ones that messed up the order, she claimed that the phonecall was static-y and she couldn't hear. The waitress had supposedly asked my friend to call back so she could hear the order. At this point she told us we could either pay for the food or leave it ( my boyfriend just ended up paying for the food). I didn't remember my friend calling the restaurant back and when I got home she confirmed that she didn't hear her say that and definitely didn't call back, meaning the waitress had put in an order to the kitchen that was almost guaranteed to be wrong and two trips later my $6 night ended up being almost $20. read more

I'm normally not one to write negative reviews and be so negative but I had to share the horrible experience I had today. I called in an order to go because I'm at work and I have limited time for my lunch. They were pretty busy per usual and I totally understand. The waitress who handed me my food was so unprofessional and rude I could not believe the words coming out of her mouth. I asked for a Diet Coke and she gave it to me "on the house" because of the wait time and i said "okay thanks" when I took my food she said "next time someone gives you something free you say thank you" I was dumb founded and did not know how to react so I got in my car and left. I decided to call to advise the manager of the manners from such said waitress and of course she answered the phone and told me I couldn't talk to the manager because they were very busy and I said okay well can I get a call back tonight? after she asked me for my name she realized who I was... and that's when it went south! She proceeds to tell me..."I'm pretty sure attitude goes both ways, I don't care if your a customer or not?" I said excuse me? I understand your guys are busy but that last comment was not necessary and she said "well I gave you something free and you didn't say anything which is rude" she went on with other bull shit and finally said "it's okay we aren't looking for customers like you to come back anyway" well you know what!? Great! You just lost a loyal customer who use to refer people to you and you are going to lose more customers with that kind of customer service. I'm really sad and shocked because I loved going there, the food is great and for a great price but I'd much rather pay for something that is much more enjoyable. I'm very disappointed and will not be going back read more

Every time I come here it gets better and better. If you want something that will make u happy try the bento box. Comes with miso soup , choice of 3 diff sushi rolls salad,spring roll, won ton, choice of samon, beef or chicken over rice.. All for under $14.00.. Tip not included. Delish!!!!!!! Rae is the best she makes sure allllll your dishes are bomb! And never lets your drink get warm! Sushi is amazing read more

Yumm. Decent prices and good sushi. If you like spice try the Mexican roll. Also like the crab tacos. A few of those are filling alone.

Great Sushi!!! Great Atmosphere!!! Low $$$ The live guitarist definitely adds to the chilled environment!!! Make sure u try the chico roll!!! read more