Here is the completed review with your additional details incorporated: I recently visited **Kalbi Ichiban** in Pensacola, Florida, located in the area of town where I grew up. It was good to return to familiar surroundings and find a restaurant offering a different dining experience. The interior is attractive, clean, and inviting. The restaurant also offers Korean barbecue, with tabletop grills built into several booths. It is a nice option for families, groups, or anyone interested in a more interactive meal. I went specifically looking for authentic Korean food. Having experienced Bulgogi while serving in Korea, it quickly became one of my favorite dishes. Most chain restaurants do not do the dish particularly well, so I decided to give Kalbi Ichiban's version a try. My waiter, **Carson**, was attentive, friendly, and provided excellent service throughout the meal. He checked on me regularly without being intrusive and made the overall experience even better. Carson receives five stars from me. The meal came with Bulgogi, rice, and a choice of soup or salad. I selected fried rice and started with the hot and sour soup. I also ordered a side of kimchi because, in my opinion, a Korean meal is not complete without it. The hot and sour soup was excellent. It had great flavor, was well prepared, and was easily one of the highlights of the meal. The fried rice was good, although nothing about it particularly stood out. The Bulgogi was tender and very flavorful, but it was wetter than traditional Bulgogi. Authentic Bulgogi is normally much drier, with the marinade cooked into the meat rather than leaving it with a gravy-like consistency. Even with that difference, the flavor was enjoyable. The kimchi was also very good and added the right touch to the meal. Interestingly, the hot and sour soup was spicier than the kimchi. However, different regions of Korea prepare kimchi in different ways, so the level of heat and flavor can vary considerably. Overall, I was pleased with the meal and would rate the food **8.5 out of 10**. After adding a couple of cocktails, I was also pleasantly surprised by how reasonable the final bill was. I would rate the restaurant **two dollar signs out of five for price**, making it a good value for the quality of the food, service, and atmosphere. Kalbi Ichiban may not serve Bulgogi exactly as I remember it from Korea, but it delivered a flavorful and satisfying meal. Combined with Carson's excellent service, the inviting atmosphere, and reasonable prices, it was an enjoyable dining experience and a restaurant I would visit again. read more

Kalbi Ichiban - Dining area - Pan Asian Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

Lovely atmosphere and outstanding service. This was our 4th visit and my husband tried the steak. He usually gets grilled salmon. He enjoyed the steak as much as the salmon. I had the Bloxi sushi which was delicious. My son had a poke ball and said the flavors were great. We also tried the hot ginger tea. Yum yum . We had an avocado appetizer that was warm.with shrimp and scallops. Very good. And a piece of turtle cheesecake was gifted to me to celebrate my birthday. We'll be back. read more

Kalbi Ichiban - Beautifully grilled steak. - Pan Asian Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

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We were searching for Bulgogi and we found it! It was so good! The ginger salad had fresh dressing. Our young man who was our server was attentive and very friendly! We can't wait to come back! read more

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My wife and I thought we'd like some Korean fare for lunch one day, so I checked out the reviews on Yelp and this place had the highest star rating so I decided to go ahead and give it a try. The restaurant dining areas are nicely appointed and have unique designer touches. The menu is a bit eclectic offering Japanese, Korean, and Chinese options. Everything is a bit on the pricey side with the Korean BBQ offerings being expensive, to say the least. We ordered Korean, I asked for my meal to be prepared "extra spicy," and received a dish that didn't have any kick at all. When I mentioned this to the waiter he said he typed it in, but the cooks have had problems in the past with making food too hot and having customers complain. That didn't make me happy. Overall, it was okay. I won't be in a hurry to return; in fact, I'm not sure whether we'll be back at all. read more

