This restaurant makes me sad I don't live near one. I really love this place. You can taste that the fish is high quality, and I love that the set menus make it so easy to order. I would definitely recommend doing one of the set menus if its your first time. The hype is well deserved. read more

Loved this place! Sushi was divine! Ambience and the attention to detail is everything! Can't wait to go back.

TLDR: come here if you're looking to eat some high-quality sushi but these portions might be small if you're coming here with a huge appetite. I came here on a Friday afternoon and was seated almost immediately. Just to note, they do not take reservations. The service was very quick, and the staff was friendly. What I enjoyed the most was the simple menu that they had. My friend ordered the Nozawa Trust Me (medium portion) while I ordered the Trust Me (smaller portion). The difference between the two was the addition of the Chutoro sushi and New Zealand Sea Bream Sushi. My favorite items were the Toro Hand Roll and Blue Dungeness Crab Hand Roll (not pictured as I was too busy eating them!). Shown below was the albacore and salmon sushi which tasted very fresh that I hardly dipped them into the soy sauce that was provided. All the sushi in general just MELTS in your mouth. Overall, the sushi is so fresh and high quality which makes the pricing seem reasonable to me as this is usually typical of places such as Sugarfish. If you're someone with a large appetite, you might leave here still hungry so this could be a big downside for you. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

You have to be a sushi & sashimi eater. Tender & fresh! Ambiance is left for those singles needing a date night. of all the times i-ve eaten here, service is super. just order their set menu and add some extra sashimi if you can eat more. read more

Despite the wait, this is still my favorite spot. The service is amazing. The food is amazing. The price is very reasonable for good quality sushi. read more

the food was so good. small portions but actually super filling! very nice and candle lit. i enjoyed it. cute and cozy

My Ratings: 1 Star: Terrible; just thinking about it makes me angry. 2 Stars: Wasn't a fan so not likely to return. 3 Stars: Meh. Average. Might return if others drag me. 4 Stars: Yum! Will definitely return. 5 Stars: Amazing! Would plan my day around it. read more

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Ordered the Don't Think, Just Eat take out box and was pretty happy with what we got. The box is very filling and decently priced. I'm from Seattle, and good quality sushi is normally very expensive, so I was really happy that this was only $52. The sushi is pretty decent quality and there's a good variety in the box too! It's also packaged beautifully and I love how the box recommends how to eat the sushi. I ordered through their app as soon as they opened for take out orders (5:45PM) but our food wasn't ready until 7:20PM! Not really sure how we could have gotten food sooner, because I did see a ton of people get their takeout orders right when they opened up. But I wasn't able to call the Pasadena location or order ahead of time on their app either. I also didn't think the service was that great, the woman at the outside podium is pretty cold. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Don't To-Go Don't Think. Just Eat - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Food delicious Great service: friendly and professional Ambiance: nice Sushi melts in your mouth. Great taste. Could have had more but was pretty on the pricy side. read more

This was my first time at sugarfish. The server was so nice and polite throughout the time. I got the Nozawa trust me and it was delicious, and if you're hungry, it'll definitely fill you up! One thing that kind of caught me off guard was that the rice was really warm. Never had warm rice since...the fish is raw lol Also the music was realllly loud and I could barely hear what the server and the other person I was here with say. read more

I ordered the NOZAWA TRUST ME. The portion was just right and all the pieces were delicious. I liked the seed weed in the hand rolls was still crispy and the rice was warm, not cold. The staff were friendly and mostly attentive. Great ambiance overall. Worth coming back again. read more

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I honestly don't even know how to describe how amazing this experience was! We went around 430 on a Friday and there was no wait. It was my first time here, and our wonderful waiter explained the menu to us. We all ended up going with the nowaza trust me menu and it was absolutely incredible. All of the fish was so fresh and felt like butter. There was no fishy taste at all, This was hands-down the best sushi I've ever had in my life! Everything was amazing, but the albacore tuna in the ponzu sauce was my absolute favorite. The crab hand roll also really stood out. The warm rice with the perfectly cold fish was such an incredible combination. The dishes came out at a great pace, and we had plenty of time to take in each one before the next dish arrived. I also tried that iced green tea which was amazing, it was super refreshing and went so well with this meal. I already can't wait until I can come back!!! read more

