Must have, pop up on Colorado Blvd, limited hours, but unique, high quality nosh with clever packaging. read more

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It was so fresh. The white and purple rice is so good and the Wasabi sauce is to die for.

The rice balls ( onigiri ) tasted just like they did in Japan! The shop owner is also really nice and funny, he helped me take pictures as well. I hope you consider going! read more

Tony the owner is super kind and a very enthusiastic person. I was first in line and he played to game of rock paper scissors with me and I won! Love the yummy variation of rice and flavors and even the people in line were friendly so the environment was enjoyable. Tony gave us an umbrella to keep cool while we waited for them to open. Had to support this business and buy one of each! Super worth it and i hope success for them. read more

Onigiri Time - One of each onigiris neatly packed in a unique baggy - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Enjoyed the "spicy tuna with capers" and "sweet corn with vegenaise" Each one was a flavor bomb, the sweet corn onigiri was amazing. Thanks Tony, it was so nice meeting you and we will be back! read more

Onigiri Time - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Onigiri balls are absolutely addicting! My favorite is corn. Keeps me coming back! The sauce is awesome! Tony is so kind, very caring and he works so hard to please all his customers! His food cart is on Colorado near Catalina, so when it's a sunny day, love it that he offers a big umbrella to shade. So sweet! It may be a long line and wait sometimes but worth it! Can't wait for Eagle Rock location! read more

kept seeing this onigiri cart on Colorado and finally decided to stop by, and I'm so glad I did. Tony, who runs the cart, is genuinely one of the nicest people you'll meet. If you're having a bad day, go see Tony. His positivity alone will reset your mood. You can tell he truly loves what he does, sitting out in the sun making onigiri and chatting with everyone who walks up. I actually just got back from Japan, and Tony joked that Japan doesn't touch his onigiri. Honestly? He might be right. The onigiri are fantastic, and the wasabi cream he makes is unreal. I would put that stuff on literally anything. I love supporting local businesses, especially ones operating out of a cart. With so many chains everywhere, it feels extra important to support people who are building something from the ground up, and Tony is exactly the kind of business owner you want to root for. If you love fish and rice, you need to check this place out. And even if you don't, stop by just to say hi to Tony. He's a gem, and I'm officially obsessed. read more

Onigiri Time - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Wow so worth the drive to try this. We got to try one of almost all of it and will be back to try the one we missed. Such great food and friendly service. Cutest little onigiri spot/cart parked near the intersection and he had umbrellas to help us beat the heat. Line moved pretty quick. So thoughtful! and I hope everyone gets a chance to try these! Can't wait to be back!! read more

Onigiri Time - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Tony I believe is the owner. A young dude with a great personality. Also, cared for his costumers. It was getting sunny so he passed out umbrellas to people in line. The onigiri's were tasty and they didn't skimp out of the fillings. Plus the wasabi sauce is really good.. stand in line it's worth it. read more

The onigiri was fantastic and Tony is so amazing! I got the spicy tuna and spam. I highly recommend both and I'm super excited to try the rest of the flavors. It's also a treat to watch Tony tie up the onigiri in the bag. All time is onigiri time! read more

Onigiri Time - Spam Onigiri - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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The owner Tony was so so sweet and nice! Their onigiri flavors are so good and my favorites are the spicy tuna (seasonal) and blue crab! The wasabi sauce is also amazing, love how fresh everything was. Definitely worth the try. read more

ahh! One of the best onigiris I have ever had here in LA! From the crunch of the seaweed, to the complete blue crab filling mixed with the purple rice. The game changer is the wasabi that gives it an extra kick. It fills you up greatly with how big it is, so worth the price! Shoutout to Tony for being so friendly as well! I am so glad to make it before any sold out. I will def be coming as much as I can. read more

Onigiri Time - blue crab with kewpie mayo onigiri - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Service was welcoming. I tried the Spam as they were sold out of everything but that and the corn and I felt like I needed the protein. It was so delicious. Nice size portion. Perfect for a lite lunch for me. It was a little messy to eat but I was alone so no worries there. Definitely going back! read more

So for my first visit to Tony's cute cart, I tried the blue crab and it was delicious and filling! The wasabi sauce was so good, I licked it up! Tony is incredibly friendly and wraps his onigiri in the most thoughtful creative and caring way. Thanks for the surprising treat. read more

stumbled upon this place and i'm so glad i decided to try! the packaging is so cute and thoughtful with the side of wasabi sauce/hollow top of the onigiri. there's a lot of crab inside too so i think the price is fair read more

Onigiri Time - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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The onigiri were amazing, we got the blue crab, spicy tuna, and the spam. Can't go wrong with any of them. Tony was very kind and moving the line fast. Umbrellas provided are a nice touch for those waiting in line in the sun read more

