If you're looking for sushi in Sanford, check out Ichiban. It's a cute little bistro in the heart of downtown Sanford. The decor is minimalist and place is very clean. Our server was very friendly and efficient. We ordered the Love Boat for 3. The portions were super generous and the quality very good. The only feedback I have is that the sashimi while very generous, they were sliced too thick which made it harder to eat. read more

Ichiban Bistro - Love Boat for 3 - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, North Carolina

Fresh, high quality fish and seriously amazing rolls. Everything we tried was so good. Definitely our favorite sushi spot in Sanford. We'll for sure be back! read more

Ichiban Bistro - Ebi nigiri, salmon nigiri, yellowtail nigiri. Spider roll, beauty and the beast, killer whale roll - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, North Carolina

Quiet. Clean. Friendly. The sushi was probably the best we have had in NC. (We lived in Japan for 10 years.) We ordered a sushi obento to test the waters. It was a good variety and generous serving. We aren't crazy about American sushi with all the sauces, but they have those too. I will say that the tempura shrimp roll was impressive--it was still warm and crunchy in the roll. Well done. We will be back. read more

This is a nice japenese resturant in the regentrified downtown area of Sanford. They have a limited lunch menu and more extensive dinner menu. The cali roll was decent and the single mandu/wonton was crisp delicious. The miso soup was a large portion with a decent amount of seaweed and tofu. The steak was good. In all, it was average when compared to any Raleigh Japanese resturant. For Sanford, its one 9f the better resturants. read more

See all

I was looking for a healthy option for lunch and wanted veggies and shrimp. I ordered the Hibachi lunch with rice, veggies and shrimp. This came with miso soup. The rice was described as fried rice but it was just brown rice. The presentation was nice but the sodium hit at my first bite was overwhelming for me. And though I liked my lunch it was too much sodium for me. I assume the fish sauce they use has a lot in it. etc. I also had a cup of water and it was not palpable. The water must not be good in this area of Sanford. The carrots were cooked the way I enjoy them - just a slight crunch and the Zuccini was firm not soggy. The shrimp was plump and plenty for lunch. The service was nice and ambiance is fine. read more

Ichiban Bistro - Hybachi shrimp - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, North Carolina

See all

I honestly have no idea what happened here. We use to enjoy the food here but recently they've just fallen off since the lady that use to be up front left. I'm not sure if she was making sure that all the orders were correct or what but since she left our food is always undercooked, and we don't receive anymore notifications when our food is ready. It wasn't just the food that kept us coming back it was the interaction that made it even better. Now we hardly ever go and from here on out if we do go we're only going to get something that can't get messed up. read more

Been to this establishment twice. It's a Small but clean space. The dining room only seats so many people but it turns over pretty quickly. The staff is friendly but there are only two servers, no busboys, no host so you tend to wait a little for help, and service, but not annoyingly long, and only because they have so many jobs to do as the only do in the dining room. Food always comes out fresh and well plated, delicious and timely, for being so busy and having everything made fresh. My only requests would be to have social media pages so you can tag the business ,(this is only one of a few places in Sanford to eat sushi and the word needs to get out), and maybe add another front house person to help clean tables and so the waitresses aren't doing everything. Plus, it will speed things up and less times for customers to wait. read more

Ichiban Bistro - Hibachi bento box, spider roll, spicy shrimp roll. - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, North Carolina

The food was amazing very healthy taste and for the soy sauce they had a "less sodium" option which I really liked! If you are looking to eat healthy this is your spot. The service was amazing while there is a language barrier and they do wear face mask it makes it kind hard to hear them especially when it busy but you can still understand 100%. The place is so cute and chill I got there around 11 and the place was pretty empty until 12 where people started coming in but the vibes of the place stayed calm as the floor and tables are black it gives that ambience of luxury! read more

Ichiban Bistro - Bento box lunch chicken hibachi - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, North Carolina

See all

First time at the Ichiban Bistro, it was very good- Amazing food, great service, family environment. This will be my go to place when visiting Sanford! read more

Ichiban Bistro - Shogun specialty roll - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, North Carolina