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Alright, Sugarfish. I see you. I'll be honest, I had Sugarfish a while back for takeout back in 2018, and wasn't impressed by the quality. I had been in the mood for something fresh and wanted to give this place a try for my first outdoor dining experience in LA. We ordered the Trust me and the expensive one (the name of the box escapes me). Next time, I'll be trusting Sugarfish with my sushi a lot more. Everything was so good. From the tuna sashimi, to the fresh hand rolls, and the sushi - everything was perfect! I had never tried sea bream until I came here and it was so amazing. Though, I must say, the salmon was still my number one - it's just my favorite! Pro-tip: there's a 16% gratuity added, so no need to add an additional tip when dining here. Special shout-out to Bobby who went above and beyond with our dinner experience. read more

Sugarfish continues to be the best sushi place in the city (especially for the price). Consistently fresh ingredients, expertly prepared, and served with the type of attention to detail and service usually reserved for a much higher price tag. Long live Sugarfish! read more

Sugarfish is one of my favorite sushi restaurants in Pasadena. The quality of the fish and the service is top notch and the price is pretty reasonable. When we first discovered this place, we were obsessed and would come every week. The wait times vary depending on day and time. On average we usually wait about 30 minutes to be sat. The good thing is that they'll text you, so you can wander around to the nearby places to grab a drink. They have a parking lot you can park and they validate parking so you get a reduced rate. We always get the Nozawa Trust Me. It comes with the perfect amount of sushi to get full without totally overdoing it. I love that it's like a course meal and you know what to expect every time you go. My favorite is the salmon sushi, blue fin tuna otoro and the otoro and salmon hand rolls. These always leave me wanting more. Try also the unfiltered sake, it's so creamy, rich and sweet and tastes so well with sushi. Overall is a great experience. The servers are always nice and attentive and the food usually comes right away. The sushi hand rolls are best to eat it as soon as it arrives at your table for that super good crunchy taste. read more

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The most amazing sushi I have experienced! The staff was extremely friendly! The entree was out of this world! I had the "Trust Me Nozawa"! Trust a firefighter! I was so pleased! Definitely will be back! Thank you SUGARFISH! read more

When we are in Pasadena, this is always our date night spot. The ambiance is private and relaxing. No matter what sushi or sashimi we get, it always melts in your mouth. Service is always attentive and warm. read more

First time visiting the Pasadena Sugarfish. The fish was fresh & tasty, and the service was efficient & friendly. They do not take reservations, it's first-come, first served. I suggest going early to avoid the long line. We went on a Friday at 12p and waited 15min to be seated. It's a small restaurant with inside dining only. My only complaint is that the tables and chairs were too close together. The guests next to us was only one foot away, which is not very covid-friendly. We also felt cramped because we had 3 people, but the table they gave us was really for 2 people. The food we great and we enjoyed everything we ordered. We got the Nozawa Trust Me for $39, which included edamame, tuna, albacore, salmon, toro, yellowtail, hirame, sea bream, blue crab and the daily special. We also ordered a few items from the a la carte menu. We got the salmon roll, lobster roll, and the blue and dungeness crab roll. All 3 were delicious! We were so full at the end. Make sure you get your parking ticket validated, with validation it's $3 for the first 2-hours. You pay at the pay station before returning to your car. read more

