Saturday, July 10, 2010

Ichiban- Hillcrest

An almost hidden sushi spot on uni between bamboo lounge and Baja betty's across from gossip grill, ichiban exists with a small set of tables on the outside and an interior that is right up in front of the kitchen.

Passing by this place, there are always tons of people eating here. Well today I found out why: daily happy hrs from 3-8p where all sushi rolls are $3.

As to the quality, the proximity to the kitchen area allowed for an inspection. Pre-made baskets of mostly fries things (potstickers, calamari, veggies) were awaiting to be second dipped, which wasn't all that appealing.

Sushi combos and a variety of noodle, bento boxes and your standard rolls existed.

The rainbow roll and the spicy tuna roll were ordered:


The sampling was ok, not spectacular and comparable to your whole foods sushi to go. The spicy Tuna lacked spicyness and I was questioning the freshness of the yellowfin. The salmon piece that day tasted fresh, but the wasabi was definately pre-made.

The Ginger salad reminded me of the benihana salads:


The slightly spicy Ginger dressing was quite good amongst some pickled sprouts.

The chicken yakisabi: noodles, stirred veggies and twice cooked chicken was tasty, a tad salty but not bad:


Overall prices were very reasonable, which makes this place pretty popular... At bight the plastic canopy covers the outside tables which I find to be quite hideous. The proximity to the kitchen allowed a quick scan of the cleanliness of the place and it appeared that it was, gracious hostess.

Not on the top 5 list for sushi, but for low cost meals, can understand the affinity.

- Posted using mobile cam.. Eating and blogging on the go, excuse spelling mistakes :)

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