Ichi-riki Japanese - Seaside

My family from California visits this restaurant frequently. We are consistently well-treated, and the food is excellent, especially considering the price.

The food wasn't bad but the service was a disappointment. It's tough to justify a fat tip when all they do is hand the food over the counter to you, plus I felt more like an intruder than a customer. I have been a server and know what good service is and what deserves a fat tip, much less 15%, usually it starts with a smile and I did not see one employee smile the entire visit. Plus it was terribly overpriced.

The prices are quite high given the small portions, particularly for the sashimi. The sushi and sashimi are poorly cut and prepared. As for the service, it leaves much to be desired—no smiles or consideration from the staff.

I completely disagree with the negative review. Throughout my numerous visits, I've never once felt like an outsider. Shige-san is an excellent sushi chef and is very generous with the portions. In terms of pricing, it's definitely not like Benihana; I can enjoy a meal there for about $20 and leave feeling full and satisfied, often adding a nice tip. I’m sorry to hear that someone had a less than pleasant experience, but that has never been the case for me. I highly recommend this place to anyone in the area. I've lived in the Bay Area since 1961, and Ichi's has always been, if not the most upscale, a fantastic "California" sushi spot for a relatively inexpensive and enjoyable dining experience.

We were so hungry after our long drive and we took the kids with us. I was looking for a place that's still open after 8 pm that is not fastfood. The ambiance in this place is nice. I felt like I wasn't in Monterey. I was expecting my katsudon to be so good but to my surprise the pork katsu wasn't really pork cutlets. When I was biting onto it, I couldn't see any fibers of the meat and couldn't feel the pork texture when you bite it. To make it simple, the texture is like a huge chicken nuggets. I was sad but since I was so hungry I ate it. It was okay and nothing super special but the servers and the workers are really friendly. We also tried the albacore roll, chicken karage and a bento combination. Too bad my wife chose the pork cutlet with her tempura combo. Same chicken nugget texture. The tempura dip was a little bland and the miso soup was a little salty. Nonetheless, cool resto vibe and friendly workers. Food wise, it's a 3/5. Again, I wasn't expecting an authentic Japanese meal but it's better than eating fastfood. Food can be better. Thanks for the great friendly service.