For me, there's 2 categories of sushi places. There's everything else , and then there's sugar fish . No other sushi spot is comparable to sugar fish . Period. Went here Friday night . 2 people, had an hour and half wait , didn't mind . Got drink next door at the Mexican place . I don't eat seaweed and they don't carry soy paper, so for me, its easy : it's the no roll trust me. The fish melts in your mouth, the service is amazing , and the ambiance cozy. Got their least expensive sake bottle . Omg how tasty was that . Go here , you'll know what I'm talking about . read more

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I spent $50plus on food and got this when I asked for a side of lemon!!! Like what was the point. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - What is this?! - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Came out to try the DineLA set menu. All of the fish was fresh and tasty. The only reason I took off a star was for the service. It was slow and no one came to fill our water. It took forever to flag someone down to get the check. It's a solid place for sushi but they are pretty busy on the weekends. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Unquestionably and very simply, Sugarfish is a destination that does not know how to fail. Apart from the inability to make a reservation, everything is delightful and a feast for the taste buds. The great alternative to waiting in line and in times of Covid is to order a takeout - which is sooo beautifully setup and equally delicious - at home. 5 stars! PREVIOUS REVIEW2: Time for 5 stars! Again, even after several visits to this and other sushi places, Sugarfish is able to maintain a solid frontrunner position. The surprise me menue in various quantity levels provides a guided tour de palate. Food superb, staff mostly pleasant, but one lady servant rude and out of touch (grade F). PREVIOUS REVIEW1: Simply a feast for your palate! What else can I say that has not yet been said. Is it worth the wait? ... and the fact that they do not take any reservations? Absolutely! Correct, it might seem insane to go there on a Friday night. But we just checked in and then went to an adjacent bar to tune up until our time had come ... Once finally at the table: Sure - if you are a control freak - you could order individual items. However, it is really much straightforward to lean back and go with the "Trust Me", which is a preset menu that varies a little bit according to the luxury level. Everything that comes with it is just wonderful, and the only downside of the Trust Me is that it is over much too quickly ... Set to return ... for sure! read more

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Phenomenal sushi at a reasonable price! I had the Trust Me course. Great service and ambience. Highly recommend!!

This place definitely lived up to the hype! I heard about sugarfish so much and i was worried that the wait would be long but thankfully we got a seat right away. The restaurant was smaller than i thought! The ambiance of the restaurant was super romantic and the service was great :) What we ordered: * the nozawa trust me - 9.5/10!! sushi rice is usually cold but the rice here was seasoned so well and came out warm! i loved it. all the dishes came out pretty quickly and the portions were perfect for me. everything was so good and tender. my fave was definitely the sushi and my least fave was definitely the crab roll. it was a little fishy and had some crab bone remnants in it read more

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I wish Sugarfish existed in Texas because there are so many good places in LA and yet, I will always remember Sugarfish. Such good prices and service for amazing quality fish. I ordered the smallest set menu and it was extremely filling. I won't say a lot because I think the food speaks for itself. Be aware that you might have to wait even on a weekday evening. Sugarfish never disappoints! read more

Japanese cuisine has always been one of my favorites, but after visiting Sugar Fish, it's now my absolute favorite! The freshness and cleanliness of both the food and the restaurant are exceptional. The ambiance is wonderful, and the staff is friendly, efficient, and attentive. It's rare to find a place that takes the time to explain their process and ingredients--kudos to you all! I'll definitely be coming back! We ordered Trust me, Nozawa Trust me, Don't think, just eat! All delicious! read more

