Tucked on the corner of Green and Wilson, Matsuri has home-y vibes exuded by the warmth/greeting of the team members, soft lighting, and Japanese decor. We were seated immediately at 5:30 on a Saturday right before it got packed, and to accommodate everything we ordered, a server moved a potted tree in order to move another small table over to us. We ordered: Takoyaki - this came out last and was worth it! Fresh and piping hot and absolutely delicious. Matsuri Special Roll - shimp tempura, asparagus tempura, salmon, tuna, imitation crab, cucumber, sprouts. A treat to look at and a win if you like everything! Spider Roll - my favorite... soft shell crab, imitation crab, spicy tuna, sprouts, burdock, cucumber. Packed with flavor and does not need soy. Baked Crab Roll - I absolutely adore blue crab but this baked/roll form was a bit underwhelming. Maybe should have added the mayo and sriracha on the side. They didn't have my usual order of the blue crab hand roll which is why we tried this. Sushi - salmon (great balance of lean/fatty), tuna (buttery), scallop (mildly sweet and fresh), and uni (not for me in general but apparently delicious). Sake - Kikushi Junmai Ginjo is smooth, aromatic, and relatively mild. Came in an ice bucket that preserved its crispness. All in all, a heart- and belly-warming experience in a quiet, pleasant atmosphere especially while it's freezing/raining outside. read more

Matsuri - Rolls from top to bottom: Spider Cut Roll, Matsuri Special Roll, Baked Crab Roll. Sushi on the right - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Best sushi in Pasadena! The business is family run and they are so friendly and kind. The fish is fresh and tasty and I spend way too much money when I go... :D In the appetizers, I love the Shisito Hot and Jalapeno Bombers but truth be told, I've never had anything here I didn't like. My friend ordered the Matsuri Special Cut Roll and my only complaint is that the pieces were a little unwieldy to eat. So good! I hope you're experience is as good as mine! read more

Matsuri - Sashimi Boat Dinner Plate so tasty!! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

My husband sent me this place to grab lunch after my massage since it was right next door. This place is pretty delicious. Food came out fast and it is decently price! You can tell they use quality fish and it is fresh. A lot of places mask their sushi with ponzu and chili oil. But it is simple here... You can taste the actual fish Tonkatsu set: Everything on that dish was simple. Nothing was overly seasoned, might have needed a touch of salt on the mac salad, but it worked well with the fried pork. Lunch Sushi Deluxe: Delicious! Spicy Tuna Salad: you get a decent amount of spicy tuna on this salad! Only con: they gave me only 1 pair of chopsticks.. so my husband and I had to take turns in eating. I would love to go back when they open up for dine in! read more

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Friendly staff, great environment and great food. Staff took amazing care of us and went above and beyond. I mentioned that one of their regulars recommended for me to come and they took very good care of me. There was a good amount of people even on a Monday night. I noticed that most of their customer base that day were regulars which was nice to see. Will visit again! read more

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Really liked this establishment. Service is perfect every time I went there. Food quality is great and they have some really special items on the menu. read more

When a place has delicious uni & authentic Wasabi, I KNOW it's the real deal. My new favorite sushi place this side of town. No need for long lines, great quality sushi at a reasonable price, very good customer service, beautiful interior, street parking nearby, and a little off topic but even their bathrooms come installed with real Japanese toilets!! like what.... the staff are Japanese, love hearing the beautiful language... you really can't get more authentic than this.... A+ in my books... read more

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I think I just found my new comfy dining place. I went over for Valentines Day dinner, expecting a bit of a wait. My partner actually got reservations for the place and were seated pretty quick. Since it was a special day and we wanted to get some mix of food. I ordered: Agedashi Tofu Matsuri roll sushi Dinner combo Salmon/sashimi My partner ordered: Beef Croquettes Crunchy Roll Katsudon We shared appetizers together and we enjoyed it! The Matsuri is too big for my mouth but was delicious. I thought I ordered too much by the time I got to the dinner combo, but it was so good! And they gave us miso before everything which warmed me up! My partner loved his food as well and loved their portions. I would love to come again with family and friends. read more

Matsuri is a great authentic Japanese restaurant. I love coming here with family. The staff are incredibly nice and helpful. The establishment is small, but very homey and intimate. The fish is fresh, tempura is nice and light. Would recommend the tempura, agedashi tofu, sashimi boat dinner, sushi regular/super deluxe, Matsuri Gozen, salmon collar, and unagi. Excited to continue coming back and trying new things on the menu! read more

