Finally! I have tried their version of my favorite local food, Oxtail Soup, and was pleasantly surprised! A rich savory beef broth full of ginger, and cabbage, and oxtail, with a side of cilantro, more ginger, rice, salted cabbage, and kimchi. I think I still prefer A Saigon Cafe's version, which is a whole other flavor profile (think Vietnamese) mostly because the oxtails are better cooked ( the ones at Ichiban seemed rougher in comparison), but otherwise I really enjoyed this soup, the flavor of the broth, and would most definitely order it again! My mother had the Nabeyaki Udon, which has a sweet dashi, and the thick and deliciously chewy udon noodle, amongst other vegetable and protein goodies, served in a beautiful cast iron pot. It was very satisfying. One real stand out is how hot both soups were, the way soup ought to be served! It was an oddly cold and rainy evening in Kahului, and it was a delicious pleasure to take our time blowing on each spoonful to release the fragrant steam before gently sipping it down. If this review was based solely on the soups, I would give a four star review, but have dropped it down to three because the shrimp and vegetable tempura we had for an appetizer was overly greasy, and under seasoned. I have had way better tempura on the island, and I would not order this again here, which is unfortunate as tempura seems to be the best treat at Japanese restaurants. read more

My family and I have been coming to this restaurant pretty regularly and also prior to the new owners. We usually get mediocre service which never bothered us as we were there strictly for the food. But, the service we received tonight was just impossible to ignore. My daughter, almost 3 years old, accidentally spilled a full bowl of miso soup. She immediately felt bad and started ugly crying, making a scene (as the other 4 tables seated were looking) but apparently got no attention from our waitresses/owners who were conveniently seated behind us at the end of the sushi bar. My boyfriend took her out of the restaurant so the other guests weren't interrupted and she was very hesitant to come back in. What I don't appreciate is that while I'm proactively cleaning up her mess, the owners son along with our waitress, Val, are laughing while looking our way. Another waitress drops off a couple of our orders and walks away. By the time I've cleaned up most of the mess, I asked the same waitress for more napkins and our waitress finally comes in with a mop saying that she didn't see what happened because it was so "dark". I mean, at least come up with a better excuse and not blame the restaurants lighting (which wasn't even an issue). Other than that.. Foods good. Specials are handwritten on a piece of filler paper. Not all sushi on the menu is available. And definitely make sure there are toilet seat covers or hold it in. I'm all for local businesses and have also supported Juan's numerous times. But, my money will now be going elsewhere. read more

We were looking for a Japanese joint without having to pay extra for presentation, just straight up good affordable food, and we found this just a little bit past the Queen K mall in Kahului. Looks can be deceiving, this might look like something that's not gonna be good based on it's location. It's in a dead strip mall, i don't know about the businesses around, but it looked like the cars parked were all for Ichiban. This place is always packed - with locals. we were probably the only tourists there. For the sushi snobs, they'll for sure just keep on going after looking at this place. In L.A. grading standard, this place might get a B or a C, but you can't judge a place by how it looks. the wait staff are super friendly, they'll actually give you a real smile and greet you with aloha. Prices were reasonable, the only expensive (understandable) item we ordered was the Sashimi, but their sashimi is unfuckwittable, being it's Hawai'i. Tuna is super fresh, melt in your mouth fresh. Big portions in this place, two scoops of rice, none of that single scoop mainland style. their katsu is seasoned well, not salty at all. they also serve fried chow mein and hella fresh sushi. don't think that just coz they don't have a sushi bar that they can't whip that up. This place was delicious enough that we went back and will keep going back whenever we visit that island. read more

Been coming here for years and I always enjoy the food. Parking is easy, but finding the restaurant can be a bit tough. I'd recommend the Teri Steak, Sashimi, Tempura and the Miso Soup is good too. They serve typical Japanese food and that's the reason I keep coming back. Staff is friendly and helpful. read more

We enjoyed our dinner here tonight. I had a combo 3 voice with shrimp and veggie tempura, Teri pork, sashimi and rice. I also had miso soup. It was pretty ono and the service was good. Lots of locals came to eat dinner here tonight. We'll be back. read more

This is a local restaurant more with local customers. Although there is nothing fancy about it, the food is outstanding. Flavorful and healthy. Nothing is greasy or oily. I had a miso soup to start with which was tasty. Then I had Katsu Donburi with pork. It's delicious and yammi. read more

