Came in for the first time for a quick birthday lunch at 1:45 pm, fully aware that they close at 2:30 with all intention of respecting that, we also let the server know what we would be quick. We were treated like we very inconveniencing them and had about 30 sec with the menu before rushed to order. Like mentioned earlier this is our first time and we did not even get enough time to look over the menu without the server: June, came over 3 times. I won't be back which is a shame for them because I love sushi and so does my wife. Thank you for terrible service. read more

Would never order from here again. Ordered via UberEats and took them 90 mins to have the order ready for pick up... no apologies, no acknowledgement. Shocking poor customer service. read more

The restaurant has many Japanese tapa dishes which is great. However, their sushi is not as good as it should be made by Japanese chefs. Price is also high for the food quality served. I wish they would care more about the quality of food such as not too dry for katsu and better rice and cut of fish for sushi...etc. read more

Sub-par overpriced sushi feels like something I could've gotten from an all-you-can-eat buffet. They also charge extra for the sauce! Their miso soup also felt like someone just mixed hot water with paste. How this place is getting good reviews I don't know. If you want sushi of this grade, try the Vegas Seafood Buffet. At least there, you get all you can eat. read more

the worst sushi place ever !! had a bad experience with the food quality . fish doesn't smell and taste fresh. very unfriendly staff ! over priced meal ! won't come back and won't recommend to anybody. this place so overrated!! rude employees and owner !! note : treat your delivery drivers nicely !! read more

Truly amazing quality sashimi. The family also does commercial fishing & brings in their catch. The Super Deluxe Sashimi dinner is available for take-out, and is a favorite "special day" treat. I'm so busy eating that I forget to take a picture - LOL! read more

My family and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner here last weekend. The service was spot on and the food was delicious. The decor made me feel like I was in a Japanese art museum with many decorative pieces on display. So unusual yet very attractive. The owner knew my uncle which made it even more special. We will be back! read more

Matsuri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I dedicate to Matsuri my 1st and possibly last Food wRap: They gonna make Yo grub And it ain't NO snub They will make it right or say Good Night They make food for humanity it ain't no vanity You won't use NO profanity only keep Yo sanity eating they grub I'm no jester Just a verbal compressor The food is good The best in our 'hood Its just a cold fact And I ain't whacked! read more

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Pretty average sushi place on terms of taste. What I didn't like was how mushy the spicy tuna rolls were. The rolls also fell apart really easily so they were difficult to eat. read more

i never yelp places but this restaurant deserves every compliment, it was a choice between two restaurants so we picked this place randomly. As we headed down we craved authentic good quality sushi and boy did this place not fail to succeed. As we got seated we were instantly welcomed with smiles and edamame ;) when we got our food we devoured the plate as if it was a delicacy! if you are ever in town i recommend this place 100% thank you so much for having us, we'll for sure become regulars! read more

This place is a half block from my apartment and man and I happy about that! The freshness of Matsuri is fantastic and makes it truly fantastic. Do yourself a favor and order some sushi from here. read more

Amazing black cod dish that I am still thinking about, days after our last visit. The sushi is fresh and the large menu provides something for everyone. We miss their Eagle Rock bowl location but we're happy to come back to Pasadena for more yummy food! read more

Okay for those that have given this place a one star you really need to upgrade your food status or learn to appreciate real Japanese food. This restaurants food is not only great but It is consistently good! The ladies are pleasant that work there and if you take their service as being rude you're the one who's come in looking for them to bow at your beck and call. For those that are looking for a pleasant meal, good prices and a traditional Japanese style restaurant I highly recommend this place. And if you're looking for dynamite rolls, catapiller rolls, and wacky sushi rolls then go to Tomomi on Main St. read more

Matsuri is one of best sushi place in Pasadena where you can get a variety of fresh, delicious fish. Even if you come on a weekday, expect a bit of a wait. I always make a reservation to get sit and order Omakasa B. Highly recommended read more