Possibly the best hidden sushi gem in all of Pasadena. Dare I say this might be my favorite sushi spot outside of Akasaka in Hacienda Heights? The quality of the fish is very fresh, the cuts are very finely done, and overall the food is always fresh and delicious. If you are lucky enough to sit at the sushi bar, which you can request when you write your name in, you can really see and taste the extra level of care that the sushi chefs put together for your service. Do note that this place get jampacked on weekends and Friday nights. I am not sure if they take reservations. When I tried making one they always encourage us to just walk in. I will also say that some of the customers can become snippy about the wait, so be prepared. Yes, you will have grown ass people trying to cut in front of you on the list. read more

Matsuri - Rainbow Cut Roll, Sushi Combo Plate, Chicken Teriyaki - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

Japanese food and restaurant with an old soul. I am so happy they are only a few streets away from us. Everything from the high-quality fish to the warm service makes Matsuri a hearty recommendation for me. I almost want to keep it a secret, but the world - especially now - needs more small and local businesses that keep our communities better connected. Whenever it is available, get the uni nigiri or sashimi. Super fresh and embodies the best flavors of the sea. Such a delight on a warm, summer day. read more

Matsuri - Super sashimi dinner + uni nigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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My first time to matsuri, I am immediately in love, this place reminds me of being in Japan! The sushi was so fresh, The service was so attentive and the space was nice and roomy. We ordered the Takoyaki, and an 11 pc sashimi dinner that came with albacore, tuna, yellow tail and salmon, a side of rice and a side of miso soup. The sashimi melts in your mouth like sugar fish and the takoyaki was perfectly crisp on the outside and freshly fried. Everything tasted amazingly fresh and I'm good quality! The service was very good makes you feel like you were taken away into a land where they care about your dining experience. I will definitely be going back to try other delish dishes - they have soba here too! read more

Matsuri - 11 PCs sashimi dinner - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

Parking is difficult but normal for the area. Service was ok and the food was on par with other sushi places. Would stop by again but probably not a good choice on a weekend due to crowds. read more

The whole family loves this little place. It feels very homey the service is great and the food is fresh and tasty. We started puffy fried octopus and a pickle plate then we had two different chef selection sushi deluxe plates and a dinner combo of CHIRASHI and TEMPURA along with two delicious rolls one was an absolute favorite that I order every time I see it on a menu *ume and shiso the other delicious as well *Toro and jalapeño. We'll be back 100% read more

Amazing food as usual. We have only been getting matsuri gozen for the past few visits, but it never disappoints!! We also ordered california roll and eel cucumber roll, and we were more than full by the end of our dinner. They always greet you with nice smiles, and the ambiance is amazing especially with the Japanese decors around the walls. Make sure to go early though, because the line gets long around 6pm. Your best bet would be to get there before 5 and get seated first when they open. read more

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Matsuri is a small business on Green Street. I've come twice now and have been so happy both times. The amount of food served was very reasonable for the price so my wallet and stomach left happy. The last time I went I ordered the Tempura Udon- I only wish I had the foresight to ask for the Tempura on the side so it didn't get soggy. Still- the first few bites of tempura were crispy with a light batter. That day it was raining and the udon just hit the spot! My husband ordered some sushi and I stole a bite of salmon nigiri from him- Delicious and buttery! They don't have a parking lot- at least not that I know of, but parking is usually not a problem on Green Street! Service is always great! They're very attentive and polite! I can't recommend it enough and will definitely be back! read more

Wanted to get sushi before seeing a friend in a show nearby. I was alone, not really loving dining alone tonight but there we are. Lady told me to put my name down. Another couple came in, put name down. 2 boys came in, walked in front, lady sat them right away. Then she sat the couple after me. Completely ignored me. I felt awful. I stood up and walked to front. Completely ignored. Finally I went to her and she apologized and seated me. Then told me to hurry up and order because ( i wasn't sure what she said.. they had no time to make too many things for me?). She took away the menus. Set a bad tone. Unpleasant experience. Food was ok. I won't be back. read more

I love a Japanese owned Japanese restaurant. If I can't understand what they're saying to me when I walk in (past the initial greeting), I know it'll be a good time. We stopped in on a Saturday night, got a table for 2 around 7:30pm with no wait. Matsuri really delivers on an authentic Japanese restaurant vibe: a lot of warm lighting glazing their wooden walls and furniture. Sushi bar full of busy chefs speaking Japanese to each other. Undecorated, simple menus. But I was here to eat! I'd ordered a chirashi bowl and my friend and I shared two appetizers. The chirashi bowl I got was good, not the best and not incredible by any means. For $26 it was among one of the cheaper ways to try many of the fresh fish they offer, as nigiri runs about $7 and up per order. The sashimi is sliced pretty thinly and you only get 1 piece for most of the fish in the bowl, so overall I was just left wanting more. Rice was good though, correct texture and flavor. Octopus tempura with ponzu sauce was a bit disappointing; I wanted to love it as you don't find octopus tempura often! This dish came cold for some reason, the tempura was not as crunchy as it was chewy, and the octopus had no flavor. The texture was the only way I could tell it was octopus, and it wasn't great. I would probably not order this again. The shiso hot was nice! Spicy tuna concoction on a tempura'ed shiso leaf, I'd never seen anything quite like it. The flavor of the shiso gets a little overpowered by the tempura, but overall I enjoyed the few bites. And now the housekeeping.. Service was fine, attentive and met with smiles. Parking lot in the back has a good amount of spaces and street parking is available; plus it's on a non-hustle bustle part of Green St. I'll definitely come back to try the sushi sometime! read more

