Ichiban Restaurant
637 N Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, MD, 20879
Ichiban Restaurant Menu
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Address :
637 N Frederick Ave
Gaithersburg, MD, 20879 - Phone (240) 406-4765
- Website https://www.ichiban355.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 10
- Mon : 11:30 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Sina E.
Maaaaan! talk about getting a bang for your buck when it comes to their buffet. I've been here a few times, though only during their buffet time, which is 11:30 am to 2 pm. They have pretty good selection of sushi as well as nigiri. They also got korean and chinese dishes too. Service is friendly, and surprisingly it's not that super busy during that time. I really can't say much other than when I'm craving sushi and super hungry, this place really hits the spot.
(4)kimberly w.
my family has been coming here for years. love the food! bulgogi is a must have!
(4)Filipina P.
Tried the lunch buffet today and it was great! For $11.95 you get to load up on sushi and various Korean banchan - mung bean sprouts, green onion pancake, marinated tofu, and various forms of kimchi. I was also impressed that there was hot tofu soup - soondubu and little piles of soba noodles for zarusoba - perfect for hot weather days. Hubby liked it too, so we may become regulars around here.
(4)Rachel G.
Great lunch buffet. The sushi and spicy beef soup are delicious.
(5)Hannah C.
oh man, service here is so freakin slow. went here for a family dinner during new years eve and there was only one waitress working. there was a hostess who was literally standing there doing absolutely nothing and another busboy who just cleaned tables. it's really just your run of the mill, neighborhood korean food, if you ask me.
(3)Barbie T.
Truly an Asian Delight! I got Bibimbop and I was quite happy with it! If you have never had it: Bibimbop (Korean dish) is a mix of rice, veggies, and sometimes meat and spicy sauce, in a stone cauldron that is placed in the oven. When it comes out you frantically mix it all together with a really long spoon. Mmmmmm good. They had the service buttons (a staple in many Asian countries) where you push the button on your table and a 'ding-dong' noise is heard in the distance. The waitress knows to come to your table to assist you! Very cool.
(4)Bob C.
If you are into Sushi this place is for you, the Sushi boats are large and inexpensive, enough for a party of 5.
(4)Kim S.
This place is awesome! I've never sat at the tables, so I can't vouch for the buffet, but trust me, the sushi is some of the best I've ever had! Sitting at the sushi bar is awesome. The guys behind the counter are VERY friendly, funny, and polite and did I mention excellent chefs? The arrangements of the sushi are pleasing to the eye and, best of all, they don't overdo the sauce like so many places in the area do. The prices are also reasonable and for the quality of food, Ichiban is a winner every time in my book.
(5)Danner S.
Great lunch buffet. The Sushi is fresh and well crafted, the selection at the buffet is fantastic. The wait staff is very attentive. Will make this a regular lunch destination.
(4)Nami C.
I think it is a well kept secret of Gaithersburg. Their lunch buffet is really good have both cooked and sushi dishes with many varieties. Unlike most other buffet with fix dishes, their dishes may change from time to time. I think last time I went for lunch is $11.99 for their lunch buffet, they had oyster.
(4)June K.
Not upscale, but definitely worth a trip. I went at lunch and had the buffet. More than just the usual items. To be honest, I'm not sure what some of the items were, but everything was very good. The staff is very helpful and if you ask they will fill you in on what the items are.The sushi was very good and they have a good assortment. There was a group having barbecue at another table. It looked good so now i want to get a group of friends together and try it.
(4)Tom L.
We come here at least once a week to grab a roll or two...or three from this establishment. We love to sit at the sushi bar and they are very nice to us when we come in. The service can be slow at times, but since we have been coming in more frequently, they have been very prompt to serve us. I suggest sitting at the bar and getting to know the guys who prepare the sushi. They are very nice and have also opened our eyes to many different ways of preparing the sushi. They also treat us very well when we bring someone new with us. I do not know how it is if you are seated at one of the tables, but we enjoy sitting at the sushi bar.
(5)Helen L.
Love the lunch buffet here between work. Personally, I think the speacilty rolls here are better than yurakus lunch buffet's. Yuraku has better sushi though. Hot entrees are awesome and i like that it's not as rushed or crowded. Good price for good food.
(4)Daniel P.
I seen this restaurant several times on my way to Germantown, my friend and I decided to give it a try, My friend ordered the shrimp BBQ and was very impress with the food and the sides that came with the shrimp, I ordered the beef sukiyaki soup and a large sake and everything was delicious. 2 weeks later we were back and I ordered the same thing plus fresh water eel sushi, octopus, California roll with fish eggs and my friend the combination fried rice, salmon egg sushi and California roll with fish eggs, and again everything was great.
(5)Ashley F.
This is the worst place with the most rude and obnoxious employees ever. I asked for hand rolls and was told that it would be awhile and I should just eat the buffet. I explained that I didn't like buffets and the sushi chef said, "Why did you come here!" How rude. I will never go back!
(1)K M.
The restaurant was almost completely empty and it took an hour and 45 minutes to get out. The food came out after 45 minutes. I was enjoying conversation with the person I was with so the time passed, but this was completely unacceptable. I'm not the type of person to get mad about this stuff regularly but we nearly had to chase them down to get anything done. I haven't seen service this bad in YEARS. An hour and 45 minutes to get food and get out when only 4 tables are full, and maybe 10 people in the restaurant altogether. Ridiculous
(1)Jen L.
