Haru Ichiban Japanese Rstrnt

10/28/09

Excellent Japanese Restaurant!!!!!

by antone2000

Our family has been going to this restaurant for years! It is the best Japanese restaurant in Atlanta. This restaurant is owned by Japanese, so you know it's very authenic.

• Pros: Best Authenic Japanese Food in Atlanta

09/06/09

Out of many, few stand out

by monk avatar

My wife and I have been going here for about 7 years. Now, when Wantanabe san owned/worked there it was hands-down some of the best sushi you could get just about anywhere (I've eaten at a lot of places-including the Blue Ribbon in NY when it was considered "good").

They have gone through an ownership change a couple years back, but the same itames are still cutting and forming. So, the only thing that has suffered is the rice (which is still really good, but Watanabe made it mind-blowingly good-it actually had umami) and on occasion the fish isn't quite where it "should" be. But still very respectable sushi.

Their udon as well as many of their other traditional fare is always good. Don't go here thinking 'MF Sushi club night yo!". Go here thinking that your going to get the kind of Japanese home cooking quality that will make you one of the few non Japanese people eating there on any given night. Read that line again. Japanese folks have a LOW tolerance for poor quality food.

The service is okay, when you're "new". After you've been going there for a while and build a mutual respect, the service is outstanding.

For example: a couple years back Japfest had just closed up for the day and there was line 30 people deep to the door of Ichiban and the dining room was full. These people MADE US a place setting so that we may eat without waiting. You don't just "get" that kind of service by walking in and ordering a California roll once or twice.

Of course, like any other restaurant, they have off-nights. It happens to every place.

I give this place a 5 star rating, because even though their ownership change has brought them down a little, they still really care about their food and it shows.

• Pros: Excellent traditional sushi and Japanese food
• Cons: location, sometimes there's an "off" night

01/01/09

Terrible service

by baechucabbage

I think food is not bad, but service is terrible. They cannot remember the order correctly - sometimes they completely forget the order. Foods are served with so big time differences that some of the members of a group finish their dinner even before other members begin their food. I cannot enjoy tasting at this restaurant with seeing hungry friends waiting foods.

06/27/08

Great Sushi!

by Mimishimi

I can always expect a pleasant sushi experience every time I visit this place. Their sushi is always fresh!!!!

• Pros: FRESH SUSHI

06/26/07

Best Sushi North of 285....Period!

by link2440

If you are north of the loop this is the place to go. Hidden back in a plaza off of Satellite and Pleasant Hill it is visited by regulars and people lucky enough to be told about it by smart people. The best sushi in the area period!! When you are there order the Toro...it is excellent!

• Pros: great food, good service
• Cons: It gets packed...get there early or you will wait

09/20/06

Unassuming strip mall eatery serves up some of the best Japanese cuisine in the 'burbs.

by Contributor

The Scene
Situated in the crook of a nondescript shopping complex not far from Gwinnett Place Mall, Haru Ichiban might easily be overlooked were it not for its reputation as one of the area's most dependable sources for quality sushi and other Japanese dishes. Picture windows line one side of the long, slender dining room; the formidable sushi bar, the other. The restaurant is extremely popular with Japanese ex-pats. Service is graceful and attentive.

The Food
The menu is divided between sushi and sashimi, Japanese small plates, and comfort foods. Nigiri is tender and fresh with nicely prepared rice cradling cuts of tuna, yellowtail and mackerel. Daikon radish adds pleasant crunch to field greens in a snappy ginger dressing. Spicy baked shrimp in butter and chili oil is worth the calorie splurge. Skip less exciting dishes like teriyaki chicken in favor of a pot of nabeyaki udon, a hearty noodle bowl dense with fish cake, Japanese vegetables and succulent tempura prawns.

12/21/05

User review by sjz

by sjz

We had a great time dining at Haru Ichiban. We had a mix of sushi and sashimi and it was all really tastey and well prepared. The only gripe is that the place itself came off as looking more like an Asian-themed diner than somewhere you'd want to head to for something more romantic. Overall, definitely a "do again," just maybe for a business lunch rather than a fancy night out.

• Pros: great sushi, authentic
• Cons: boring decor

07/25/03

Tasty Japanese

by kuomatt

The food there was really tasty and the service was good. I will definitely go back again.

11/12/02

Great place to eat!

by junco513

This place been a family favorite ever since they opened. The food is great. I've had similar dishes in other Japanese restuarants and it just doesn't compare. Diners who don't enjoy their food do not know their Japanese food. There's a reason why it's packed with Japanese businessmen every lunch, and Japanese families every Sunday.

10/13/02

authentic and traditional

by loegel

Very traditional, non-california-style sushi restaurant. The fish is fresh and well-prepared. Don't go expecting dance music, bad lighting and fried things wrapped in rice. This is REAL sushi. It helps if you have some experience in ordering sushi.

• Pros: Authentic, Fresh, Good Parking
• Cons: Bad Location, Bad Location, Bad Location