SapporoBeer.... Mmmmm Blue fin sushi ...mmmm Teriyaki beef n brown rice..mmmm PRETTYDAMNGOOD read more

Quality over quantity is best to describe this wonderful establishment. They have an extensive sushi menu and Japanese appetizers. This restaurant is very family friendly. The staff is always friendly and welcoming. I give this place 5 stars. read more

Matsuri - Agadashi Tofu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I took my wife her for her birthday and this place does not disappoint. I put the order in the hands of the chef, we got got 11 courses and we wereI stuffed. Their soft shell crab and sweet shrimp was delicious which I highly recommend. Fish was fresh as usual, if it's available, the mackerel and red snapper is on my recommend list read more

A Japanese restaurant owned by a Japanese family is becoming a rare item in LA, especially once you venture outside of Torrance and its neighboring cities. I enjoy coming here. Eiji and Jyun do a great job preparing sushi. Their specials like the snapper carpaccio and salmon carpaccio are exceptional. Whenever I sit down, there's a homey feel to it, and it spurs me to eat anything; from the sushi to their hot comfort food! Just awesome! read more

This restaurant has the family run feeling to it- the servers go that extra mile to care for their customers and take pride in their food offerings. We got the sushi boat which was affordable and pretty good quality. The atmosphere is cute but a little stale- that's why I gave them 4 instead of 5 stars. I have also been to the offshoot restaurant matsuri bowl and got the same level of service but with more modern food options- both very tasty. read more

Was in the Pasadena area and was craving some Japanese beer. And what better pairing with Japanese beer than Japanese appetizers? This restaurant is located in Pasadena south of Colorado Blvd and off of S. Lake Avenue on Green Street. This area has other fantastic restaurants such as Bistro 45 and Malbec's. Matsuri's is down the block from Malbec's, I started off with Orion Brewing's Limited Lager. Now, I am not a huge fan of lagers, but if I wanted an IPA, I wouldn't have chosen Japanese! The beer poured golden in color with about a one-finger head that settled after a few minutes. The beer tasted super smooth with a slight hint of herbal bitterness. I wasn't starving, so I ordered their Shishi-to Peppers and the Pork Berkshire Sausage. Both were great paired with the beer. The Shishi-to Peppers were nice and spicy, some more than others. The Sausage was grilled nicely, had a nice texture, and was accompanied with some spicy mustard. Staff is super friendly. Parking on the street is hit-or-miss, but I had no problems finding parking on the street. They do have a small parking lot behind the restaurant. Pricing was very reasonable for the area - its Pasadena. All in all, this family owned and operated restaurant has been in this location for almost 15-years and serves up some of the freshest sashimi - the sushi chef catches and prepares specials based on their catches. Enjoy. read more

My friends and I came here to celebrate my birthday and we all had a great time! Everyone thought the food was delicious and affordable. It only cost our group of 12 people $260, and that is including 6 beers and 3 orders of organic green tea. I ordered the beef sukiyaki and loved it! It came in a metal pot and was covered with a cute wooden top. The sukiyaki had about three large slices of beef, a few strands of vermicelli, and some onions. There was a lot of broth, and it was a nice mixture of sweet and salty flavors. I wish I had gotten a larger bowl of rice because I wanted to have rice with the broth...oh so good! Fair warning, if you are a big eater, you might consider ordering an appetizer to help fill you up. The service was just simply amazing. They went above and beyond what was necessary for a good job and really made my night special. We knew the restaurant closes at 10PM so around 9:45PM when they turned off the light in the section I was sitting in, I just thought they were warning us to leave soon. Instead, they turned off the light so they could bring out a scoop of delicious green tea ice cream with a lit candle! The staff all walked over to our table and sang the birthday song to me. It was great. Our adorable waiter then pulled out a camera and took a group shot. We were confused as to why he did that until he came back 3 minutes later with a copy of the picture for me to keep! In addition to that, I was given a pair of cute reusable chopsticks as a gift from the restaurant!! Now what other place does stuff like this? I felt really honored and special that night. Thanks Matsuri for the great food and service. You will be seeing me again in the future. P.S. I love that you have free parking in behind your restaurant! read more