Only good thing about this restaurant is the hunk of a man at the sushi counter. Ryan something i think his name was. Had kind of a shy fob accent. read more

We went with a group after seeing the reviews. Needless to say this place wasn't awesome. We had several different sushi rolls, chicken chow Mein, teriyaki chicken, tempura shrimp. The fish in the sushi wasn't good. It tasted like it had been there for a while. Bit of a bummer to not have fresh fish in Hawaii. Nobody in our group likes what they ordered. read more

Their miso soups is decently good, nothing to get excited over. Their Oyako Donburi is pretty good, I would definitely recommend it. Their curry chicken katsu special is winnahs, Japanese style curry is very tasty and their shrimp tempura is awesome as well!!! Service is so-so, waitress fills your water but isn't as attentive as you'd like... read more

The sushi is great here! It looks questionable but was surprisingly good. Our waitress was nice, fast, and working real hard. Didn't care for the Teri meat...on the sweeter side. Don't be fooled by the teishoku...it comes with a lot of food! read more

Ichiban Restaurant - The hot night roll...shrimp tempura roll with ahi on top...soooo good! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kahului, Hawaii

I like to come eat here because its close to home. I always have the chop steak plate, best on the Island. And a side of green salad and miso soup. read more

1) unagi don buri is delightfully aranged in cut pieces and the rice is perfectly seasoned and not too dry! presented in a large bowl with a lid.. 2) their homemade mandoo/dumplings are a bit tough but definitely fresh.. and the filling is slightly crunchy and not flooded with cabbage! an order of 5 is $9 3) sukiyaki -- not the most tender meat but the broth was so delicious! 4) their miso soup is creamy..not overly salty and watery 5) don't order sashimi here.. get one of their plates/soups instead! 6) chinese/japanese fusion with hawaiian style~ mmm read more

Ichiban Restaurant - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kahului, Hawaii

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Man, food was SO GOOD!! Service was great too. I like laid back servers who aren't constantly asking me if I need anything. We ordered a chef special sushi, I believe it was the double o 6 and a 1/2 roll or something like that. It's got avocado and seared ahi on top and poke and cucumbers in the middle with a wasabi mayo drizzle. We asked for unagi sauce on the side and BOOM all those flavors were so amazing. The roll was $20 but it was a pretty big roll, I was impressed! Worth the price. I probably won't ever go back to Ale House for sushi. This place is fast and has friendly service! Definitely something Ale House lacks. We also ordered a combo plate, got the katsu, teri steak (MUST GET) and the tempura. Soooo good!! We spent about $40 on the food and left SO FULL and happy. read more

Ichiban Restaurant - Sushi Bars Near Me - Kahului, Hawaii

Ichiban is my go to spot whenever I get a craving for that Jabaroll. Great service, fresh tastes, super chill atmosphere. I love this place with all my heart. read more

We found a large hair in our daughters plate. They were responsive and made the order again but they served the new dish in a to go box AND (half the order)!! Hmm. Expensive for food we can find anywhere. Nothing special really. read more

I have not had sushi (other than my own) in almost a year (I live on a remote island), and I was not disappointed by Ichiban. I had the Hamachi and the baked scallop roll. Both were solid. A little on the spendy side, and you cannot take unfinished sake home (aww shucks honey, I guess we'll have to finish it). Service was good, and the ambiance was what you would expect from strip mall sushi. I'll go back. read more

i've come to Maui for vacation a few times and each time we come to Ichiban and it never disappoints! what i love the most is their udon, it's one of the best i've had on the island and the mainland! the broth is great and so is their miso soup broth! they're always super nice about making certain accommodations to food allergies and picky eaters. it's a small and casual place so don't expect anything too fancy but you're looking for good Japanese this is the place to go! read more

I come here from time to time but my last experience will keep me away. Ordered a ichiban special B, chicken katsu Don and an oxtail soup. First comes the special B with super greasy tempura. Ten minutes later the oxtail soup arrived. The owner comes strolling by and I ask him to check on the third dish. He tells his wife to check, our waitress passes by and I ask her. Ten minutes later it comes out. The owner says well it's kinda busy so you know....I don't know! I know I'm not going back. read more

