Ichi Ichi Fusion Shabu & Tempura

This place is yummy! All the little appetizers are so well proportioned and priced. I love being able to try so many of them without breaking the bank! Although, most of them are offered deep fried, it’s still light and tasty, besides, who doesn’t like deep fried? Right?

This is your average, no frills shabu restaurant. Parking is in a lot, and easy to find.
The thing that stands out about this particular joint is their do-​it-​yourself sauce bar. I wish every place had this! Customizing your sauce to fit your own palette is just the best. The meat isn’t the highest of quality, but you are only paying $ 15 for 8 decent slices of meat.
Creamy milk:
The creamy milk is nice and well.creamy. I think that dipping your meat into this broth really intensifies the flavor of the broth, so when you eat your veggies at the end, it’s not so plain.

Been coming to this place forever. Never disappoints. I always get the spicy pork bone with a large order of meat. Everything comes out quick. Their staff is pretty efficient.
They have a sauce blvd where you can make your own sauces to fit your taste buds. If you are not sure just look up and you will see recommend sauces to make. Don’t forget to get your free egg (1 per person) I usually make 2 sauces. For my vegetables I get the BBQ Satay sauce and put cilantro on top. And for my beef I get Ponzi, garlic, green onions and I sprinkle generously the crushed red pepper (sometimes it’s not out so you have to ask for it)
Love this place. My go to shabu shabu joint.

I come to this restaurant at least once every two weeks. My boyfriend and I love the food here! My favorite broth is the Spicy Pork Bone — amazing! The broth is so deep and rich and flavorful. I also really enjoy the Creamy Corn Miso and the Tom Kah. I slurp down all of my soup — or I try to — every time I come here.
I like their all-​you-​can-​eat self-​serve sauce bar! I never have to wait on ponzu or any other sauce, since I can just walk to the sauce bar and grab it ASAP.
The service here is quite quick, I’m never waiting on food. Price-​wise, definitely very affordable for shabu. Overall, I highly recommend Ichi Ichi. It is my favorite Shabu restaurant!

This is the only hot pot place that can satisfy my mouth and belly.
I have been introduced to many places and nothing can compare to this place.
The owner is super nice and very understanding.
Of course, there’s going to be a line for rush hour but It’s not a big deal because the food is tooooooooo goooood.
My favorite is the Tom Kah broth with beef.
Sauce bar: sesame sauce, sesame oil, sesame seed, soy sauce, and lots of garlic. This is my favorite mixture of dipping sauce. I call it the SESAME STORM!

Absolutely love shabu shabu and I appreciate all what this place has to offer! And I would have to say it’s definitely the BEST in Rowland Heights, if at least not one of the best shabu shabu places in town.
I have been to Ichi Ichi on days where it’s packed and on days where it’s not as crowded. Service is consistent, always. The longest I have ever had to wait to be seated is about 10 minutes which is nothing at all, really.
Prices are firm and reasonable. A small is about $ 14.69 and a medium is $ 16.99. If you want to share it’s a $ 3.00 charge though.
They have plenty of bases to choose from but the creamy corn and spicy tomato are my favorite. Veggie platter is pretty big and has variety (I do wish they could add broccoli). Steamed rice is never sticky. Another thing that stands out is their meat– I always get prime Angus and there seems to be less fat on the meat in comparison to other shabu shabu places I have been to. Overall, the shabu shabu is very satisfying. Oh and I highly recommend going crazy at the sauce bar! That fermented tofu sauce really gets to me.
I do have a complaint. Their seating at the bar is a little uncomfortable. I am short and don’t have the longest arms so it’s a bit difficult for me to reach the pot. I find myself having to stand all the time. I wish they could remodel or change up the tables. But I am willing to sacrifice just because the food here is that great.
Check out this place, no regrets!

