Ichiban Japanese Steak House

Places like Ichiban and Benihana are great, but it’s not a casual night out. You are paying for your food and a show, which is alright. If you just it the mood to fill your belly however there are much more affordable Japanese restaurant that are equally as good, if not better.

I’ve had drinks and done hibachi at Ichiban, but never had sushi there, so I will leave that part out. The drinks however – STRONG! Expensive, but I expected $12 martinis when I got there.

The one thing that was truly memorable for me was the calamari app. The shrimp and steak was good, but this app was some of the best calamari I had ever had. If you are not a squid lover like me you might not have the same opinion, but don’t worry you can have chicken liver for an app instead (hehe, joke…but seriously, there is chicken liver). The calamari was sauteed in sesame oil and dressed with soy sauce and several other things. It was spicy, tart and the calamari was soft and almost buttery. Most people’s experience with calamari is chewy and deep fried. Yes my friend squid tends to be chewy, that’s why Ichiban did such an amazing job!

If you want an evening of entertainment, drinks or somewhere to go with a large party Ichiban can be your answer. Until the have a strictly squid section for me I will probably put on my frugal cap and head somewhere a little less pricey.