Came for dinner with my dad. Of course he wants to drink so we started with a bottle of cold sake. Grilled shishto pepers? Yummy and moist bit spicy jap egg plant.. i always love egg plants.. don't matter how they're cooked large sashimi dinner - about 16 pieces of sashimi Had to order a separate order of Uni! I love UNI! it was delicious and fresh, probably the best I had for awhile. then boiled spinach (very plain, i just wanted more veges) Brown rice Large bottle of beer hahah gotta love japanese beer. Sat here and talked to the father for 2 hrs.. good vibe, small restaurant, close to his studio in pasadena, Def coming back here again. Bill was total 85 plus tip we paid 100. read more

+1 lots and lots of street parking. Matsuri even had a lot but I didn't investigate it. +1 not busy +1 great service, free edamame, constant refills on water and tea - 1 they didn't bang the gong for me, though it was probably a good thing they didn't - 1 bizarre 80s "romantic lady" restroom. What's up with the giant birdbath full of potpourri? - 1 mediocre sushi So, this placed averaged 1.5 for me with the stars for service and parking. I probably would not return because there are so many sushi joints in this town that I rather try or go back to. I ordered the sushi deluxe combo. It comes with 12 pieces of sushi and a tuna roll for $22.95 which is a great deal. I asked for the tuna roll to be made spicy and even though they don't do substitutions on combos, the sushi chef did accommodate my request and they only charged me $24. That's really cool. Unfortunately, only the roll was really good. The 12 different nigiri consisted of somewhat tolerable to mediocre fish. There was uni but it was just okay. The fish was sliced so thin, you could see the greenish dab of wasabi through the white fish. Pretty much all the fish was unmemorable except the tuna and the red snapper were good. Oh, and all the sushi was a bit smaller in size on average. I did like the salmon roe and unagi. But the squid, shrimp and clam were bad. I think this place would only be good for rolls and non-sushi items. My friend ordered four orders of sushi and a hand roll and still felt hungry. So she also got the fried chicken and fried octopus legs. Both were good and not greasy at all. We finished with mochi which at $3 a piece was quite expensive. -edit, I just got an email from my friend that she went to In N Out afterwards! My god, she was still hungry! And mind you, I made her stop eating and to get mochi so we could get out of there. I thought the waitress was going to have a cute Japanese girl giggling fit whiting-out the bill again with my friend's additional orders. (hi to the valet-phile who's reading this review!) read more

Sorry, I would've thought for a place packed with japanese locals I would've expected something a lot nicer. Ordered Spicy Tuna, crunchy roll, caterpillar, and their combination beef teriyaki/tempura roll. Gyoza came in bland in flavor, then the tuna came in tasting like supermarket quality, crunchy roll was sloppy, and the teriyaki came in thin and luke warm. My apologies for those that favor this place but I was very disappointed. Thank goodness for Taco trucks. read more

If you want a little morsel of every fish in the sea, get the Matsuri Chirashi. That thing is huge and just overflowing with very fresh sashimi! Our server also told me that the ingredients change every day, based on what's fresh and available. Check out my photo, but that really doesn't do it justice. They had a little of everything, including tuna, clam, yellowtail, scallop, unagi, mackerel, salmon... and so on and so forth, all on top of sushi rice with furikake/seaweed sprinkled on top. You just keep finding more fish hiding all over the bowl! Yes, Matsuri is a little expensive, but that chirashi is really fresh and really tasty, and you will not leave hungry! read more

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Came here for the first time with friends and I have to say everything tastes amazing Parking : you can park on the street or you can park in the back of the store. Atmosphere : casual very family oriented . It was not packed and we got to sit right away . Food : oh boy we ordered a lot of things so it's hard to remember everything but the few things that stood out was the octopus it was cut very thin and tasted fresh , their live crap that they fried and served it with a light sauce to dip it in , and their sexy girl which was beyond yummy . What I really liked about this restaurant was the parents worked the front desk and their sons made the sushi . It was very much a family runned place and I love things like that cuz you know they put their heart n soul into it . read more

