Despite the tiny storefront, Ichiban is of appreciable size—seating large groups is not a problem. It’s also warmly lit and decora-ted and has a very cozy feel—very nice indeed on a cold winter night.
The ser-vice makes Ichiban feel like a family-run establishment. We didn’t seem to have a single server; instead, whoever was in our area of the restaurant at the time attended us. This “tag-team” approach worked quite well—notably, the level of our water glasses never faltered, and we had more tea than we could drink.
Ichiban has quite an extensive menu, spanning both Chinese and Japanese cuisine. My wife selec-ted a Ja-panese classic, vegetable tempura, and I went with crispy pineapple duck off of the Chinese section of the menu.
High marks must be awarded for presentation—when our food was brought out, the first thing they put on our table was a small stand with a lit candle in the center. My plate was put on top of this, to keep it warm. This turned out to be necessary, as the pineapple sauce was extremely thick.
My wife’s tempura was also good, on par with other
Japanese places we’ve tried, but not quite as impressive as the duck. Some green tea ice cream topped of the meal quite nicely.
In the end, we paid about $35 for a very good meal. This is definitely a restaurant we will visit again, and it’s certainly worth the ride down from Troy.
Ichiban is located at 338 Central Avenue in Albany, just west of the intersection with Quail St. The easiest way to get there is to take I-787 south to the exit for U.S. Route 9, Clinton Ave. Go straight off the ramp about half a mile until you come to Quail St. Turn left and go one block to Central Ave. Ichiban will be visible just off the far right corner. Parking is on the street.
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Editor’s Note: If you have a restaurant you would like to see reviewed, please contact The Poly at restaurants@poly.rpi.edu.
