CLOSED - Ichiban Asian All You Can Eat (Pan-Asian)

Update 2021-Aug-28: Unfortunately, Ichiban is closed. It is listed as Permanently Closed in Google Maps, Closed in Yelp and its phone # is out of service. It is unknown whether this is due to the pandemic or not. This seems like enough evidence that it is no longer around. Note that there is another location at 5095 Yonge which I will add to the map and review ASAP, however I confirmed with the staff there that this was not a move and this located had closed.

Ichiban Asian All You Can Eat is located at 4675 Steeles Ave E. between Kennedy and Midland. Ichiban has a very nice and rather dark modern interior. iPad menu ordering and reusable chopsticks are used, ginger is not dyed pink, included tea is left on table on carafe. Ichiban is a combo buffet with a small buffet area for desserts, soup and salads. There were plenty of patrons.

Mishy loved the wakame salad and spring mix salad very much. I tried the spring mix and it was very good. The crab meat and fish belly soup was delicious, savoury and seasoned authentically Chinese. Boiled chicken with Chinese herbs and mushroom soup was wonderfully delicious and savoury and I thoroughly enjoyed it, except for the tiny piece of bone in it.

Chicken skewers were among the best I've ever ever had. Steak teriyaki was very good. (Interestingly there was no beef udon soup nor chicken teriyaki but only the vice versa for each.) Sauteed beef with cumin was fantastically good; both of us agree that cumin is our favourite spice. Shrimp tempura was excellent, light, flaky and the sauce was also very good. Yam tempura was very good, not oily, and flavorful, made better by the sauce. From the dim sum options, steamed meat buns and shrimp shiu mai were both excellent, and shrimp dumpling was very good. We both thought the chicken in HS (that's hot and sour) sauce was very good.

Ichiban Golden Roll (yam tempura, mango, avocado, tempura crunch, mango sauce) was very good. Salmon rose nigiri was excellent with very fresh salmon and good sauce. Salmon, white tuna (definitely escolar) and red snapper (definitely tilapia) nigiri were all fresh and very good. Spicy salmon sushi was very good, and I like the spicing which was a bit different from other places. Sashimi chip really was as named, with a dollop of sashimi on a Pringle chip with seasoning. Thai mango salad was very good and well-seasoned. Okinawa vegetables were excellent and very well seasoned. Chili chicken, which is an item that I think more places should have, was very good and happily not overly hot.

For dessert the, unique coconut and blueberry frozen yogurt were absolutely fantastic... wish they were everywhere. We both agreed that the green tea ice cream was freezer burned, however the red bean, vanilla and mango ice cream were all very fresh and good. Banana tempura was fantastic, so tasty it didn't even require sauce. Mango sago cream and coffee cream very good. Green tea cream we found tasted a little strange, almost a bit fishy with the tea's smokiness. Mango slush was excellent, but peach slush was a little watery. Mango pudding was excellent. We both enjoyed the deep fried coconut custard. Coconut grass jelly was very good. Mango yogurt was excellent for the wonderful flavor. Service was very fast and friendly. Weekend lunch price was $20.99 (unfortunately neglected to note the price of pop and whether it is AYCD) which is reasonable. We had an wonderful lunch with just about everything (up until the desserts) being very good to excellent.

Rating: 8.5-9/10