Authentic Japanese cuisine that's hard to fault

EVERYDAY Japanese cooking can be enjoyed at Ichiban. It offers the sort of home-style, food that is found on dinner tables throughout the land of the rising yen.

One enters Ichiban through a sliding wooden door, the first of many authentic touches. The restaurant has the familiar feel of a Tokyo robatayaki (informal, family-run eating and drinking establishments).

One wall is papered with banners listing dishes and prices. Along another wall is a small sushi bar and on a third is another mark of authenticity: a Kirin beer poster featuring a bikini-clad woman.

Space is tight, with small, wooden tables crammed together. The clientele is mainly Japanese, and most customers come in groups of three or four. This is more conducive to sharing a few dishes at a time.

Although Ichiban is a bustling, noisy restaurant, staff are friendly and efficient and allow customers to linger, which is surely why its charming owner, Orihara Kunihiro keeps it open until 2 am, seven days a week.

Based on three visits, it is hard to go wrong. The yakitori dishes (yaki means grilled; tori, meat) are particularly good.

The beef steak over charcoal, served with shredded cabbage and a dollop of mayonnaise was juicy and flavourful. The asparagus wrapped in bacon had a crunch and an appropriately smoky taste.