Matsuri - Octopus Tempura with Ponzu - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Feels very legit. Extensive menu - sushi, udon, soba, donburi, and much more. The absolute cherry on top? Heated toilets, no doubt. That absolutely won me over and now here I am with this five star review. PARKING Lot in the back, easy to access. Brownie point there. Need to try the udom next time. read more

Matsuri - CLAM miso soup (comes with Matsuri Gozen but you can order separately too) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Been here for several occasions and am lured back each time when I crave GOOOD sushi. In between the AYCE sushi, I'd like to refresh with some of the real stuff. Sit at the sushi bar when you can. Have faith in the sushi chefs and their Chef's Specials. The Worth Trying: Golden snapper Live Scallop Blue Fin Tuna The carpaccio dishes Check out my pictures but they don't do it justice read more

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Terrible service! Arrived at 1:20pm for lunch and was turned away because they were "closed". No further information even when it says they close at 2:00pm read more

Above is my food waiting to be packed and getting cold. I had ordered food for delivery and have been waiting for them to pack my food that is ready for 25 minutes past the estimated time! You guys should give a more accurate time estimate for your pick up orders because time=money and I lost some by ordering with you! read more

Matsuri - My food waiting to be packed for 25 mins - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

We were hungry and randomly found Matsuri-Japanese Restaurant in Pasadena. The line didn't look horrible so we put our names on the wait list. The sushi bars was wide open but no one was seating there. Later on we learned sushi bar was for sushi and sashimi order only.... Errr, that's exactly what we were gonna do, so we waited 20 min for nothing? That could have been communicated better for future reference. After we sat at the sushi bar, we asked for the omakase (oh yes my favorite word struck again!) price. The chef told us it was up to us. Legit! I asked if we wanted to try all the special stuff he got, how much it would cost. We were quoted about 100 per person. Let's go! We had 19 courses and that yielded to about $150 per person after tips. I thought that was a fair price for what we had. We learned the restaurant was a family owned, ran by the sushi chef and his mom. The sushi chef also has a commercial fishing license, so we were having what he caught the weekend before, which was deep fried seabass and barracuda. All the fish were very fresh and treated well. Personal favorite was aji, toro saba, and baby yellowtail. We are very glad we found this place because it's hard to find a good sushi spot in sgv. Service was a little slow at the sushi bar. Water was constant empty and dirty dishes piled before they were taken away. But at least we now have a new sushi spot to visit now! read more

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Went here for the first time with a childhood friend who has been going to Matsuri for over a decade. The staff and chefs are all incredibly kind (and creative!). We had a wonderful meal of sushi specials, cut rolls, hand rolls, and sashimi. I highly recommend the specials, but you can't go wrong with any of their selection. The restaurant is homey and reminds me of my favorite Japanese restaurants growing up. Since my first meal, I have gone back twice with my girlfriend and we both loved it each time. Our sushi chef was the best!!! After we were done with our meal the first time, he asked if we had a "little more room". We were stuffed but interested in what he had in mind. Next thing we know, he passes us a sushi dish of the worlds smallest yellowtail scallion cut roll. It was SOOOOOO CUTE (and tasty)!!!!!! After we finished eating at the next meal, he made us a beautiful Halloween themed platescape that was a little cottage made from an orange, complete with a smoke stack and little candle inside the cottage, the yard was thinly sliced cucumber and he used spicy sauce to create little cobble stone steps up to the orange hut. It came complete with little bats carved from seaweed wrap that were stuck to toothpicks with rice grains! 10/10 would eat here again. read more

Matsuri - World's tinniest yellowtail & scallion roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This place has a very familial feeling to it. Many of its customers are regulars so you definitely feel at home here. We came here for sushi many times before, but tried omakase for the first time recently. The waitresses came by to check on us often and the sushi chef's skills were top-notch; we had so many different and unique dishes that we've never had! Each fish was very fresh and tasted amazing! Matsuri is one of the best sushi places in Pasadena and is definitely worth a visit if you're a raw fish enthusiast! read more