*****4.5 STARS***** Unlike Shauna D., who counts her Yelping milestones by the hundreds and thousands, humble ole' me is content to celebrate such modest tortoise-ey achievements in dime-ey increments. thus review #240 comin' your way... So, thanks to Tara C., I've now got another solid sliver of sushi bliss to quench the obsession. believe me, my OCD with sushi in full blown affliction addiction, it t'aint easy to snickers really satisfy me. Thus, if you were to graft my sushi-approved hangouts onto a map of the L.A. megalopolis, it would be a spotty one indeed. a nick of Hama in J-town, a speck o' Daichan on Sawtelle, a slice o' Toro's in the 'Hambra in the SGV, a Haru (Weho-BH) here and a Hide there... Well, now, I've got a gregarious Gold-liney go-to that would make fellow Yelper Paul 'Captain Liver Damage' D. proud. How High, para mi on the Mat-su-R-EE? 1. FRESH, NOT SKIMPY, AND DEEP SELECTION OF FISHIES *started with the SABA (mackerel), one of my staples. sure it's a cheap fish at most places (on price and quality), but when it's done well, it's fish oily heaven. this was perhaps not Heaven, but a Stairway to it nonetheless :O} *jointly (with the SABA) received a HEAPING nori-wrapped sushi duo of ANKIMO (Monkfish Liver) cuts. Holy Elfin' SHYTE was this perfetto! Huge, creamy chunks stacked inside that seaweed wrap on top of rice. And for only $4.75?!!??! It was the gift that just kept on G(L)iv(er)ing. *I might add that at this point i noticed the perfect balance of Su in the Shi of the expertly constituted rice texture. most places fugg it all up on the rice, but they've got it down. *Sights now turned to the daily specials menu above the bar to the left. Just to the right of the whiteboard, there's an LCD TV tuned into some sports at inconspicuous volume. I noticed the Doyers game was on, and caught BOTH young chefs intently focused on it in between cuts. So much so that I mused upon whether they've ever cut off a bit more than dead fish with those Ginsu blades. Nope, it looks as if all 10 dedos are in order on each of em, unless there be some prosthetics concealed there. :O} Turns out the two chef doods are brothers, and sons of the owners, originally from Japan. Eiji, the older one was born in Japan but grew up in Hawaii, while Jun was born nominally 'Stateside' in Oahu. On and on they cut, and, upon striking up convo, proceeded to talk shop about all things sports fanatic. Digressing, let's return to the fish orgy once again.... *I had a hankering for my usual hunka AJI(Spanish Mackerel), one of me all time faves. Pulling out a slim silvery whole fish from the sushi case, Eiji suggested the SANMA (Saury Pike) instead, which is 'in season' and, as i know, a slightly smaller less oily sib to the Saba mackerel. Usually i've had it as grilled Sanma Shioyaki, but hey, you don't fuck with the system when a chef begins to oma-ka-say yo' ass! Predictably, it was delish, tho i still prefer the cooked version, it's a bit on the fishy side and for those who've had Iwashi Sardine sushi before, it's kinda like that. BONUS was the rest of the whole fish (actually he split it with another bar patron) --5 large chunks each, lightly fried with ponzu on a bed of grated daikon radish, bones and all, for my crunchy consumption. Predictably, it was all full o' boney goodness. Yea, i know that may not sound appetizing, but maaaan was it tasty. *Feeling full-on orgiastic excess coming over me, i deferred to my decadent desires. *BANG! IKURA (Salmon Roe), ginormous globules of the amber stuff, (tho slightly too salty)... *BA-VOOM! HAMACHI (Yellowtail)--good, but a slight bit too fishy and not oily enough *KA-ZAAA! BLUEFIN HON MAGURO (Prime Tuna from Japan)--pretty pree-tee i mus' say! *SHA-ZAM! SAKE (Salmon), silky, thick, and magically delicious! *SHABBA DEE, SHABBA DOO! KAMPACHI! (Amberjack) to finish it all off...huuuge cut, a bit bland, but a fitting reminder that it's time to end this mangia madness! VALUE.QUALITY.SERVICE.AMBIENCE. So yea for all that food, it's $50 bucks including tip. I'd say well worth it for above average to sometimes supremely excellent sushi. tho do beware that it can get a bit pricey if you choose UNI (Sea Urchin), MIRUGAI (Giant Clam), Live Sweet Shrimp, and Toro Bluefin Tuna Belly, all usually expensive, but which i felt were a bit over-priced. The service is top notch, friendly and warm. It's a truly neighborhoody feel with a diverse group of native Japanese and non-Japanese regulars (like the two old mustachioed chatty caucasian coots to my right) ---for bar seating, table service, AND take-out (such as a young Japanese couple that stopped in for 'Mochikaeri' takeout while i was there). I was treated with the same warmth by Eiji and Jun's gregarious traditional Japanese mom, who's not only the HOST, she's also the TAIKO DRUM QUEEN! *****GONG!**** IRASSHAI! ARIGATOO GOZAIMASHITA! GOCHISOO SAMA DESHITA, Indeed!!! DONE. read more