Kalbi Ichiban - Pan Asian Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

This is a nice place to meet friends or have a date night. This is my favorite place to get the Kalbi short ribs. A nice portion and very tasty and tender. This last visit, I decided to have the seaweed salad and hot and sour soup with my kalbi beef. The seaweed salad was simple but delicious. The hot and sour soup wasn't for me. I prefer the egg drop or miso soups. The staff is friendly and the place is clean. Overall, I really enjoyed this place. I'll try the sushi bar next. read more

Kalbi Ichiban has a nice atmosphere, but overall, my experience was just okay. The service was polite but noticeably slow. The restaurant itself is visually appealing, but the prices--especially for the Korea BBQ options --felt steep compared to other Korean BBQ restaurants even in the area, and the places I've had in Korea, Japan, and other U.S. locations. The sushi was mediocre at best, and while I've seen some rave reviews calling it the best in the area, I have to assume those people haven't explored many other options. That said, the yellowfin cheek was a highlight. Overall, it wasn't a terrible experience, but I wouldn't rush back anytime soon. read more

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Always good service. Kalbi Ichiban (downtown) and Ichiban (Davis Hwy) is one of the sushi restaurant that offers sushi rolls with no rice. All rolls wrapped with cucumber sheet are sushi rolls that do not come with rice. It's a perfect for those who are #lowcarb #keto diet. Their Korean BBQ (downtown location) needs rethinking. Most Korean BBQ usually comes with complementary side dishes like Kim Chi, zucchini Kim chi, pickled daikon radish, bean sprouts, scallion eggs, spicy dried squid, etc. The last time I had their BBQ, it did not come with those traditional side dishes. This is why I removed a star and gave them 4 stars instead of 5. I would rather go to HQ or Lee's for Korean BBQ. If these options were offer I would consider them for Korean BBQ... for now, I would not spend $150 for 6 types of meats with no traditional Korean side dishes (it should be included). read more

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My first time going. Sisters night out. I've sister is 100% vegan and they accommodated her easily! She had rice and avocado roll, steamed white rice, and th cucumber appetizer. Me and my other sister had miso soup hot and sour soup egg rolls and we both had the teriyaki chicken dinner with stir fried veggie. Excellent flavor profile and generous portions. Veggies tender but not mush! Absolute perfection. Waitress was great and my pot of ginger tea came out lukewarm warm not hot. She tried to reheat but still lukewarm. It was chilly was looking forward to hot tea but just minor. The florid of ginger was good. Ambiance nice but music choices odd for upscale ambiance. I will definitely come again! read more

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Where do I even begin?! Absolutely horrible. The ONLY good thing about our $260 dinner was the three sushi rolls we ordered and the spring roll, and even at that, the "super shrimp roll" had shrimp on it that was CLEARLY frozen and chewy. My noodles tasted like absolutely NOTHING, and when I say nothing, I mean nothing. And the shrimp in my noodle bowl? Don't even get me started. Absolutely NO seasoning, I'm talking nothing. Chewy and CLEARLY frozen. The multiple teriyaki dishes we got were absolutely horrid. Let me tell you, the chicken seems like it was boiled and MAYBE set on the "grill" for 10 seconds MAX. The meat, chewy and completely tasteless. Every single item lacked seasoning. I'm not even sure if they know what seasoning is. All of the teriyaki dishes also had a pool of water on the underside, so delicious. Fried rice? Let's not even call it that. It tasted like *nothing* again (shocker). After our entire table received our food, I asked to speak to a manager, and a women came over, clearly already having an attitude. I asked her again to speak with a manager which she just nodded her head. I had to specifically ask her if she was in fact the manager to which she finally replied yes (super professional). I explained everything to her and she clearly saw that NONE of us ate our food, it wasn't just a one person issue. I told her that we would gladly pay for the sushi (because it was the only decent food items) to which she replied that we would still have to pay for all of the food and she even offered to let us take home all of our yummy food in to go boxes (so nice of her right?!) I even asked the manager if anything was frozen (because we're not dumb, we know it is) to which she replied no, (but we were told otherwise, specifically about the chewy, tasteless shrimp.) We were also told by the manager that the food at their restaurant was "mild" so it was supposed to be like that. It's comical really. So go into your meal knowing there will be no flavor! To top everything off, we were told that she would give a small "discount" and then we were further insulted when we were given a total of $14.90 of discounts on our $260 meal. Worst dining experience and I honestly cannot believe that the manager was so careless and nonchalant. Absolutely no pride is taken in any aspect. DO NOT RECOMMEND. read more