This is the best sushi restaurant in this area with Japanese ambience and great fresh ingredients. Everything is delicious and stuff here are nice and friendly. I love to go to Japanese restaurant that run by Japanese people. I love their foods and cherish their cultures. We will go back soon. (We're so hungry so I just took photo of the last order only). read more

Matsuri - Matsuri Special Cut Roll. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

My go to place for sushi and more. I know there are others but I always crave Matsuri's! Very busy on Friday night, but we usually go at a time not as popular. Awesome food and service. My favorite is teriyaki salmon dinner or sushi. Yummm! ISalmon Teriyaki read more

I didn't take a picture but my rice bowl was Excellent. He pork was really good. Service was lovely and I can't wait to go back. What a cute place. Feels like a real neighborhood gem. Going again this week. read more

I'm on a work trip and didn't want to eat at the hotel. Searched and found Matsuri online. While glancing at the menu, I noticed they used actual Japanese. I uber-ed there and was greeted in a friendly manner. It was a personal plus I was able to order and chat in Japanese. I probably over ordered as I wanted to try a bit of everything. Agedashi tofu, beef teriyaki, tempura and uni sushi. The agedashi tofu was on point. The tempura reminded me of my mom's cooking. I will definitely come back when work takes me down here. read more

This place has a strong neighborhood hole-in-the-wall atmosphere, and like other reviewers, I wanted to like it. But everything was off. First, poor value. Quality 3/10, portion size 2/10. They're charging Enya prices for Sushi Stop quality. Thinking of ordering the octopus carpaccio? Don't. Baked salmon roll? Think twice. I don't often feel ripped-off, but I did walking out of this place. Avoid. read more

Very good, authentic Japanese food (which is very hard to find these days). Good service and ambiance. Menu has many selections of both food and beverages. Fish is very fresh. Definitely recommend. read more

Food was amazing and staff was inviting and kind. Love to find these places, truly a diamond in the ruff. Highly recommend agadashi tofu. read more

Matsuri - Salmon Teriyaki and Tempura Combo Plate Poke bowl Salmon Skin Cut Roll Miso Soup - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

We were looking for some good Japanese food and found Matsuri on Yelp. The rating and reviews did not disappoint. The service was good, drinks were thirstquenching and the food was satisfying too! Presentation of the dishes reflected Japanese quisine. We enjoyed the chicken katsu plate (I think I i should have ordered the tonkatsu instead because the chicken, although tasty, was small on proportion to the katsu). The tempura was light and not greasy and beef teriyaki was enjoyed too. The show stopper was the Matsuri Boat. Our group ordered 2 for 4 people and there was nothing left because both boats were devoured. I also should mention that the slice of watermelon served as a great dessert for the finale. Light and sweet and refreshing - it was perfect. read more

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This is a great legit Japanese restaurant. As soon as I saw Japanese hamburger, I knew they're the real thing. Their sushi was delishhh

If you're looking for good old fashioned Authentic Japanese food, this is your spot! Nothing fancy, just great food and service. read more

Matsuri - Beef Teriyaki and Tempura Combo Plate - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Always fresh delicious sushi and Japanese combo dinners They have not sacrificed quality or quantity and they have an extensive sushi selection. I like their consistency with flavor and portions read more

We didn't know it was happy hour and glad we found this spot! The fish tasted fresh with lots of meat on a bed of rice. The sushi rice did fall apart faster than expected but everything tasted great. Service was prompt and came by often to check up. The ambiance was busy but not too loud. Still good for a 2nd or 3rd date night and to enjoy the food. read more

The food was okay, the service was a bit slow even though it wasn't busy. Reason for the 2 star is the host ( older lady ) was a bit rude and intentionally made me wait for 15 minutes when they're available to help. read more

Delicious food and wonderful staff. This restaurant has a very cozy authentic feel. The sushi was fresh and plentiful. read more

Matsuri - Omakase A Plate - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

Good food and service is always excellent. Everyone is pleasant and friendly. Parking is also convenient and free.

While my friend was getting her hair done across the street, I popped over here to grab some lunch to go. I was greeted right away by a smiling face. I asked for a menu and that I just wanted to order something to go. Per recommendations from Tomoko ( from Smart Set), whom the lady at the register knew, she pointed to the lunch special she always orders and I added a side of California rolls. I wanted to know more about their lunch specials but her English was not great so I just kept it simple. While I waited, the sushi chef and I started talking. He was a younger guy and spoke English well. He was super nice and we had a pleasant conversion while I waited. He offered me water and seat, which I declined, but wow what a nice guy! My food was packaged up to go and I was off. We found a park soon after and ate and I thought it was delicious! When a Japanese woman tells you where the best sushi is in Pasadena, you know you can't go wrong! We'll be back! read more