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always slaps, never had a bad experience at sugarfish personally, from all the sushi experiences i've had across the world especially in japan, all sushi tastes the same at some point in the meal (probably when you're 7 pieces deep). there might be some differences like texture, region, and the way they magnify the flavors for each individual cut of fish (like hamachi and yuzu, maguro and a brush of soy sauce), but relatively when you get to the baseline quality of freshness, most cuts taste the same regardless if you're at a nice omakase in tokyo vs. sugarfish in dtla. i like this place for the affordability, accessibility, vibes, service, and the fact that you don't have to tip, however there is an 18% gratuity fee. the ambiance of the restaurant is nice and the exterior ambiance of the restaurant is nice as well (dined here during peak covid when it really probably wasn't a good time to dine out since people were getting hospitalized and the world went into shock) read more

Been hearing a lot about SUGARFISH and since I come from Las Vegas, finding fresh and quality fish is pretty hard. There are not many sushi places in Vegas that serve warm sushi rice with fresh fish, so this place is a gem! My friend, boyfriend and I were in town for Black Pink's concert, and we wanted to pack our days with eating good food. This location was very small, did not have a lot of seating and it gets BUSY. We signed up for a waitlist and it was at least an hour wait for 3 people, which I didn't mind since we were able to enjoy coffee and chat while waiting outdoors. We chose to do dine in since the fish will probably taste the best as soon as they serve it. The menus were simple and straightforward. My boyfriend and I shared their DON'T THINK. JUST EAT. TRUST ME Dinner course in which the chef chooses what to serve us. I don't remember what each fish were, I just know that everything served tasted so fresh and delicious. We also ordered other nigiri's that weren't in the set course. I am a huge fan of sea urchin, so when I saw that on the menu, I just had to order it. I've never tasted sea urchin as fresh and buttery as the one from SUGARFISH. It just melted in my mouth and it was very sweet with no bitterness. I wanted to order more but I was getting full. The Don't THINK JUST EAT set was good enough for 2 people. Definitely worth the price for the quality and service. I would definitely be back for more sea urchin and other items on the menu. I still think about that sea urchin in my sleep. read more

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I cannot believe how terrible of a server Katherine was to us during our lunch. She spoke to us to take our order and we ordered. While we got our first dish, edamame, I asked for salt. She said she can't give me salt.... They have salt in the kitchen but refused to give me salt or even ask the kitchen. Then for the duration of our meal she did not speak one word to us the entire time. We asked another staff member for our check at the end of our meal, and realized she gets an automatic 16% tip?! For ignoring us our entire meal and doing nothing. It's absurd. The funniest part is she kept servicing the two tables next to us but didn't stop to ask us anything or help us not one time after I asked for salt. To make sure I'm clear, Katherine was the name on the receipt but it was the Latina server with the big gold rimmed glasses with her ombré color hair in a bun that had the worst attitude and ignored us the entire time. She literally was ignoring us like kid mad about something, I literally just asked for salt. So crazy. The food was ok, nothing memorable. I wish they had more sashimis but we did the trust me boxes. Wish they had more flavor, which is why I asked for salt (: I've always heard of this place and thought I'd try it but its very tiny and crowded. The other staff were nice but Katherine put a knot in our stomachs and threw our entire meal off. I recommend nobu, lots of flavor and different types of sashimis, rolls, flavors. If you want some great sushi for a similar price range. read more

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If you like sushi, come here!! This place is a must try. EVERYTHING is fresh here, no fishy aftertaste. My favorites here are anything salmon and tuna/toro related As for what to order, really depends on what you like. I've took pictures of what I ordered so feel free to take a look (except the 2 glasses of chardonnay) Total was around $117ish including tax and etc. Obviously towards the higher price end but IT IS WORTH IT! There is also a parking structure near by. Amazing place! Will keep on coming back. Keep up the great work guys read more

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Came here on a weeknight and ordered pick up. Unfortunately they were super swamped that day and the order took almost two hours. Ordered the don't think just eat trust me meal. The quantity of food was perfect and I felt like it was just the right amount of you're pretty hungry. The fish quality was great, however I wouldn't say it was amazing quality. For the price however, the sushi was fantastic! Definitely will come back, but again, I wouldn't compare it to other more pricey sushi restaurants. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - To-Go Don't Think. Just Eat - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