Service was on point. It's always interesting when we have 5 for seating how it seems to make finding the right table a challenge but the did a good job. We were seated and service was quick. The meal was very good there were multiple options of the Vegan in the group. The cocktails were also flowing Great job read more

Wasn't impressed the first time around, but out of town guests wanted to go, so we did. My girlfriend ordered a lettuce wrap w shrimp, she said it was ok, my other friend, ordered something, but sent it back, because it wasn't right, I just sat their thinking to myself, I TOLD YOU, my meal was a bowl, very small for over $22 00, wasn't worth it, we paid our 100.00 bill, and said NOPE WE WON'T BE BACK read more

I love this place and the sushi is always so fresh!! Nice and clean and the service is normally efficient!

We chose this spot because I was very hungry & it was close to my location. We showed up for lunch & took advantage of the special. I had the lunch dragon special with the red dragon roll & my spouse had bibimbop. I'll be honest, I thought I was going to leave hungry with my 2 rolls & soup but that wasn't the case at all! Our waiter was very attentive & the dragon was easily the largest roll I have ever had. I left full & happy, and the sushi tasted quite fresh. I'm not sure about other times of the day, but we had a good lunchtime experience! read more

The meat combo special was perfect for three people. The ribs were perfectly seasoned and they have great kimchi cucumbers and onion salad. The only critique I have is the number of sides is small and there are some sides that are only made available if you know to ask. The service was a little slow but the waitress was sweet. The interior is nicely designed. Overall good experience and great tasting food. read more

Came for Korean BBQ on the Hibachi table. Really disappointed at the prices of the set meat packages, just the Kalbi was over $40. I decided to skip the hibachi and I settled for the Bulgogi with white rice, hot and sour soup and added Kimchi and Korean Wings. We shared the Cucumber Salad and my wife ate the Tuna Poké Bowl, which she thoroughly enjoyed. I enjoyed the food as well, just wanted the variety of meats and hibachi experience without paying an arm and a leg. Our server was attentive and made sure we had all we needed. The atmosphere had a sushi bar feel with hibachi options. read more

Our favorite sushi in pensacola! This spot is a hidden gem. All of the rolls we tried were delicious, especially the Pensacola Beach. Our waiter from Tennessee (we didn't catch his name) was wonderful and we'll be back. The spring rolls are a must get. read more

Kalbi Ichiban - Spring rolls - Pan Asian Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

Beautiful restaurant. I would give this place 3.5 stars if I could but the reason for 3 instead of 4 is due to our waiter not having any knowledge of the menu. If I thought she was knew then I would understand but she didn't give me that impression. Other than that service was great. They have a huge menu, from sushi, Korean bbq, hot pot, and more. We ordered Sushi and it was good overall but I feel like the sauce was over done and the choices of sauce for certain roles were odd. read more

Unagi udon was amazing! So much more to say, but let's move on. The wait staff was engaging and friendly. The second time we were a group of four vs the forty on our first visit. Hence, it was much quieter. read more

Kalbi Ichiban - Specials menu. Don't pass it by, ya may regret missing these options. - Pan Asian Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

Went to lunch with some coworkers and I'm kicking myself for not knowing about this place sooner, even though I've driven by a hundred times. It's a little off the downtown "walkable" distance but worth the journey. It starts with an atmosphere and decor that's a step above the usual "beach vide" feeling that permeates Pensacola. It has a much more Vegas vibe which I've missed. The waitress was prompt and very nice. Food took maybe a skoosh longer than I'd assume but it was well worth the wait. The calamari appy was crisp and delicious with a mayo-based dip and strangely pico de gallo. The bibimbo was DELICIOUS and the sushi (Pensacola Beach roll) was amazing. Yes, it was way more than someone should have at lunch and I couldn't eat it all, but it just means I need to come back for more. I just wish I'd sampled their ramen! read more

