Doing a walk along the water in West Vancouver and looking for a place to get take out nearby. Walked up to Marine Drive and Ichiban was the first place we noted. We looked at the menu and walked upstairs to order. This is a well dated establishment...but the service was great. They took our order and food was ready in about 10 minutes. The presentation of the sushi and salmon bowl was okay...pretty standard sushi and good value. And the taste was as expected...no surprises. It was a positive food experience. read more

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This place has been around for ages. I think this was possibly the very first Japanese restaurant I ever went to, back when I was maybe 10 years old, and was therefore the first place that I ever had sashimi and fell in love with Japanese cuisine. I stopped going for many years. I am guessing it has likely gone through changes in management over the years though I have no way to confirm that. We ordered takeout from this place online. My daughter ordered Avocado roll, Dynamite roll and a miso soup. My mom had a Seafood Yakisoba. I had a Vegetable and Tofu Teriyaki. There was a Nabeyaki Udon and an assortment of other sushi for the rest of the family. I was quite disappointed with my Vegetable and Tofu Teriyaki. The veggies, especially the carrots, were quite bland. I have found other veggies in teriyaki dishes to have more of a grilled kind of flavor but these veggies were bland. The thing that disappointed me most about the dish was how runny the teriyaki sauce was. Teriyaki sauce is usually thick. This sauce was thin and liquidy. It was more like soup than sauce. I tried out my mom's Seafood Yakisoba. That was better than my Teriyaki dish but still, not exactly mind blowing. I've had better seafood yakisobas than this. The rest of the family seemed pretty happy with all of their sushi orders. Giving this place an "ok" rating since the sushi seemed decent. If I were rating purely on my own personal dish though, it would be a lower rating. Would I order from this place again? Yes, but I would make sure to order sushi. I wouldn't go for any of the cooked meals again. read more

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The food was good and the staff are very nice with great service and they earned a five star review

The only thing disappointing about this restaurant is how dingy it looks. Ichiban occupies the top floor of a building and the stairs up to the space are covered in fairly gross carpet. This carpet extends throughout the restaurant as far as I could tell. The rest of the decor is "Sushi Restaurant 101" with water fountains here and there and scrolls on the walls. We were quickly seated and orders were taken. I'm not adventurous when it comes to sushi so I went with miso soup, seaweed salad, and California and spicy tuna rolls. Our food came to the table quickly and we dug in. I was quite happy with the miso soup, which can taste like salt water at other places. The salad was pretty tasty and the rolls were no less good than any I've had elsewhere. Overall good food and service! I'd visit again, but would also suggest they re-carpet the place! read more

Ichiban - Miso soup, seaweed salad, and California and spicy tuna rolls. - Sushi Bars Near Me - West Vancouver, British Columbia

Excellent service and really great food. An overall wonderful dining experience! The portions were substantial and many vegetarian options offered which is appreciated. read more

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Reviews look mixed but overall I had a great experience dining here. Fish was pretty delicious and so was the sushi, my favorite thing in the whole menu was the soft shell crab. By the time I left this place I got pretty buzzed from the Sake and the beer lol but this was a pretty enjoyable sushi spot. I made the observation that one of the sashimi cuts felt like frozen and that's why I am not giving the place the full 5 stars but overall it was great dining here. read more

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We are so glad that we tried this awesome place! We went to Ambleside Beach on Sunday and wanted to find something local to try. WE LOVED IT! We love the traditional decor and the little booths that provide privacy. We came with our little 3.5 years old and the waitresses were sooo friendly! They greeted us when we were going up the stairs and played with our little toddler to make him feel comfortable in the new surrounding. Very attentive, especially asked if we needed the wifi password when our little guy wanted to watch some videos after he finished his meal. they always filled our water and checked if we needed anything else. The food was excellent!!!! We ordered the chicken rice bowl for the little one and he loved it!! We loved it too, crispy chicken, tender, sweet teriyaki sAuce with vegetables. The fish were all fresh and tasty, the chawanmushi was nice and smooth. The Owl's Nest (vegetarian) roll was my favourite (which is never the case because I love meat and fish a lot more than vegetables) The Ika Geso (fried squid) was soooo good! With a salad and pickled raddish as the side. We absolutely loved every dish! The only complaint we have is that it's not close enough so we can come every week!!!!! Must try if you want a down to earth, nice traditional Japanese place in that area. :) read more