Wowwww I can't believe I waited this long to try Sugarfish. Came here as a party of 4 and the wait time was only 30 minutes even though our estimate was 45-60 minutes. It's an intimate, quaint ambiance with bar and table seating. Being my first time here, staff were welcoming. We all went with the "Don't Think Just Eat" menu set which is $55 - it's such such a good price for the high quality fish. Their warm, soft, melt in your mouth rice was sushi rice I've NEVER experienced before with fine dining sushi. It was so good I picked up every grain that fell onto my plate. Every nigiri was buttery (except for sea bream but I'm personally not a fan of sea bream due to its texture). We also got a toro and lobster hand roll. The crispy seaweed melting with the warm rice and fish on the first bite is unexplainable! Our meal ended with a warm unagi nigiri with the warm rice... ugh perfection. Parties of 2-3 can be cramped since you're really close to the people dining next to you. Wait times could be long depending what time you come. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Toro, salmon, albacore - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Just fyi-- you can't reach anyone on the phone. --- their email is pasadena@urgentsushi.LA They respond very quickly for any issues -- I had an issue with my Postmates delivery and their team called me so quickly! ----- Sugarfish's quality never disappoints. Like others have said, the fish literally melts in your mouth. I ordered to-go on a Saturday during prime lunch time and it took about an hour. 5 stars for packaging and taking Covid precautions. If you're thinking about eating outside here, do it! They have such a nice patio and truly spaces the tables a good 6 feet apart unlike some restaurants right now. The only thing I'm knocking off a star for is that if you like ginger. It's 25 cents for extra. Cheap but still given the price of this place read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Opted for the takeout option to avoid the long wait time, but preparation still took over an hour. We ordered the Don't Think Just Eat box which came with an assortment of chef picks. The fish was really fresh and high quality! Everything in the box was well curated and was more than enough for lunch for two people. While it was yummy, not too sure if it was worth the wait or price tag. read more

We came here due to the hype and was super disappointed with our experience. We were sat down quick and the service was good. But the quality of the fish is just below par for a considerably nice restaurant. We were waiting for the rest of our order to come out and the sever said "we're just waiting for the rice to finish cooking" not too long after we saw the chef take out HOT rice from the pot and place it with the fish..lemme tellll youuu, the rice ain't supposed to be hot. It doesn't taste well with cold fish, when we ate it our fish was warm and sweating. I think I see why people order to go, it's to let the fish and rice cool down LOL. Service was good, it's just the sushi isn't properly prepared and perhaps is the reason why the fish tasted odd. At least I got to say i tried sugar fish but definitely not a place I'd come to again, sushi enya is so close by and the quality is much better! read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Salmon Sushi, Japanese Yellowtail* Sushi (2-Pc), I forgot the other one - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Came with lunch with my brother around 1:30 on a Friday. We were pretty hungry so we were disappointed when they told us the wait was going to 1-1.5 hours. To kill time and get a snack we went to Philz and Lemonade in the same plaza. However just 30 minutes in, right after we'd started eating our food at Lemonade, we got the text saying our table was ready. Now we had to rush to finish our snacks and we were slightly full as we were planning to walk around. Though happy we were able to be seated earlier, 30 minutes to potentially a 1.5hr wait is a big difference which started off our meal with some frustration. If they're going to provide wait estimates they should try to make them more accurate. After we were seated, the service was a bit slow to give us menus and take our order. We ordered the Nozawa Trust Me set. The best item in the set was by far the New Zealand Sea Bream sushi, so fresh and delicious. The Salmon, Albacore, Yellowtail and toro and crab hand rolls were also great. The tuna sashimi and Hirame sushi were just okay and had a little too many sauces and seasoning for my taste. Taking a look at the menu again now, I believe we were supposed to get another "daily special" at the end but my last item was the crab hand roll. Overall, the food was pretty good and at a great price considering it is an omakase-esque dining experience. However, the service and logistics of seating parties have much room for improvement. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Albacore Sushi Salmon Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

This review is for the server PAUL!! I have been to Sugarfish 100 times but this was by far the best SUGARFISH experience our whole table has had to date. Upon greeting our table, Paul was an absolute delight! His positive energy really set the tone for our meal and we had the best time under his service. He seemed genuinely happy to take care of us and I can't help but think that's partially a reflection of the way this business is ran and management. This will be my first choice location going forward and I'll always ask for Paul! Thanks Paul!! read more

