Ichibantei

“Agedashi tofu’s not bad but portion a bit small. Katsura really good. Wafu Hamburg steak was delicious. Ordered a chicken nanban to go, chiken was tender and juicy and sauce is to die for. Really love the movie they projected on the wall. It was slam dunk when I was there.”

“The ambiance is very dark and lowkey when you enter the place. There’s a lobby where you wait for the host to bring you to your table and you go through a dark tunnel to find a large projector playing anime. The atmosphere is sleek and nice. The food was great, I ordered the oyako don and the chicken was marinated beautifully. It was flavorful and delicious. The service was also excellent. I would definitely come back!”

“Super unique and authentic spot. The entrance is quite inconspicuous, but, venturing deeper, you'll see it open into a high-ceiling'ed dining area with a wall-to-wall projector screen. The whole place is a massive vibe. I ordered the Tonkatsu which was served in what seemed like a traditional-style: with a side of rice, miso soup, wasabi, slaw, (unground) sesame seeds, and various other side dishes. Super grateful I got to try this dish, though I would have liked bigger portions of the vegetables! Would love to bring people back here.”

“Ichibantei used to be a cozy Japanese soul / comfort food spot in the East Village off of First Avenue. in 2023, it moved into a much larger building where it is still resides currently...still in the East Village on Third Avenue. came here on a busy Saturday night (before the big snowstorm) to pick up a takeout dinner. ordered a "Katsu Curry Rice" platter, but it was actually "Karaage Curry Rice"--but i sorta knew this because the app i ordered through had a pic, so i knew i was getting fried chicken chunks (karaage) versus a fried Panko-breaded sliced chicken cutlet (Katsu). assume it's just a error or glitch. anyway, either way i was getting fried chicken pieces, an ample amount of Japanese rice, curry sauce, and pickled radish as a takeout order. the current larger Ichibantei space is sleek, modern, and feels very Japanese pop culture with a touch of NYC versus the previous Ichibantei space which is was way more intimate and casual. Ichibantei's entranceway has seating to wait; there is hostess station to check in for your reservation or to pick up orders, and beyond that is the large main dining low-lit room + bar (you can eat at the bar). on one of the dining room walls, they screen movies throughout the day and night. "Bambi" was playing when i was there that night. there are more floors with seating options, but i didn't check them out. anyway, the restaurant was slammed as they had a full house and what seemed like a never-ending stream of delivery people picking up orders. so my order was about ~25-30 minutes late, but it wasn't a big deal because I was in no rush to head back in the abyss of a freezing winter night. when ready, my order was packed neatly. got home quickly as i was hungry and the food smelled great even through the bag. the food? very good. everything was very warm, so my food didn't sit too long. the karaage was crispy potato-starch-coated fried-chicken-thigh chunks on the outside, but juicy and flavorful on the inside. so good. the Japanese rice was right amount of soft, sticky chewiness to complement the karaage and curry sauce. the curry sauce is thick-ish, seasoned-well with layers of savory umami-ness, nice and aromatic but not spicy, but more mild with sweet notes. combined all together, it makes for satisfying comfort food calories. Ichibantei is open for both lunch, dinner, and stays open late--serving up tasty Japanese soul food for hungry spirits.”

“Came here on a whim a few weeks ago for dinner on a busy Friday night and we were seated right away! The vibe inside is kinda cool, a little dark, but the gigantic movie screen projection is a nice add. Not too loud and I'm not gonna lie, major plus points these days when you can hear yourself talking to your friends...Anywho, we shared a few items and I got my own entree but I will say the menu was pretty expansive so there's a ton more to try! We went with the agedashi tofu, dashimaki, and garlic edamame as apps along with something else I'm forgetting the name of. All were pretty good though I will say I think I preferred the dashimaki. For my main, I went with chicken katsu - the entree was fairly large, the curry flavorful, and the chicken well-seasoned. I can't say I'm a discerning palate for Japanese cuisine but I enjoyed the meal overall. For dessert, we tried the earl grey panna cotta as well as the vanilla panna cotta with mixed berries and both were great - the earl grey was unique and a nice touch that it was served out of a tea cup! Would definitely recommend giving this place a try, especially if you're looking for a last-minute spot for a small group!”