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There's not much to say here. The servers are wonderful, the food is fresh and well-prepared, they are accommodating with food substitution/eliminations, and they even have booth seating with traditional Japanese tables and pillows so you can comfortably kneel to eat. Have always loved this place. read more

Had takeout from here last night, it was great! We walked up to order around 5.30PM & our food was ready about 10 minutes later. Service was very friendly. Food was fresh, quality was good, & meal was good value too! We also liked the free gyoza (3 pieces for free when you order $30). Gyoza was unique, a deep fried/crispy version. Definitely recommend this spot! read more

Great new menu! Definitely worth trying. The decor and the carpet are still like what I remember from the 80s, but that I suppose gives it the character it has! read more

This place is a North Shore mainstay, it's been in the same location for over four decades. I'm not sure if the ownership has changed over the years, but the interior of the place hasn't changed very much since the beginning. Truly Japanese design makes this a spot worth trying, even if you don't like sushi. The window dining area continues in the old school style with several sunken dining rooms (most only fit 5 or 6 people), where you leave your shoes off before hunkering down to a lowered picnic table style meal. These rooms are mostly private too, think romantic date here. There's also a smallish sushi bar and more standard two and four top tables, for those of you that want to keep your shoes on, in the main dining area. At night the feeling is dark and romantic, during the day it's much more kid and family friendly. This is the kind of restaurant that usually has a few employees who are experiencing their first jobs here. Service can be somewhat slow to annoyingly slow, but the employees are always polite and hey, you gotta start somewhere, right? The menu pricing is for the most part quite fair, with a basic California Roll coming in around $2.50. They have a traditional Japanese menu with sushi as well as cooked foods. Foodwise, the sushi is good to very good and most all the cooked dishes I've tried are the same, not the best Japanese you're ever going to get, but quite tasty indeed. The stairs that take you from the sidewalk to the restaurant are lined with pictures, pretty much all the pictures, drawn by customers. As you might guess, this customer art collection spans many decades and can easily make your stair climb take much longer than it should. In regard to some of the previous reviewers here (it has been several years since the last one before me), I found the restaurant to be very clean, a lot of dusting must take place and the floor was equally well manicured. Quite possibly it has undergone a spring cleaning of sorts in the last few years? This place is definitely better than the two and a half stars rating it has now. Did I mention that it's across the street from the beach? yeah, it's that too. read more

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Amazing food, and spectacular service. This place is a little hidden gem, the atmosphere is very nice, and relaxing. I have taken many friends here, and my friends have said, the food is delicious. You won't be disappointed. People say, it's pricey, but I say, it's worth every dollar. read more

I'm sorry.... I don't know why I had a bad experience when there's loads of goods reviews but personally I thought the sushi wasn't great. There was bones in my salmon roll, everything just wasn't to taste. Not to mention the prices are super high. Won't be coming back, this place is expensive and food was bad. The server is very very very nice though. read more

Great Sushi place, Salmon Oshi was great. We also tried prawn tempura and volcano rolls which was good. Hit the place by chance and everyone including kids enjoyed the food. read more

Best place in the lower mainland for Sushi. Say holiday to Jason and try his avocado salad. The best. Never have I had a bad dinner here. We love it. read more

Great food super nice people. All the special rolls are great. I really like the dragon roll, sashimi and nigiri is super fresh. Older place but very authentic decor and it's really relaxing. I enjoy coming here for a little bite after work. read more

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The food here is pretty good Japanese diner fare, better than many of the places you drive past every day. The sushi is fresh and well made - the caterpillar roll is indeed delicious - even those who squirm at the thought of unagi enjoyed it in this form and my son loved eating the octopus-sucker eyes! The tempura was light and crispy and the udon soup had good flavour. One thing I must remember for next time is to speak more clearly to the waitresses. Unfortunately two major components of our meal got missed off the order and we consequently got uncomfortably close to the Child Meltdown Moment before we had all had our fill. But there definitely will be a next time! read more

