It's tough to pick a sushi place on this short stretch of road off Yonge where there's likely more sushi joints per capita than on any other block on the planet.
I went to Ichiban on equal parts hunch and suggestion and was not disappointed.
The seating area is made to look larger than it is: a strategically placed mirror makes the place appear to be roughly twice as large as it should. A large sushi bar looks like it would fill up if people could pick this place out of the crowd.
A sign at the front door about proper sushi eating etiquette is indicative of the calming atmosphere of the dining room. Service is attentive and professional.
We each ordered a bento box and an order of sashimi (why go to a sushi place and not order any?). The sashimi was clearly defrosted, as required by law, but the freezing was not to the detriment of how delicate and fresh-tasting the fish was. Bento boxes were nicely filled with chap chae and salads, largely dependent on the main ordered. Seaweed salad and deep-fried tofu accompanied overcooked tuna teriyaki and boring California rolls come in dinner bentos. Grilled salmon was perfectly cooked, then unpredictably slathered in teriyaki sauce, and came with grilled and some less-grilled veggies- raw onion definitely won't impress a date.
Sashimi impressed, as did the service; washrooms were difficult to find and smell of moth balls, but clean. Excellent selection of sakes for the deeper-pocketed. Great for a sushi craving. 4/5