Palm Springs has several teppanyaki restaurants. One of the most popular is located on Palm Canyon Drive and is called Ichiban (which means "number one" in Japanese). A faux Japanese front is attached to a white wooden building and big yellow and blue sign hails motorists on busy Palm Canyon Drive.

This may well be fusion at it's best. The last time we ate here I did not see one Japanese person anywhere in sight. The teppanyaki chefs were all Latino and the waitresses all were California blondes dressed in flowing kimonos. Then I looked at the owner's name-Gloria Salem-not the most Japanese of names! I noted that the other Ichibans in the chain were in Reno, Minneapolis, and Winnipeg, which seemed like an odd grouping of cities.

The service was good, but a little casual. The hot towels are tossed at you and you request to toss them back to the waitress who tries to catch them in a basket. The chefs were fun. They may not have been the best teppanyaki chefs I have ever encountered, but they tried hard and enjoyed performing. Our chef's best trick was tossing shrimps into the kids' mouths from the opposite end of the table. The kids loved it!

We started out with the sake flight, which is a tasting of four sakes. It was very good and also very powerful! We all ordered the Imprerial Dinner, which is a combination of filet mignon, lobster, and teriyaki chicken. It comes with miso soup and a shrimp appetizer. It was all cooked perfect by our on stage chef. The quality of the meat seemed excellent.

The kids loved Ichiban. It was less formal than some teppanyaki restaurants we frequent, but in a very fun way. They also have a full sushi bar. I noticed they offer early bird specials from Sunday to Friday nights from 5pm to 6pm.

If you are looking for a true Japanese expierence, this may not be the right place. However, if you are looking for a fun night out with friends and family with a good atmosphere, fun service, and good food, you have found the right place!