I always recommend sugarfish for celebrations. Food, service and ambience are unbeatable. The fish and rice taste fresh. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - A celebration of birthdays with LA realtors. - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

The fish was fresh and at times sweet. They were able to handle two different orders of omakase. We all got our food at the same time. I was pleased with the vibe and the minimalist features of the restaurant. The staff was very welcoming and engaging...May be it was Pasadena but overall very pleased and will most likely to return...just don't know when. Almost forgot...the Sapporo reserve was awesome as I four perfect pair with all the fish and seafood. read more

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My husband and I just finished having dinner at Sugarfish and we had a lovely time. From the moment we arrived, Evelina, the hostess, was warm, attentive, and wonderfully communicative. She set such a gracious tone for the evening. Our server Frankie was equally professional. Knowledgeable, friendly, and clearly invested in us having a great experience. Everything we ordered was buttery, pristine, and high quality. My personal favorite was the yellowtail sushi, which was delicate and perfectly balanced. My husband especially loved the scallops and the unagi. The space felt clean, calm, and quietly polished, with that signature Sugarfish simplicity. Professional, seamless, and genuinely enjoyable. We will absolutely be back soon. read more

Very good takeout selection, nicely packaged, and really fresh. I feel the quality is quite high and the pricing is very reasonable.

Nice and cozy location, outstanding quality, and great service. The sushi was surreal -- I can't remember stopping mid-bite just surprised by the amazing flavor of the sushi. Highly recommend and planning on returning! read more

+Parking: Street parking, but read ALL of the signs like you're in LA! Public parking I think is behind the restaurant. They ask about parking validation, but not 100% sure. Didn't need to validate. + Atmosphere: Nice ambiance with an open window & I like the design. The whole 16% automatic/no tipping mad the attitudes of the waitresses/waiters just non-existent. Front host smiled a few times & another waitress. Overall, seemed like no one was happy. Not sure if they were understaffed or what happened. Maybe it was a bad day or the holidays, but ya'll just opened & had to wait an hour to be seated. The host did ask us if it was okay to wait, which we said was okay & went to go shop around. We did put our name down to reserve w/ Minipass & they text you to come back, which is good. On top of that, no smiles, & everyone was forgetful of some topics. How do you forget the menu or to tell first timers how the menu works. Otoro was a separate item. +Sushi: "The Nozawa Trust me" (lunch) ~$39 1. Edamama - decently cooked & slighty salted 2. Tuna Shashimi Appetizer - Ponzu & chives. Tuna cuts were decent! 3-4. Albacore & salmon sushi - Fish cuts were delicious, rice kept falling apart. 5. Toro handroll - pretty good fish ratio. Rice was okay & Nori wasn't crunchy. 6-9. Japanese yellowtail sushi - w/ lemon was delicious, Chutoro sushi - was the best part. Only had 1 Hirame* sushi, which was also a delicious fish. 1 New Zealand Sea Bream Sushi - also a good cut 10. I didn't eat the blue & dungeness crab handroll, but my friend said it was good! Maybe I'll try eel or scallop next time! 11. Bluefin Otoro ($14/ 2 pcs)- Delicious cut & would recommend. 1st time ordering the trust me options. The fish was good, but the rice kept falling apart & falling into the rice. The waitress kept reminding us about the crispiness of the nori, but the nori was not crispy. A little disappointed in the handrolls. Dinner seems to be about the same amount. Note: They have a 15 for 15 Anniversary Menu! They won't tell you what's on the menu either. This is similar to the Don't Think. Just Eat. Trust Me., which our neighboring table got & it looked pretty good! I would be giving a 2-star review were it not for the fish being the main ingredient & 2 out of 5 staff having decent attitudes. Our main waitress & the host were 2:5 that smiled, which made the experience better. I was here once before the pandemic for happy hour & remember the rice wasn't that good either, but the fish was good! Unfortunately, they don't have many shashimi items, and can't say much about sushi from Pasadena, so 3 stars even for $$$. read more