I've been here once for their regular menu and once for their lunch buffet. For a korean buffet, they have a large selection of hot and cold items, including soup and sushi as well. I was impressed with the number of food items they offer, and was glad to finally find a korean buffet place that will replace my go-to korean place in Glen Burnie (near Baltimore) when I'm in the mood for a buffet. As for their regular menu, I had my usual dish, soondubu, which was only so-so. Their korean pancakes were really good though.
(4)Silky K.
Horrible service and food. Went here for my friend's birthday since Yuraku was closed. Was greeted and seated right away but after that server came by once to ask if we wanted water. No refills. Had the sushi buffet ... very dry and didn't replenish with fresh sushi. All the food was dry would never come back. Asked for the check and she chucked the check at me didn't say thanks or anything ... it was very slow that day too. Would suggest to not go even if it's your last resort... P.S. There was a dead fly on the wall..how appetizing
(1)Minjeong L.
Was delicious but service was not good Enjoyed having sushi Like sweet and sour pork and fried veggie
(4)Chanel K.
We did not like how they were selective of what side dishes to bring out to us. So if you know your Korean ask them for all the side dishes.
(3)Muriel H.
I came here for the all you can eat Saturday Lunch Buffet towards the end and it was not too bad. There was a decent selection from the sushi bar and the hot bar. I wish I had came more towards the beginning of lunch because the selection was probably more. I like quality not quantity and I can honestly say this place has potential. I will check it out again most certainly. It had nothing on Yuraku though...Just keeping it real.
(3)Solace C.
Omg the best Korean Food ever!!! It makes wanna jump on the table and go dancing Gangnam Style! The food from the bulgohgi to the sangchu geotjeon is sooo delish!! The waitresses are sooo nice and will assist in cooking your meal so it doesnt over cook...I love the noodle soups, I love kim chee... they make the best!!!! As for their sushi!!! Omyy the chef always customizes a very beautiful handroll for me. I love this place!! and I miss Korea so much!!! If we get deployed again I hope Korea would be an option because I love the people, the food and the culture!! This place is a must visit on your bucket list!
(5)Sarah T.
I'm back in town after being away for college. Now I find myself trying to find a new place to satisfy my newfound sushi craving that I developed in college. I have tried only a few and have researched some prices. This is the best bang for your buck thus far. This was the first sushi I'd ever tried on a field trip when I was 8 years old. So I figured why not revisit memory lane. It's small and quaint. When was there it was pretty quiet. It's not a romantic date atmosphere. More like a fun hang out with family or friends type of place. I got California roll, tuna roll, and a miso soup. The sushi wasn't out of this world, but for the price it was good. Just under $5. And it's hard to mess up miso soup. I'll definitely be coming back and trying more food.
(4)S K.
I've been here a few times and either order Korean dishes from the menu or get the lunch buffet. I enjoy the food here, as I do most authentic asian food in general - and try to convince less food-adventurous co-workers across the street to try it. Main complaint is that the waitress that usually takes my order gets impatient/annoyed when I ask some specific questions about the ingredients due to religious dietary restrictions and isn't always consistent with the answers - for instance, she's always said there was no shrimp paste (saeujeot) in the kimchi, but she may have not understood what I was asking and when I asked her to ask the chef today, she found out that there was shrimp in it after all. =( Also (for the first time) she came after me and my friend as we were leaving because we apparently tipped less than 15% (we were about 10¢ under, and using cash). I know times are hard, and I think I usually tip more, not for amazing service or anything, but because I'm using my credit card, and it's convenient - but this felt pretty awkward and inappropriate. Oh, well.
(3)Rick L.
One of few pseudo Japanese/Korean owned restaurant around Montgomery county offering buffet lunches. Our first visit around noon time, the sushi was fresh(limited variety); Kalbi was fatty but with good flavor; standard variety of side dishes was acceptable. Selection seem to deteriate on our visit last week; they were slow to replenish popular sides. What is it with the fat Kalbi? While the dishes were clean; one expect a bit more .....
(2)Sophie M.
One of my favorite places to eat, the only problem is sometimes the service is extremely slow. We would go more often if it weren't so bad but the food is so good and there is such a variety that occasionally when we have time we will go anyway. Everything is delicious, the sushi is fresh as well as the veggies and other produce. They have anything you could ever want from Korean to Japanese food. The soups are amazing, I especially like the shrimp tempora udon, the galbi tang, the spicy galbi tang and the wugugee tang. The fried rice is also delicious. Basically everything is delicious it just doesn't get five stars because of the service.
(4)Hoang V.
Came for the Korean bbq. Got pork and beef bbq. Both were under marinated as Korean food goes. Nothing was as sweet or as spicy as it should be.....Korean food is not bland. Those reasons warrant 3 stars. Service finished off the stars. The server would not give me more water.....I asked 3 times. She left the second dish on another table no one using. Took us 10mins to track her down and ask if that meat was ours. (I have no idea if my table button was broken or if she was ignoring us). She never replaced the tray mid way so it started smoking a lot. She finally noticed, came over annoyed and literally dumbed all our uncooked meat in the middle of the grill. Turned the grill off and walked away......uhm.. Lastly, she forgot to ever give us rice.....so we had to find another sever as she was a ghost. I have been to quite a few Korean bbqs in Chicago, NYC, and LA.....was pretty excited :/
(1)Vania C.
