Ichiban Boshi

Really should be called Salmoniban Boshi. This is a sushi restaurant on the second floor of Square 2 of the Novena Square shopping mall blocks. It is a sushi conveyor belt system inside, order menu, and apparently boasts of other Japanese delights. When I walked in, I was already enticed by a light sashimi salad snack and my friend was interested in the conveyor belt system items. To be frank, it was a poor variety of fish - 70% salmon and I wasn't even sure about the freshness of the fish b/c it was moving on the conveyor belt and I am not sure of the turnover rate- I mean if the only fish you're eating is salmon and salmon, you're going to let a lot of fish pass by you and if everyone does that, the fish was a little warm for my liking. Same for sashimi salad- can't call it a sashimi salad exactly in pics showing all kinds of fish when it's all salmon. So this place gets a 3 for freshness, variety, etc. Prices were high too. Service was polite though and place was clean otherwise.

We ordered from the conveyer belt and the system is tiered in 3 tiers- white for normal, red for next grade, and black was premium. Most of it was salmon of various variations... you had salmon in rose rolls wrapped around rice and made mildly spicy with mayo, salmon on rice, or salmon ground up and then put on rice. You name it, this place is all salmon. Salmon.. salmon.... salmon... We were really looking for anything else not salmon. We had a mackeral fish like thing on rice and some fried tempura like sushi according to my photos below. All the concoctions were agreeable- not sure about the freshness. The fish tasted a little warm and therefore too soft for my liking and all the sushi tasted the same- the same mayo rice-y and soft in my mouth. None were bad but none were memorable. Tasted westernized for my liking.

My friend and I split a "sashimi salad." In the pics I had seen various fish but what it was instead was like 7-8 pies of SALMON only laid out in a flower and on top of green frilly lettuce- a Korean type I think, a strange salad choice of vegetable for their salad. The combination was strange- I usually see romaine or the lettuce chopped into ribbons but this was whole leaves with the salmon and some carrots and lemon on the side. There was a WHOLE vat of oily miso sesame dressing but way too much offered for the small paltry serving that we got. Thi was a rather disappointing dish- I would not order this for its price.

Staff were friendly and helpful- nothing wrong with them but the pics and food really didn't align and the prices were too high for what we ordered.

Great value weekday afternoon tea sets at just $5.50! Very decent quality for the price and complete with a miso soup and drink, over your choice of mains which could be rice bowl or udon soup dish for example. Portions are less than a regular full meal but still fairly filling and overall an enjoyable meal for the very affordable price.

As much as I've adjusted to living life in Singapore, I still can't get over the price of sushi here. Obviously you have to spend a lot for the best quality, but I miss the convenience of mid-range places with a-ok sushi. And to be honest, I'm quite basic in when it comes to sushi; the fish doesn't always have to melt in my mouth and as long as it doesn't make me sick or smell funny, I'll eat it.*

Compared to nearby Novena sushi joints like Tomi, Rakuichi, or Matsuo, Ichiban isn't close in terms of quality but hey, they're not trying to be. They have a good-sized space on the second floor of Velocity mall, where people willingly queue up for quick service and affordably priced menu items.

I like how they have pages and pages to choose from. They have good sets that include lots of items to make it feel more value for money. Admittedly, sometimes the sushi/sashimi portions are a bit smaller, but the soups, appetisers and pieces of fruit make up for it. They also have a lot of non-sushi dishes, so have no fear if you're the lone person in your party not feeling fishy!

Definitely not a place to go on a first date, but perfect for weeknight dinners and for moments when you just want food... any food!

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*Then again, I've never been to Japan, so maybe I'll change if I ever get the chance. But for now, yay cheap sushi!

I work around Novena area and as there are limited Japanese restaurants there that are budget-friendly, my colleagues and I frequently find ourselves going to Ichiban Boshi for lunch. Thus, to us, it is more a place of convenience to satisfy our Japanese food cravings.

Firstly, be prepared to queue and wait if you did not make a reservation during lunchtime on weekdays (many office workers also need to satisfy their Japanese cravings). You can try to make a reservations though but it seems quite dodgy. Example, one male colleague called in to make a reservation but they said that they were fully booked. Immediately afterwards, a female colleague of mine called for the same number of people at the same time and they made the reservations for her.

The service in the restaurant is okay at best. The service attendants, while greeting you with enthusiasm at the beginning, seem to suffer from the same disease that plague many restaurants in Singapore - being unable to see your waving hands and dodging any chance of eye contact as much as possible. When you are finally able to catch their attention and make an order, the food comes rather slowly - depending on your luck. It might be because they are short staffed and the lunch crowd can be overwhelming. But one good thing is that however complicated your order and no matter the size of your crowd, they seem to be able to get the orders right.

The food is of okay standard. Most of the time, I find their seaweed rather stale and the rice is not fragrant enough but the seafood is freshness.

The thing that irks me most of all is the hygiene problem. I can go through a whole stack of side plates (where you put the soya sauce and wasabi) and not find a clean one. The menu is grimy - as if they have not wipe them down since the beginning of time and my friend found a few small bits of fish roe still stuck on her tea cup once.

All in all, quite a "meh" experience if not for the price and the accessibility.

Value for money Japanese Set meals. Wouldn't rave about the freshness nor cut of their sashimi, but would highly recommend their set meals. Great bento sets with a huge menu to choose from. Quick and relatively cheap way to fix the Japanese craving.

The best Japanese food you'll in SG. I agree it might be pricy for the Ala Carte but when you sit on next to the belts it is like $3 for a plate of sushi which considering the prices of most restaurants in SG this isn't too bad. The sashimi is out of this world.

Good value Japanese food, with decent quality for the price. Particularly enjoy the salmon soup in the daikon base, and love that the staff allows repeat refills of the soup. May be crowded during peak hours with slower service response time, but generally acceptable.

Here is a chain restaurant with possibly the best staff - well mannered, and very nice.

The only issue I have is the food, it's not exactly the best. I think it could be improved. But at this price point I am not expecting much.