Kazunori is always a consistent hit and my go‑to spot whenever I'm craving hand rolls. The quality…read moreis unbeatable for the price -- truly the best deal around -- and everything is always fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. Service is friendly and attentive. They keep your water filled, and they're quick to refill wasabi and ginger without you even having to ask. It's bar seating only, which can be a little tricky for a shorty like me to hop up and down from, but the food and service make it worth it. There are no reservations, just walk‑in, but the service is fast and I've never had to wait. Plus, they offer free parking validation for 2 hours, which is a huge bonus. Always reliable, always delicious -- Kazunori never disappoints!

KazuNori is a restaurant opened but the same group as SUGARFISH. They specialize in hand rolls…read moreserved one at a time across the counter. They have multiple locations across the Southern California area including this one near Old Town Pasadena. They do not reservations and you wait in line until there are open seats for your party. We came at around 6pm on a Friday evening and were seated immediately for a party of two. When we left at around 7pm there was a long line waiting so I recommend coming earlier. I recommend coming with a smaller party. They have different presets of hand rolls by count (3 to 6) where 6 is the most popular. The chef hands each roll to you individually and you're expected to eat it immediately to ensure the seaweed is crisp and the rice is warm. I got the 6-hand roll set ($29) which included toro, yellowtail, salmon, bay scallop, crab, and lobster. My favorites were the salmon, bay scallop, and crab. I also got the eel hand roll ($5.75) which was also good. If you want to be surprised, there's The Nozie which is their omakase style 6 hand roll set.

Aikan is my go to place in the Pasadena area for AYCE sushi. My waitress tonight was Cate and she…read morewas great! Thanks Aikan

Food was great but the standout was our waiter Kevin. He was great and made the whole meal worth…read moreit. Environment was great along with the music but Kevin was the best waiter!

Hands down, one of the best Tendon you can have in LA...and I don't usually look for Tendon!…read moreTempura is freshly deep fried and once it came to my tables everything was crispy and taste was phenomenal. Great customer service by the staff, caring, and fast service. Very cozy ambiance, they have both inside and outside seating. For a smaller restaurant like this, it has a good amount of table/seats. Not to mention that their sushi rolls were spot on as well. Would come back several times.

I was looking forward to trying this place out this past Saturday for Mother's Day, but…read moreunfortunately, the food and service disappointed me. I understand they are busy, but there is no reason to swing the door at my face when I simply asked where I can put my name down on the waiting list. No answer, just rolled eyes and door in face. We really should've left because from that moment, it definitely felt like it was a mission for the two servers to make it a miserable experience for my family. I later found a small post holding up a chromebook outside of the restaurant with a paper with very small print explaining waitlist rules. It would be a lot better if the restaurant made a larger print sign that just says, "Sign In Here," and then have your small print letter to the customers about the rules. We put our name down at 12:30pm, it gave an estimated seat time of ~1pm. But because of the terrible service and mismanagement of the waiting list, we didn't get seated until 1:30pm. They seated 4 parties of 2-3 before our party of 4 when the open tables were side by side. On top of that, after we got seated, they still gave water and took the other tables orders that were seated after us before they came to us. Food took another 20 minutes to come out. I asked for the bill three times, but it didn't come until the other tables that were seated after us left and it was just empty tables next to us. In terms of the food, it was fine and the tempura was cooked well but I do not need to eat their tempura to be treated this poorly.

Osawa is 100% worth the hype, and if you haven't heard of it, let me hype it up for you…read more The place is small so be prepared to wait if you're trying to go on a Thursday-Saturday, or show up when they open for lunch or dinner. Ambiance is super cute, love the little flags over the sushi/shabu bar and the art on the walls adds to the Japanese restaurant feel. The aroma when you walk in is mouthwatering (I was really hungry) but it doesn't smell fishy like some sushi places can. Staff is unbelievably great, super friendly and helpful if you have any questions about the menu or want recommendations. Don't be afraid to ask what the MP is on omakase, they totally work with what you're looking to spend or based on how many pieces of sushi you want to eat. Now for the real reason to visit Osawa: the food is absolutely amazing!!! Fresh, tasty, perfectly portioned. From the shishito peppers appetizer to the sushi, sashimi, hand rolls, and shabu; I cannot recommend this place enough! They have plenty of sake options to pair with your meal as well as beer or specialty cocktails if that's your preference. They offer to explain your order when it arrives which is great for those newer to sushi or just trying something different. Seriously, some of those fish practically melt in your mouth. I personally haven't ordered any rolls yet but they absolutely look delicious. If you're looking for a good sushi date spot, this. is. it. It's also good for a small group, maybe up to five or so before you feel cramped. Shabu is seated at the bar and their meats and veggie are delicious and fresh, enhanced by the tasty broth. It's even good on a summer day because they have solid air conditioning. Cannot say enough good things about Osawa. Go try it for yourself. :)