My friend wanted to come here for his post-graduation dinner. A good selection of seafood and sushi, but quality of food did not meet my expectations. You would think that if they priced it at $26 per person, the food would be of much higher standard. But no, the food tasted like that offered at anyother sushi buffet. A good selection of cakes (I particularly enjoyed the boston creme) and ice-cream but otherwise, the main dishes were typical of other Western-Asian buffets - fried rice, fried noodles, fried green beans...fried fried fried. This place was way too expensive for such mediocre food and I'm pretty sure we could've gone to a better place for the same, if not, lower price. Decent place to go with friends if you're willing to spend on the buffet but I don't think I would come back. I think this place ate up more of my wallet than I of their food.
(3)Uzi S.
The lunch buffet is really good! I think it's a great value. However, I only go there for the sushi I haven't tried anything else. For the amount of sushi I eat I think I get a lot for my money!!! The quality is good too! Service is so so. I have been there for dinner once before & their Korean bbq is pretty good def worth a try!
(4)Jared J.
I'm not so sure about Ichiban's buffet. I went last Saturday with some friends (both of whom love the lunch buffet). As has been said, there was a good selection of cheaper sushi rolls and nigiri, nothing too extravagant (which is understandable for a buffet). The Korean selection seemed to be decent too, though I am no expert on Korean food. My hesitation to recommend Ichiban stems not from the taste of the food or the quality of the service (which was fine), but rather from my violent illness Sunday morning. Alas, I believe that Ichiban gave me food poisoning. After the buffet, I only had soup for dinner, so the raw fish is an attractive culprit. My dining companions did not suffer any sickness, so I will forgo the one star review, but I guess I should not be too surprised that buffet sushi got me sick. After all, buffet sushi is probably only one step higher than gas station sushi....
(2)Ronald L.
The last couple of times that I've been here, its been a mixed bag. The lunch buffet isn't a bad deal... when the sushi chefs can keep up with the demand. There are a good amount of sushi and rolls to grab from and the quality isn't too bad. For the sushi, don't expect anything more than your typical salmon and tuna. The rolls are offered in greater veriety. There are usually an eel topped roll, your main stream cali roll, spicy tuna roll, and quite a few more to munch on. All are topped with flavorful sauces. The rice is decent too; nice and sticky, the way sushi rice should be. Aside from the sushi and rolls, there are hot and cold items, some Korean, some Japanese. You have your hot miso soup with scallions and tofu if you'd like and cold soba noodles with the soy dippin sawce :P. On the Korean offerings, they have scallion pancakes, sliced trotters (which is one of my favorite things to eat across all cuisines), japchae noodles, kimchi (which isn't too good. simply not fermented enough), among more things. If you're in the area and have got $20 including tax and tip for lunch, then try this place out. However, ask to look at the buffet first before being seated to see if things are in stock.
(3)Mike h.
Quality food items with good sushi. Never too busy so easy to grab a seat. Competitive prices.
(4)H C.
Food is good to above average. The sushi was made right and tasted fresh. The only reason they are getting three stars is because of the service. I felt you had to be Korean or Japanese to receive service. Everyone else that was Japanese or Korean received special treatment. Th waitress only brought (near the end of my meal)the condiments(pickles) once she saw that my table was the only one that did not have it. Please try the seafood pancake it is pretty good.
(3)C J.
This has been a favorite of more for 15 years. Whether it's dinner or the lunch buffet. It's all good.
(4)Catherine K.
Decent enough buffet. We were there on a Saturday and with 4 adults and 2 children, we were getting food at various times. We arrived about 1 p.m. and the selection was pretty much decimated. My first plate was a few random pieces of sushi and a bowl of soup. It was probably 45 minutes before the buffet was fully restocked -- and we were only there that long because we had 2 hungry men who were determined to get their money's worth. I ordered a diet Coke and received a can and a glass of ice. Really? Not even a water? No chance at refills? However, my husband and sister-in-law both ordered iced tea and their glasses were refilled as soon as they took a sip. I admit, I can't use chopsticks -- I've never been able to master them. Yes, my 8 year old niece can use them. Don't judge. For rubes like me, they have silverware at the start of the buffet line -- if you can actually figure out where the buffet starts. It was kind of chaotic in a small space. Biggest quibble? Bulgogi was the last to be replenished. Pffft.
(3)Joseph C.
After reading some of these review for Ichiban I just had to respond. I think you fine folks of MD don't know what a gem you have here in Ichiban. Where else do you think you would find a buffet of this caliber for this price? The sushi in particular is amazing. Actually i should correct that... their sushi and Maki are AMAZING. The variety of rolls they come up with is spectacular. I'm from NY and seriously the sushi buffet places here are twice as expensive and half as good. which basically means that you get 4X the value here at Ichiban. (i think my math is right haha) As far as service in concerned, everyone does have a right to their own opinion but for me ive never had an issue with their service. But i would like to say... everyone is entitled to an off day. and to the person who stiffed the waitress on a tip... that is messed up!
