Ichiban: Cantonese-Sichuan Cooking and Broth-Steamed Gyoza

Ichiban (壹番) has been cooking Cantonese and Sichuan dishes in Atami since 1978. Its reputation rests on small gyoza steamed in ramen broth instead of water, which leaves them with crisp, lacy edges. Celebrity endorsements on Japanese television have made it the town's most-queued Chinese restaurant. It was also selected for Tabelog's Chinese EAST “Tabelog 100” in 2024 and 2026. The staff keep up a running joke, serving beer as “grown-up disinfectant”.

The gyoza come up in almost every review. Close behind are ichiban-men, also called umani soba (thin noodles under a thick seafood-and-vegetable sauce), and kani-tama, a crab omelette in sweet-sour sauce. Prawns in a soy-milk mayonnaise are also popular. Black-vinegar sweet-and-sour pork, prawns in chilli sauce with steamed buns and a four-tier dim sum set recur too. Many reviewers single out warm, helpful service.

Roughly a sixth of reviewers found it overhyped, calling the gyoza ordinary and the prices high for a neighbourhood Chinese restaurant. Several found the mapo tofu, the zha cai fried rice or the soups too salty. At peak times service can be slow or bring dishes out of order. Individual reviews mention a possible ¥500 overcharge and a single glass of Shaoxing wine priced well above half a carafe. Two foreign visitors reported being refused at dinner.

Reviewers in 2024–2026 paid around ¥1,595 for the weekday lunch set (a main with gyoza, salad, rice and dessert) and ¥1,500 for the dim sum set. À la carte, gyoza ran ¥700–770, ichiban-men ¥1,485 and sweet-and-sour pork ¥2,100–2,300. A dinner course was ¥6,000 a head in mid-2026. Expect roughly ¥1,000–2,000 at lunch and ¥6,000–8,000 at dinner.

The weekday lunch sets are widely called a bargain. À la carte plates are generous and made for sharing, so the bill is fair for three or more people. It feels steep if you expect a cheap local eatery.

• Getting there: 7 minutes on foot (575 m) from JR Atami Station, mostly downhill.
• Booking: No booking is needed at lunch, and none is accepted. A sign-up sheet goes out around 10:30–11:00, with a roll call at 11:15, and your whole party must be present to be seated. Dinner should be booked by phone well ahead (0557-83-4075). Walk-ins are often turned away, and seatings may be time-limited.
• Payment: Cash only. Credit cards, electronic money and QR code payments are not accepted.
• Seating: 30 seats, and you may be asked to share a table. There are no private rooms, but the whole restaurant can be hired. Portions suit groups of three or more.
• Smoking: Non-smoking, with an ashtray outside.
• Parking: Two spaces.
• Good to know: The weekday lunch set is served 11:30–13:30. Check drink prices before ordering.