Really good food, and sushi. Service is really good too. And the restaurant is really fancy and clean

I came here for their dinela :) My first experience here was take out. I wasn't a fan. I ordered like a variety of their sushi and cut rolls. There weren't that many options. However, I did ended up with 2 boxes. My brother & his gf came by that day and I ended up giving them a whole box. Dining in was a whole different story. The place was pretty unique. It was so different compared to other sushi restaurants I had been to. The quality was great. The service was a bit slow but they were nice. Their dinela menu was not much of a difference than their menu. From what I remember..for $35, both menu included pretty much the same items. The differences was the original came with 1 piece sea bream and tuna sashimi instead of 2 pieces of Kampachi sushi and salmon sashimi. I never really liked tuna sashimi but this place was an exception. If ever i crave tuna, this would be my go to place. This place do not have cream cheese or avocados. I don't think they carry any of those specialty rolls that you see in other restaurants either.. they offer the simple hand rolls and cut rolls.. The only sashimi they have is tuna. So if the fancy rolls with all the stuffing like avos and etc is your type then this place is not really for you... Everything seemed to be simple but simple in a good way. Note: I had to ask for the dinela menu Parking- they have a parking structure. Validation avail at the restaurant No tip required but they automatically charged 16% tip and also tax. Tables were pretty close to one another. Cash or CC Note: I had to ask for the dinela menu read more

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First time trying Sugarfish, Pasadena location. Decided to bring my friends and family on my birthday . The food was great but the service was horrible. It's a bunch of kids running this place. I caught one of the servers picking his nose by the register. Definitely not coming back! read more

Love this place! It's one of my favorite go-to places for sushi. I always get the Nozawa Trust Me, which is more filling than expected and definitely worth the price. The fish is fantastic; my favorite is the albacore. The service is great! They're perfect at timing your dishes so you never wait too long between each course and everyone at your table gets served around the same time. Parking in the area is tough. There is validation for a garage but street parking after 6PM is free if you can find it. It's also located in a great area where waiting outside is lovely with seating areas and dessert places after! read more

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Some of the best omakase with really reasonable prices for the quality of fish you are getting. Did the "Don't think...just eat..." and my wife did the Nozawa Trust. Both were delicious, highly recommend. read more

Poor service: no refills, checkins, dirty dishes piled up at our table, and then to top it off, they forgot they served the last course. So we waited while the waiters walked by until I had to speak up. I normally only leave reviews when I leave an establishment feeling something, and here, I felt like one of many warm bodies to be (slowly) shuffled out. Food: Great, I would recommend getting takeout only here. read more

This is my favorite sushi restaurant. The fish is always so fresh and it melts in your mouth. I ordered the Trust Me set and I enjoyed all of the courses. The flavor of the sauce for the nigiri is great and the courses are served in set times so that you don't feel too full to enjoy the next course. Each course had a different fish and flavor, making it a very complete sushi dining experience. I will definitely be back. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Toro Hand Roll - Trust Me - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Incredibly delicious food as always. Service was quick and efficient. One minor note - there seems to be too many tables indoors and wayyyyy too close together. When our server would step in between tables to serve guests and grab dishes, his bottom was VERY closely hovering above our food/ glasses and he almost knocked our glasses over. Not a big issue as he was very polite, but just very uncomfy. An accident waiting to happen.... I'd suggest removing at least one of the tables on the left hand side. Way too crammed and awkward read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I almost never give 5 stars but HOLY SASHIMI!!!! This place was amazing! The fish essentially melts in your mouth! This sets raw fish on a whole new level for me. This place has a set menu that comes with three options: 1. Trust me, 2. NOZAWA trust me, and 3. Trust me lite, 4. Don't think, just eat trust me Each one is different prices and various sizes that you can choose based on your hunger level and budget. The prices here were not as bad as I expected! So it makes for an amazing experience that won't exactly break the budget. For food, I got the NOZAWA trust me, which was AMAZING! They actually subed one of the rolls with a scallop roll and it was my favorite! However, everything was amazing and to die for. Then for drinks I tried the Nigori sake, which came in a bottle! And of course the classic Sapporo beer! Both were delicious! I'm addicted to this place now! 10/10 recommend giving it a try read more