(5)Jemi C.
I've had two experiences with this restaurant. Once at the lunch buffet and another for carryout. The lunch buffet experience was ok, not bad, nothing spectacular. The carryout experience, however, was horrendous. The lunch buffet as others have pointed out have a good variety of foods. They have various sushi rolls that could be made bigger in my opinion. They also have two different types of soups, 1 yuk eh jang and 1 miso. Finally, they have a few korean dishes. The taste of the food isn't bad, just average. The service is lacking. My carryout experience was a ZERO star experience. I ordered 4 dishes over the phone and was told that it would take 20 mins. I show up 25 mins later and its not ready. Obviously, they had not even started preparing the food. They take my payment and then told me it would take 5 mins. 15 mins later, I inquire, I was pissed. They told me that it would take another 5 mins because they were waiting for the oil to heat up for one of my dishes. I told them no, refund my money as it is evident they had not even started cooking my dishes and this was unacceptable. I finally had 3 dishes ONE HOUR after I had ordered. The worst part was they kept making excuses, they told me they had lots of customers (there were 3 tables), they had to wait for the oil to heat etc. I will most likely not visit this restaurant again. Service is not something that should be lacking at any restaurant and this kind of service i cannot tolerate. At least the food tastes like it should, hence the 3 stars.
(3)Will B.
Their sushi buffet is really good! They always update it with different kinds of sushi throughout lunch. They also have really good non-sushi items, such as spicy squid or spicy BBQ beef. I was nervous at first about eating sushi from a buffet, but it turned out to be well worth the trip!
(5)Sean E.
I love Korean food so my review is biased, but this restaurant was great! I'm a huge fan of dolsot bibimbap and ichiban's was awesome. In addition, they were flexible about replacing the traditional beef topping with chicken. Furthermore, they gave about 4-5 various banchan dishes with my order. There was a lot of food for only $13. I don't live in Gaithersburg, but I'll certainly return for another meal here.
(5)Kamni G.
I just took a deep breath to remind myself to not be so overly emotional about writing this review (not a good sign I know). So we flew back from CA, and braved the traffic at 5.30pm to get back to Rockville from IAD. I did not eat all day ( I usually have coffee and a snack the entire day of flying and tons of water). As we approached home, I was hangry (hungry + angry stomach= hangry) and would eat McDonald's if that was placed in front of me. Yup, it was quite the serious case of hangry! My husband wanted to go to Ichiban as he has been there for a work meeting and had an awesome experience. I paused hangry, prayed that all would go well and I would have some food in me before I went crazy haha....so did that happen? Given the 2 stars, you know this did not end well huh smarty pants. Well we got there and it wasn't crowded for a monday and we got seated in a few minutes. We ordered our drinks and bbq chicken and beef bulgogi immediately. So I do not eat beef, don;t care for it to touch my food (the chicken) and it is just a personal preference. The server that came over def had a hard time understanding english which poses a problem if we were trying to tell her to cook the chicken first, even if it takes longer than the beef. She picked up the beef and cooked that ahead, then we had to change the grill out and in the meantime what did I do? I ate the entire 6 side dishes and my salad, drank my diet coke and asked for the box for all the chicken to go. I am still mad, my chicken was overcooked and service was slow. I am torn about this place because the hubby had a better experience, in fact he said polar opposite before. I will not go back myself but if he wants to go again, I would go...unless I can yelp up another korean bbq joint..hmm. Yeah...hangry is something I experience alot, but when I do, I can not stand sub par service.
(2)Kimberly C.
I absolutely love the food here. What's that? Why the 2 stars you ask? The service is horrendous! 1st - the pros: I LOVE the banchan and bibimbap. Even if this place wasn't so close to me, I would still come as frequently as I do (at least once a month for my Sunday brunch). The Cons: despite the fact that they see me SO frequently, I still get horrible service. I guess it is my own fault for continuing to spend my money here! They are always late with the banchan and drinks (they make sure EVERYONE ELSE IN THE JOINT HAS THEIR BEFORE ME, no matter how much later they arrive than me. Today I was seated for a good 10 minutes before a woman and her child arrived and their entire appetizer course and drinks arrived 5 minutes before mine). The last time I was here the waitress told me to "hold on" while she finished texting/playing Game of War on her phone before she brought me my check. I brought an out of town friend here a couple of months ago and she was very impressed with the food. However, based on the level of service that I consistently receive, I would be cautious of recommending this place to people.
(2)Benjamin M.
I freely admit I'm far from an expert on Korean food. Then again, I'm not sure I want to be after a visit here. We stopped in mid-afternoon between lunch and dinner and it was nearly (and naturally) empty. I thought that would bode well for us regarding service, but it was fairly slow from beginning to end. Everything on the menu was new to me but the Spicy Galbi Tang soup, consisting of beef short ribs, noodles and egg drops, sounded pretty decent. We also all shared an order of Boston rolls to start. The soup was spicy, but I didn't enjoy ripping the meat from the bones while trying to avoid getting soup all over me (I failed). What little I did eat from the bowl was okay, but nothing spectacular. The appetizer was pretty good though. Then, when our waitress finally brought the bill, my half-full stomach nearly dropped out of my body when I saw the total; well above what I expected for so little food. Needless to say, I wasn't necessarily a happy camper when we left...and later when I had to get something to eat at home. Maybe the buffet is a better deal during the week, which would be the only reason I'd return again.