Kalbi Ichiban - the bar and seating area - Pan Asian Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

That egg drop soup is nothing to play about. This isn't your typical egg drop soup; it's a velvety, golden elixir that made me feel like I was sipping on the sun's morning rays. The broth is a rich and savory symphony that sings to your heart. When that first spoonful hits your lips, you're transported to a cozy, sunlit kitchen where the secrets of the universe are whispered with every slurp. The delicate hints of green onion are magical. Good service too -Guy, That read more

Great food and great management!! 5 stars. Bibimbop and ramen are amazing. Hot and sour soup is divine

Fantastic experience. Great night sitting at the bar enjoying martinis and appetizers. Dylan is an excellent bartender. Wife loved the nightcap Key Lime Pie Martini. Seafood salad (plenty of octopus) was the best. read more

The food was beautifully presented and tasted amazing! Our server was an absolute sweetheart and checked up on us regularly, her name was Benny and she did a spectacular job! Would absolutely recommend and will be coming back read more

1 of 2 KBBQ spots in town. I haven't been to Lee's yet so I will definitely check that out to compare. I would love to give this place all 5 stars and to be honest ... as an Asian, this place has great sushi (sorry no pictures yet!). The Udon is so-so and KBBQ is so-so. When I asked the waitress what the banchan (Korean side dishes) choices were she had no idea what I was talking about. When I explained what it was all you get is traditional cabbage kimchi, radish kimchi and pickled celery. Disappointing. Get ready to spend some money regardless of what you get here. The ramen is also so-so. The service is always great and the food tastes good. read more

Kalbi Ichiban - Mixed bbq - pork belly, kalbi beef and pork, sausage - Pan Asian Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

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Sushi is excellent. Service and ambience are stellar for this city. Its downtown location is very convenient and slightly outside the crowded, noisy areas. read more

Great place they have been very consistent with the food. They are also good at bringing new items to the menu. This really helps.

Review based off sitting at the bar. Asked the bartender for something delicious and she busted out some lemon flavored sake in this cute little bottle. Let me tell you this, I got what I asked for and it went down too easy. Which made it dangerous in my eyes. She followed it up with a green tea shot. It was also delicious. Great vibes, good conversation, some tapas, and a couple delicious drinks made for good times here. Will definitely be back here. read more

Kalbi Ichiban - Pan Asian Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

Great menu, great food, awesome waitstaff, definitely will be back! Didn't try the Korean grill on this visit, but will most certainly on the next trip! The salmon and tempura shrimp was really yummy, as was the fried cheesecake to finish it all off! Not sure the crowd for weekends, but it was crowded at all! read more

Kalbi Ichiban - Great set up of grill tables - Pan Asian Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

As always Staff very thorough and attentive Love their Menu , we had regular Dinner and didn't disappoint Calamari , Edamame , Fresh Spring Roll , Ginger salad and Miso Soup We sat adjacent to the Sushi Bar which was more well lit than the back Dining area which I liked ... Ramen , Garlic Wings and Yakisoba ‍ ... we go about once a month , it's on our regular Roster read more

We were really disappointed. We've been going there for 18 years and even tho it is a little pricey, we always thought it was worth it... we went the day before Mother's Day and my son got the ribs (40.00) and it was bone and bristle almost no meat. I got the Titan roll since it's been one of my favorites and the steak was raw inside (I know it's a sushi place) but it is a deep fried sushi roll and when I asked if they could cook it just a bit more they took it back with a attitude (not the waitress, the manager) and when they brought it back it was extremely greasy... i couldn't eat it. We would up spending $120.00 for 3 and honestly, it saddens me to say, i don't think we'll be going back! read more