I had been a longtime customer here for about seven years, but I stopped going after getting food…read morepoisoning from fish here in March 2025. After more than a year away, I decided to give Osawa another try on May 8, 2026. Unfortunately, the experience confirmed why I had stopped coming. Around 9:02 p.m., my waiter came by to ask for last orders. I ordered chicken karaage. This is a simple dish that usually comes out in about 4 to 5 minutes. For whatever reason, the order did not arrive until around 9:26 p.m. -- almost 25 minutes later. It seemed obvious that the order had been forgotten. When the karaage finally arrived, it looked hastily sauced. Several parts of the chicken were unsauced, which is not how the dish was normally served in the past. Given the delay and the apparent mishandling, I did not touch the dish. A Japanese male manager wearing glasses then came over. He recognized me, and I explained that I had not been back for more than a year because of the food poisoning incident from fish in 2025. Instead of responding seriously, the manager smiled and giggled slightly, then launched into an irrelevant conversation about his connections in the Japanese food industry in Old Town Pasadena. When he asked why I had not touched the chicken, I explained the almost 30-minute delay and the problems with the dish. Rather than comping the item or offering a real apology, the manager asked whether I still wanted to eat it or would prefer to cancel it. He then ended the conversation by suggesting that I come in during weekday lunch for the $18 lunch specials. That response was bizarre and tone deaf. I did not return after a food poisoning incident to hear a sales pitch about lunch specials. I returned as a longtime customer giving Osawa another chance. Osawa's way of doing business has changed a lot. I've seen better customer service at Erewhon.

I used to teach in Osaka, so I really miss having onigiri everywhere. They don't always translate…read morewell in U.S. restaurant settings, so the most reliable versions are usually found at Japanese supermarkets. I love both locations of Rice & Nori, but the Pasadena one wins for the free parking. If you're really hungry, go for the rice balls, their thicker take on onigiri. If you want something lighter, mix it up with a few hand rolls instead. Grab a sake can honoring the Dodgers, and you've got a perfect lunch spot. They used to go a bit heavy on the nori, making it overly salty, but on my recent visit, they nailed it.

This is one of my go to spots for a quick and filling meal!…read more Their onigiris are definitely the best thing on their menu, I have had the handrolls but I think that their nori is soggy and is hard to bite through. My absolute favorite onigiris are the shio salmon and the spicy lobster shrimp. They are very filling ! I will usually get 2 or 3 if I am super hungry. The food always comes out fast and is better eaten at the restaurant! But on the weekends can get kind of busy.

Came here for lunch on a Saturday. There was a line before opening so I would recommend coming…read moreearly, especially if you are coming with a group. The meal was a fun experience! It was clear that the chef put a lot of thought into each bite. The ones that stood out the most to my group were the salmon sushi with toasted sesame (the nuttiness of the toasted sesame was incredible), unagi (the eel sauce was the best that I've ever had and I've been to Japan!), and the lobster hand roll. I would recommend parking The Commons so that you can get validation at Sugarfish.

Free Trust Me on your birthday! You have to dine-in twice prior to your birthday and make sure to…read morewrite down your information on their check-in papers that usually come with your bill. There's a few parking lots that are surrounding the place but they all require payment. I came here on a Wednesday night at 8 p.m. and there wasn't a wait fortunately! We were seated instantly next to two tables and I will say, it's an uncomfortable few seconds (for both parties) squeezing in between to sit down since the tables are so close together. I will say that the restaurant has a dark/intimate ambiance since it's lit by the candles at your table. My table ordered 2 trust me's and 1 nozawa trust me. You're served with a plate of edamame and then each fish one by one. They wait for the entire table to finish eating the plate in front of you before going back to the kitchen to let them know when to prepare to following dish. The fish literally feels like it melts in your mouth. You get a chance to chew but then everything else melts in your mouth. The sushi rice they use is magnificent. When the sushi comes out, the rice is so warm and the fish on top is cold and it's honestly an amazing experience in your mouth.

