On business travel from Southern California and was craving sushi. The sushi rice and salmon dishes were amazing. The salmon nigiri was buttery and the sushi rice was very good. Great value on their cut rolls too, $4 for 4-6 pieces on the different salmon rolls. Our server Avery was also very nice and personable, even at 11:30pm. Great place, would eat here again! read more

I've never dined in at this restaurant. However, it's my boyfriends and my to-go to sushi spot. They are 1/2 priced sushi on pick up orders and open until 12 or 2 am depending on the night. I've never had a bad roll or an issue with our order and we've probably ordered here more than 5 times. We always get so many rolls for cheap. We paid $31 for all the sushi pictured. Is it top notch, best sushi ever?... no but for the price of $4 per roll it's pretty dang good. read more

Ichiban Japanese Cuisine - Spicy Yellowtail roll, crazy California roll, cucumber and eel roll, sweet potato roll, shrimp tempura roll, 2 salmon rolls - Japanese Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I absolutely hate to give a restaurant 2 stars (look at my reviews). Went for lunch on a Saturday. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant was in need of updating- badly. Not just for ambiance but cleanliness as well.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The sushi counter glass (plastic?) was dingy[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The tint film on the front windows was peeling off in the corner.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The tables and booths tired and worn.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Two of the 3 types of sushi we ordered were OK at best. The spicy tuna sushi was not ok. The teriyaki chicken was a filet of chicken breast (overcooked and dry) sliced with a light drizzle of teriyaki sauce atop. The stir fried vegetables served with it were in my opinion reheated or completely overcooked. The service was fine. Only one waitress for the indoor seating. read more

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I have been coming here with friends since I was in high school 15 years ago, and I can confidently say Ichiban is consistent from then to now. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The dark decor is fun and the restaurant gets crowded and can get loud, but I've never had a hard time finding a spot to sit.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service is always good and while there's the occasional menu snafu, they've always been diligent and kind about fixing things with no issue. The vegetable fried rice is truly one of the best I've had in the city... it's always piping hot the mushrooms and bean sprouts make the dish. The half price sushi is a pretty good deal. I always get the veggie rolls so they're cheap anyway, but my friends and husband enjoy some of the more fancy rolls and always feel full while still not spending a fortune. My favorite is the avocado roll... so simple and creamy and just perfect dipped in soy sauce with a little wasabi and ginger. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ichiban probably doesn't have the best sushi ever... it is the Midwest after all... but the ambiance and fun vibes make the experience and it's a good deal to boot![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Ichiban Japanese Cuisine - Vegetable Fried Rice - Japanese Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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The best sushi and sashimi in the midwest! Their 1/2 price sushi is unmatched! Needs to be expanded to also be available via delivery!

Fast casual sushi spot. Personally I like Cloud 9 better even though they are owned by the same people but this time around surprised me. I tried some new rolls and they were great! The service was fast and the server was super nice. I would recommend this spot for half price sushi! read more

Ichiban Japanese Cuisine - Japanese Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

My Mr. has dined here years ago and had a great experience that he wanted to take me. We dined in on a weekday night and it was steady. We got seated right away. They do have full bar (sake, specialty cocktails, beer and wine). Their menu is mainly sushi but they do serve appetizers, entrees, noodles, fried rice and desserts. We mainly came here for the sushi. We ordered: Drink: Tozai Snow Maiden Sake Dinner: Philadelphia Roll Cajun Roll Sunday Morning Roll Spicy Scallop Roll We didn't have to wait long. The sushi was amazing! Their Sunday morning roll was on point. Second favorite was the scallop and Philadelphia roll. The sake paired well with the sushi. The service was really good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]My only con is that it was stuffy inside. A bit humid.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] But I can't complain on the quality and price of the food. Especially if the sushi is half off as advertised on the sign outside. I am definitely coming back to try other items on the menu. read more

