The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

The sizzle hits your ears the moment you step in, and you can’t help but be drawn to the action right at the tables. Indeed, there is a buzz in the air: people laughing, flames shooting up, chefs showing off their knife skills as if it were a second nature thing. And that’s what makes Ichiban special: it’s not just about having a good meal, but indeed enjoying the whole show from the beginning right through to the end.

Image via Ichiban Restaurant 

This Asian restaurant is a true hidden gem in Nasr City. It has a cosy environment; you can choose whether to sit at a teppanyaki table to watch them cook your food or at a regular table. The menu includes a wide variety of Asian cuisine with a mixture of Japanese and Chinese dishes. The teppanyaki dishes are all served with a side of vegetables and fried rice. 

Image by Farah Abbas

To start off, the Shrimp dynamite (LE 155) was a mouthwatering appetiser. It consisted of 6 fried shrimp pieces with spicy mayo drizzled on top, so if you’re into spicy food, this would be a perfect go-to appetiser. It had just the right amount of crispness to it.

Image by Farah Abbas

For the main course, we tried two different types of Teppanyaki dishes: the chicken Teppanyaki and the shrimp teppanyaki. All Teppanyaki dishes are prepared on a flat iron grill, displaying the mastery of the chef in drawing flavours out of fresh ingredients. Unfortunately, the beef was unavailable on that day.

The chicken dish (LE 299) consisted of tender meat seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, and a hint of sake, then seared to golden perfection. The chicken is cut into bite-sized pieces and served with sautéed vegetables like crispy bell peppers, zucchini, onions, carrots, and mushrooms. The vegetables were lightly caramelised, maintaining their vivid colours and crunch. This dish was served with a portion of tasty fried rice mixed with eggs, carrots, and onions. Savoury, with the slight sweetness of the soy glaze and smoky char from the grill, the overall taste was mesmerising.

The shrimp teppanyaki (LE 390) consisted of large, plump shrimps quickly seared in butter with garlic and soy sauce until they turned bright pink and slightly crispy at the edges. The shrimp was served with various stir-fried vegetables like crisp broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers. Exquisitely tender, the vegetables have also captured the essence of the enriching sauce from the grill. Like the chicken teppanyaki, it comes with fried rice. Overall, the mixture of sauces complimented each other and pushed us to devour the meal in seconds!

Image by Farah Abbas

Their wide variety of sushi was also one of their highlights. Their combos were diverse and let you customise them with your favourite pieces however you like. We tried the 50-piece combo (LE 925) with a mixture of both fried and raw sushi, which tasted delicious and freshly made. 

Ichiban’s lemon cocktail (LE 75) was a great option that complemented the meal. It’s a mixture of pineapple, orange and lemon juice, which creates a perfect citrus blend. As for the dessert, the menu mentioned that they had mochi, but unfortunately, that was also unavailable when we tried ordering it.

via Ichiban Restaurant

The food was extremely delicious, but the service could have been faster as it took over 30 minutes to place our order despite the restaurant not being busy. Only one waiter served the whole restaurant, which could’ve been a problem because they were understaffed on that specific day.