This is the place where I discovered my love for Shabu Shabu. I used to hate Shabu until one day I took a leap of faith and came here. Now I can’t stop wondering when my next visit here will be.
The Spicy Pork Bone Soup… That’s the only broth you need to know. Everyone else here can’t stop talking about it so save yourself some time and get it!
After you order, stop by the sauce bar which has EVERYTHING you need. I love mixing the ponzu sauce with garlic, jalapenos, cilantro, and green onions. TRY IT. You won’t be disappointed. They also have Eggs at the bar which they charge separately.
OVERALL: This is my Shabu Shabu spot. Enough said.

I’ve been coming here for awhile and I’ve always enjoyed eating here. Recently, the quality of the vegetables downgraded and I feel like they skimped out on the amount of veggies they would normally serve. but I still love coming here. WHY? THEIR SAUCE BAR!
Since I’m such a huge sauce monster, I go ALL OUT on my dipping sauces and you can make as much sauces as you want. Other shabu places serve you two sauces and that is it –_​– Boring~
I’ve tried their…
Spicy porn bone stew — one of their most popular broth
Sukiyaki — good, a bit too sweet but you can ask for more broth to dilute it
Cream corn miso — this is ok.
Regular broth — where it’s just water and one piece of seaweed. (very healthy)
This place can get packed on rainy days and especially during winter time so if you come during peak dinner hours, expect to wait about an hour~

Great for happy hour! Happy hour is Monday through Friday before 6:30pm. I think you can save $ 4 – 5 on your hot pot by coming during happy hour. The ambiance is very relaxing and the customer service is decent. I love Sauce Blvd. for endless combinations of flavors and sauces! While you have plenty of space to eat at the bar-​like area, it was awkward reaching over the counter to cook your soup. I’m sure next time we’ll try to eat at a regular table.
I got Australian lamb in Premium Spicy Pork Bone Soup. This was so amazing and a great deal! I’m also happy we were allotted one egg, which is pretty fair. This was a delicious meal. I’ll definitely be coming back!

On rainy days, hot pot hits the spot. Arriving on a weekday, there were plenty of seats available. Normally when I go to feast on hot pot, I order the creamy milk and corn soup base. However, at ichi ichi, I noticed there was a variety of similar choices. There was creamy milk (which they say is good for your skin), creamy corn, and creamy corn Miso. Another notable and commonly desired soup base was pork bone. There are PLENTY of choices! You make the sauce on your own, but they have recipes if you are unsure what to put in yours.
My friend ordered the creamy milk soup base while I ordered the creamy corn Miso soup. We ordered size small beef (8 pieces) for about $ 10. It was so worth it! The portions were pretty big and they had a decent variety of vegetables to choose from. I thought 8 pieces of meat might have been too little, but they were big pieces! I was full!
The creamy milk had a sweet, soothing flavor while the creamy corn miso was a unique mixture of a pinch of that same sweetness, bits of corn, and the miso soup! I don’t usually drink the soup at hot pot, but I really liked it, so I drank two bowls!
On weekdays before 6 PM, it is happy hour for select appetizers and drinks! Parking at nights here is never easy, especially on weekends. It was easy during a weekday lunch hour! I will definitely come back, because typing this review already makes me crave it.

The spicy pork bone broth had so much flavor! This is my new favorite soup base for shabu. Love how you can DIY your own sauces from their sauce bar. The quality of the meats are excellent. The ribeye is really fresh and tender. Lunch specials are under $ 10 per person, really affordable.

PORK BONE BROTH (spicy or not)…you have to get it! Love this place because the broth is so good! Flavorful, but not too salty like what you would find at some other places. Good portion of meat/​veggies, reasonable prices, and friendly service. Also, they have a self-​serve sauce bar… with everything you need! Vinegar, chili oil, satay sauce, sesame sauce, garlic… the possibilities are endless! :)
This place is definitely one of my favorite places to grab hot pot in the area! Its enough to also get some of my gfs to drive out to my hood… although I like to think its also to see me… wishful thinking? I did have to dock a star because I’ve been coming here forever… and have recently noticed that they keep increasing their prices (its about $ 14 for a small now) and portions are getting a little smaller. Also, their other broths are decent, but not amazing. They can get really crowded during prime dinner times (so make sure you make a reservation if you can!) Also, it doesn’t help that they are located in the YES plaza where parking is terrible at almost any time of the day/​night, especially on weekends.
Overall, still a place I would come to in a heartbeat when I’m craving hot pot (which is like… all the time).