This is such a cool concept. I'm a sucker for food being sold on carts and outside. I saw this while looking through Yelp and decided to stop by. Located outside of a sneaker shop. Tony the owner quickly greeted me and explained the menu. It's a different experience than your normal onigiri's. The way you pour the sauce in, the use of two different rices, the unique fillings. And it was a big rice ball. Very filling. I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone. It's also all gluten free. I had the teriyaki chicken, blue crab, spam, and creamed corn. Will be back next time I'm in Pasadena read more

Onigiri Time - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Where do I even begin? Onigiri Time is one of those spots that can't properly be captured in the constraints of a Yelp review; it has to be experienced. I will start by saying it deserves 1000+ stars. My husband and I walked by the street cart after leaving a nearby appointment and were instantly intrigued. We met the owner Tony, who is so incredibly kind and just radiates the best energy. His aura and customer service alone are enough reason to support this business, but when I tell you this was one of the best eating experiences we have ever had. We got the blue crab onigiri and the chicken teriyaki onigiri. My husband and I absolutely devoured both the moment we got back to our car. The rice is cooked PERFECTLY and the nori is perfectly crisp. Tony gives generous portions of the delicious fillings as well. The blue crab was flaky with a delicate sweet buttery taste and the chicken teriyaki was tender with a delicious umami flavor. Now, Tony warned us just how good the accompanying wasabi cream for the Onigiri is, and he was not lying. By the end of the meal, I was drinking it straight from the cup. It is that good. The best word I could use to describe the whole experience is intention. Tony's intentionally radiates through every piece of his business. From the customer service, to the packaging, to the food itself. I cannot recommend Onigiri Time enough!! read more

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I've never seen a origini cart before so I had to visit and try them. I really appreciated the owner's kindness and enthusiasm and the onigiri was HUGE. It's half white rice, half purple rice, and the main filling, which I got was blue crab. It was SO DELICIOUS, especially with the green sauce they give with each rice balls. As a saucy girly, tbh it wasn't enough sauce, however, I was so happy to know that they sell a WHOLE BOTTLE. I had to get it. Honestly, one onigiri fills you up but the both times I went, I had to grab 2 for that variety *iykyk* I'll definitely be coming back!!! read more

Onigiri Time - Each Onigiri comes with the green sauce!! - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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You know what they say about people named Tony? They are cool, easygoing and fun to be around! I heard about this place on ig last week and realized it's really close to my office!!! So had to make a run for it for my lunch today. Had the blue crab and spam onigiri and a spicy tuna for my co worker. As I'm quite the onigiri connoisseur I was very excited! These are quite large for an onigiri. Packed with filling which is what I love! Yes they are about $10 a piece but you are already paying $3-4 for an onigiri from either Mitsuwa, Tokyo central or Nijiya that is about half the size with a quarter of the filling. When I met Tony I had told him about how my favorite onigiri place in the area had closed down (Ji Chan's onigiri) it left a void in my heart. I'm so happy to have a new muse! read more

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My new favorite onigiri spot!!! I popped by today after a quick Reddit search of the best onigiri spots in LA and decided to visit. The owners were so kind and had great vibes! I got the chicken teriyaki onigiri and it was delish!! It's practically a whole meal. I will be back :) read more

Onigiri Time - Packaging - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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OKay this place is FIRE! I met tone and the crew doing night markets during 2024 and 2025, and they were the nicest, most solid crew. They serve great food with integrity too which is rare at some of these night markets! Fast forward to 2026 and I see tone has launched an onigiri concept so I HAD TO PULL UP! I pulled up early on a weekday as Tony was setting up and he quickly helped me and a local college student get our fix. I ordred the spam for myself, corn for my vegetarian partner, and the teriyaki chicken for my kiddo. The thing i liked was the uniqueness of the chunky purple rice, and the consistency in the quality of the rice itself. I would reccomend the wasabi cream sauce on everything, but personally i dont think the spam needs it. But at the end of the day, why not sauce errthang down! Looking forward to trying out some of their new flavors. They have an app as well to track the hours, but Tone let me know they are still working on the app so at the time i visited, the geolocation of the cart was not super accurate. BUT, just pull up to the address on their IG and you will find them! read more

