Cafe Ichiban (on the rocks)

The Little Lady and I recently noticed that the Italian place we had never liked (Anitco Toscano) on University (1288 University Avenue) closed, and that an offshoot of Ichiban had opened in its place. Always looking for new, cheap sushi, we were excited. After having eaten there, while I'll probably go back, I won't hurry. The restaurant seems to be going through some growing pains -- treat this review as provisional until they have a chance to get their feet under them.

We started with the spicy Miso chicken wings. The wings were nice; plump, tasty, tangy, although I would hardly call them spicy. Unfortunately, as we were enjoying them, our soup, salad, and entrees all arrived. More on that in a second.

The soup (virtually everything comes with soup and salad) was a nice version of miso. A few cubes of soft tofu and some squares of seaweed provided a pleasant contrast to the mild miso taste of the broth itself. The salad was most notable for its dressing. Thick and surprisingly acid, it was a variation on the peanut dressing frequently found at Japanese restaurants.

We had selected a hibachi dish and the Up Town Skewers. We should have gone for the sushi. All of the food came out at nearly the same time, leaving the entrees time to cool. The hibachi made it through the delay reasonably well, since it was served on a cast-iron skillet. The skewers, much less well. Cold chicken and shrimp are simply less appetizing than they might have been. When asked, our server said that this timing was purposeful; she didn't want one diner eating while the other had nothing in front of them. So close to thoughtful, and yet, so far.

The hibachi dish -- chicken in a garlic sauce -- was nice. The chicken itself was nothing special, but the bed of udon noodles underneath it was delicious, having absorbed most of the garlic sauce. The fried rice was also nice, but, again, nothing noteworthy.

The skewers would have been lovely if served at the appropriate time. Two chicken skewers, two shrimp skewers, served in a Deborah Scott-inspired architecture of crunch and shriacha. The dipping sauces (the menu claims three, although only two arrived) were pleasant, although difficult to distinguish from one another. Both dark and sweet, they helped the chicken more than the shrimp, which was more delicately spiced than the chicken thighs.

In contrast to the kitchen, the service was astonishingly well-structured. They were there when we wanted them, gone when we didn't. Moreover, while our table had our own server, anyone passing by usually checked in on us, to refill drinks and clear dishes.

Overall, as I said, I would return, although I won't hurry. I think the sushi would have responded better to the kitchen's quirky timing, which itself I hope part of the growing pains of a new opening.