Starting from Ichiban’s original Lakeland space in 2006, owners Kam and Ling Ngai aimed to bring an upscale model of pan-Asian buffet to the Jackson metro. The formula worked, and the result is the most wildly popular buffet and sushi spot in town. The metro now has five different Ichiban restaurants since the 2019 opening of a Madison location. Kam Ngai laughed when I asked him how many more were planned for this year, but if the business became a nationwide chain, Jacksonians wouldn’t be surprised.
Variety is partially to thank for the brand’s success, from the wide array of buffet menu items to the different types of restaurants: buffet, hibachi, traditional sit-down and conveyor-belt options are available across the different locations. But it’s the freshness of the fish, not a quality typically associated with buffet sushi, that is Ichiban’s hallmark. — Nick Judin
WINNER: Best Chinese Food; Best Sushi/Japanese
Address: 359 Ridge Way Flowood MS 39232, Multiple Locations
Phone number: 601-919-8879