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The space is smaller than I expected, but clean. This seems to work out very well since the number of tables are more limited. Staff seem very efficient as a result. When we arrived we were told the system(presumably the ticket systme to kitchen) was down and that there could be a delay. This was not apparent to us at all. After ordering, our first dishes came out within 5 minutes. I ordered the "don't make me think" since it was my first time and a workday lunch. This is one of the prix fixe style items that changes each day (I think).The portions are appropriate and good amounts for one meal. Really good variety, of what I remember there was lobster, salmon, ootoro, toro, and albacore. Everything was delicious the rice comes out warm, the proteins come out at room temperature and still fresh. There is not the same bite of of refrigerated seafood. The one thing that was off-putting is a prominently written statement that they are a no tipping establishment, but list a 16% fee. It seems contradictory, the reason I love no tipping is because I do not have to think about it and just pay what is listed. Regardless of the function of the fee, I would much rather just pay a higher menu price than see a listed fee. Another weird thing is that I was not given a receipt to sign, nor was a digital signature requested. Not sure why, ut I did get a customer receipt. I would still come back despite the fee listing, its a minor peeve compared to my good experience at Sugarfish. read more

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Sugarfish Pasadena is one of my all-time favorite spots. We even went the day after our wedding--it's *that* good. The "Trust Me" tasting menu is always consistent and perfectly curated. From the warm edamame to the fresh tuna sashimi in ponzu (I could drink the sauce!) to the melt-in-your-mouth salmon sushi and hand rolls, every bite is incredible. Service is fast and efficient, and the experience is seamless--you just sit back and enjoy. It's a small space with no reservations, so the wait can be long, but worth it. While you wait, you can grab a drink at Mercado nearby or stroll around Pasadena. The to-go boxes are also great, with instructions on how to eat each piece. Pro tip: ask about their birthday reward program--it's worth it if you're a regular (but note, they now require dine-in for redemption). Always a delicious and reliable experience. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - To-Go Trust Me - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Food 3/5: all the sushi tasted very mid for the price. You would think if you go to an above avg sushi place maybe you can get some good qual but no... The texture was very soggy, not fresh, no taste, just no. Service 4/5: just avg workers. Also had to wait 1.5 hrs on a sat night, no. Ambiance 3/5: seats are so close to others, very tight, cramped, just not worth your money, time, or your tastebuds to be there. I highly do not recommend this place, we ended up spending around $180 there. read more

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Came with a party of 2 on a Monday evening and we were seated right away. I decided to go with the Trust Me Lite ($25) as I have a smaller appetite, and it ended up being the perfect amount of food! The Trust Me Lite came with edamame, tuna sashimi, 4 nigiri (albacore, sesame topped salmon, yellowtail, shrimp), and a toro (fatty tuna) hand roll. My favorites would have to be the albacore and yellowtail nigiri. The tables are a bit close together, as I'm guessing they don't expect guests to stay for extended periods of time, but I enjoyed the overall ambiance & experience. I believe they validate parking, but we decided to just park in the lot behind Mendocino Farms down the street. Would recommend coming here if you enjoy sushi and are looking for a slight splurge! read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Part of Trust Me Lite (from L to R: albacore, salmon topped with sesame seeds, yellowtail, shrimp) - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Love Sugarfish people were visiting from out of state. We spent the day at the Huntington library and I thought this would be a great place to have sushi. Everyone loved it! read more

I'm originally not from LA and I knew I had to pay a visit to this place when I was in area. I've heard a lot from social media that this sushi spot is "very LA" or "a very overhyped LA restaurant". And since I am a sushi fanatic - I was pretty excited to go. Walking in, we were immediately greeted and seated right away. We came during lunch time and it was moderately busy. The space is modern and intimate. Service was very professional and we were checked on throughout the meal to see how we were doing - so excellent service. We both did the "Trust Me" meal. The quality of the fish was magnificent and every bite was delicious. Every dish comes out in a timely manner; this is one of the biggest plusses that I took away from this restaurant. My biggest pet peeve is feeling rushed during a meal. For one person, this was $35 (not including the 16% tipping fee) and I was still hungry afterwards. Because of that, I would just recommend coming to Sugarfish if you're not absolutely starving and don't want to splurge. To give a little more background, this is coming from someone who is used to All You Can Eat sushi for the same price so I'm pretty used to leaving a sushi spot feeling like I got my moneys worth. It is no surprise that parking is a pain. My boyfriend and I parked at the parking garage that has Erewhon in it and then walked over to Sugarfish. The walk wasn't bad at all! In fact, it was really nice since the location is in a nice and safe area in Pasadena. Overall, the quality of their food is exquisite and I would definitely come back. My biggest tip is keeping in consideration their portions and the price that comes with it. read more

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I had the chance to try Sugarfish for the first time during a trip to LA, and I'm so glad I did! We went with the "Don't Think. Just Eat" set, which includes a sashimi appetizer, seven pieces of nigiri, and two hand rolls. The meal started with complimentary edamame, which was nice. Every bite was delicious, and you can tell it's high quality. For the price and quality of the food, it's definitely worth it. Note - it is a no-tipping restaurant, but they do automatically add a 16% charge, whether you're dining in or getting takeout. I can't wait to come back for more! read more