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My husband and I tried this place out after trying Cloud 9 two doors down just the week before. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I feel that ichiban definitely has more of an ambience that's a bit nicer. Just not as walled off as cloud nine is.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was great! Our waiter George made sure that we were completely taken care of. Now when it comes to the food, I would say most of the stuff seems to be decently on par with cloud 9. Some of it might be a bit nicer, some of it is not noticeable. You are paying a little bit more in price. But the one thing that gets me wanting to go back to cloud 9 more so is that they have a roll there that reminds me of one I used to get back on the West Coast when I lived there. Ichiban does not have that role unfortunately. But the presentation was much nicer here and overall this is a good place to go for the most part! read more

Ichiban Japanese Cuisine - Gyoza, fried tofu, and crab puffs - Japanese Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I was in town for work and after a really long day, I arrived back to my hotel room rather late and absolutely starving. After browsing UberEats and comparing what was available on Yelp (they're open until midnight), I landed on Ichiban. A good friend of mine left them a glowing review a few years ago and that on top of their great rating sealed the deal for me. I ordered a shrimp tempura roll, crab rangoon, and their matcha tiramisu. They had a special deal going where both items were buy one get one free so that was enough for little old me. Everything arrived in a reasonable amount of time and I was very pleased with it. While the crab rangoon wasn't my favorite, the shrimp tempura rolls were delicious. I get that it's a pretty basic roll, but sometimes it can be hit or miss. The matcha tiramisu was creative and yummy. I've never had anything like it. I would definitely order from here again. read more

I hadn't been here in a while, but I remember enjoying it, so I decided to bring my lady here so she can try it too. Overall, glad we went, because it was really good and so close to our house. We stopped in on a Tuesday evening, and it was a little busy, but we were still sat right away. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place itself was exactly as I remembered, very spacious with lots of seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Though when we got there, it was a little warm ad a bit muggy inside, but it got cooler later.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The menu looked a little bigger than I recalled, with more sushi options and drink options. Their half-price sushi is their main attraction. Our server was very friendly and attentive. We decided with a large Tozai Snow Maiden sake along with four sushi rolls; a Cajun roll, a Philadelphia roll topped with spicy mayo, a Sunday Morning roll, and a spicy scallop roll. We didn't wait that long before our rolls were ready and all four were good. It was tough to pick a favorite but the too two for me were the Philadelphia roll and the spicy scallop roll. The price made it even better. Excellent sushi spot for sure. I have a feeling we'll be coming back especially since it's so close to us. Gotta love some good sushi! read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Amazing food, quick service hits, whether in person for the ambiance or takeout![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]! Always get a craving. read more

Pros and cons here but overall I come back for the food. I love the dynamite roll!! I come here about once every couple of months. The service is good not great. Avery, my server is awesome though! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance and overall aesthetic of the place is not good, pretty trashy to be honest.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

The food is absolutely delicious, servers are nice the food takes a while but it's well-worth the wait and the price is fair, [[HIGHLIGHT]]both the exterior and interior is amazing[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] and [[HIGHLIGHT]]it's overall a good place to have a nice meal with family or friends[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]We like the food, but wear your parka, even in the heat of the summer.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Even Eskimos would complain.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Not going back, shivered through the whole meal, even tho wearing long pants and a long sleeved fleece over another shirt[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Service was great. The food was good but not the best. Just your typical Japanese cuisine. This restaurant had a relaxing atmosphere. Ordered ginger salad, fried calamari, chicken, lettuce wrap, which wasn't flavorful in the least, spicy scallop roll, and spicy shrimp roll. read more

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We alternate our sushi meals between Ichiban and Cloud 9 a couple of doors down. Inchiban has a much more polished interior and their sushi is about the same as their neighbor. The positive, maybe, is that they offer a wide variety of other dishes. Our server was absent a great deal of the time. Not sure why, we saw other servers on a regular interval. I ordered my usual sushi and my wife ordered chicken and scallops and vegetables. It was $3 to add the scallops, not too bad. When her food came it was about 1/3 of an overcooked chicken breast and two small (bigger than bay, but not by much) scallops. The chicken was dry and the scallops were rubbery. The veggies were good. But $19 for veggies is a crime. We were on a time crunch and the we were told manager wasn't available. Looks like our sushi/Japanese rotation will be changing. read more