Yes, I rated it five stars! This place is pretty dope, and jumped up the ranks to a "Fridays Regular" spot. They really did a great job with the interior decorating as well as cooking stoves. Absolutely no smoke. This was a random idea that came through our chat that we all decided to act on. Everyone was starving. Our server was the bomb. It was like having your mom check up on you at the table and assist with cooking the bbq. She was a really nice lady, we tipped her well. We all ordered something from the menu to make it a family style dinning experience, picking and taking from plate to plate. I thoroughly enjoyed everything. The sushi is the best I've had in Pensacola, hands down. The ramen was very flavorful and had a lot of everything in it. Those wings were on point, along with the calamari. We all had an amazing time and all agreed that this spot is a solid FIVE STARS. Go with friends, go on a date, just don't go by yourself cause that's lame and you can't get bbq if you do. High recommended. read more

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Way overpriced for food you cook yourself. I won't be back. The service wasn't great either

. We tried this place on suggestion of our Daughter, who has lived here over 30 years. Everything was surprisingly good. Nice new building with private self-parking, great bar, good wait service. We had 3 different sushi rolls, a "Bento Box", & soups. All were better-than-expected. Food is a mix of Asian: Korean, Japanese, Chinese; all somewhat "Americanized". Our server, "Logan" was knowledgeable & attentive. The "Tempura" isn't real egg white, rice flour, & beer deal like in Japan, but was pretty good anyway. We are in Pensacola 2 or 3 times per year and are very familiar with all the "regular places", and will definitely add Kalbi ICHIBAN to our list of "usuals". I say: "Try it, you'll like it!" Rick . read more

First kkbq and Japanese infusion restaurant. Enjoyed ourselves. Portions were a little small and prices lean high. Overall a great experience! read more

Kalbi Ichiban - Pan Asian Near Me - Pensacola, Florida

Service was great. We'd never been to a Korena-Japanese fusion and they made it work. I was very impressed with the offerings. Very nice decor and seating area was comfortable. Maybe a little pricey? No real complaints only kudos. read more

Wow! Best sushi I've had since I lived in Hawaii! I got Ikura with quail eggs, salmon nigiri, tuna nigiri and a couple rolls. I can die happy now! Also, Ashley was such a wonderful bartender! I was having such a bad day when I came in and I'm leaving so happy I can't believe it! Thanks Ashley! read more

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Amazing place to take the family take the kids and clean enough and service. Good enough to take a date or significant loved one or someone that likes hot pot. read more

Too much MSG in sauces and in tuna app! Second time I got an OD of MSG and feel sick from this place! Food usually pretty good but rotten today: greasy, greasy calamari, one roll had something loaded on top that tasted like cinnamon roll icing on top. Ghastly! So top prices for a terrible experience AND clearly lied to as to why my rolls arrived 30 mins after my lunchmate got her food....Sam said big to go order held it up but everyone around us got their rolls....either she didn't turn it in or the horrible sushi chef overlooked it. Then totally ruined the roll with the icing. WTH? Going to the bottom of my list. read more

We've visited many times (I once lived in Japan, and visited Korea many times), and generally enjoyed this restaurant. This evening's experience was unsatisfactory, at least from my viewpoint. My wife always has sashimi, and tonight it was okay. I often order the teriyaki steak, rare. This evening, I received a very thin (1/2" or so) slice of beef, far too thin to have a rare center. It was topped with a cold jelly that I found quite distasteful. I sent it back, and a few minutes later received what appeared to be the same piece of beef - presumably rinsed - with the same jelly topping, but WARMED. read more

I loved this place! This was always a go to for the Korean plates. We went to order tonight and the prices have DOUBLED! I understand inflation, I also understand shipments of products, but this is insane! I probably won't be back unless it's a special occasion instead of just a Friday date night. read more