Ichiban Sichuan Rest. - Madison

Best mapo tofu in Madison, full stop. Although Park street is far from where I live and parking is tricky, I make the trek to Ichiban in the rare times I leave the west side. Delicious food, reasonable prices, and decent service. No frills, nothing fancy. Just delicious, affordable, authentic food!

The food options were solid. Had a lamb dish and also tofu dish. I have ordered takeout and dined in at this restaurant, and it never disappoints.

This place was recommended to me, so the next time we visited Madison we really wanted to check this place out. We decided to stop in on a Saturday for lunch. We were greeted promptly and shown to a table right away. For a weekend, it was kind of busy but not super busy, which was nice because we were really looking forward to enjoying some Sichuan food. We ordered the Spicy String Beans (very well-seasoned and tasty), the Shredded Potatoes with Spicy Sour Sauce (a bit heavy handed with the vinegar but cooked perfectly), and the Spicy Crispy Chicken (very crispy and not too spicy). Overall, for a Sichuan restaurant, their spice level was actually on the milder side. I would have preferred a bit more kick in their dishes but other than that all the dishes we ordered were delicious and hit the spot. Service was casual but friendly, and our food came out only a few minutes after we ordered. We were pleasantly surprised by how fast our food arrived because we were hungry and ready to eat. They don't have their own parking, so you will need to resort to finding street parking. Would gladly come back again.

For an early dinner, my friend and I ordered lemongrass chicken wings, three delight pot stickers, scallion pan-fried cakes, rice noodles with hot and sour soup, and spicy and crispy shrimp with white rice. Everything was fresh and cooked to order. I enjoyed the scallion pan-fried cakes and the lemongrass fried chicken. I have tried scallion pan-fried cakes from three different restaurants and the city and Ichiban had the best ones. My only complaint about the lemongrass chicken is that I wished it was broiled or grilled to get more of the lemongrass flavors. The three delight pot stickers were ok. The hot and sour soup was too oily for me. The spicy and crispy shrimp were not spicy but were crispy. Overall my food was ok, next time I will try the spicy and crispy chicken. Pro Foodie Don't park in front of the restaurant because you will get towed.

Food is amazing. Service is great. Wish their sichuan flavor was a bit spicier but it still hit the spot for me. Their boiled spicy beef soup and crispy pork intestine were my favorites. Parking is limited as it is all street parking but he atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Out of our visit, i wished i paid closer attention to our tab. Gratuity was already applied to our total and without knowing, we tipped an additional 20% on top of the 18% that was already in our total. No where in tune restaurant or menu stated that gratuity would be added right away.