I walked over to the Onigiri Time cart with my colleagues. I had it two weeks ago when someone got the Blue Crab Onigiri for me and it was amazing. So I had to come check it out in person since it's only two blocks away from my office. I had to get the Blue Crab again, and also got the Spam and Chicken rice balls as well. These onigiri are massive, one side is purple rice and the other side is white rice with the filling in the middle. It's pretty creative to mix the two like that, and really pretty to look at too. There's a bit of furikake at the top for your first bite too. Blue Crab Onigiri was a bit smaller than I had last time and it was also the smallest of the three I got. Still super delicious and fresh. The crab had kewpie mayo but adding the wasabi sauce totally elevates it and gives more moisture to the crab. It's $10.99 for the Blue Crab rice ball. Spam Onigiri hit the nostalgia feels. I liked that the spam was cut into tiny cubes which made it easy to eat. You don't really need the wasabi sauce since the spam and kewpie mayo had plenty of flavor and salt, but it doesn't hurt to put a tiny drizzle. It's $7.99 for the Spam rice ball. Chicken Onigiri was surprisingly good. I didn't know what to expect since I've never had a chicken rice ball before, but it was great! It wasn't overly salty and the wasabi sauce added depth to it. It's $8.99 for the Chicken rice ball. The food cart is easy to spot on Colorado and the surrounding area is tidy and clean. There are some parking spots in front of the cart. Tony seems like a nice and chill dude and was quick to help us out and answer any questions we had. The rice balls were packaged neatly, with the seaweed separating the rice so it doesn't get soggy. Then put into a paper bag with a string tying it so it's easy for your carry. Very creative and convenient! Happy to support an Asian owned small business! Definitely will recommend to others and will come back! read more

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Tony you have out done yourself!! Your Onigiri is amazing and I hope you continue to serve the spicy tuna. How ever all of your food was delicious read more

Went about a week ago when they were doing the Kimchi, Spam, and Egg February special. I was 3rd in line when they opened in the afternoon. I got the crab as well as the special. Crab was good but the portion was smaller than expected, the size seemed larger on social media but maybe they changed their size recently. The February special was a little disappointing, the kimchi taste was bland and there was little spam included as well as few to no egg. Maybe I just ordered the wrong things. Update: Thank you Tony for the response, i really appreciate it. I believe I came with a friend on 2/21 just after 3pm when you opened back up for the afternoon. The sign posted for the Feb Special did not mention the change of spam to chicken and I don't keep up with the instagram account to see the announcement. We were not notified upon purchase that the change spam to chicken was made either, I don't believe it was Tony manning the cart. That may explain the bland taste since spam has quite a strong flavor and that's what I was expecting. The lack of egg was disappointing as well, the egg was one of the main ingredients mentioned on the poster and I guess I was just expecting it to be more of a "frontrunner" ingredient. Unfortunately I do not have pictures of the inside as I did not finish the onigiri and discarded it about halfway through. As for the size of the onigiris themselves, i guess i just expected them to be larger-than-normal onigiri sized, the people who reviewed on social media might've just had small hands haha but the size is pretty average. The crab onigiri itself was very good, i just expected it to be bigger. Thanks for the response! I hope this gives you more clarity on my experience read more

The best onigiri ever! Highly recommend stopping by if youre in the area and its well worth the commute. The owners are amazing and service was so fast. The rice is fresh, texture is perfect, and flavor is well seasoned. Its the perfect grab and go onigri and I would come here every time if I could! Definitely recommend trying the blue crab or the spicy tuna mayo! read more

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So good, I forgot to take a photo until after I inhaled half of the blue crab onigiri! Jenny and Tony are the nicest, and running a great business! A perfect stop along a nice walk throughout Pasadena and delicious, STUFFED onigiri. Will definitely be supporting them anytime I see their pop up. read more

Onigiri Time - Blue crab onigiri and sweet wasabi sauce. YUM! - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Onigiri Time is truly different from any onigiri I've ever had. These are chunky, generously filled, and packed with flavor. Most onigiri you find are small and mostly rice, but here you actually get so much value in every bite. Even though they're a bit more expensive than the usual onigiri, it's absolutely worth it for the quality and portion size. I love that they use half purple rice, it adds such a great depth of flavor and makes the onigiri even more special. My favorite is the Spam and blue cream, it seriously just hits differently. And don't skip the wasabi cream sauce, it perfectly ties everything together and adds the right amount of kick. Overall, an amazing experience with incredible onigiri and a great owner who clearly cares about what they're serving. Can't wait to come back! read more

Pasadena is not really known for street vendors, but damn, the city should really be giving Tony a hero's welcome. I got to the post office once or twice a week, and noticed Onigiri Time popping up nearby. Ive tried the SPAM & BLUE CRAB and the onigiri is FANTASTIC. - All fresh ingredients - large portion - The seaweed wrap is fresh and crispy due to the onigiri tech wrap! - TRY THE SAUCE! Don't discard the sauce. It's a delicious creamy wasabi sauce Tony is also a fantastic human! Give Tony and Onigiri Time a shot! read more

My wife and I discovered this little gem this past Sunday. I normally shy away from food stands/carts. However Tony's setup is very inviting and so clean! We ordered the Blue Crab onigiri and took it to our car to eat. Thank goodness we didn't drive away because it was so delicious we just had to go back and get another. This time we tried the chicken. Also amazing. These onigiri are packed with goodness. Tony is very generous with how these are made and the flavor is above any other onigiri we've ever had. Considering the fact that each of these onigiri are almost a meal in itself, the prices for them are extremely reasonable and fair. Not to mention the flavor and quality of what you're getting. We can't wait to go back and get more. Tony is so genuinely friendly and has such good energy it'll be nice to say hi to him as well. Thank you Tony!! read more