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Nozawa Trust me - begins with edamame (salty and cold) then to 3x2 of tuna, albacore and salmon. Each were fresh and the rice was very warm and has a good sweetness to it. I think their tuna is prob better than their salmon. Next is hand roll with toro? Taste "fresh" and classic tuna. Another round of 3x2 with 2 white fish (idk what it was) and a pair of beautiful savory fatty tuna. The fatty tuna's buttery taste balances the freshness of the leaner tuna. Good try. Ended the night with a crab hand roll, prob my fav read more

Wait for seats was about 30 minutes on a Sunday at 2pm. Got free street parking but there is a structure just behind the restaurant. They text you when your table is ready so you don't have to hang around. The set menus and prices are a fantastic idea to streamline orders and service. Like a McDonald's you have consistent quality control and people know what to expect. I found each item to be fresh and melt in your mouth, nothing too exotic but a solid sushi meal for good value. My favorite had to be sea bream with the pop of fresh shisho leaf of flavor then the lobster hand roll had to be a runner up. read more

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Beautiful, high quality fish is served here! It just melts in your mouth with pure deliciousness! Stopped in for a late lunch today, it was my first time here and I was pleasantly surprised with the meal. Both myself and my wife ordered the Trust Me Lite. It's a perfect lunch meal and the presentation adds to the amazing taste! The 4 course meal started with Edamame lightly salted and very fresh, served cold. Then they bring the Tuna Sashimi with ponzu and chives. The fish was so tender and fresh it made me excited for the rest of the meal. Next comes the sushi, Albacore with ponzu, Salmon with toasted sesame and Nozawa-style shrimp. All 3 were delicious with a warmed rice underneath. Lastly the Toro Hand Roll!!! Wow! The flavor combination of the Toro, fresh seaweed and the warm rice was spot on! No need to add anything to it. Well done Sugarfish! It's a medium size place. It has a big window with a beautiful view of the courtyard. Sleek modern woodwork on the walls and ceiling. Nice feel. Parking is easy with the garage across the street, they validate parking. You can also park for free at the public outdoor lot a half a block away. The reason I gave 4 stars and not 5 was that one employees there was a total vibe killer. She was cussing multiple times while having loud personal conversations. She might have been the manager, not sure. But she ruined the kind/calm Pasadena vibe with her trashy demeanor. read more

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Hands down the BEST sushi I have ever had in my life. There was no fishy taste and the texture was just melt in your mouth. I had the trust me omakase and it was a good amount of food to make you feel satisfied. They don't take reservations so it's best to come at an off hour if you don't want to wait. The service was excellent. I really did enjoy sitting at the bar. I wish we could see more of the sushi being made in front of us like at other sushi spots. I recommend this place for anyone wanting good quality sushi at an affordable price. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Salmon, sea bream, and yellowtail - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Always long wait. If the sushi is really good I don't mind the wait. Never in my life I thought I'd found a fish bone in my sushi in a nice sushi restaurant. I told the waiter about a fish bone in my sushi, he calmly gave me another piece of sushi. I'm telling you this must have happened pretty often for him to have that calm and automatic response. Then a few months later, I ate at this restaurant again totally forgetting about finding fish bone in my sushi and well guess what. Another fish bone stuck in between my teeth. This sushi restaurant is really not up to par. read more

Bar service always delivers, good sushi for a fair price. Many people line up before they open, but generally if you are a small party you can be sat at open without having to wait read more

Customer service was good but in my opinion this place is overhyped. In my opinion the sushi here tastes fishy and not fresh. Good sushi should not taste fishy, in my opinion. But 10/10 customer service read more

Consistently solid. I've been to this location 20-30 times over the years, which probably says the most. It's a place I keep coming back to because the experience is reliably good. Food: Solid across the board. You know what you're getting, and it's consistently executed. Nothing experimental -- just dependable, well-prepared food that delivers. Value: For the price, the ROI is strong. I almost always leave feeling like I got good value, which is a big reason this remains in regular rotation for me. Seating & vibe: When it's just two of us, we usually sit at the bar, which works well. If we're four, there's a specific table we try to get that gives us enough space and feels comfortable. The plaza itself is lively and adds to the overall experience. The only real downside (and not entirely their fault): It gets crowded. You should expect a wait unless you arrive early and line up. This isn't a reservation-type place, so planning ahead helps. Overall: A consistently strong 4+ star experience for me. Solid food, good value, and a lively setting keep this as a regular spot despite occasional crowds. read more

