Ichiro Hibachi & Sushi Bar—

So Much To Choose

When The Choice Is Japanese

Ichiro Hibachi & Sushi Bar opened on Newtown Road in Danbury last April in a location that had previously been a diner. The interior was gutted and redesigned to transport visitors to a Japanese environment, complete with abundant use of wood, screens, and hanging lamps. Once past the reception area, the restaurant is divided into two distinct sections; the light wood-toned dining room with individual tables and six-seat sushi bar, and the larger, dark wood-toned hibachi room with its dozen half and full hibachi tables, the latter which can seat up to 18. There are also two party rooms off the main hibachi room; the smaller can accommodate parties up to 20 people, the larger is used for groups of 20 to 30.

The owner and manager is David Pan, who operates another restaurant of the same name in Trumbull. The dining room manager is Tony Yau, who was previously the manager of Manhattan’s popular Peking Duck House for 11 years. The restaurant has been well received, the men say, and proven popular for those celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion.

Guests can choose the conviviality of the community hibachi tables — although the managers are quick to note that quests will not have to wait for a table to fill before food preparation begins — or the greater privacy of individual tables in the dining room. Children especially love the hibachi tables, with the showmanship of the chefs as their meals are being prepared. A child’s menu is available.

The menu at Ichiro is quite extensive, offering a range of traditional Japanese tempura, sushi, sashimi, and hibachi entrees.

In the dining room, guests can begin with a choice of seven salads, including mixed seaweed, $5.55, and spicy seafood, $7.95, and five soups, including miso, $2, and dobin (seafood and mushroom), $6.25. There are also 20 hot appetizers, ranging from edamame (slightly salted boiled soybeans), bacon rolled around asparagus to beef negimaki (beef rolled with scallion) and soft shell crab tempura, and five cold, all involving seafood. Prices range from $3.95 to $9.25.

Entrees are served with soup and salad, and often rice or noodles. The teriyaki and tempura meals are $14.95 to $20.25.

On a recent visit, four sushi chefs were on hand to fill diners’ orders, including chef’s special rolls (15 choices priced from $10.95 to $14.95), sushi bar special combos ($12.25–$21.25), sushi sashimi entrees ($15.25–$23.25), or a choice of three complete dinner boxes, $20.25 each.

In the hibachi room, dinners include clear broth onion soup, green salad with ginger dressing, hibachi noodles, vegetables, and shrimp. Entrée choices are chicken, salmon, scallops, shrimp, steak, filet mignon, and lobster tail, individually or in combination, $15.95–$27.95. Orders for children 10 and under are available in chicken, shrimp, scallops, or steak for $9.55.

A lunch menu is available Monday through Friday, but excludes holidays. The hibachi lunch includes clear onion soup, vegetables and a choice of entree, including chicken, salmon, shrimp, scallops, steak, or filet mignon, ranging from $8.25 to $11.95. Three combos are also offered, with the most expensive being filet mignon and shrimp for $13.25.

Those seeking lighter fare can have Miso soup and a choice of two sushi rolls, 13 options offered, for $7.25 in the dining room. Sushi, don buri, noodle soup, and lunch box specials are also offered, $8.15–$11.25. Food is also available for take out.

Ichiro presently has a permit to serve wine and beer and is in the process of obtaining a full liquor license.

Ichiro, 69 Newtown Road, Danbury, is open seven days a week. Lunch is served from 11 to 3 Monday through Saturday, dinner from 4:30 to 10 pm, to 11 on Friday and Saturday. Sunday hours are 11:30 to 10. All major credit cards are accepted. Weekend reservations recommended; phone, 792-8881; fax, 792-8818.