My sister lives in Pasadena so whenever I visit her and we're craving Sushi ..... this is the first place we think of. It's rare that I go somewhere wanting to order salad but the Sashimi Salad here is the best !! My brother usually orders the combination plates and they looked very good and had plenty of food, he even had some left-overs. We also ordered a sashimi plate and everything was very fresh and flavorful ...... I'll be going back again sometime soon to visit Matsuri's .... I mean my sister. The only reason they didn't get 5 stars from me is because they have a gong there and it seems like almost everyone who walked in got a gong, except for us, sup with that? Maybe they just weren't ready for us .... but 2x .... HAHA!! Other than that, the service was good and the restaurant was clean ... parking wasn't a problem the times we went so everything about this place says come back for more. read more

Best sushi I've ever had. Anyone who says otherwise is wrong. If you had a bad time, it must be you. Spanish mackerel, albacore, golden eye snapper. You can't go wrong. read more

Matsuri is my go to sushi bar when in Pasadena. Pasadena is not rife with a lot of great sushi bars but this place is LEGIT. Some of these reviews baffle me. All I can tell you is some people couldn't tell good Japanese food from grocery store sushi. This is a great family run restaurant run by an amazingly sweet and hardworking Japanese family. The mother and father run the restaurant floor and their 2 sons run the sushi bar. You're out of luck if you're looking for a trendy sushi bar, but if you want solid traditional japanese fare then this is your spot. We always sit at the sushi bar and get omakase (chef's selection). If you're really into sushi and sashmi this is the way to go whenever you find a really experienced sushi chef behind the bar. NOTE: they do not allow you to order dinner entrees at the sushi bar. Literally, everything I've ever ordered here has been exceptional. Even though I only spend 1 week a month in LA, I come here regularly and often have a giant bottle of sake stored for me at the restaurant. I just love this place. Forget the negative reviews and let the sushi chefs order for you. I should also mention that I was a sushi chef for 6 years so I know what to look for in good Japanese food. Matsuri is a hidden gem in Pasadena. If you live here, take advantage of this great little restaurant. read more

The sashimi was decent. The cut rolls were poorly made and falling apart. Service was absolutely horrible. I'm not sure how the other waitresses are but the one serving my party should not be in the customer service industry. I'd like to think that I'm normally pretty patient when it comes to service, but this waitress ruined my dinner with her attitude and couldn't even answer my questions regarding the menu. How are you gonna have an attitude when you don't even know the menu?!?! This is based on my one and only experience here so it may have just been a bad day for them but I highly doubt that I'll be returning for another. read more

