Ichiban Khairul San

premise 1 : i don't like japanese food. (picky, picky picky!)
premise 2 : i decide where we eat. most of the time. ok, all the time.
ergo : we hardly eat japanese food.

but i know he's crazy about 'em. so for his special day, why not?

we went to 'ichiban japanese steakhouse' for his birthday dinner, said to be a 'cheap and cheerful' japanese food on bank street, bur dubai. hard to spot actually since its signboard lack the right lighting to make it stand out. we parked in a parking lot below the building and walked up.


this restaurant certainly has a lot to live up to since they adopted the name 'ichiban' - which in japanese means 'number one'. nombor satu. numero uno. the best. to claim that you are number one should reflect on your ambiance, service and most importantly what you have in your menu.

my verdict : they did ok!

its interior spells the typical japanese makan place - a sushi counter at the back, a teppanyaki grill in the centre of the restaurant and pictures of japanese scenes hanging on the walls. even a bonsai tree. bamboo table mats add to the eastern charm, as well as cute wooden boxy salt and pepper shaker.

it has got quite a selection in its menu, with reasonable price - all the usual sashimi, tempura, bento (box meals) and such. mr. khairul looked for salmon, and found one yummy combo in a form of bento.

tokyo bento has got miso soup, salad, mixed sashimi, assorted tempure, grilled salmon, japanese steamed rice and fruits. this was mr. khairul's birthday dinner! he said the salmon was great but the tempura was not as fresh as expected.

syida, syima - looks tempting?

since i don't like japanese style, i opted for a 'normal' chicken meal - nothing fancy - breaded chicken with 'special sauce' - which actually tastes like bbq sauce - ala, just call it what it is-lah! ha ha. while mr. khairul was iffy about his tempura, i loved my dish! the breaded chicken tastes like a good crispy deep-fried chicken chop, so i'm not complaining!

khaleef meanwhile, refused to eat anymore chicken after a few bites, but enjoyed the miso soup tremendously. slurp! slurp! you can check out the video on my facebook.


when we went, there were a few other customers but ichiban japanese steakhouse certainly provides quiet comfortable eating - baby friendly.


here's some shots of khaleef's failed attempt to be cute. well, what does he expect, since kahfi is here, it gets harder and harder to slobber and still look mighty adorable...ha ha - mak loves you to bits, khaleef! however, your spiderman impression is the coolest, ok!


as always kahfi spent most of the dinner time dreaming away in the stroller. here's the before-shot. it's heaven now that he has mastered the art of smiling. tak jemu mata memandang. now on the way for a doctorate in laughing. good luck, darling!

* * *

*'ichiban' is a japanese word meaning #1 - the best. 'ichi' means one, and 'ban' means number. it is also used in other cultures as a slang term. for example, "you are ichiban, dude!"

in that case - honey, you are our ichiban san!