If you're looking to splurge on deliciousness and raw fish, head to Sugarfish. I'm guilty of pregaming before I go here or KazuNori because I never get super full despite ordering a decent amount. They focus on quality cuts of fish instead of quantity so can't rant too much. Their Trust Me set option is my go to and the toro never fails to amaze me. Service here was quick and friendly especially at the bar where my friend and I were seated. Extra aesthetic points for the adorable box design for their to go orders. read more

Warm rice, cold fish, delicate flavors. It is the dream sushi. Get there early to leave your name as they don't take reservations.

Today I went for the 'Don't Think. Just Eat' option as opposed to the 'Trust Me Nozawa' option bc whyyy not. I was craving for a sort of omakase experience, without being picky. 'Don't Think, Just Eat' seemed perfect for me, since I could taste a sashimi course, seven orders of nigiri and two hand rolls. I'd say this option is more favorable during the day when they have fresher, more delectable cuts/options. By dinnertime, you get what is "leftover" from the day, but still premium quality cuts, Sugarfish-style. The wait was about 45 minutes long total, but the manager was very accommodating when we asked for specific seating arrangements. It's the little things that really make a difference in the whole dining experience, so I'd like to commend him for giving detailed attention to the matter. Here's the order in which I ate my course: 1. Edamame 2. Tuna Sashimi with ponzu 3. Albacore nigiri 4. Salmon nigiri - sooo good. 5. Otoro nigiri - yaaaay! 6. Toro hand roll - eat quickly! 7. New Zealand Sea Bream nigiri 8. Pink Lobster or sweet shrimp nigiri - I don't remember exactly if it was shrimp or lobster but ooommmgggg so good. The best of the night! 9. Kampachi with citrus salt - nice touch to a plain sashimi 10. Blue and Dungeness Crab Hand Roll - I could have 3 of these... 11. Unagi nigiri If I could do it all over again, I'd ask for easy rice in general. It def left me with a feel-good full, and I didn't feel the need to dip any of the sushi in soy sauce. If anything, I enjoyed the ponzu sauce best that came first with my tuna sashimi. However, there was never a point where I "needed" or "wanted" to dip any of my sushi in soy sauce. Ginger was a nice palate cleanser in between plates. The hand rolls need to be consumed quickly for maximum enjoyment. Crispy seaweed and warm rice combination does not last long together. Again, no soy sauce necessary. If you find yourself especially obsessed with the hand rolls, you should check out KazuNori :) Normally, a sushi experience would feel incomplete without uni or ikura of some sort, but today was different. Idk if it was my bestie's company or the manager's flexibility, but I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner. Nothing negative to say, and I'm honestly very content. read more

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3-star review simply because I am not the biggest fan of large amounts of raw fish by itself. I think a raw sushi lover would appreciate this food though. I ordered the "Trust Me," which comes with the food pictured below. Unfortunately for me when I asked for sriracha or some type of hot sauce I was unable to get some. I highly recommend saving the sauce from the tuna sashimi if you usually need some type of sauce with your food. Overall, the fish of was of excellent quality, and my meal was decent for $30. Due to personal preference, I just wish I had some type of thick or hot sauce. There was a wait time for a Saturday afternoon, but there is plenty to do around to kill time. Glad I got to try it. read more

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The environment and interior is so nice! We got their Trust Me menus and shared between 2 people, it's a nice option if you want to try the different dishes and don't know / can't decide what to order! There is not active wait line online, so make sure you go early! We had to wait for about 2 hours on Friday night, so be prepared to shop around downtown Pasadena as you wait! Service was very nice, and food came relatively quick after ordering! Overall a really good experience and great food, I would go try their other locations! read more

