Sushi Smelling Smoke Detector?

Scientists in Japan have created a smoke detector that warns deaf people by omitting the smell of wasabi.

Boffins from Shiga University of Medical Science say they needed to come up with a way of waking deaf people if they were asleep during a fire.

The problem was that 50 percent of fire victims in Japan are elderly and often have poor hearing. This means ringing alarms usually do not wake them up.

Professor Makoto Imai's design uses a faux version of wasabi which is sprayed into the air.

This is said to wake most sleeping people within two and a half minutes.

The cravings for sushi moments later is just a positive side effect. :)

Speaking Japanese at Ichiban

Do you speak Japanese? Do you come to our restaurant in order to enjoy our Japanese ambiance and relish in the culture?

We understand that our restaurant may very well be your escape to everything Japanese, and we realize and understand the importance of the occasion.

Not only do we continue to welcome our Asian guests back as often as humanly possible, but we would like to lend our hands out to all Japanese speakers that feel the need to communicate in the language inside our restaurant.

Here's the deal: If you order your food in complete Japanese dialect from now until March 1st, we will offer you 10% off your meals for the month.

So, if you are of Japanese heritage, or understand the language at all, this is your time to take advantage of our willingness to communicate with you.

Let's make Downtown Orlando more Japanese in the month of February.

What is Edamame?

 Everyone loves it. It is, by far, the most requested appetizer at Japanese restaurants. You order edamame, receive it, and devour it in minutes. But have you ever wondered where those green bean-esque things come from?

Well, edamame is actually more identifiable than you might think. The term "edamame" only represents the preparation of the food. In actuality, the beans are your typical soybeans. These particular beans are most commonly found in Asia and Hawaii.

The preparation is also relatively simple. The pods are boiled in water and salt and served hot with an extra layer of fresh salt on top. This provides the salty deliciousness that customers enjoy when dining.

Next time you're in our store, be sure to order our scrumptious edamame. It has become a staple at our restaurant.

Endagon's Case Study of Us

I know we have been talking about it a lot this week, but it feels good to be loved. The guys at Endagon Innovations definitely do love that. They have done so much for us in terms of allowing us to reach the local community. For that, we are forever grateful.

You can see the case study by clicking below.
http://www.endagoninnovations.com/case-studies/orlando-ichiban

We recommend you contact Endagon if you are in need of any new media marketing services. They are amazing! 

What is Masago?

As a sushi restaurant, we are aware that some of our culinary terminology may be lost during our visitors' dining experiences. After all, sushi may be about food and culture exploration, but it's not uncommon to see diner's stick to their favorite rolls and dishes over and over. Because we want all of our customers to understand Japanese cuisine and culture, it is our goal to educate everyone on some of these confusions on this blog.

One of the major questions we receive (probably because it is in a lot of sushi rolls) is "What is this Masago stuff?"

Well, according to sustainablesushi.net, it is:

Masago is the processed roe (eggs) of the capelin, a small fish that exists in vast quantities throughout the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is generally orange-red in color and is often used as a garnish or to top pieces of nigiri. It should not be confused with tobiko, the roe of the flying fish, which is similar in color but more transparent and slightly larger.

As you can tell from the description, masago is not much of a culinary discovery, considering that it is used very often in our dishes. 

The fact of the matter - You love masago. You just may not know that you do. If you are a serious sushi lover, you probably never even thought to wonder what the orange stuff was. You just want to consume the deliciousness. And we understand that. We often do the same.

Hopefully, this blog post has educated you on masago and will allow you to order off of our menu with more wisdom next time around. 

Look for more of these informative posts coming throughout 2010.  

Holiday Special: Buy a Sake Get Another FREE!

Starting today and ending December 30th, we are happy to announce that we will be running a very cool special in our restaurant.

For those that enjoy sake, we will be offering a free sake when you order one.

Can you imagine the fun that can be had when you bring your large party into the restaurant for a great Japanese meal and a few drinks?

Can you fathom the perfection in coming Downtown early for a night of clubbing and filling your stomach with some dinner food and pre-drinks - A few sakes and Kirins?

The amount of sake bombs that could be enjoyed this holiday season is outstanding. Who is going to take advantage of this offer?

Simply come in, order a sake, and mention that you read this blog post.

Then, all you have to do is enjoy your free sake and furthermore, your holiday season.

Happy Holidays from Ichiban!

An Artist in Our Restaurant Covered in Orlando Sentinel

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Check out this touching article on Lisa Curtis, a local Orlando artist we support on the walls of our restaurant.

Read the article here:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/os-murder-mom-artist-20091121,0,3580425.story

Have a great holiday weekend.