(2)Foodie L.
I went there for lunch buffet on 11/8/2014. The customer service was bad. No greeting at all! Never refilled my tea. The waitresses were chatting with their VIP (korean) customers the whole time. I will not go there again. Not worth my money and time even though it's cheap. Yuraku is wayyy better than Ichiban. Inchiban is such a crappy restaurant.
(1)R M.
I am only giving two stars because the service was really bad. Food is okay, but the server ignored me. Walked by and ignored empty plate and glass. Finally had to flag her down. Would have left but still hungry. May it is because I am Caucasian? Did not feel very welcome here.
(2)Eddie K.
Lunch buffet is still really good. They expanded their sushi offerings which seems like a big hit as the line for the sushi gets long. It's not a well-kept secret anymore - this place gets packed at lunch and parking is limited. They try to replenish the food, but when the place is packed it runs out pretty quick.
(4)Claire W.
Went for the lunch buffet. We walked in at 2pm, asked when the buffet ended, and the woman told us to look at the food and if there was enough left, we were welcome to eat at the buffet. But at 2:20, another waitress came to our table and asked us to go get anything else that we wanted so that they could clean up the buffet. Oh no. So we went back, cleared them out, rushed through our food, and left. On our way out, a waitress followed us and told us that we forgot to leave a tip---UM excuse me, but all you did was bring me a diet coke and kick me out after 20 minutes of serving myself. I don't think so. Terrible service, sub par food.
(1)Robert C.
I've only been here for their Lunch Buffet ($13sh). The buffet food includes Japanese & Korean dishes. Their main attraction would be the sushi. Even though they have quite a bit of sushi options, most of them're pretty Americanized (deep fried, cream cheese stuff, etc). The more authentic ones don't come out as often and only account for only 30% of total sushi selections. I honestly wouldn't touch the fried stuff too much, it's just their ploy to fill you up faster lol... However, the taste's not bad, pretty decent. Their Korean buffet food's not bad as well. They're quite a bit to choose from & taste pretty authentic. Overall - When you're hungry, this place isn't a bad option for lunch buffet. For just around $13, you can really get your money worth. I just hope for more real authentic sushi for their lunch buffet selection. Oh yeah, don't bother talking to their waitress, their English's extremely limited lol.
(3)PG. R.
Sushi buffet is very good. Husband loves the Korean side of buffet. Restaurant is kind of clean. I'm extremely clean at home so i tend to notice more than most people. Entrance door is dirty, as are windows which i know does not affect the food directly but if you show a dirty entrance then what is it like around the food and kitchen? Still, the food is very good. Now the waitresses....talk about bad service. She just seemed bothered to be waiting on us. We arent diners that complain or make it obvious we arent happy, quite the opposite actually. My family own several restaurants and a couple of chain fast food joints, so I tend to never say anything to waitresses or chefs because i know from experience how hard working it is to work in the food industry. I'd rather complain by not going to the establishment again. But I am writing this review because the food is actually good and it is excellent value. We paid $28 + tip for our meal which I thought was very good. ps....please install a bug zapper, swatting a fly while trying to eat was not fun. Five stars is for the sushi. I will ignore the crappy service from the waitresses because the sushi is amazing.
(4)Tori B.
The service sucked. It wasn't a busy night, however, it was hard getting the waitresses to stop for longer than 15 seconds. They left my meat on the grill to burn. I had to ask for things that should have automatically come with the meal. And we had to get our own water.
(2)TJ B.
I've only been here for the lunch buffet. There is a large selection, it is well stocked, and the food is pretty good. As is the norm with sushi lunch buffets the rice lump is big and the fish chunk is small, but they do have a lot to choose from. I like Yuraku lunch buffet better, but the Ichiban restaurant is less packed and less rushed. You can sit in here for a bit longer, arrive later, and generally still have a good meal. They are not particularly friendly when you come in for lunch, but I guess they don't have to be. Nobody is really working for a tip on a buffet, but again, this one doesn't rush you out. The buffet price was about $13.70 with tax.
(3)Keeley B.
The service is slow, you will wait for refill on drinks especially after you have gotten your food. The sushi is overpriced like most dine-in's and it's so-so. Not so fresh but edible. The food quality outside the sushi is a 3/4. I've had better.
(3)Sherry C.
I think Ichiban may have converted me from Yuraku for the lunch buffet. If you like cheap sushi buffets, and you enjoy Yuraku in Germantown, you will like Ichiban. Both buffets are very similar, but what makes Ichiban a bit more enjoyable is that there's less people, more space and less rushed. I did not have to wait 30-45 minutes to get a table. Sushi-wise, I think it's your standard buffet sushi.... not the biggest rolls filled with lots of fish and whatnot. However, it is tasty and very well presented. I didn't venture into their non-sushi buffet, but will definitely try some of that the next time I return. Service was standard buffet service. They take your plates away promptly and fill your tea/water regularly. The only thing that I didn't like was that the lady gave us our bill before we got our first plate of buffet. It was literally a minute after we sat down, she already rang us up and delivered us the bill. Overall, not a bad place at all to try if you're ever in the area! I think it is good for what it is- it's a cheap sushi joint, not some 5 star restaurant. Anyone who expects anything more will be sorely disappointed.
