Ichibantei is back with a glam large new space, full liquor license for the first time, and serving food until 3am (bucking the post-pandemic trend of kitchens closing at 10pm).
After closing earlier this year, the East Village Japanese comfort food restaurant opened in a new location on June 7th. Having outgrown the original 20-seat space, they found a new home just two blocks away in the former three-level swanky club/restaurant VNYL on Third Avenue. With three floors, soaring ceilings and 90 seats, the space offered the opportunity to transform Ichibantei’s look and pay homage to Japanese pop culture.
Housed in a former movie theater, the two-story dining room features vintage Japanese film noir posters on dark walls, theater mirror lights, and lip murals by Japanese artist Cazul in the bathrooms, while the mezzanine dining space is decorated with vinyl album covers, just like the 13th St. original. Great for groups, the new location more than quadruples the size, plus it has a full liquor license to serve cocktails.
Opened by Chef Rutsuko “Ruth” Koga and Shin Araki in 2010, Ichibantei serves classic Japanese dishes, as well as teishoku Japanese set meals just like their mothers made when they were growing up in Japan with all main courses accompanied by salad, rice and miso soup. Ruth, who learned to cook from her mother as a child in Kumamoto, makes almost everything from scratch just as she was taught. Menu highlights include grass-fed Angus beef Ichibantei Steak topped with garlic chips; Hamburger Steak, a 70% ground Angus ribeye and 30% Kurobuta black pork hamburger patty served with rice instead of bun; Tuna Steak; Tonteki Pork Steak (Kurobuta pork); Chicken Nanban; and Donburi rice bowls topped with chicken or a fluffy tamago Japanese omelet. Appetizers include Agenasu, Japanese eggplant in broth; Tako Wasabi spicy diced octopus; crispy fried Chicken Karaage and more.
Ichibantei is open Monday – Saturday 11am – 3am (last order 2:30am) and Sunday 11am – 2am at 100 Third Avenue (near 13th St.). No reservations; delivery available. A new lounge on the top floor (with a different name) will be coming this summer, and the old space will become a noodle spot later this summer.