Really wanted to like this place. Walked in, group of 6. seated us immediately. Takin our order took a bit as well but nothing to point to the fact that we were about to embark on an hour long wait for a California roll and spicy tuna roll. Nothing else that we ordered (few more rolls) ever came. However, four other tables around us, got their food and even finished eating by the time we decided to pay for the two rolls and drinks and just give up. Shame. It had potential. read more

I've ordered Nabeyaki Udon which is overcooked so that the noodle is soft. The soup tastes not so fresh maybe put too much sugar. Overall, kinda disappointed after visited. read more

Small portions. WAY over priced. The sushi was good quality but you could get WAY better for 30% less at Sensei's in Kihei. They take forever. read more

Been here twice! Both times very good! Lots of food for the price, and very tasty! Highly recommended. Our favorite restaurant on Maui!!!! Great Service! read more

This place is great. Delicious combination plates. I had the teriyaki steak (super tender, marinated like bulgogi) and sashimi (great quality for the price). My husband had the chicken katsu and tempura. The portions are generous, food is delicious, and wait staff is friendly. Great find! :) read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place!!! If you like affordable yet delicious Japanese/Local food, then this is the place for you!!! They always have daily specials up on their board, and their combination plates are super huge!!! Lol... I can never finish it, so I pack it to go and save the rest for my lunch the next day!!! Cheeeeee!!! :) Make sure to try one of their combo plates, and order some sushi as appetizer!!! I always get a couple of their rolls, like the eel avocado roll & shrimp tempura roll is super ono!!! Me and the bf always fight for who gets the last piece!!! Hahahaha The last time I spoke to the workers, they told me they're working on updating their menu and are coming up with some new dishes as well as new desserts!!! And one of the desserts is Fresh Azuki Ice Cream!!! Broke da mouth, you know I'll be ready for that bad boy!!! It's located in the Kahului Shopping Center, right next to Central Pacific Bank. read more

Great deal. At first glance for the "mom and pop and local type establishment" (vs. fancy tourist spot), I thought the prices were high. But after the dishes came with the generous portions (and having eaten at many places and also have cooked and shopped locally) the prices were more than reasonable. One of the specials was a chicken curry cutlet platter at $12.95 that came with what seemed like 3 large chicken breasts, otsukemono, 2 scoops rice. I think I would have been fine with 1 cutlet. They were cooked just right, sauce was more of a gravy with curry, than a curry per se. At $5-$7 per order of 2 nigiri I thought high albeit much cheaper than the tourist sushi joints or than in Japan, but then when it came... they slices of fish were 3X that of regular places. I wish I had know before ordering way too much, having gauged by conventional nigiri. The steak and tempura dinner again were very tasty and large. I took the steak leftovers back to the hotel - smothered in local onions, shrooms and garlic tasted even better for breakfast! The poke was again generous (the Ahi portion could have been a meal in itself) and tasty. I know that poke comes in all different compositions but I personally would ahve liked some kelp mixed in. So in summary the food was very much like good home cooked Japanese with local Hawaiian spin and clearly Hawaiian portions. This is not a place to go if you are looking for foo foo plates with drizzled sauces or "pretty sushi" or nouveau Japonnaise decor. It's just good food in a very comfortable (could be brightened up a bit) setting in a slightly tired strip mall (just keeping it real). Our server albeit spoke no Japanese was very cheerful, pleasant and accomodating making it a nice dining experience. A nice change a pace from the tourist spots and the mai-tai's (though I do love them). read more

Service was average. The sushi was off. The spicy tuna roll wasn't spicy and it was very....mayonnaise. I would not go back for sushi. My girlfriend had the chicken katsu and it came out warm. It tastes okay, but who brings out luke warm entrées. read more

looks a little run down from the outside but I was taught not to judge from outward appearances, the inside is nicely decorated and sanitary. I always crave Japanese food & I'm glad I found this restaurant. They have a wide selection of sushi as well as entrees. I had a combo plate that was $15.95 and I was able to choose from a selection of chicken katsu, pork katsu, shrimp & veegtable tempura, california rolls, ahi sashimi, and a few others that I don't remember. But I ordered the tempura, ahi, and california rolls & they were all delicious! & it came with miso soup. I also ordered baked oysters for $6 for 2 (I'm big on oysters!) & it was sooooooo good. It had unagi sauce, crab meat, and fish eggs, & I found a new fave! so excited to try other entrees as well. I'm definitely becoming a regular there. 4 stars bc some of the sushi prices are kind of pricey, $9 for a spicy tuna roll? read more

