I have visited Ichiban at least 10 times. This place serves legit Chinese food, Szechuan/Sichuan specialty. In terms of food, it is definitely among, if not the best in Madison. If you want to try some authentic stuff, you are at the right place. This is reflected in the fact that Ichiban is probably the most popular dinner gathering place for the Chinese-speaking students on UW campus.
Then, why not five stars? 1) The price is less affordable than places such as oriental house (just next door!) or Double 10 (newest authentic restaurant on the block at time of this review), and i think you get less out your bucks at Ichiban 2) Food could be a little too oily and spicy for people not accustomed to Sichuan cooking. 3) I do not usually care much about service than the food itself, but yes, their service is pretty bad, as other Yelper mentioned.