(3)Stephen B.
Have been to Ichiban many times. We were in the mood for sushi, and what you get here is great. Had the Rainbow roll, and eel roll, Also ordered was the Godzilla roll, While the sushi is very good, you can get just as good at Hakuba in the Kentlands. I find it overpriced for the what you get. $6 for a seaweed salad? Are you kidding me? Service is hit and miss, last night it was miss, saw the wait staff maybe two times the entire night. Okay to go to maybe once or twice a year.
(3)Ineia A.
Went for the buffet. Sushi rice was mushy and flavorless. Hits: miso soup , kim chi Misses: tempura was oily and limp
(2)Elbert C.
I was fairly surprised by the lunch buffet here. Good mix of sushi and meat. The waiter here did her job well. Feels like a good overall family environment for lunch time. I know it can get a bit loud during dinner times with drunk dads ranting about their kids and wives, but it's expected with any place that serves alcohol. Keep it up Ichiban!
(5)Tanya K.
Great korean food and sushi. Dolset bibimbap is the best out of other restaurants in 15 mile radius at least (my lunch crew and i compared). Excellent lunch buffet, always well stocked with tons of sushi, miso soup, soba noodles, korean side dishes, tempura, and lots of other food. Unlike other places you can actually get up to buffet quickly and easily. Staff is very nice and friendly. Food is consistently good, we eat here about every other week.
(5)Chong C.
Whoa, I did not expect such great food from this place. One of the best naengmyun here. Galbi is 9 out of 10. Decor is like a 3-4 of 10 but I come here for the good authentic korean food. Honestly I haven't had anything bad here yet.
(5)Kim R.
Went here twice with friends for the lunch buffet and had good food but bad customer service experiences both times. The food: sushi on the buffet was good, not great, but good, and the second time there was plenty of it (1st time it was a little spare). However, the first time my work friends and I paid separately at the register, which confused the person checking us out so much that she insisted that one of us had not paid. A long counting and recounting and redisplaying of the credit card receipts ensued and I was honestly pretty offended. If we were going to leave without paying, it stand to reason we would have, you know... left. I was talked into going back again only to find that they charge an 18% gratuity on a table of 6 or more for the buffet, bringing the total to more like $16. I'm generally a good tipper, but this buffet service was just a glass of water and clearing our plates when we were done. In fact, I wasn't at all sure who our server even was. Not a great experience and not inexpensive with the mandatory tip on the buffet, so I'll keep looking for a good sushi lunch.
(2)Kameelah D.
So my friend brought in take out for dinner and the food was really good. The spider roll was jam packed with soft shell crab and really tasty. The eel cucumber rolls were also good. I ordered the spicy salad which, in my opinion, was just seaweed salad with crushed red pepper flakes and lettuce. I'd say skip this and order a seaweed salad to save a buck or two. My friend ordered a bento box with beef. It was super delicious and the beef was well done while still being really tender.
(4)Alexander K.
I had to kill some time while having my car's tires were being replaced at the nearby costco tire center, so we came here for lunch. Apparently for lunch the only thing offered is the buffet which was $13 a person, which is very reasonable. There are hot and cold foods available, along with sushi. The nigiri sushi I had were tuna, salmon, yellow tail, and I believe a fried imitation crab cake? They were standard fare, with wasabi smothered in between the rice ball and the slice of fish. Not too bad, not that great; something that falls exactly on the line. I polished off 35 pieces and some sesame-oil treated greens before calling it a meal. I wouldn't go out of my own way to come here, but maybe I'll stop by here when it's time to change tires again.
(3)Nuoc M.
When I was younger I heard someone criticize a sushi place because of how the sushi would fall apart when picking up the sushi. Not knowing much about food, that became one of the main ways I'd judge sushi. So it wasn't that great of a first impression when all of the sushi I got in my first go around would fall apart when picking them up. I think that might have just been a bad batch, because afterwards all of the other plates of sushi held together pretty well. It wasn't that late, maybe still before 1 pm or maybe a little bit over 1, but there was a long lag in refilling the hot buffet selections and sushi. The parking lot is a little bit narrow too and think it gets some of the lunch time rush from places around the area. But there's no long waits like some of the other sushi buffet places in the area and the sushi was pretty decent. So plan to come back here again whenever I want to satisfy a sushi craving.
(3)Brittany A.