Our "Go-To" sushi restaurant. Always consistently delicious. So much so, the first thing my wife wanted after being pregnant was their sushi. The service is always great and the ambiance is very Japanese Modern style. Definitely coming back and I recommend you do to. Love that there are no reservations as well. First come first serve! read more

I've been hearing about sugarfish for a while and finally got to give this place a try. Came here right around 5pm on a weekday and we were able to find a table right away. However, around 6pm and onward, place started getting packed so I recommend coming here early if you can since you can't make reservations. Since this was my first time, I chose to go with their pre-selected set menu "Don't Think, Just Eat". I really liked this set because I didn't have to pick and choose which ones to try and just ate whatever they gave me. I knew this place was legit when I tasted their ginger and wasabi. Ginger tasted very fresh, authentic, and it didn't have that artificial aftertaste. It tasted like real ginger lol. Wasabi was solid too and I could tell they definitely made their own wasabi. I know sushi restaurants have to freeze their fish before serving to kill all the parasites which is unfortunate because quality really drops by freezing the fish, but this place does a great job of reviving that taste and quality back to life. It felt like I was eating fresh catch in all aspect of taste, texture, and quality. Highly recommend this place and I will definitely be coming back! read more

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you can never go wrong with sugarfish. decent price with high quality sushi & great customer service! we usually go to the calabasas location but now we're a lot closer to pasadena so wanted to give it a try. the restaurant is hard to spot when driving, but it's basically tucked into a little plaza courtyard. we parked on lake st & used Passport to pay for parking. like the calabasas location, it's quite small. this pasadena location had table seating or bar near the kitchen. menu: we felt a little indulgent this night so we got the highest tier set - the don't think. just eat. trust me which is $59/ person. absolutely fills you up! i love the variety & the staff always gets the timing right between each meal - long enough to savor the last bite of sushi & enjoy it but short enough where you don't feel like you're waiting a lifetime for the next dish to roll out. they also timed it where my party got our meals at the same time so we were able to enjoy & rave about the dish together, skipping the awkward moment when you wait for other people to get their food to be able to enjoy yours. i absolutely love everything we were served, but my personal favorite was the toro nigiri. fatty, fresh, melts in your mouth, what more can you ask for? i love this location & will be returning!! read more

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CHRIS with the glasses needs a talking to. He is talking to coworkers about schedules loudly in front of customers while working at the bar, having personal conversations and casually cursing to coworkers in front of customers, not listening to orders, and not being attentive to patrons. I understand workplace banter during a slower dining time, and he knows he's getting gratuity either way, but there is a time and a place. I come here very often for the last ~10 years and this is the first time I've seen this type of behavior from any of the staff and there didn't seem to be a supervisor around. Overall unprofessional and immature and not creating a comfortable dining environment. read more

We've been here a few times. Service is always great. Tables are small and space is tight but the servers remove the empty plates pretty quickly to make room for the next course. It's been a few months since coming back here for dinner. We always order the "Nozawa Trust Me" for $46. We realized that their hand rolls are the best by far in comparison to all the new hand rolls bar we've been to. From the crispy and crunchy seaweed wrap to the warm rice with crab and toro. They always remind you to enjoy it while it's warm. Absolutely hands down best hand rolls. Everything else is always consistently fresh. read more

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Fantastic spot. On point every time. But thing is you don't ever real have to order. Just do the Trust Me and you're good. Service is always friendly as well. read more

If you can find a seat at Sugarfish, I would say it's definitely worth it! I usually get the "trust me" set which leaves me pretty full, and the food is always on time and fresh. The only thing I hate is that there always seem to be a wait so if you want to be seated, I would recommend showing up 20ish minutes before they open. read more

Sugarfish never disappoints. The quality of the fish here is consistently top notch. I always get the "Trust Me". It's a great portion of food and I like how it is coursed out for you. The salmon is always a stand out. I like that their hand rolls come out with the seaweed slightly warm. You know it's fresh! However at this location, I experienced that their rice did not hold well together. Don't know if it was a fluke or a bad batch, but every piece of sushi rice crumbled as soon as you picked it up with chopsticks. I haven't found this to be the case at any other sugarfish I have been too. Great, speedy service and the ambiance of the restaurant is very sleek and modern. it can get pretty loud in there when it's busy. The location is a little hidden, but I think the courtyard area is super cute. You can see the Sugarfish sign from the street if you look hard enough! I was able to find parking on the street. read more