Fantastic authentic Japanese food! Just came back from Japan and this place brought me all the way back! Great sushi and bento boxes. Rice bowls also top notch. Helpful waiters another plus. read more

I came here recently to enjoy an authentic Japanese meal. I ordered the sashimi super dinner and thoroughly enjoyed it. They do have a small parking lot dedicated to their patrons, but if you come during peak hours plan to spend time finding street parking. read more

Pasadena was really letting me down with their Japanese food offerings. Thank goodness for Matsuri. I was starting to lose faith in this city. Food: The best thing I can say about Matsuri amounts to failing to find anything overtly offensive. The food wasn't spectacular, but I was given what I expected to receive. The standard miso soup started the meal off (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/RiZqeuLN-3y04yh4c20Y0A?select=WaqTClPGz_MArTTWjUz3qA). In an attempt to sample as much as I could, I split the chirashi and a sushi platter with some friends. It's pretty obvious that I'm getting spoiled since this (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/RiZqeuLN-3y04yh4c20Y0A?select=ojqNj2ZkIzVUg5IpmWbo2g) seemed like average chirashi to me. I blame Sushi Go 55 for my initial lack of enthusiasm. In retrospect, this chirashi was one of the better ones I've had since getting addicted to the dish. Stacked with fresh sashimi cuts and ample veggies and rice, it's the perfect meal for any fish lover with a fiber requirement. The sushi platter (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/RiZqeuLN-3y04yh4c20Y0A?select=_hAYoVEe7nclkyU8MyAIOw) came in at a close second. Finally, I didn't get to try either of these, but the sashimi and tempura (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/RiZqeuLN-3y04yh4c20Y0A?select=DIl3EBkSZx0KH-nsHDcVJA) and the chicken teriyaki (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/RiZqeuLN-3y04yh4c20Y0A?select=b15CjgWC9nGTBETrJ-u8TA) dinners looked appetizing. Service: While receiving a steady stream of customers, Matsuri escapes the curse of too much business. We were seated immediately and received our food fairly quickly. Atmosphere: One of the most annoying aspects about this place is the freaking drum next to the door. Every single time someone comes into the restaurant, an employee bangs out a lengthy serenade. It's cute the first time, distracting the second time, and stab-yourself-in-the-leg irritating from then on. Synopsis: The only decent sushi I've had in Pasadena so far. I'm hoping they'll ditch that drum sometime in the near future. read more

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I used to come here and used to enjoy the food...... what happened? In the past 2 months I came with my friends and the first time, it stunk like fish as soon as we stepped in the door... a good sushi place is not supposed to smell. It didn't sit well in my stomach.... 2nd time I took my sister, we ordered sushi and this time it did not smell so I took the risk. We asked for some extra sauce and she wanted to charge extra... we said wow never mind. The service was ok and so was the food so my sister didn't tip well. As we were walking out, the asian woman came behind us to tell us we made a mistake on the tip. That is soooo tacky... as a business that was very unprofessional. read more

Very low quality. Being Japanese owned I expected more. I got the Matsuri Chirashi. Before I dipped in, I already saw that it was a old fish. This almost seemed like that it's been sitting there for about 1 and a half weeks. Spicy tuna in Chirashi seemed really odd to me. The rice was totally under cooked with hurikake topping (don't know why they'd use this). The egg had a tint of gray color to it. For the price there was very little fish. If you like Tuna... the tuna seemed like it was from Ralph. It had a lighter red tint in the fish as oppose to a shiny red tint. It almost seemed like it's been sitting in water for a while. My friend got the salad and you can tell that the salad has been swimming in the dressing and the fish looked old. I felt bad because I got my friends excited about this place. Being Japanese, this place was disappointing. I cannot support this place. Please save your money. Service was decent. I honestly don't understand how this place has a high rating. Oh wait probably because Gaijin =) Enjoy this place at your own risk. I was really disappointed. Oh wait...their miso soup was pretty good. read more