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This was my second visit to this location. Was to celebrate my friend's birthday. I ordered the Trust Me Nozawa set, which had variety of rolls and also sashimi. The quality and freshness of the fish was great. My issue was the rice. It was still warm and not compacted enough so when picking up the nigiri the rice fell apart. Also the first dish of sashimi with ponzu, too much ponzu. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This is the best sushi we had，my son loves it，the food is fresh and good quality ，my several friends came here too and all love it read more

One of the highlights of dining at Sugarfish is their signature "Trust Me" menu, where guests entrust the chef to curate a selection of their finest offerings. We usually get THE NOZAWA TRUST ME. The dining experience takes you on a journey through each course thoughtfully crafted to complement the next. The progression of flavors, textures, and presentations is nothing short of sublime, leaving you in awe . The texture of the sashimi just melts in your mouth and the warm rice is cooked w perfection. Aside from the exceptional sushi, Sugarfish also offers a variety of hand rolls too! We usually dine here for lunch but last night waiting almost two hours for a table was a disappointment.... My husband was very upset and cranky hungry... lol When 2 hours was almost up, he went to check the status and the host said our table is getting cleaned. He requested a bigger table and not a small corner table for 3 people. The manager wanted to seat the party of 4 which was after us for the big table and us 3 in the small corner table. (What the hell?!!). If I'm waiting two hours at your establishment and tip is already included, I should be able to enjoy where i sit.. The manager finally let us have the big table. Stupid on the manager's part, she should've moved the small table over to the other side instead of thinking of other big parties after us. Common sense, girl!! Manager looked annoyed but if she was in our position she would be upset too! Overall, we love Sugarfish and the service was excellent but the manager is just dumb. read more

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This is the pinnacle of sushi restaurants as far as I'm concerned. On every facet. The fish is reliably fresh and delicious, never disappoints. The customer service is exemplary, all the servers are simply put, the BEST! Diana the manager is a dream come true! Every time I dine here I am filled with joy and satisfaction. Been coming here for years and will continue to do so. THANK YOU FOR SETTING THE SUSHI BAR! read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - At the bar - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

This review is specifically for Sugarfish's delivery service. Many other reviews will talk about the many positives of Sugarfish -- fresh fish, reliable and friendly service, delicious sushi rice. All of those same qualities come across even when ordered via delivery. Delivery orders come in sturdy, high quality boxes with detailed instructions for how to sauce and eat your sushi. It's expensive but great for a special occasion. One tip: delivery is available only on Postmates and the store will sometimes stop accepting new orders when it's too busy, but if you check back every fifteen minutes or so, it will often open back up. read more

Came here on my first night in Pasadena visiting my sister. This is one of her favorite places. We decided to go earlier-5pm thinking we wouldn't have to wait long. We were wrong. We ended up waiting 2 hours, which was very long especially having flown in that day from the East coast. Thankfully, there was seating outside to wait and the weather was gorgeous. My niece insisted it is worth the wait. I have to say, our meal was delicious and fresh! I had the The Nozawa Trust Me. They ran out of Hirame sushi and substituted it with scallop sushi which was delicious-the ponzu sauce was amazing. All of the fish was super fresh and delicious. I was satisfied after my meal, although I did have 2 of my mom's sushi pieces as well. The service was excellent, friendly and attentive. Thank you! read more