We went during lunch, they had a sushi buffet going on. Nothing had a name on it and i wasnt going to trust raw fish sitting there. We sat down and asked for a menu, the waitress looked confused and tried to push the buffet on us. We insisted on the regular menu. We first ordered miso soup. Lukewarm soup with four pieces of tofu and big, thick seaweed. Ugh. We waited 40 minutes for our 4 rolls to come out. Way too long, and they got the order wrong. I had to go find a waitress to get the check because we didn't see them for a good ten minutes. We were half way to the car outside when a waitress who wasnt even our waitress came out yelling about how $5 isnt a good enough tip for a $25 meal... That they got wrong... And we waited 40 minutes on... And our waitress didn't even check up on us or refill our drinks. How embarrassing is it that ur screaming at us in the middle of the parking lot that the tip is too small? $5 was plenty enough for crappy service and a bad order. Pathetic.
(1)Jeff P.
In town for business. Thought I would stop in. Hostess was more interested in the phone call she was on. More options in town. I choose to explore them.
(1)SweetPea D.
1st time visit with my special someone for our anniversary. I used to go to school closed by, just never had a chance to try this place out. Anyways, we ordered sushi & sashimi boat A. And I wanted my personal favorite uni sushi, but they were out on that night. The nice manager gave us a free appetizer instead. The food are nice and fresh, and nicely placed on a wooden boat. (nice and cute!) I will definitely give them a 5 stars if they have Uni!!! Found another nice Japanese restaurant in the area!!!
(4)Sa'lome H.
Most correct Korean I've had since leaving Korea!! Inside is small compared to Woomi garden but everything you need is here!!
(4)Faith C.
We came here because we were looking for a sushi/Korean buffet and found this place on yelp. Overall, the price is comparable to other sushi buffets, but pricier than if you went to a Chinese buffet for lunch. They offered 2 types of soups- miso and Korean yukeyjang as well as soba noodles. There were two sides of the buffets- one side had veggie ban chan (side dishes) like kimchi, cucumber kimchi, etc. The other side had the sushi and meat dishes. The sushi was ok, but they didn't really replace a lot of the rolls even though there was still more than a half hour left for the buffet. They also weren't good about refilling our drinks.
(3)sophie S.
I really love this place. There is always parking, the service is wonderful and warm. It is unbelievably reasonable. The food is really delicious and you get a lot for your buck. They have everything from sushi to Korean BBQ complete with grilling tables. The food is fresh, I have never been to the buffet however when I have gone for dinner I loved everything I ate. New to the area and looking forward to making this one of my regular stops.
(4)Thomas C.
Being new to the area, my girlfriend and I were looking for a good buffet place. We decided to try Ichiban based on all the good reviews here. I dunno if they were just having an off day or what, but we were pretty disappointed. First, we waited at the hostess area for about 10 minutes in plain sight of the server, who was too busy taking photos of their sushi bar on her phone to seat us. We finally got seated, and both asked for waters to drink. We didn't get our waters until we were done with our first plate of food, and we only got it then after another customer behind us asked a different server for refills on their water and we caught her as well. It definitely had nothing to do with being busy, as there were only 2 other tables sat with us at the time and both had been there before we showed up. As far as the food goes, we were also pretty disappointed. For one, absolutely nothing was labeled, so you didn't know what you were picking up. Secondly, and most importantly, EVERYTHING was cold, other than their fried rice which was obviously freshly made. But their lo mein, tempura vegetables, and all their meats were stone cold. I'm not a fan of sushi, but my girlfriend is, and said their sushi was better than most places she's had. The sushi and fried rice are pretty much the only reason they're getting 2 stars from me. Pretty disappointed. Probably won't give them another shot.
(2)Don I.
The lunch buffet which is currently $12.95 is very good and far better than my previous favorite Woomi in Wheaton. While I'm not a big sushi eater, my wife is and loves the sleection and the freshness of the sushi which is very important. The other foods are generally quite good with my favorite being the sweet and sour chicken which is prepared Korean style. I had this dish in Korea many years ago and it is far superior to the standard way it is served in Chinese restaurants here. Overall a great place to eat when you are hankering for sushi or Korean food at a reasonable price in the Gaithersburg area.
(4)Lisa B.
We've been here before and the food and service has always been good, but not this time... We went here for Father's Day (with the kids) b/c my husband loves Bulgogi. We ordered that plus edamame, sushi, dumplings and bimimbap. The food was good, although we never received the edamame. The service was COLD to say the least - I have to say that I felt pretty uncomfortable, but I was trying to make the best of it for my husband and there are no Korean restaurants close to us. We were hoping that the bulgogi would be cooked at the table especially b/c the kids would think it's fun, but they said they would cook it in the back - although for other patrons, it was done at the table..OK. Then we waited for about ten minutes at the table for the check. The kids and dad went outside while I waited for someone to come by, they just kept on walking past ignoring me. Finally, I went to the bar where the cash register is and waited there, my server came to the cash register and made a transaction and WALKED AWAY, then another server came up and she bumped into me on her way past and IGNORED ME while she added something up on the cash register. By this time I was fuming - if you don't want my MONEY, I'd be happy to leave! Finally, I said to the third server that walked by that I'd had been waiting for quite awhile and all I want to do was to pay my check. He apologized a couple of times and rang me up - I paid my $70 and was out of there, probably forever...
(1)Tanya C.