This is a go-to for most of my family celebration restaurants or even a go-to for a date night! The quality of sushi here is so good comparative to some of the other local spots i've had. I even consider myself a sushi enthusiast as I try something different every time! (usually love it) I've recently been in my sashimi and Nigiri phase and this place has some of the freshest smoked Salmon and Tuna! A must have roll for my is a "JTB" roll and also the "crab puffs" (their version of crab rangoons) are amazing! read more

Ichiban Japanese Cuisine - Love Boat - Japanese Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Been here a few times and it has always been a smooth experience. Usually able to get a table soon enough without a reservation and always has good service. The sushi is good, but if you want to try something new the Udon Noodles were delicious as well. Other items to try: Crab Rangoons, Chicken Katsu, Love Boat. read more

Ichiban Japanese Cuisine - Cloud 9, JTB Roll - Japanese Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Modern design sushi restaurant with limited half off menu but pretty good sashimi and outdoor seating. Pros: Nice restaurant, nice sashimi. Cons: Limited half off sushi. Dinner again with GF. Just a quick stop on the way home we were seated in some booths with sofa style chairs that were different but not our style so we asked to move and had no issues. Booths had a nice mood lighting and our server was prompt and efficient. Ordered four rolls at half off but the half off is not for the rolls on the other side of the menu so be mindful. Everything tasted great and their sashimi was better than most other places. One note is their "Dynamite roll" is what most places call a volcano roll so I wish I knew that beforehand. Total for two w/tip $50 | Rating 8/10 read more

Ichiban Japanese Cuisine - Japanese Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

One of the few places you can eat after 8pm in Cincinnati. So this is the go-to spot for fried rice. Shrimp are a great size

This place is such a gem! The half-price sushi deal is unbeatable -- you get super fresh rolls and a great selection without spending a fortune. I was honestly surprised by how good everything tasted. The salmon and spicy tuna rolls were my favorites, and the portion sizes were generous too. read more

Sushi is my favorite food, and funny thing the first time I ever had sushi was in ohio. This location is my cousins favorite and I think they come here a lot because they were greeted by name. The inside is your typical sushi restaurant but with mysterious cool low lighting. The staff is personable and quick! I loved the food, we had Edamame which was crisp with just the right amount of salt. We had calamari that was so good! Especially since the batter didn't taste like anything else that it shouldn't have been. There was also Saki mussels that were so savory and good, and they all opened which is great! As well as some savory tasty pork dumplings. The sushi was awesome, rainbow roll and a spicy tuna, I ate everything and I can't wait to go back again. My cocktails were sipping great! The Tokyo hotel and a vodka martini. It was all chefs kiss! read more

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Pad thai? More like bad Thai. Worst i have ever had. It tasted like spaghetti with day 5 reheated chicken. Go to cloud 9 instead - NOT GOOD!

Solid spot for creative sushi rolls and Japanese dishes. Highlights were the volcano roll with crispy tempura, eel filling, and scoops of crabmeat. The honeybee roll was topped with slices of fresh fish. We did remark that the individual pieces were slightly smaller than usual. The chicken tatsu-age was a tasty appetizer but not as crispy or flavorful as other versions of tatsu-age or karaage. It comes with teriyaki sauce but asking for eel sauce or spicy mayo is a good move! Service was friendly and wonderful! read more

Ichiban Japanese Cuisine - Chicken Tatsuta-age - Japanese Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Been looking for a decent sushi spot around cincy. Glad I was able to find this place. I was so spoiled with great sushi back home in California and Japan that it's hard to find a spot down here. I'm surprised they have uni nigiri here! It wasn't bad either -- although not as fresh. The salmon nigiri along with the crunch roll and salmon skin hand rolls all were satisfying. The dynamite roll was a bit of a disappointment as I'm used to larger rolls with more baked salmon. The sukiyaki was tasteful, but the noodles were a bit lacking. The miso soup was pretty good -- you can't mess this up. Because the decent selection of rolls on their half off menu, I would say this would be a great place to go for sushi. Wait time for food can be a little long upon opening, so I suggest going later at night as they close late. read more

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The rolls were good and hit the spot! My favorite thing I got was the salmon tartare. Service was also quick - we went right when they opened. The atmosphere was also nice. read more