I had my doubts when the waitress couldn't tell me what was in their "special" ninja roll. I was also nervous about eating from a Japanese restaurant chain. I was proven wrong. The salmon nigiri was on point, fresh fish, appropriately cut. The Caterpillar role was excellent, as was the tempura role. The atmosphere was pleasant, with a few booths & a couple group rooms. You know the kind- when your feet hang & you sit on the "floor". Love it. -1 star for the uninformed waitress & the undercooked edamame read more

I LOVE this place. Cozy, great food, and I've been coming here since I moved to the hood. Many times I'm alone, many times Ive brought friends. Great service, ARIGATO! read more

Nope, not coming here again! Space is tired, menu is sticky (where is my Purell?). Server was charming but didn't understand an easy question, then mixed up our order. $85 for a small lunch for two. Food was ok, fish looked old. Presentation was plop on a plate. This was an inch better than mall food. Back to where we started....Nope! read more

The sushi here is to die for. The crunch roll is my personal favourite so if you like tempura you would like that roll. Also the fried ice cream is so good. Everyone who works there are genuinely nice people. read more

This is my favorite sushi place in Vancouver! My boyfriend and I come here time after time. The caterpillar roll is aaaamazing, the dragon roll is also really good, the sashimi is always fresh and they give you a good portion. The staff is very friendly and welcoming. My boyfriend and I have checked out almost all the sushi restaurants in West Van, North Van and downtown.... this is by far our favorite. They have the best rolls and the best authentic atmosphere. All around a great experience every time we go. Thanks Ichiban! :) read more

Very good food a bit on the pricey side but its worth it ! Has a big variety of specialty rolls that are quite unique!!

Based on the reviews I thought it'd be amazing. So NOT!! My server was incompetent : didn't know the menu, didn't go ask the kitchen if I had questions to which she had no answers, brought my meal without utensils etc etc. She brought out my hot sake in a the usual vessel but without the hot wAter bath so it cooled off almost instantly. She never checked up on me and I had to ask her repeatedly fir service: to reheat it etc. The sushi made here is flamboyant and beautiful. I tried the caterpillar roll as that was highly recommended by other yelpers. Beautiful but Bland and boring. Could barely see or taste the unagi. I sat at the bar and the sushi chefs hit this loud bell when the order was ready, totally destroying the zen like peace I was trying to attain. You couldn't really see their work which defeAts the purpose. Save your money and go elsewhere. Lots of sushi places around. This one is overpriced and overrated. read more

Good, fresh sushi and friendly, efficient service in an authentic atmosphere. Ichiban has Japanese staff, unlike most other sushi restaurants whose staff are obviously Chinese - nothing wrong with that if you're not particularly looking for an authentic Japanese experience. Japanese service involves a very polite manner - bending closely, speaking in quiet tones., which I quite appreciate. . The place looks a bit dated and the worn out seat pads make it look tired, but the seating is generous. Portions are not huge , but decent size and high quality.. Prices are not the cheapest, but reasonable for the quality. Oh they also have the tatami rooms, which are great if you want a bit of privacy for a business meeting or a date. read more

I ordered sushi to go , They were nice enough to make it in a short time as I had to leave soon, and mentioned that always make it from scratch . I was surprised the waitress said that as I imagine all the sushi is made from scratch in a restaurant. The price was quite a surprise also, normally for the same amount in any average sushi restaurant I have been charge $10 less ! Not to mention that the sushi was dry and I had to throw most of it away because it wasn`t edible... Maybe is better on the spot , but I won`t even try. read more

Cute place. Definitely needs a facelift. The staff are friendly, it's very private, reasonably priced and the sushi quality is similar to the rest of the sushi places on the north shore. I wouldn't say it's better but it's not worse. I would not say no to going back. read more

This place has been around for a long time--something like 30 years. And I don't think it's been cleaned in that time. It's dark, dingy and dirty. I only went there because the wonderful people at the nearby Nishiki (best in West Van, by the way) had taken a couple of days off. I asked the server some questions, most of which she didn't get and none of which she properly answered. So I ordered a California roll and a the seafood/broth/noodle dish (the name of which I can't recall--and I don't care now anyway). I get home. The California Roll was warm, as if it had been prepared hours earlier and left by the stove. The noodle dish contained three shrimp, some pieces of unidentifiable, beige...fish, maybe--no idea. There was an odd spice--unappealing and unhelpful. But the big thing was the oil--vast quantities of oil. I ate the shrimp, tilted the container toward the garbage and the whole mess slid down in a huge greasy shower. Revolting. If you're in that neighbourhood, pass on this place. Cross 14th and go over to Nishiki. read more