I came here for some korean food with my family. I had the Korean spicy cold noodles with raw skate fish. My fiancee ordered the bulgogi and he got his meal significantly faster than I did. There was a good 15+ minute gap between his meal and mine. The noodles were not very good, and my fiancee said his bulgogi was mediocre. Oh well, I might be spoiled from all the Korean food I had in Los Angeles, CA and in Korea. Service was okay, a bit absence. We ate all our side dishes and no one came, we drank all our tea, and no one came. It might be the culture (to ask for everything), but I saw a korean family get everything taken care of without asking. Anyways, I probably won't be back.
(3)Fred K.
For people looking for a good Korean buffet for lunch, Ichiban is one of the two best lunch buffets in MoCo that I know of, besides Woomi Garden. It's more expensive than Woomi, but offers more selection and variety. It's too bad that Norito Hwaro on the Pike got rid of their awesome lunch buffet recently.
(4)Joel W.
Ichiban has been a reliable great place for sushi and Korean food for many years. Always yummy and reasonably priced, even better for lunch buffet where they showcase customers' favorites. The staff are super nice and very proud of this great establishment.
(4)Bobbi Jo F.
very gross, sushi is not fresh, super small, not much of a choice, very cramped. you get better and more food at mcdonald's for that much money. we got charged for an extra person or two somehow, so instead of $10 per person, we ended up paying $17... yikes!
(1)Archie M.
Pricey place? But food is not bad. I have an issue with price points, how getting there is a mess due to traffics (not their fault). Only tried it once in 2001. Never came back since
(1)John X.
the food wasn't good and the service is the far from what I expected. don't think I will go back again. the prices are high.
(1)Jacinda B.
They might be a Japanese restaurant, that does great sushi and udon, but their Korean food is where it's at. Their beef bulgogi is amazing, hwe dup bap, (similar to a spicy chirashi) to die for, and my personal favorite, the scallion pancake has the best dipping sauce ever. The service has always been great, and even though they've changed hands over the years, they continue to provide quality food and top notch service.
(5)Carla B.
I came here for the first time for their lunch buffet, and let me say, I was very pleasantly surprised! With a hot foods selection and a sushi bar, there is something for everyone. The sushi rolls were quite small, but that made them easy to handle (that's what she said?). There was a wide variety makis and nigiris, all tasting delicious. The hot foods contained a mixture of Korean and Japanese food. I did not have any, but my boyfriend was all about it. We came here for a quick, delicious meal, and that's what we got; we were in and out of Ichiban in 30 minutes. I will for sure be coming back here... except with more time and an emptier stomach :).
(4)D K.
If it weren't for the cold noodles (neng myun), this place would only get 2 stars, but the neng myun boosted up the rating to 3 stars. The side dishes (banchan) were okay. I got some sushi, which was surprisingly decent. I didn't want to have high expectations and get disappointed, but the sushi was fine. The proportion of fish to rice was good. I also got the seafood spicy tofu soup (hae mul soon doo boo). It was pretty good, but I could taste the MSG. :/ The best part = the neng myun was refreshing and the noodles were perfectly cooked. Mmm, on a hot summer day, good neng myun hits the spot, and that's exactly what happened. Big negative is that soju is crazy expensive. $16 for a bottle?! Damn. I guess I won't be drinking soju that often in MD. Service was decent, and atmosphere is casual. The place seems clean enough. Pricing varies because it depends on what you get. Overall, if you're craving Korean food, I think Ichiban can hit the spot.
(3)Don K.
My friend and I only come here for the lunch buffet and are here at least once a week and have been doing so for several years now. Every other review here seems to hit the nail in the head so I'll just leave my rating. Oh but one thing is if you come in on saturday, they bring in a ringer to make sushi who makes it better and faster
(5)Abhi K.
I got a spicy octopus dish from the Korean side of the menu and I thought it was fantastic. Most of my colleagues ordered from the Japanese side of the menu and got Bento boxes. Quite honestly, I did not think those were as great as the menu made them sound. We had a whole gaggle of kids with us and they enjoyed their meals as well
(4)Lisa M.
Do not live in the area but was here for a volleyball tourney. I've had a sushi craving for months, plus I love Korean food. Discovered this place through yelp and slipped away during a "by". Love it, love it, love it. The sushi selection was more than I could ever expect. I indulged myself and got sushi wasted! The bulgogi was okay, almost bland with a faint taste of the marinade. I didnt know what the bill was going to look like for 2 and surprisingly it was $29. Service was great. Bathroom was clean. I will definitely eat here again if I return for more tournaments.
(4)Zachary G.
I was in there in the late evening, I sat at the sushi bar, it was great! The sushi chef gave us a free sample of squid was was tasty. We got a rainbow roll, spicy tuna roll, and nigri. The portions were incredible. Staff friendly and attentive, will go back for sure!
(5)Esther O.
Well it's weeks later and I'm still kinda craving going back here, so that has to be a good thing. Although part of the reason I think I'm craving it is because I couldn't get enough veggie rolls when we there (because they didn't refill them), so that's obviously a bad thing, especially for the price. $13?? Pretty pricey for a lunch buffet - which is why I haven't gone back. However... it was really good. So many options in such a small space. Lots of sushi and rolls. Lots of entree dishes, for both the meat eaters and veggies among us. Soups, appetizers... the words. And everything was really really good. Lots of flavor, totally fresh... really great. Highly recommend, aside from the price tag.
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