ASHEVILLE - Ahead of the highly anticipated reopening of Ichiban, the culinary team thinly sliced fresh fish, hand mixed large batches of sauce, and spun sharp knives on their fingertips as they prepared to welcome guests into their new and improved restaurant after a two-year closure forced by Hurricane Helene.
"I'm excited more than anything. Two years has been a long time," assistant manager Henry Romero said during an Oct. 5 tour of the spot, renovated to expand kitchen and dining room space.
The Japanese hibachi and sushi bar relaunches starting Oct. 7 for a reservation-only soft opening week. It quickly booked up after announcing the event on social media.
Ichiban's regular service will begin Oct. 12 with no reservations required at its new
address, 130 Hospitality Way in East Asheville.
Hurricane Helene wrecked the previous location.
Established by the Chen family in 2000, Ichiban's former Hendersonville Road commercial suite in Biltmore Village was swamped as the Swannanoa River crested at 27.33 feet when Helene hit Western North Carolina in September 2024.
The new site is a former Cracker Barrel, which closed in July 2025. The former Cracker Barrel gift shop was transformed into a dining area where guests can watch grill-side as hibachi chefs dazzle. A sushi bar will offer prime views of chefs preparing classic and signature sushi rolls and sashimi.
"We're excited to open. The bigger kitchen is better for us. It's going to be much easier for us," said head chef Putu Adnyana, who recommends the hibachi filet mignon and hibachi chicken and shrimp plates to first-time guests. "We're ready for the opening."
Returning Ichiban customers may recognize familiar faces, as Romero said that nearly 80% of the staff had returned, with the other 20% new hires joining the team.
Romero has worked at the restaurant since 2014, most recently in management positions. He worked full-time work at his family's insurance agency while waiting for Ichiban to reopen. He said he intended to help the Chen family relaunch to show his gratitude for the support they've offered him over the years.
"The owners have taken care of me, and I love providing," Romero said. "Food is one of the biggest things where if you enjoy cooking and enjoy serving, restaurant service comes easy, and making people happy."
Ichiban reopens with Japanese hibachi, sushi in larger restaurant
Richard and Jenny Chen, two of the family restaurant owners, previously told the Citizen Times that the new location will cover 10,000 square feet, about 3,000 square feet larger than its former Biltmore Village home.
The upgraded space will require the business to increase its staff from about 40-50 people to at least 60, with more hires to follow, Romero said. The dining room will accommodate more than 230 diners, he said.
"Throughout the years, when you work with people you become friends and family with most," Romero said. "A lot of people here are related and married into the family, you could say. One of my cousins is one of the hibachi chefs."
The bestselling Crab Rangoon dish will return while new dishes have been added and Korean-style dishes are coming soon. Some menu prices have slightly increased due to inflation, mirroring a nationwide trend.
Ichiban has been popular for celebrations, including birthdays, anniversaries and graduations. A private dining room may be reserved for larger groups.
The new site will offer a private, spacious parking lot and a porch where guests can wait on busy nights, sans the rocking chairs of the former building tenants.
Ichiban calls Asheville home for 25 years and counting
Ichiban's new design features accents referencing the past and its deep roots in Asheville. A memorial wall pays homage to what was lost in Helene with photos and captions of the totaled Biltmore Village restaurant.
"I went there two days after everything happened. Just walking into it, it was frightening. Scary," Romero said. "Walking in and seeing everything destroyed was not good. I walked in when mud was knee-deep. A lot of things we had were just gone. This is to remember."
Nods to the building's former tenant includes the grand fireplace in the main dining room and the bar at the entrance. Sake barrels lining the wall above the sushi bar also acknowledge Cracker Barrel.
A backlit wooden silhouette mountain landscape speaks to Ichiban's placement in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
"We always knew we wanted to come back," Romero said.
Ichiban's new chapter builds upon a growing and evolving dining community celebrating Asian food, culture and community.
The Chen family also owns Wasabi, a Japanese restaurant at 19 Broadway downtown. After Helene, they introduced Pho Real, serving Vietnamese cuisine at 640 Merrimon Ave. in North Asheville.
Romero said it appeared that there had been a decline in Asian restaurants in the city after Helene. Though not without ongoing challenges, like tourism decline, he was glad to see new and returning establishments in recent years, including Sushi Kingdom, an all-you-can-eat sushi bar and Japanese eatery that opened on Oct. 4 in the Westgate Regional Shopping Center.
"We've helped by opening Pho Real on Merrimon. Wasabi has definitely slowed down downtown. We've seen a lot of other small Asian cuisine restaurants open up ― Maguro, Murasaki, Miyagi. ... It's a growing community," Romero said.
Ichiban
Where: 130 Hospitality Way, off Tunnel Road (formerly Cracker Barrel), Asheville.
Reopening: Oct. 12.
Lunch hours: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 12-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Dinner hours: 4:30-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 4:30-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 4:30-9 p.m. Sunday.
Info: Reservations are full for the soft opening week Reservations are not required after the Oct. 12 grand opening. Larger dining parties may reserve tables at (828) 252-7885. View the menu at ichibanavl.com. For updates and announcements, follow Ichiban on Facebook.
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Co., covering the food and beverage industry, including the James Beard Awards, Michelin Awards, restaurant openings, closings and other hospitality industry news and events. Tips, comments, questions? Email tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow @PrincessOfPage on Instagram. Sign up for AVL Bites and Brews, our weekly food and drink newsletter here.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Beloved Ichiban restaurant reopens, transforms former Cracker Barrel