I noticed that they pre make all their veggie plates (at least it looks like it), because I see them take the plates out of the fridge, take off saran wrap and then hand it to the customers right after they order. If you hand out veggie plates that fast, then that means they weren’t made on the spot. They give it to you before they even bring out the soup. Like its cool if you pre make them the day of, but it really looks like they premake them a day before. They give little scraps of Napa underneath big pieces of Napa & I’m not a fan of eating small pieces of veggies, they’re annoying and hard to eat. They’re just trying to make the veggie plate look bigger than it really is. The Napa also doesn’t look fresh at all, they always have black lines on them and look old.

My friends come to Ichi at least once a month! I thought it was crazy but they said once you come for the pork bone soup, you will not go to another shabu place ever again. I didn’t believe them at first but hands down they were so right! You can’t not get the same pork bone soup at other places. No where can compare to the rich and flavorful pork bone soup as Ichi. I’m officially hooked and can’t stop thinking about the pork broth.
This place is located in the YES Plaza. It gets super packed all the time so it’s a constant struggle finding parking. If you plan to come, make sure you make reservation or come early to beat the crowd. You are allowed to make reservation for party of 3 or more which i thought it great since places like jazz cat or boiling point doesn’t allow reservations. Try to get the table seating instead of the side bar. It’s a lot more comfortable and roomy. An order comes with a set of vegetables, meat, rice and sauce at the sauce bar. The staff here were attentive and quick to serve you. They also came back to check with us from time to time. I loved that this place isn’t too loud and they do have a TV to watch if there is a big game that night.
Likes:
1. I love the sauce bar where you can customize and create your own sauce. You can select from green onions, diced garlic, radish, power chili, green chili, dry minced garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, ponzu sauce, soy sauce, taiwanese bbq sauce, peanut sauce, sesames, chili oil, egg, etc.
2. You have the option to choose from 20 different soup base with no extra charge. I highly recommend either the spicy pork bone soup, premium pork bone soup, or miso corn.
3. I ordered the beef rib eye and was impressed with the quality. Small gives you 8 slices ($ 14. 89), Medium 12 slices ($ 16.39), and Large with 16 slices ($ 17.69).

I’d rather go here than Jazz Cat. Cheaper and tastes about the same imo.
Spicy miso — unimpressed. It was just spicy but I didn’t get much else.
Creamy corn with medium spicy — AMAZING and oh so indulgent. I was drinking spoonfuls of the broth even though it’s my bf’s order… So, so good. But it gave me hella food coma after because it’s such comfort food. I recommend it!
Their sauce bar overwhelmed me tbh. I wasn’t crazy about it.
Also, it’s impractical how the soup is so far from you if you’re seated at the bar.
Also, wish they offered brown rice.
But I still had a good time.

Come for the lunch specials on the weekdays! It’s definitely worth it. I usually go on the weekdays to try and catch the deal, but I was just craving shabu too much last weekend. The bf had plans to take us to Sugarfish for Valentine’s Day, but I turned it down. You know it’s real when you give up sushi for shabu.
My favorite soup bases are the spicy pork bone and the tom yum. The spicy pork bone broth reminds me of tonkotsu broth– I like to cook my meat with that soup base. The tom yum soup base is really good with the veggies. I usually get a small beef and it would fill me up since there are a lot of goodies in the veggie plate.
There’s also a station where you can make your own sauce. I usually put garlic, green onions, sesame oil, chili oil, sesame sauce, and ponzu sauce in mine. It comes out really delicious!
I much prefer this place over Jazzcat.

Compared to other hot pot that I’ve been, this is just ordinary.
Soup base that we ordered:
~ Bak Kut Teh (Singapore Herbs) is no way close to the soup broth in Singapore! Soup taste very bland, doesn’t taste as if the broth has been boiled for hours unlike some other places.
~ Chinese Herbs soup broth taste almost the same as Bak Kut Teh, bland, bland and just bland. No other comments.
Sliced beef is acceptable. Nothing much to rave about. It’s either you like it or you don’t, well for me I’m not a fan, prefer to return to where I usually frequent for hot pot.

