Ichiban Bakery

This overlooked Chinese bakery deserves more attention! Come here for your strawberry spongecakes and other various spongecake needs. They are just as good if not better than Golden Delight Bakery!
The name is confusing. This is a Chinese bakery and not Japanese. There is a Japanese bakery within this same shopping center, but they really aren’t in competition because Ichiban makes some great items that I haven’t found at Belle’s Bread.
Come here for the sponge cakes. Golden Delight Bakery, another Chinese bakery in Cbus is famous for their strawberry cake, but few people realize that Ichiban offers them too! I have been happier with Ichiban’s as I’ve experienced a couple of dry cakes from Golden Delight in the past. If you’ve never had a Chinese sponge cake then oh my gawd please try one. They layer superlight pieces of spongecake with whipped cream and top the cake with slices of fruit. The result is delicate, light, and delicious. I highly highly recommend ordering a taro root cake. It is the most beautiful lilac color and the flavor is almost like an earthy chocolate.
They also offer some rolls and loaves of bread. I love the cream cheese bread. Picture a fluffy loaf of white bread with swirls and patches of cheese cakeness inside. Yeah… It’s amazing. Pairs great with coffee and tea.
If you want a cake, I would call and order ahead! Also, the interior isn’t much to see and they sometimes have slim pickings so get there earlier in the day or again, call ahead and order!
I might’ve just written this review while eating an entire half loaf of cream cheese bread…

2 of us stopped in for lunch. Our order included a pork bun, green onion bun, coconut bun, and rasberry mousse. All for $ 5.60. But what’s best is not the price, but the fact that this food is gooood. Very gooood. I have no comparasions to offer. But this is a neat little unpretensious place that is worth a try for something a bit different. If you do, you will prolly return, as i do.

I was looking for an authentic asian bakery with good asian buns. This place was no chinatown bakery but it definitely had good buns. The pricing wasn’t bad – about 1.25−1.50 for a bun.

No frills, no nonsense Asian bakery. In all honesty, it kinda looks like a dump compared to the nearby fancy Belle’s bakery. However, that’s something I really like about it. They don’t do any kind of fanciness and just deliver delicious, fluffy Asian cakes. You can get the basic white cake with a strawberry on top or their smaller cake rolls too. They also have other things like cookies, but I’ve only gotten the cakes. Way, way, way cheaper than Belle’s. The only reason I’d get something at Belles instead of Ichiban is if I want to get something very visually appealing/​impressive, but much prefer the cakes at Ichiban personally.

Love their freshly made Taro Cake. Soft, lots of Taro, and not too sweet. Good flavor.
Next time, I would try the famous mango cake, as I was told you need 3 days ordering! Reason being they gonna buy the mango and let it sit ripe for 3 days before making the cut to be in the cake.

So this review is gonna make me sound ignorant, but I don’t care. I have been here three times and all just to get the cake. What cake you ask? I dunno! It’s a white cake with really lite icing and fruit. I’m not sure what the cake is actually called. But all you need to know is it is delicious! It doesn’t have a heavy feel to it when you eat it– it’s lite and airy and has great flavor! I’ve been able to call ahead and they have it ready when I’m ready. I gave it five stars based solely on the service I received and the cake. But that cake tho! :o)

I’ve been coming to this place since I first moved to Columbus about 7 or 8 years ago and I’ll be coming back as long as it’s open! Every time I’m there the same guy is behind the counter. He’s always very friendly and pleasant, and willing to go out of his way to get something for me if it’s not out (usually cutting a slice of something off a whole cake if the single piece is out).
My favorite is the dried shredded pork buns, melon buns, and the red bean buns. I’m always hungry when I get there and go a bit overboard and purchase one of almost everything (except for the cakes, I don’t like cakes so I don’t often buy them).
I moved about 50 miles away 4 years ago, and every time I come back to Columbus I always stop by this bakery to load up on treats before I go home.

I took off one star because it’s a little pricier than other Asian bakeries (not in Columbus though, more like Chicago Chinatown), which isn’t entirely fair, but a roll cake is like $ 4.50 in Chinatown and I think around ~$ 7 here. I still think it’s a decent deal since you don’t find them in a lot of places, and the pricing is probably very different from other cities due to demand. Price is not going to stop me from going here haha.
Everything I’ve had is good. It’s a simple bakery that’s family owned, and the owners have been friendly and very helpful. I really like the strawberry cake. We’ve gotten it multiple times to go home for family gatherings. Asian pastries, desserts, and cakes are all way lighter than Americanized ones so I really like them. I also like whipped cream/​light frosting a lot better than regular American frosting.

Maybe I visited the bakery during a «off» time — during my lunch break — but the pickings were pretty slim. I’m sure if I visited when everything was stocked, I’d be a little more wowed.
With that said, traditional CHINESE bakery. I know, I know, there’s a Japanese word in the name — but it’s Chinese. The owner and the bakers were kind and we exchanged a few pleasantries in my native tongue.
Asian breads and pastries are lighter, with a softer texture and sweeter taste. This place is reminiscent of the Asian bakery my mother use to take me to when I was a child. Bare walls, glass displays, obscure Chinese posters with a stand of flyers.
The prices are cheap, averaged $ 1 per item. Remember, if your order is less than $ 10 — it’s cash only.