See all

We popped in on a Saturday afternoon and were seated right away. I love that they offer lunch portions on the weekend! All 4 of us ordered sushi and miso soup which was all delicious. read more

Ichiban Bistro - Salmon roll (front); spicy yellowtail (rear) - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, North Carolina

The food is actually pretty good for being in a small town. The restaurant is clean and the staff is very polite. The decor could use a little help. read more

Ichiban Bistro - 2 roll lunch special. Spicy tuna roll and alaska roll. - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, North Carolina

I have been to Ichiban many times and they have never disappointed me and this time was no different Try the dragon roll read more

Overall everything was good and fresh. I especially liked that the rainbow sushi roll wasn't mostly rice. We also tried the hibachi steak and chicken. I prefer more veggies, and there was no broccoli or carrots. The flavor was very mild. My biggest dislike is that they don't have a good ginger sauce. I found the white sauce too sweet and added sriracha. That helped. I opted for a salad with the meal, ordered ginger dressing, and it was served with the sweet white sauce. Like a salad with mayo on it! I couldn't eat it. I've never been to a Japanese style restaurant, even the fast ones, that didn't have the good flavorful ginger sauce. This is enough to make me not want to go back. read more

Food was great. We waited 45 minutes for our food though even though it was take out.

The food is delicious! I love the hibachi chicken bento box. Great price for the food you get.

The sushi was great! Lots of variety! Service was fast and super nice. The decor is rather minimalist but clean and pleasant.

Food was good service was not the best language barrier was definitely there but not the problem I think it was the two young girls personality read more

Food was fast and delicious Service was great. Our server was prompt and did the job well. We will definitely be back! read more

See all

My husband swears that we have eaten here before, but I would definitely remember this place. The food is very yummy. I had the lunch hibachi Salmon and split a Nina roll with my hubby. I loved the mug that they served the Oolong tea in. I have a thing for a mug. Definitely coming back. read more

Ichiban Bistro - Hubby had the lunch sushi. Again they had a nice size portion. - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, North Carolina

Second visit to this establishment while traveling. Last visit was a little over a year ago. See our original review. Food preparation is excellent! The staff is very attentive and polite. Highly recommend! read more

See all

OK so I don't really ever make reviews actually this is probably one of the first reviews I've ever made and I only decided to do it because I actually really liked this place. The food tasted good but I can take note now that it was kind of soft and slippery, sushi wasn't exactly your top quality, but it did taste fresh I've had worse for sure lol . I went there for dinner and shortly afterwards, I was having an itching sensation in my mouth, but I had not understood to put it together until today. I went back and I ordered again and I had a full-blown allergic reaction. Hives itching and swollen tongue. I'm not sure what it was. Both days I ordered a sashimi and miso soup with hot tea. I've never had a reaction adversely after dining in a restaurant and I just I can't say it wasn't this because I went back and I verified that something wasn't right. I've never had any allergies before I've never had any reactions before so this just stood out to me that maybe something isn't right. Sushi is my favorite food. I eat it all the time . Just wondering if anybody else also had this experience after dining here? Unfortunately, I can't say I recommend to go back because I'm not sure it's actually clean anymore. Also, the service wasn't the best I was going to order more food, but the waitress never came back over to me in order to get served she only came back over when I laid my card on the table . I was also served by the same waitress twice and experience was exactly the same. read more

This is a late review, but the sushi is absolutely gross. It tasted like play doe. The service was slow. If you've had amazing sushi, you would know. We paid and couldn't finish. Just left the food there. read more

Great food and great service! Never have to wait long and the prices are decent. Goooooooood

Absolutely terrible service/food. Ordered food for three people and waited over and 15 minutes for just drinks. Then our entrees came out over an hour later and the food was cold and hard! The food had just been sitting out not even under a heat lamp, so what was the wait even for? Literally had to leave and find food elsewhere. Just save yourself the trip and time and find food elsewhere! read more

The food was good, but place is TINY. There's only a few tables and it was super quiet. I honestly felt like I had to whisper as to not disturb the other two people inside. HOWEVER, the sushi was very good and fresh. And they have a decent sake selection. read more

