A sister restaurant of the more established (and a lot pricier) Kuriya Dining, Ichiban Boshi offers an interesting concept rarely done in Singapore. The fresh fish market is a nice addition to the standard conveyor-belt sushi and a la carte menu.
The fresh fish/seafood market fronts the outlet, with the takeaway sushi fridge tempting passers-by just stepping off the escalators. The dining area at the back is nicely spaced, with two conveyor belts churning out value-for-money sushi, priced at $1.90 per plate.
The more pricey sushi ($5.30 per plate, 6-8 pieces each) needs to be ordered. The menu is very comprehensive, and comes with pictures for the uninitiated. Sashimi and side dishes are also available.
The a la carte menu features a good selection of traditional Japanese fare: oyakodon, udon, soba, teriyaki, yakiniku on a hotplate, paper steamboat, etc. Prices range from $8 to $15, quite reasonable. For those on low-carb diet, they have a good selection of meat/fish-only dishes, but watch the sugar. I ordered the fried flatfish (tasty, but slightly too oily. They should have let the oil heat up a bit more), and the barbecued ika (squid). The ika was not as fresh as I expected - which made me wonder if the market out front really has fresh seafood?
My friend had the chilled soba set, that came with a small serving of chicken teriyaki on rice. There was just not enough meat there. The soba sauce was piquantly sweet, and just salty enough to flavor the noodles. The soba itself, however, was slightly overcooked.
She also had salmon sashimi (nice and fresh), and a tori karaage (fried chicken) which was just the correct bite-size and seasoned just right.
The service staff was friendly, although a little too loud at times with their greeting (in Japanese). I also saw the manager pick up a stray udon off the floor with his bare hand.... I just hope he washes his hand after.
Decor was modern Japanese - dark wood panels, blond wood benches, clean lines. But the cream linoleum floor ruined the effect somehow - it just looks cheap.
My overall impression was that it's a good restaurant to pick if you're in the area and craving decent Japanese food, but it's not worth traveling across Singapore for.