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Excellent sushi but their chicken teriyaki is pretty bad to be honest. An ideal chicken teriyaki is a slice of charcoal grilled chicken with a glaze, imbuing it with a certain sweet- smoky flavor. However, the teriyaki that I had today was what seemed like a boiled piece of chicken breast brushed with teriyaki sauce. Which made it kinda dry since it is a matter of seconds between cooked and over-cooked when dealing with chicken breast. So the chicken teriyaki is really sub-par and a little disappointing. However, they have redeemed themselves with their sushi. With them being half off when you dine in, coupled with really generously sized sashimi slices, I would 100% recommend their sushi read more

Ichiban Japanese Cuisine - Volcano roll with salmon and yellowtail sashimi - Japanese Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

the dumplings were amazing but the sushi and ramen soup was not the best. [[HIGHLIGHT]]the seating was amazing though[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. the wait was long for the food to come. read more

Ichiban Japanese Cuisine - hurricane sushi Pink Panther - Japanese Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Second time dining here. For the area, this is one of the better sushi restaurant options out there. Special thanks for their menu that has 40+ different rolls that are on their half price menu. You can get your sushi fill without breaking the break! These rolls definitely match the cost. Not the best I've had, but do the job. Each visit has had slow service even at non-peak hours but this could also be due to limited staff. Have only dined here during COVID, but staff is following Covid guidelines and masks are required. read more

Ichiban Japanese Cuisine - Top: honey bee roll, middle: cherry blossom roll, bottom: dynamite roll - Japanese Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

So the good news is that the prices are fair, and this place is open on holidays. The menu variety is very nice: rice, noodle, and sushi dishes. The fish seem especially fresh - particularly the yellowtail. It wouldn't call it spectacular or unique, but it's fresh and it's good. Fried rice was mid though. read more

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This place is my Roman Empire. Not only is the sushi AMAZING (so fresh), but for 50% off, I can never go anywhere else. My boyfriend and I come here at least once per week. The service is usually good enough and the have all night happy hour for drinks. The decorations are always so cute and really contribute to an enjoyable atmosphere. I love it here! read more

Ichiban Japanese Cuisine - Cajun Roll Roll, Dynamite Roll, Spicy Salmon Roll, Special - Japanese Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Good sushi, not too expensive. The sushi is good. The restaurant is clean but you don't necessarily come here for the atmosphere as it's nothing special. Service is a little slow, but it is everywhere nowadays. It's reasonably priced for quality sushi. read more

This has been my favorite sushi spot, especially for date nights, for years! [[HIGHLIGHT]]My boyfriend and I dined here on Friday evening and it was packed![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We made a last minute reservation and got seated right away. We ordered 2 hot apps, boba tea, ramen, and 3 sushi rolls. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Normally, we will dine really late at night for a more quiet night but I wouldn't take our recent experience back. The crowd was just right.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] However, the service was the BEST we have received at any restaurant EVER. Our server's name was Quinn and he was more than incredible. His knowledge, timing, and check-ups were very appreciated and hope to get him each time we go back! Quinn made our night so enjoyable, special, and relaxing. He deserves everything great. We can't wait to be back here! read more

Food was decent! Their cocktails and sushi is nicely priced! I enjoyed their lychee martini and was able to order a lot off of the menu. Service was good too. read more

Middling soups, forgettable skewers, and below-average noodles. But none of this matters, because when it comes to quality sushi on a budget, Ichiban is the best game in town. Good sushi requires not just good quality fish, but consistent and well-seasoned rice with the proper amount of salt, sugar, and rice vinegar. Far too many sushi restaurants get the fish right, and serve the fish on sad little rice pillows, cold, bland and dry. Contrast with Ichiban's fish (fresh and flavorful with an unprecedented variety, 3 kinds of roe for crying out loud) served on consistently moist, flavorful sushi rice served at that just-warmer-than-room-temperature state that makes for the perfect chew. And I mean every time - I've been here more times than I can count and the sushi is always high fare. This combined with their extremely fair (dare I say bargain) prices on their half-price sushi menu, and you have a knock-out combination. So yes, skip the entrees, go ham on the sushi. Leave happy and without having to double-check your wallet. read more