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Came here on a Holiday Monday. Line was 20 deep by 10:45 AM. Got seated at 11:05 for our party of 4. Restaurant vibe is simple and elegant. Service was impeccable. Staff was courteous, professional, and very organized. Staff asked for any food allergies when we ordered food. Menu is simple but that's the beauty of this restaurant. Limit the options and focus on excellent ingredients and quality. Got 3 taster courses and a la carte veggie hand rolls for our youngest. Amazing food all around. Had 7 courses for our taster courses and was very full at the end. The price was surprisingly reasonable for the quality of sushi. Highly recommend. If you have a large party, you will likely be split up. Limited vegetarian options. Parked in structure across the street and received validation from restaurant. read more

The meal is always amazing but I wish they just had a waitlist where you don't have to sign up in person. It's almost impossible to get in there if you have anything else to do that evening. We usually end up going to Dan, the Chinese restaurant nearby because they are so welcoming and their food is amazing too. read more

This place is excellent. By way of background I lived in Japan for 12 years with my Japanese wife, experienced all sorts and levels of sushi, and became a sushi snob. We moved back to the US over 20 years ago and I'm always up for new American sushi places. Sugarfish is the best sushi I've had in the US bar none, including sushi from high-end New York City restaurants. read more

Their takeout box will always remind me of the early aughts when Paris Hilton was looking for a new bff and telling us what's hot, when celebs were still spotted at (defunct) Kitson. When we had great pop bops on the radio.... The best rolls is still the crab roll and the nigiri is still on point not too fishy or fatty. The most affordable omakase read more

I sat at the bar, and found the bar tender to not be the best representative of the business. He was a bit gruff and to the point, and clearly had zero interest in setting me up for success. That said, the food was fucking delicious. I was really ennamoured with the restaurants balance of extremely fresh fish, with hot rice. Not something I've had in the past, and I can see why it might rub some people the wrong way, but I loved how the heat of the rice brought the fish closer to room temp, which really highlighted the textures and flavor. Food is really good, atmosphere is dark and not particularly noteworthy - service could definitely improve. But that said, if I lived close, I'd be a frequent visitor. read more

Came here on my son's birthday. They don't take reservations, and when we arrived we were told the wait would be at least an hour. We chose take-out instead, but during our 30-minute wait, five tables stayed empty the entire time, which made the "one-hour wait" explanation hard to understand. Even for take-out, we were charged a 16% fee, and we had to wait outside in the rain. The staff member who helped us was also quite unfriendly. Overall, a very disappointing experience, definitely not coming back. read more

Solid 4 stars! Food was very good in quality, ambience is nice, modern and clean. Service was fast and efficient. Came here for lunch one day during DineLA restaurant week, and so we got the prix fix lunch menu with several of their signature items for $35. The fish was all sushi grade good quality and very fresh. Very simple but done well. Portion size is small tho. The toro hand roll was my favorite. Service was nice and efficient, bathrooms are clean. Nice peaceful environment, great place for a simple meal. read more

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This review is long overdue. My wife and I have been coming to Sugarfish Pasadena for years now. It is next door to our other favorite restaurant, Uovo! We absolutely love dining at both restaurants. We were big fans of Sushi Nozawa in Studio City back in the and have loved Chef Nozawa's creations ever since our first visit. Though we really miss Chef Nozawa, his legacy lives on in Sugarfish. The quality of the sushi is always fresh and delicious and the service is awesome. We will be coming here for many years to come. read more

I consider Sugarfish to be a quick sushi/omakase restaurant that's very casual and makes sushi easy for everyone. I think it's reasonably priced for the amount of food and quality you get. My husband and I did the "Don't Think, Just Eat" course. With 2 orders of this course, 1 sake, and 1 glass of wine, our meal came out to $177. Not terrible for 2 orders of sushi sets and alcohol (and no tip). The ambiance is very casual. You're seated pretty close to other guests. Parking is easy in the structure. They validate, so your parking rate is reduced. read more

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Service was great, ambiance was chill but other than that this place is a one and done for me. No desire to come back because there was nothing that stood out about the food. Rice was not great. Everything tasted the same for the most part. Like nothing. The top dish I would say was the tuna sashimi. Yellowtail was alright until I added the left over sauce from the tuna sashimi. A little too pricey for below average sushi but hey, you might like it. Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 Food: 1/5 read more

The location in LA was a bit too far to reach, so this one was the nearest option. Their nigiri and sashimi are literally melt-in-your-mouth good. If I could, I would order their boxes every week. I truly like their sushi. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California