Probably one of the best teriyaki steak plates I've ever had. Teriyaki is true teriyaki taste not some water down version. This place is right downtown Sanford. Small but good I'm not a big fan of sushi but it seems a lot of people order it. read more

Fantastic! The hibachi was one of the best hibachi i have had recently! The portion was of good size too and came with a side salad. I forgot to take a picture because we dug right in. We also order gyoza and sushi and everything was great! Some people complained about slow service but we got served pretty quickly! Will def come back. I do have to say the atmosphere is not as cozy and has that bistro/express feel. read more

Ichiban Bistro - Spicy tuna on the bottom, Christmas's tree in the middle and shrimp tempura up top. - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, North Carolina

See all

This place is hit or miss honestly. I've eaten here 3 times and it's not my favorite. Everyone in town I meet says it's incredible. They must never leave sanford. First time I got take out, the fish was funky and not rolled tight. Second time I went in, it was super busy and we waited 30 minutes to be sat after ordering we waited 10 minutes for our drinks and another 40 minutes for our food. The sushi wasn't very good. Third and final time I lead cautiously. Ordered cali and veggie roll. The rice was not soft it was dry like it was sitting for awhile. Something was off about bath rolls and I literally couldn't finish. The seafood salad was decent. But needless to say I won't be going back. read more

Ichiban Bistro - Japanese Near Me - Sanford, North Carolina

The best Japanese food in Sanford, hands down! I would recommend Ichiban to anyone looking for great sushi and other Japanese dishes!

Great sushi good service My friend went to a fancy place in Holly Springs and said our normal place is better, this is our normal place! read more

Food is good. The establishment is clean. Nice hibachi and sushi spot in downtown Sanford. Typical casual place to grab some hibachi or sushi fix. read more

See all

The food was absolutely amazinggggg! And the portion sizes were well worth it. It wasn't really expensive compared to other hibachi places that I've to. The service was okay but overall 100/10. Definitely would come back again any time that I am in NC! read more

I love this place. Good food. Sweet staff. Affordable. I recommend a visit when you are in Sanford

The service was horrible. The place was empty and it took her forever to do anything. She never asked if we needed anything, left drinks empty, overcharged me for a salad! I was too frustrated by then to argue and get the bill changed. The food was ok, sushi roll had more lettuce and hardly any shrimp. Will not be coming back nor recommending this place again. read more

Many years ago, Sanford got its first true sushi restaurant - Umami. It was great, but the people of Sanford weren't ready for it. The tornado a few years later didn't help either. Service at Ichiban was fast, the staff were friendly and the sushi and hibachi we got were very good. The menu is pretty large and 90% of it is sushi, so there are plenty of rolls to try, but enough is available for those who don't like fish. Well worth the visit and will definitely be a weekly spot for sure. read more

I wanted to love this place. My husband and I have ordered takeout from here several times since discovering it just a few weeks ago. But I've now gotten histamine poisoning (scombroid fish poisoning) from here on two separate occasions. I didn't connect the dots the first time, until it happened again. I see 2 other instances of this happening in their google reviews. They are not storing their fish properly. I'm not one to leave bad reviews but this is a serious health hazard. I'm going to report them to the health department because this is seriously dangerous. read more

If you're craving for some steak hibachi in town- this is the best one. The portion size,flavor and quality of the steak is better than most. We've both dined in and picked up food to go (maybe 2-3 times/ month) and each time the taste is consistent. Chicken katsu, miso soup and any tempura item are my go to's. Never had any issue with the service. Only had one of their specialty rolls with shrimp tempura so far and it was okay. Other than that still very happy to have a decent restaurant like this in Sanford. read more

Very clean, delicious sushi and appetizers. The staff was very attentive and friendly. I definitely recommend this restaurant and will be coming back. read more

Service good, we had a trainee it seemed. Ambiance definitely cleaned up from previous incarnations (not these people). Food was okay. Nothing great. Also, some of the items weren't as fresh as I'd like. If you want standard sushi and nothing unusual or cooked items such as stir fry or teriyaki, then give it a try. read more

Best little hidden gem in Sanford! My husband is a big fan of their sushi and I absolutely love their steak. Nice portion sizes, good cuts of meat, delicious flavor. read more