Maybe I'm giving this place 5-stars because I haven't given a 5-star review in a while. Maybe I'm giving it 5 stars because I haven't had sushi in a very long time. It certainly helped that they place wasn't very crowded so we were seated quickly. It also helped that our waitress was a funny, older, Japanese woman. But honestly, these 5 stars are about the food. You should be cautioned that coming relatively recently from North Carolina, the standard of sushi I'm used to may be slightly less than other peoples, jaded by the over-abundance of sushi places in SoCal. Regardless, we ordered Octopus Tempura and platter full of sushi - Yellowtail-Toro, Red Snapper, Fresh Water Eel, Octopus (I like ze Oct-o-pus), Scallops, and a special roll, Jalapeo Tuna Roll. The fresh water eel had a deliciously fatty texture to it and the slices were large, bordering on too large - very food Both the Red Snapper and the Yellowtail were extremely fresh with incredible texture - very good Octopus sushi - I'm used to octopus having a firm, almost chewy texture, but back east, it was also usually very rubbery. Not so here - very good Scallops - Growing up in Pittsburgh, my parents liked scallops - I hated them, they had this terrible fishy taste that I'm just now getting over. These were the first scallops I've had that had no hint of this taste - a god send Jalapeos Roll - the tune was chopped up, I could barely taste and Jalapeos, over the wasabi , which may have been my fault - eh And as for the octopus tempura - hot, not at all greasy, I really liked this. Honestly, I think it will take some pretty strong convincing for me to explore another sushi place, at least in Pasadena, for the time being, this place was great. read more

There's free parking and getting seated is not a problem on a Saturday night. The restaurant is clean and well appointed and quiet enough that I could sit in a corner and catch up with a good friend. There are so many things about this place that are lacking, however. Let's begin with the sushi. I had a spicy tuna hand roll with soy paper and was taken aback at how not fresh the tuna was. The mixture was overmixed with too much spicy mayo (probably to hide the lack of freshness) and so the texture was off in addition to the flavor. The next issue was the teeny amount of ginger that was given to us to share. When we asked for more, we were told that there would be a charge. I've never heard of a charge for ginger. We were then constantly looking for chopsticks, spoons, straws, napkins or service. There was a minimum of $20 to pay with a credit card - just another inconvenience to add to a mostly inconvenient dining experience. read more

If you like real sushi and not American sushi (california roll) you MUST come here! I only sit at the sushi bar and only order sushi so I won't even pretend I know what anything else tastes like. The fish here is the freshest I have ever had. The owner goes to the fish market every morning to get the very best that is available that day. The uni is so soft and custard like that I want to just keep eating it but there are so many other things. Blue fin toro, giant clam, ama ebi (sweet shrimp right out of the tank and they were HUGE) - when I say fresh I mean they ripped their heads off right there. Soooo good. Each and every thing made me cry tears of joy. Forget soy sauce and wasabi except as an accent. The fish is so fresh and flavorful it doesn't need it. If you are one of those heathens that insults sushi chefs world wide by making a paste out of your wasabi and soy sauce, please go somewhere else. To ruin this fish like that would be like tossing paint on the Mona Lisa. These chefs are true artists. Sure, sushi is pricey but it is healthy and delicious. I make a stop here every time I am in town. read more

Underwhelmed. Showed up at 7:30 on a Friday and had to wait about 40 minutes (though we seemed to time it as badly as possible with the dinner rush). The seating process seemed a bit disorganized as a number of open tables went unoccupied for a while despite a large number of people waiting. The staff seemed rushed and didn't offer much help with recommendations. Blue fin tuna sashimi was good, but not as good as the price or name would have seemed to indicate. Girlfriend said the spicy tuna roll (her go-to order) was pretty bad, with almost no fish and a sauce that tasted very mayonnaise-y. Toro roll was good, but the regular tuna sashimi and salmon weren't all that great. Sake option we were pointed to wasn't good at all, and at $24 for a small carafe seemed way overpriced. Wouldn't come back until we've tried all the other sushi options in Pasadena. read more