My first time trying Sugarfish and I can confirm it definitely lives up to the hype! For the price, the quality of fish is insane. I ordered the Trust Me box to-go ($35). To start, the takeout packaging is so cute, and even comes with soy sauce, ponzu, chopped green onions, ginger, and lemon to make the takeout experience that much better. Every single piece of fish was so smooth and melted in my mouth. Heads up: All takeout orders have a 16% charge on top of what you're paying. Parking is tough (street parking, or there's a lot in the back that's usually pretty full during peak lunch and dinner time), but if you're picking up, just park quickly in the back and hop off. I'll definitely be back to dine in next time! read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - trust me - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Got the try me $34. It was good. Very fresh! Tina sashimi melts in your mouth . very smooth. They care a lot about the rice temperature but I find it hard to eat when rice falls apart.. next time I can try to just eat with hands.. but I feel like because the rice falls apart, it ruin my eating experience. I find it hard time to enjoy my meal because I was focusing not to drop anymore rice so it blends well with the sashimi. The wasabi they provided is sooooo good... Has a nutty flavor and a kick at the end. Rolls - crab roll was my favorite. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

I've been putting off writing this review (for almost a week now) because I truly do not know how to put into words how amazing this place was. I mean, Sugarfish's reputation precedes it. This place is renowned!!! Famous!!!! And it's so so worth it and true! First of all, the service was impeccable. they were helpful, kind, patient, fast and efficient. Such a lovely dining experience! Next, the food was absolutely delicious. Every person in my party got the Nozawa Trust Me ($43). It was worth every single cent and I would have paid even more. The quality of fish and rice at this place is unbeatable. Seriously you can taste the freshness in every single bite. Every single course was good, but our absolute favorites were (lol as I'm writing this I'm realizing how hard it is to pick my favorites): tuna sashimi - this tuna is soooo fresh and the ponzu sauce is to DIE for Albacore sushi - same ^ Blue crab dungeness hand roll - the crab was so fresh and good!! Japanese yellow tail - literally butter in my mouth with a lemon tang yum And lastly the rice was freaking outstanding. I could eat this rice for every meal for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. Please please do yourself a favor and go here. You won't regret it and it will be the best money you will ever spend on sushi!!!!!! read more

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I used to think this place was overhyped (and overpriced) but as of lately, I've come to realize that what you're paying for here is the quality. For about $30 - $50 a pop, you get to experience the famous Sushi chef Kazunori Nozawa's choice of carefully selected sushi. Born out of the idea that sushi is more than just California rolls and Teriyaki, you really do see that come to life with some of the trust me sets. For those that aren't familiar with the sets, you basically get to choose from three different choices: Trust me (which has about 6 pieces of sushi and 2 hand rolls), the Nozawa trust me (10 pieces and 2 hand rolls) or the Trust me lite, which as the name suggests, is a smaller version of trust me (4 pieces and 1 hand roll). You cant mix and match, or choose what you like and don't like, but instead, are given the dishes exactly as how Nozawa would have wanted you to have it. Definitely quite an experience and once you try the individual dishes (which are sent out about ~10 minutes at a time), it's easy to see why -- the pieces are meant to complement each other and provide just enough of a taste leaving you wanting more, but not full enough to the point where you feel like you want to tap out. The fish itself is also EXTREMELY smooth, like biting into butter type of smooth and the rice has a warm feel to it, too, which pairs really well with the chilled pieces of fish. Overall, I'm a fan now and would definitely recommend stopping by if you're ever looking for a unique dining experience. Tips - No reservations available so it's first come first serve. Would recommend going right when they open if you're looking to grab a table ASAP - Parking is limited but I have luck parking across the street where it's 90 minutes free - Gratuity if already included so no need to tip extra - Dining area is a bit small so probably not great for groups larger than 6 read more

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Good menu items and good food. The staff are very attentive also. It's a nice place to go for sushi.

Even though I think the sushi tastes a lot better dine in, it still holds up pretty well in takeout! Recently tried the toro tataki bento (sold in limited quantities everyday so order earlier in the day!) and I LOVED it. The toro is very finely chopped and I liked that the cucumber on top was flavorful as well. Highly recommend trying this out if you get a chance. I usually customize my takeout boxes and my faves are the sweet shrimp and the lobster cut rolls. Docked one star because if you order pickup from postmates (they don't take phone order) they tack on a ridiculous amount of fees...kind of not worth the price read more

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