Katsu Jin has quickly become a new staple for me. Their tonkatsu is incredibly authentic -- I love…read morethe ritual of grinding the sesame seeds for the katsu sauce, it makes the whole experience feel so fresh and intentional. If there's a wait, just check in and they'll give you a buzzer. Sometimes the wait can be quite long so I try to go right when they open for dinner. Definitely eat your meal in the restaurant -- the tonkatsu is best when it's hot, crispy, and straight from the kitchen. Service is always very friendly, and the food is consistently delicious. Their tonkatsu is the star, but the furikake corn ribs are a must‑try too. A reliable, comforting spot that never disappoints!

This establishment is quite small, but we were able to get seated right away since we arrived right…read morewhen it opened at 5 PM on a Saturday. By the time we left around 7 PM, there was already a small wait. On the bright side, parking was easy, which is always a plus. The mango matcha was surprisingly good. You could really taste the mango flavor blended with the matcha. I ordered the cheese katsu, and it was definitely very cheesy. The only downside was that there wasn't much meat in the katsu itself. Service was fast and attentive throughout our visit.

Service is great, food is just typical American-Japanese ramen, sushi's hand roll and sashimi…read more Price is on par with Pasadena range. Beer isn't bad.

This place has amazing food and a great atmosphere I absolutely love coming here. The service was…read moreexceptional and the servers in general were very sweet making sure that we (my family) was well taken care of. I've heard people saying its pricy but the quality is better than any other places I've been especially the sushi.

If you're looking for an affordable place in the Pasadena area to get decent sushi, Tokoro is a…read moregreat place to go. There is plenty of street parking which is great. It's a cute little place with friendly and attentive service and quick service. My favorite was probably the spicy tuna crispy rice. It was flavorful and came in pretty big pieces, and also had a flood eel sauce that I loved! Overall, this was a decent spot and I'd definitely come back here again!

I visited Tokoro Sushi yesterday with my cousin while we were walking around South Pasadena and…read moresearching for a good sushi spot. We decided to stop in, and it ended up being a great choice. We ordered the OMG Sushi, the Sashimi Jalapeño, and shared a lunch-special beef bulgogi. The sashimi was fresh and delightful, definitely something I'd love to have again and the OMG Sushi hit the spot. Everything was flavorful and satisfying, and it took care of our sushi craving perfectly. It was around two in the afternoon, so the restaurant wasn't particularly busy, but the service was still attentive. The venue was clean and welcoming, and it had that comfortable, reliable feel of a neighborhood go-to sushi place. If I'm in the area again, I'd definitely return.

I went on a Thrusday @ 3pm and there was plenty seating, very chill. Great spot if you are eating…read morealone or in small group. Waitress was very nice and food didn't take long to come out. I was very surprised at the size of our plates, it made the price very worth it! Ordered the Spicy bulgogi ramen but I wouldn't say that it's even spicy which is fine for me I'm not even a huge fan of spice. 10/10! My fiancee ordered the Bulgogi entree that comes with steamed rice & miso soup. They are not stingy with meat here and the meat quality is pretty good. 10/10 for him. The nigiri had pretty big pieces of salmon on top so the ratio of fish to rice was a little unbalanced, not enough rice. The salmon was good quality though, 8/10. I also got the baked salmon roll and it was suppose to be spicy but, again, not really spicy lol I loveeee me a warm baked roll though and it was delicious 10/10 Overall I recommend it for casual eats. I want to come back in the evening because their hours say open until 12:30am which could be a late night vibe! Must-try spot with amazing food!!

What makes this sushi restaurant unique is that it is Korean family-owned, so there are Korean…read moredishes served along with Japanese dishes. My partner and I shared the rainbow roll, mango cha cha roll, lemon salmon roll, salmon bento box, and cheese bulgogi. I really enjoyed the creative specialty sushi rolls, with my favorite roll being the mango cha cha roll. It tasted savory from the crispy shrimp tempura, while the fresh mango on top added a nice, refreshing pop of sweetness. As for the lemon salmon roll, it tasted fresh and more citrus-forward. Surprisingly, the salmon bento box was very filling and balanced. This included 2 pieces of grilled teriyaki salmon, 4 pieces of California roll, mixed tempura, miso soup, and a small salad with dressing. For anyone who does not eat raw fish, this would be the perfect dish. For the cheese bulgogi, there was a sweet-savory soy garlic flavor. I liked that the meat was thinly sliced, which paired perfectly with the gooey melted cheese. However, it was a bit saltier than I'd like it to be. Some rice and miso soup was served alongside this to balance out the richness from the cheese. Service could have been better. It seems that the staff were not very attentive at times, even though the place was not busy. Nonetheless, all of the food was pretty good and there was a chill atmosphere. This is a solid sushi bar to visit for either lunch or dinner.