I struggle with cultured food in Cincinnati as a lot of restaurants forget their roots & cater to the demographic. This is one of those places...the food was decent, serviced felt rushed, we sat outside so the vibe was good. It's not a bad restaurant but I probably wouldn't come back. read more

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Stopped in for a late night dinner one evening. Not very crowded, service was fast and friendly. I'd say this is just your standard run of the mill sushi spot. Food was good but nothing extravagant. Prices were excellent and very cheap for sushi. Most rolls were half off and you are able to get a lot for your money. We had a plate of sushi and split the pad Thai entree. Would dine here again for late night eats. read more

Ichiban Japanese Cuisine - Chicken pad Thai - Japanese Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Another dine-in experience. This time I tried the sashimi sampler - it was so good! It included hamachi (yellow tail), salmon, red tuna, and escolar (white tuna). The hamachi sashimi was excellent. As I mentioned before, yellow tail is one of my favorite fish. I would recommend trying the hamachi nigiri or sashimi, over the yellow tail+scallion roll. The other sashimi were also wonderful and of great quality. You can just taste the difference in great quality, flavor and texture. I've officially decided that the crunch roll is one of my favorite hand rolls here. It is savory and flavorful. The flavor is akin to teriyaki sauce and the texture is perfect with the exquisitely prepared eel inside and tempura crunch on top. The spicy salmon roll includes salmon+avocado+spicy mayo drizzled on top. The spicy tuna is ground up red tuna+spicy sauce. Both are flavorful, but the texture is different since one has fresh fish and avocado, whereas the other is ground fish. I enjoyed both, but I preferred the spicy salmon roll since it had better texture and tasted fresh; this is a matter of personal preference. We actually tried four cocktails today: the Lychee Martini, Tokyo Hotel, Saketini (not pictured), and Mai Tai (not pictured). The Saketini includes sake, gin, and vodka. It was a fresh drink that takes like sake and seemed like it had a higher alcohol content without tasting super "boozey". It was a great pairing with sashimi and it could technically still be a delicious palate cleanser since the main flavor is sake. The Lychee Martini and Mai Tai were both sweet cocktails. The Tokyo Hotel wasn't as sweet; it tasted more crisp and refreshing, like a semi-sweet version of a gin and tonic. I inquired about the French Martini, and I remembered that it had vodka+raspberry and sounded sweet... I'll have to try it next time! The restaurant was still practicing social distancing between tables. All sushi chefs were wearing gloves, and all employees were wearing face masks. The service was excellent. The hostess was attentive and our server was respectful and exhibited great timing for taking our order, delivering food, and providing the check. The average of my reviews is now 4.67 stars. I would consider this location a middle tier sushi restaurant. It would appeal to sushi snobs on a budget, and impress sushi novices. It's a great neighborhood sushi restaurant! Tonight was busy for in-person dining for the "dinner rush" and there were many to-go orders being picked up. I would recommend this restaurant to friends and family for good quality sushi at a fair price. read more

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Great place to grab sushi without breaking the bank. We got 3 rolls and 8 pieces of salmon sashimi for $32. They have a "half off" menu where you can find decently priced rolls and sashimi. This option can be cheaper and more versatile than their set combos (sashimi dinner combo) because you can pick out exactly what kind of fish you like. I was very pleasantly surprised with the generous, thick slices of sashimi. I will definitely be coming back when I crave sushi. read more

Ichiban Japanese Cuisine - Rainbow roll and dragon roll - Japanese Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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If you are on the lookout for Japanese Cuisine in this prominent Cincinnati neighborhood, Ichiban is a serviceable option that can be found snug among the shops and cafes of Mount Lookout Square. It definitely gets busy and be warned, the scent of fish permeates the establishment. Spending any length of time here will likely warrant a change of clothes. Service is friendly and timely enough. I would not recommend Ichiban for sushi. It is not bad, merely okay. I think you will find better options in the surrounding area. Paid parking can be found on the street or in the square. Free parking can be found along the neighborhood side streets. read more