I read an article about this bakery and decided to try it out. I tried the Green Tea cake, Blueberry cake, and Japanese cheesecake. I could not believe how much I loved each type.
Whipped topping icing is not something I normally like, but it goes perfectly with Ichiban’s cake and flavoring. Light, fluffy, flavorful yet subtle. I can eat this cake without feeling bloated or bogged down, unlike a traditional western-​style cake.
The Japanese cheesecake was amazing. It had a great taste and texture without being heavy and overpowering. The owner is very friendly and appreciative. He doesn’t mind explaining exactly what you’re buying so you know what to expect. I buy cake every week from Ichiban and I highly recommend it to anyone.

There are 2 rules to follow with Ichiban: 1) Go early because like all bakeries, you’ll find more and fresher baked goods. 2) The male owner is usually in a serious mood, so don’t take this as being unfriendly or grumpy.
I do like their pastries (pork buns, coconut buns and scallion buns) and their strawberry cake. I’ve heard many opinions that Golden Delight is better, and I would have to say that I will give GD the slight edge, but Ichiban is not too far behind.
In terms of the owner, some people may see him as unfriendly, but he’s just carries a serious persona when behind the glass. He’s never been rude to me, but I’ve also rarely seen him smile.

I recommend going in the morning if you can. I went a little before closing time today and the bun, while still good, was not as fresh and delicious as as they are in the morning.

This place is a monthly treat. I wander in off the street, buy a couple red bean buns, and wander out. The owner is very friendly and patient with me as I often am there trying to pick out things for a fee people, my kids included, and need time to think.
It’s kind of hidden in a strip mall in the corner, but they have a loyal customer base. You will be hooked too once you try this bakery. Go grab a steam bun!

yum. The owners are Taiwanese so a lot of the menu items are cooked like when I first had them in Taiwan or made by my mom. I usually buy the steamed rice buns which are a very hearty snack. The Bread buns they have are a good to eat when Crescent Bakery is closed. My favorite is the dried pork bun (yes, Mike, it’s supposed to be dried and crumbly) and the custard buns. Inside looks a little desolate and a little dusty, but the food is pretty fresh.

Sunday’s are slow. I walked in just to see what’s to be seen. I found mostly white breads and some packaged sweet treats, cookie-​like items.
A smile came to my face when I saw a mini egg custard pie for $ 0.90. It was so cute and so cheap, I had to get it. I was about to pay and leave when I noticed the sale tray. Leftover from Saturday, no doubt. That’s okay, the last item was a green onion loaf for $.60. I grabbed that to go too.
I started with what was supposed to be the more savory of the tow, the green onion loaf. It was served room temperature, and was a little stale. I know, it was on sale. I can’t expect perfection. But what I did expect was more depth to the green onion filling. Actually, it wasn’t a filling, just a topping to a football shaped piece of bread. Oh well, at least I had the custard, and it was great! Not grainy, but smooth and not too sugary. I avoided most of the crust though. I guess I was in more of a pudding-​y kind of mood.

Whether you like savory, meat-​filled buns or sweet, spongy Japanese cakes, Ichiban Bakery is your one-​stop Asian bakery in Columbus.
Every once in awhile I just have to trek up to Ichiban and get the rainbow roll. So fluffy, so spongy, so delicious! Anything red bean is a must-​devour, too. I’ve never yet had the notion to try the savory breads, though: Ichiban is for satisfying my occasional (some might even say rare) sweet tooth.
The service is quick and friendly, and the prices are great. It’s an easy place to stock up on treats at. More people should be stopping at Ichiban Bakery more often!

I must have gone on a day where I got a bad batch, but I got a pork bun where the crust was dry and crumbly, and the inside was full of dried shredded pork (like they forgot to rehydrate it). It was pretty nasty.
However, I had a piece of fruit spongecake, and that made it good enough for three stars. I prefer crescent, which is in the same area.

The worst thing about Ichiban Bakery is trying to decide what to eat. Ichiban can’t figure out if it wants to be a Chinese or a Japanese bakery, so I’ll just call it an Asian Bakery. That means plenty of airy cakes and buns to choose from, and not just things that are sweet! There are many types of buns filled with pork, hot dogs, there are steamed buns and baked buns too.
But don’t skip out on the sweets. There are chocolate crème horns, coffee cream horns, and vanilla with sprinkles to choose from. They have slices of cake rolls that are light and filled with a delicate cream. Nothing overly sweet like western cakes. Try a Green Tea Cake Roll or a Strawberry Cake Roll. Can’t make up your mind? Take home the Rainbow Roll, which samples a slice of each. Simple and delicate cakes are also available.
With so many light and fluffy deserts to choose from, you’ll either be coming back frequently, or you’ll have quite a sweet feast on your hands.