This place is awesome. Fish is fresh and light. They even made our kid's dishes customized to their liking. The chef came out and asked us how we wanted it prepared. They even have sweet shrimp with the fried heads. And their Oxtail mein is very tasty. Definitely coming back. The servers were very friendly. read more

Best shrimp tempura and teriyaki chicken combo on Maui. The sushi is really good. This place is a relic, and in my opinion should be left that way, it just feels right. It is my favorite Japanese restaurant in town. I usually come for lunch, and the service is fast, and with aloha! read more

Excellent place. Kind staff, delicious food, great sushi at good prices. Would definitely go back and recommend to my friends.

The waitress was very friendly. The sushi was mediocre. The shrimp and veggie tempura was the same. The pot stickers on the other hand were terrible, especially the sauce that came with it. We sat next to the fish tank and that was enough to lose your appetite over. There was no one in there, which made it nice and peaceful. With all that said, I would try it again. read more

The sushi was good and fresh. Dinner plates did not look that appetizing. The bathrooms were dirty:(

Don't judge a book by the cover! Ichiban was delicious. If you want to eat like a local this is a great place to go. We got the Combination C which came with beef, teriyaki chicken, and pork and there were all amazing. We also got a shrimp tempura roll that was to die for. For good sushi, ichiban is very reasonable. read more

This little whole in the wall is a gem waiting. to be discovered. My wife and I had the ichihan special (A) for 16.95 the portions were enough to share. In all the special with a dynamite role, a beer a soda and the best shebert lychee ice cream came under $40 without tip. on top. of it all they gave my wife a free rose for mothers day. what a special touch!!! The Iphone could not locate the address for some reason, call for directions, they are located on a small strip mall very close to the cruise ships, there is a BK in the corner. Don't look for an upscale restaurant, just very good food and you will be very happy. read more

Good food. Great service. Just a bit run down but no complaints. People working was very nice and professional.

Lovely place to have a date night. My boyfriend and I are fans of this wonderful place. The service is great, food is excellent! We could never have dinner without our 69 Sushi! Their miso soup is so onolicious! Wish they provided bigger bowls for the miso soup lol!!! This place is a must!!! read more

After picking my bf & I up from the airport, my in laws decided on this place for dinner. Service was fine, nothing spectacular... I'd give 3-4 stars for it. But the food. The only things I liked were my salmon nigiri, my cali roll, & my miso soup. I got a teri steak, tonkatsu, & cali roll combo. The teri steak was too sweet & too salty. Honestly, I could've looked past that if only the Teri steak wasn't so tough! Like, why? It can't be that much more expensive to buy a tenderer piece of meat, or tenderize it a different (aka better) way. My katsu was extremely fatty, yet tough, & well, didn't look like any kind of tonkatsu I've ever had. It had a weird texture. And the meat was dark, not white. I don't think I even want to know what cut of meat they used for it. My bf got a teri steak/teri pork combo & he said the same thing about his items (too tough, sweet & salty-& he loves salty). I read on Yelp that their katsudon was pretty good. I don't see how it will be if they use the same kind of katsu that came with my dinner, but if we had to come here again, I would try that. Hopefully that'll be the dish that makes me up the rating of my review. But, yeah, for now, they get 2 stars. I wanted to give them 1, but I'm willing to give them another chance if I somehow end up here again. read more

Maybe it's the Economy, or the fact that "Grandma" is rarely around anymore, but I have to say the sushi has dropped a notch. Now, it's just average. I can't recommend this place as much as I used to. In fact, on a week's vacation, I could come here 3 times. This time, I went the first night and did not return. I'm sad now. read more

ichican in kahului has poor customer service and no fucking not class. standing in line for a table and the man at the counter take another family that came in after me.the owners should get there shit together. read more

You call that japanese food?!! I lived in Japan for 10 years and never had katsudon with really thin sliced pork--no breading and runny eggs with watery sauce. They soaked the rice with sauce which you never do. My friend had nabe-yaki udon and the egg was broken and over cooked. Noodles were not fresh and portion was small for the price. They need to take classes on preparing japanese cuisine cuz that was not japanese food. They should hire japanese cooks instead of fillipino ones. Food quality and taste was way-off. Ichiban ja nai. read more