Ichiban Sushi Bar Japanese Restaurant

Went on a Thursday at around 7pm. Empty except for one couple.
Family run business. Had thier daughter there. Very slow service. But the food was good.

We eat here somewhat regularly as we love close by, and love the food. Sushi’s good, and they have interesting specials from time to time. The last time we were in I had the Japanese curry, which was just the perfect amount of spice. Also they are open until 10:30 on week nights, which is great. Definitely recommend this place!

Great food!!! Went there for lunch & dinner for many times during summer. I won’t go there again because it’s too far away, but I will find something like this in St. Louis!

Small, family-​run sushi restaurant. Nothing fancy with the décor, but the food and service was amazing. The sushi was fresh and they offer a special kind of spicy tuna with big chunks of tuna and a spicy and smoky flavor. It was absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to go back.

Service was slow, there was only one waitress. Never got a refill. Sushi was okay not the best. I did like the fact that I asked for spicy mayo and got a lot of it. My sons rice had a strong taste of egg and very greasy. I don’t think I’ll be back.

The best sushi in the midwest! Awesome! I have had so much sushi here, I dont know where to start. The staff is great, clean and calm atmosphere. Anything I order here is so good and you can tell he takes pride in his sushi! Its a bit pricey but this guy is a pro and you know youre getting quality sushi. Never had a roll I didn’t like and the dragon roll is great for noobs, just a tip.

Stopped in for dinner about 6pm on a Wednesday. The restaurant was empty except for one other man eating alone. The lone server/​hostess was on the phone in the back of the restaurant when I arrived, so I sat myself at the sushi bar. The bar is cluttered and messy but the table top is clean.
I ordered the «crazy roll.» Very good. Loaded with fresh fish and topped with little orange beads (I forget the official term). I could have eaten another roll or 2, but at more than $ 10 per specialty roll, I couldn’t do it.
Food was good, service was slow. If you have time to kill while driving down Olive, this is a good option for sushi.

Only visit if craving sushi and not willing to drive further.
Ichiban is located in a strip mall in Creve Coeur. It is tucked off and nothing particularly notable nearby. Inside, there were several boths with nicely decorated Asian stuff.
I was not particularly impressed with the sushi — I didn’t order the huge menu choice, but this is what I had.
Philly roll — cream cheese roll with salmon. Sushi was ok and tasted what I would’ve expected from this roll.
Florida roll– fried roll with salmon. heavy cream cheese and could not really taste much else. The roll would fell apart quicker than Britney Spears’ career. Not edible via chopsticks.
Salmon roll with avocado — again roll would consistently fell apart. The salmon was pretty fresh and tasted pretty good. The roll just was not rolled well.
Eel with cucumber — I don’t think anyone can mess up eel, but this roll tasted pretty good also. However, same problem as before if you could get this roll completely in your mouth before it fell apart the restaurant should offer a prize.
Service was mediocre. The lady didn’t have many customers and the rolls took a little longer than expected to come out. Overall, no complaints but not exceptional.
Again, there are much better sushi places in st louis if you’re willing to drive a little further. otherwise, Ichiban would definitely satisfy any cravings you have!

Greatly Impressed by the recommendations of the man behind the sushi bar! I ordered a spicy tuna and their Louisiana roll… he added a bit of a smoky tuna to the spicy tuna roll… it was amazing… Their Louisiana Roll, wow! I really enjoyed it.
Some reviews read are right on… a lot of clutter… personal bills on the sushi counter… not ever busy when I go… however, the reason I go is the sushi, and it’s spot on!

Came back almost 1 yr later and everything is just as good. Sushi is fresh and delicious! Had the sashimi plate and nigiri sushi, both very good.

This is my favorite sushi place in St. Louis. It’s quaint, peaceful and the sushi is pure art. They actually have a true traditional sushi chef (pretty sure he owns the place). The fish are cut how they are supposed to be! I love white tuna and this place you get your money’s worth. It is a little bit pricey but you get what you pay for and definitely want quality when you are eating raw fish. They have some great appetizers and have other Japanese dishes if you aren’t interested in sushi. Seaweed salad, gyoza, shrimp dumplings, miso: all fantastic. Love it!

Great little sushi restaurant. Quiet and fresh food. Awesome lunch specials. The miso soup is killer. I still need to try the ramen. The sushi is presented well and tastes great!

I do not want to bash local businesses but want to give honest reviews & feedback with the hopes the business owner will read & do what is necessary to correct the problems. That being said, I was in here for lunch yesterday as I work down the street. My first impression upon walking in is that the place is a mess. Too much clutter right up front for a restaurant and then after walking back to the restrooms there is a ton of clutter at one of the back tables. The bathroom floor looked like it hadn’t had a good mopping for several months. The place was not busy right at 12:30 pm (was this a sign?)so the service should have been right on. Not so much! We got our drinks right away but then it was like we were forgotten. My husband had to go request the server take our order. In the 30 or so minutes that it took to get any food she wondered by maybe once to fill our drinks.
When the food FINALLY came out the Jalapeño roll we ordered was delicious, which is the only reason I am giving this business 2 stars. The noodles came out shortly thereafter and were served nice & hot but overall I wouldn’t rate this dish as anything more than good.
With decent food, zero ambiance & horrible service I wouldn’t recommend this place for dining in but carry out may be an option.
I was disappointed!