I arrived on a Wednesday at 545p (Dec 30^th). No lines here so that’s a plus.
Now I was deciding between this place vs jazz cat and since I’ve been to Jazz cat, I decided to give this place a try.
Let’s be clear here: jazz cat is for sure better. Let me explain why.
Service: not enough employees working here. Took awhile for someone to take my order, even though I was seated promptly. They didnt stop by to ask how the food was either.
Food: I ordered the premium bone, friend got the spicy premium bone. It was good, so nothing wrong with that. But the soup just wasn’t as flavorful compared to jazz cat. Also the vegetables weren’t as fresh. The squash looked like it had been in the fridge for a few days. The sauce Blvd was really cool. You only get 1 free egg so don’t grab more than that. Lots of diff types of sauces so enjoy! Unlimited sauces!
The beef Shabu small was $ 9.99 and medium was $ 11.69 I believe. This was during happy hour which is 5:30 — 6:30!
I also ordered the rock shrimp. Not worth it. Nothing special. Also ordered the pork sausage. It was like a hot dog that was sliced up. Not worth it either. $ 4.99 and $ 3.99 for each. Regardless, avoid these appetizers and just stick to the Shabu.
I think I’d go to jazz cat from here on out. The broth and sauces tasted better for some reason.

What is better than having hot pot on a cold night? When you have a whole pot to yourself of course!
I took my friend and my sister to Ichi Ichi on a Saturday night for dinner. I had this place bookmarked for the longest time but haven’t been able to try it during any of my trips to SoCal until that night. We arrived at around 7 PM. It is in the same plaza as BCD tofu and Phoenix. The wait was pretty long so if you do decide to come here, come early! We had to wait about an hour or so before we got our seats.
The three of us got seated at the bar. It’s both nice and not nice. It’s nice because you are able to get your very own pot with your own soup base. I personally like my soup bases to be spicy but my friend and sister cannot handle spicy; therefore, it’s great. I don’t have to fight with them on the type of soup I want. It’s also not as nice because the pot is kind of far. I’m a pretty short gal so if I want a good reach on the pot, sometimes I gotta stand up. Ichi Ichi has tons of soup bases from you to choose from. I went with their spicy pork bone broth while my friend and sister went with a regular pork bone broth.
The veggie plate came out relatively fast. You get to choose the type of meat you want and the size of platter you want. They have small, medium, and large — the bigger the size, the more slices of meat you get. The price of your meal depends on which size of meat platter you choose. You also get a bowl of rice with your order.
The spicy pork bone broth definitely has a kick to it. It was definitely spicy. It isn’t enough to kill me over and make me sit on the toilet for hours but it certainly quenches my thirst for something spicy. Granted, that was all I can taste. I couldn’t really taste the actual soup base like I should and that RARELY happens. As for the regular pork bone broth, it tasted like the soup bases from those instant ramen packets … I was literally drinking msg.
There is also a sauce bar. You can mix your own sauce and dip your meats or veggies in them. I typically don’t like to dip my food into sauces during hot pot/​shabu shabu so I didn’t bother with the sauce bar.
Overall, everything was okay. Pretty standard for a hot pot place. I liked it. I didn’t love it. I most likely won’t be coming back only because there are a ton of other options out there that I can try. Ichi Ichi, unfortunately, doesn’t have anything particularly amazing that would tie me to them, especially while I’m on vacation.

Asian Fusion style Hot pot, individual pots instead of family style for those who don’t like to share!
choose your soup base, your type of meat, AND your meat plate size, then make sure to make it to the sauce bar to increase your options with dipping
—spicy pork bone soup with small rib eye beef (10 slices): each individual pot comes with a plate of veggies, mushroom, tofu, fishcake, & udon, pretty good! i like how thinly sliced the meat is & the ponzu sauce
I’m surprised it took me so long to try this spot in YES plaza