I have travelled to many cities in the world and can honestly say that Ichiban serves the freshest and best tuna and sockeye salmon sashimi that I have ever eaten. Jason, the chef, is meticulous in his food preparation and he is always featuring something new in the world of sushi. The "box" dinners are huge and contain a wonderful selection of Japanese delights. I have tried other "Japanese" restaurants in WV because sometimes I crave sashimi on a Monday (when Ichiban is closed) and have always vowed to never repeat this mistake as no one else prepares and serves better food than Jason at Ichiban. Go there, you won't be disappointed. read more

Great quiet place most people don't see cuz it's on the second floor, great service and food read more

Ichiban - Assorted sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - West Vancouver, British Columbia

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This place has average-to-poor food and awful service. My friends and I felt discriminated against for our age as we found the older customers around us being served much faster than ourselves. After an hour and a half of waiting (for a basic sushi rol!l) and multiple groups of customers coming and going, we were finally brought our food. The staff offered no apology and certainly no discount. There are far better options for sushi in West Vancouver. read more

Sushi is good but pieces were pretty small, thin enough to see through it. We mentioned this to the waitress and she told us that they prefer quality over quantity. She was pretty quick with her answer, so they must have had other comments about portions before. We've had better quality at Sen Sushi on Lonsdale for cheaper than Sakura. read more

Ichiban is a definitely restaurant for locals and people who enjoy food that is made with love. The food was good and yes, , it is worth it because, food here isn't just food to them. It's an art form and the methodology for each dish seemed to have meaning and purpose. I was really impressed and would definitely come back read more

Best sushi in west van! Try the volcano roll. Their boxes are a great bang for your buck, too!

Love the little rooms where you can take off your shoes. Place looks a little dated and could use a face lift. Jason, the owner, is a hard worker but sometimes the sushi does not taste so fresh. Maybe you can cut back on the diverse menu offerings and offer a better quality meal. So many sushi restaurants around this one so it really needs to stand out a bit better. Meals are quick and efficient and are great for lunch time. read more

Dark, tables sticky. Service soooo slow. Food meh! I was sad to think. Could have spent my money there when there are so many better places to eat. We all were disappointed. read more

The chef and servers are lovely. A quiet spot with amazing sushi :) love the volcano roll and chirashi don

This is the go to sushi place for myself and my boyfriend whenever we are in West Vancouver. It is a very quaint place and the staff are always very kind. The food is good, and it is quite consistent with quality. read more

yike - avoid this place. where to start. we walked in new years eve around 5pm or so and no customers were there. maybe we were early, but still, not a good sign. speaking of which and considering there was no one else waiting, no one bothered to greet or seat us. we flags someone down and got seated only to discovered, the place is filthy with grim on the walls, torn fixtures, poor lighting and generally uninviting. it took some time to flag someone down to get an order - keeping in mind there were maybe 6 or so customers in the entire place at this time. I got some terrible tea and water, placed on a dirty table with even dirtier dishes. definitely not a good sign. finally we order some sushi. none of it was fresh and I suspect mislabeled. yuck. we can usually eat a fair amount of sushi. this time, we ordered a few rolls and called it quits. overall, poor quality service and even poorer quality food. btw, this is the second time I have been here. the first time was at lunch and I thought it mediocre and I really didnt want to come back but figured, give them a chance. these folks need to find another line of work because they're not doing anything right. read more

This is my favourite sushi place in the whole city. I love sushi and eat it pretty much weekly. I have tried so many other restaurants, but in my opinion this is the best. My boyfriend says the same thing. The rolls are compact, which I prefer and the ingredients are really fresh. I like sashimi and obviously you want that as fresh as possible. They always remember us when we go and they remember what we order and how we like our rolls. Would highly recommend! read more