I am a picky eater.
The best sushi I have had in St. Louis. The place is cute and very clean. The quality is above average. Hard to beat! The service was good and they were very nice. I will be there every time I crave Sushi in St. Louis. Extended menu along with premium drinks & wine.

This is my favorite sushi bar in St. Louis. I’ve been to higher end ones but the food here is better. No, the service isn’t all that great, unless you’re a regular. This family works hard. I love this place.

Terrible service. Our orders were taken and she never came back. Apparently the family that was visiting at the table next to us was more important. Sushi was alright. I have had better.

sometimes it just hits me. BAM. a sudden craving for some good olé sashimi.
it’s definitely not your typical craving, but when it comes it’s hard to deny.
This time around, it hit while i was in my «new» hood, i use air quotes b/​c i’ve lived here over a year now, but have yet to explore my surroundings…
today was the day, to branch out and I’ve been eyeing Ichiban for well, over a year now.
I called in my order and strolled over to retrieve.
It was a bit on the pricey side; however when I returned home and opened my takeout box, it was like opening a giant treasure chest… FILLED WITH FRESH SASHIMI!
So in the end it was $$ but there was more than enough fish to keep me a happy customer.

Me and my wife decided on trying sushi in the area from around our town in Maryland Heights.
We picked Ichiban, and gave it a shot. The décor is great really looks cool and nice. There is not a lot of tables, but they make the small space work well.
We ordered the Ichiban Special and needless to say, was not impressed at all. The Miso soup was not very good, nor was it heated very well. The rolls were nothing special. The price you pay for the amount you get isnt a great deal either.
Truth be told after finishing the whole thing, my wife and I decided to go pick up a sandwhich to just feel full, we arent big people either, nor do we have a big appetite.
Sorry Ichiban we wont be coming back.

I really like this place, It is family owned. I have been taking my son in since he was 13. Now he is 20. The owners always recognize him, say hello and send a treat to the table. I almost feel like I am cheating when I go with out him!
The fish is good, and fresh considering that it is the middle of the US, not close to a ocean at all. The portion size is generous. and they will make anything you can describe!

I’m not really sure how to handle this review, I want to give them a 4, but for their current situation they can only get a 3 from me. This used to be one of my favorite places for sushi. Always busy, in fact I remember one Christmas where the place was wall to wall. Now, it seems that it has gone a little bit downhill. Is it the economy? Stupid places like Dunken Fish? Whats the deal here?
Went to Ichiban, and the first thing I noticed walking in that there were tables that were empty and not bused. Wow… not a good sign. There were a few patrons there, more so than Tachibana on a Saturday night so I figured, they are still drawing in business.
After being seated I immediately learned why the place was not bused. 1 sushi chef (acceptable) and 1 server (not acceptable). I think the server was so overwhelmed by herself that she was focusing on getting out the food, and not cleaning tables. Maybe someone called in, I don’t know. Maybe it’s something else?
The server was very friendly, and after taking our orders, everything came out pretty quickly. Still, there were at least 5 tables filled with dirty dishes. One table seemed like the drop off area, as it was literally piled with dishes, cups, soup bowls, etc. I have never seen anything like this in any restaurant I have been to. This was an unacceptable site for anyone to see. If you are that short staffed, tell your patrons «I’ll bring you your drinks, however we are short, and I need to get these tables bused so it will be a few minutes before I come back for your food order.» I am more understanding to someone who is visibly over their head, and would be ok with anyone putting me on hold to get caught up. If I were a health inspector dropping in, the dining room wouldn’t have scored well with me.
So on to the food. I know Ichiban used to have much more creative dishes than what they have now. I would have loved to see some mayo/​sauce heavy dishes, or a few fried rolls. Slim pickings in those areas. Alot of california roll base with stuff added on. The list of special rolls was pretty slim as well, however everything that was brought out tasted very good. Everything was very fresh as well. I loved their Crazy Roll. I could see how some say their stuff is bland because its a simpler, less flare more fare menu.
My advice to Ichiban. Hire someone to bus tables, and someone to wait tables. If you have someone unreliable on your staff, you might want to cut those ties. Even if its family.
Additional advice. You are a family business, is there anyone in your family who wants to be a sushi-​ya? Someone with fire and passion who can bring a modern kick to a well established sushi joint?
All in all, I think Ichiban even with all it’s problems, is a very reliable sushi place that has fresh ingredients. I think this is a great place to go if you are just diving into consuming sushi as they have a fantastic lunch menu. Their sushi lunch is a great deal. I really like you Ichiban, and I don’t want you fading away!!!