Sushi Ichiban

I have not written a "bad" review in awhile, but this place was quite awful for the price. It wasn't the worst food I've ever eaten, but for the price, it just wasn't worth it. Thank God for the 15% off discount coupon in Dining Out that we cut out and used! Saved a mere 5 bucks...ehhh.

Now, this place is located in the same Kaimuki parking lot as Maguro-Ya, Big City Diner, Cafe Laufer etc etc. First walked in and there were about 2 other families eating. The place was pretty empty. We were greeted, and I was shockingly surprised. Is this seriously another one of those "Japanese-food, but-owned-by-Koreans" joint?! I really wonder about those kinds of places!!

So, anyway, Dad and I look at the menu. It's got a mix of items- Nigiri (Ikura was $7.50! WHOA!), Sushi Rolls ($12-20!), Teishoku Lunch and Dinner Combos, Curry, Ramen.....the list goes on. When I was ordering, I pointed to the Miso Butterfish Dinner Teishoku set. As I was pointing to it, I didn't realize the price! $18.50?! WHOA. I can get this AND MORE at Sushi King or Hinone Mizunone, and for less $$$!!! Oh well, I had already ordered it. Dad ordered their Oxtail Ramen, because we're currently craving the Oxtail Ramen at Ton Ton Ramen in Waipahu. All I can say is, definitely not the same. The noodles were not japanese ramen noodles, but regular saimin noodles that looked eerily similar to Zippy's saimin. Also, the oxtail wasn't moist or fall-off-the-bone soft or tender at all. What I do give Sushi Ichiban props for is the portion size of their Ramen bowls. My God, it was HUGE. I'm surprised my Dad finished it all!

As for my Butterfish Teishoku, it was mediocre. I definitely liked the Miso Butterfish Teishoku at Hinone Mizunone better. While my Dad's portion of his Ramen was huge, mine was small. I'd rather go to Sushi King or Hinone Mizunone for that kind of money.

Another thing- While I was pleasantly surprised that my meal came with a scoop of ice cream (Rainbow Sherbert or Vanilla), there was a small detail that upset me. I ordered the Rainbow Sherbert, but the waiter came back a few minutes later to tell me they ran out, so.....would I be ok with the Vanilla? I know they also had Green Tea Ice Cream on the menu, so I asked if I could substitute that instead. Nope, apparently they just could not. Or they could, and I could pay $1.50. UHHH, yeah right. $18.50 for my small Teishoku PLUS an extra $1.50 for a different kind of ice cream?! GEEZ. Does Green Tea Ice Cream really cost that much more? I work in a field where customer service is always #1, and I know that was really bad PR. 

For a place that is not hopping on a Wednesday night (unlike Azteca down the street...we should have gone there!!), I would really think they'd want to retain their customers. To me (and I'm sure anyone), a small detail like substituting green tea for sherbert would really make a world of difference. We would have left happy.

2 were already eaten!