Ok I'm so happy I was able to snag a couple! This is honestly a 10/10 onigiri! We rolled up to Tony's cart in Pasadena on Colorado and I grabbed a spam onigiri for myself and a teriyaki chicken one for my sister! Presentation 10/10 - Price 10/10 - Deliciousness- 100/10 - I was so happy eating that I forgot to take a picture of the actual food! I need to go back to try the Blue Crab one! read more

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I've been eyeing this place since it's popped up on Instagram constantly. The hours don't work for me well, but since I finally found some time off, I came right at opening. There was a bit of a line, but I think I only waited about 10 minutes. I think it's also smart that this is right next to Artisanal Goods by CAR for coffee and dessert afterwards. I got one of each since I don't think I'll be able to make it out here again and so that my partner and I can try each. Just had the sweet corn and spam, and they were both delicious. Portion sizes are huge as well. Can't wait to try the others. So happy for the owner that he's garnered so much popularity. Next time I have the time off to come back to this place, I definitely will. read more

Gigantic onigiris packed with flavor from the nicest guy, Tony! Onigiris are easy to open and Tony takes the time to walk you through how to enjoy them. I had timed my dentist appointment so I could be in the area to stop by and I'm so glad I did! read more

Happened to run into Onigiri Time after going to Artisanal Goods by CAR! I just saw the reel yesterday and didn't realize they were so close! I had the blue crab and teriyaki chicken Onigiri. They were so good and delicious. Very filling as well! The sweet wasabi sauce was a good touch to the onigiri. We got two dollars off with their promotion deal today playing rock paper scissors and I won! read more

Onigiri Time - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Great bites that fill you up. I tried the crab only and it's packed with flavor! Service was great, fast and friendly. Worth every bite for the drive. read more

Tony is a gem! You can tell this onigiri is made with a true love for food and community connection. The spicy tuna and sweet corn onigiri are absolutely delicious, with generous filling and perfectly seasoned rice every time. It's always a treat to stop by and say hello, the service is just as wonderful as the food. Can't wait to see this little cart take off :) read more

One of the best onigiris I've ever had!! I had both the spam and blue crab....both sooo good. The cherry on top is the wasabi mayo sauce....the hint of spicy added so much flavor and I just....you have to try it for yourself!! WILL BE BACK SOON. read more

The onigiri and service were both spectacular. The size of the onigiri was HUGE and packed with filling. The wasabi mayo is so good. Every bite was perfect. Tony was also so nice and friendly. He made sure to chat with my friends while we waited and gave us umbrellas for the sun. The cart is so cute. I can't wait to go back. My goal is to try every single onigiri. read more

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Onigiri from this cart, as well as its proprietor Tony are something special. The spam/kewpie mayo onigiri earned a thumbs up from my 6 year old who always said no thanks to onigiri of any kind...until today. The spam was cut up in tiny cubes that made it fun to eat/easy to share, and generous filling held up to the fluffy chunky rice. I didn't have to share the blue crab onigiri (yay) and it also was super yummy. I limit my carbs coz I'm old now waaaah, and I was very happy with my choice of carb allotment today as the rice had perfect texture and flavour, coupled with the seaweed kept crunchy until munchy time by its fancy wrapper. Crab filling was again generous and I think well worth the price, cos these onigiri are massive! And tasty with or without the wasabi sauce. Also appreciated was the packaging...the paper bag wrapped with a convenient carry string made walking with 2lbs of onigiri in one hand (we bought 2crab and 2spam) and holding my littles hand to cross the street easy and amazing. But, once opened to fetch a spam onigiri I couldn't replicate the magic that kept the paper bag/string/carry handle together and had to hold the bag from the bottom to get the rest of the onigiri safely home. The small paper boat plate at first confused me but ended up being helpful to catch falling tiny spam cubes while sharing with a 6 year old. Tony has genuine good people vibes, which radiates through the food, that one can taste and feel is made and served with loving kindness. Onigiri Time makes going to the ophthalmologist a block away something to look forward to...my little and I enjoyed our snackies in the shaded courtyard with tables and chairs in front of the building that houses Kaiser Vision Essentials, perfect spot to post up and munch if you don't wanna eat in your car or like my little can't wait till you get home. read more

Onigiri Time - blue crab + kewpie onigiri, spam + kewpie onigiri - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Everything is good and fresh! The sauce is perfection, wish I had bought two! Service with the greatest smile and energy! read more

Onigiri Time - Onigiri Time! - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California