If you're looking for some authentic sushi, look no further! This place is affordable and has an upscale feel to it without compromising the Japanese style feel. The service was superb and we were constantly checked on if we need anything. We went for lunch right when they opened and had no wait but typically I've heard this place has a wait. Smaller interior environment with very close quarter seating so you will be pretty close to some people. Food was amazing and you can tell it was handled with delicately. Full of flavor and delicious! The "trust me" tasting package was great value but don't expect to be full. Highly recommend and they do parking validation so make sure to show them your parking ticket. Plenty of parking the garage as well. read more

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Im a sugarfish girl through and through- and this is my fave location. From the dedicated for SFish parking lot to gorgeous courtyard, it's a win. The servers and staff are so fun, sweet, patient and charming. And believe me, my mom is not an easy client to please. 10/10. read more

This was actually my first time going. I've always heard so much good things about it it's been in my head for so long We went to Sugar Fish on a Friday night and we put ourselves on the waitlist at around 5 and waited about an hour to be seated. The fish was so delicious! It's really fresh and actually "melts in your mouth. everything was so good but my top 3 favorite would be the Salmon sushi, Blue & Dungeness Crab hand roll, and the Hirame sushi! We had the Trust me course which included these items: Edamame Tuna Sashimi - ponzu and chives - Albacore Sushi - ponzu and chives, 2-pc Salmon Sushi - toasted sesame, 2-pc Toro Hand Roll Japanese Yellowtail* Sushi - lemon, 2-pc New Zealand Sea Bream* Sushi - citrus salt, 1-pc Hirame* Sushi - yuzu ponzu, 1-pc Blue and Dungeness Crab Hand Roll read more

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Best Sushi I've had in a long time. Great staff, accommodating and friendly. Update interior, good music. The Sushi was so tender and fresh. Will Definitely go back. read more

We love sugarfish!! It's a great place to go on a date since it's nice but also pretty causal. We always order the Don't Think Just Eat, Nozawa Trust Me, and nigori sake. The sake isn't the best but it's cheap and hits the spot. Since each of the nigiris come in two pieces, it's perfect to share and feels like we're getting more pieces without paying $$$$. We come pretty often when we need our sushi fix, and it's always consistent. Everything is always amazing, except for the large scallop. It's always doused in the sauce even when we ask for less sauce. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

I've been wanting to try Sugarfish for the longest time after many trips to their sister restaurant, Kazunori. I dined in on a Tuesday evening and it was fairly busy, but luckily there was an open table for us. We were greeted by our waitress immediately and I thought the entire staff was very attentive and friendly. I got the Trust Me for $30 and each dish came out in a timely manner right after we finished the previous one. The Trust Me came with edamame, tuna sashimi, albacore, salmon, toro hand roll, yellowtail, hirame, and a crab hand roll. All of the fish I had was incredibly fresh and practically melted in my mouth. I typically never order salmon sushi, but the salmon at Sugarfish is mind-blowing. Everything was amazing, and Sugarfish definitely lives up to the hype. I will be dining here again. read more

If you haven't been to sugar fish and curious if it's worth it I say yes!! It's simple menu and super fresh fish. It seems like it's not much food but trust me you'll walk out full. The service is okay but can be better but the place is clean. read more

Service: Shoutout to our excellent service, Helena. Very knowledgeable, respectful and helpful on all things SugarFish. (Very clean appearance as well which is always a +) Helena, wishing you the best at SugarFish but also a warm welcome to area my friend. Well done and thank you kindly Food: The fish melts in your mouth like butter. There has to be something in the rice too by the way we became addicted to it. Instantly top 3 sushi places I've ever tried. Not a huge fan of doing reviews but had to do it for this mamma jama. We ordered two Nozawa combos to start and some drinks. Had to hit 4 more orders of blue fin, stuff was a banger. Ambiance: Waiting was decent, 30 mins at 7pm on a Monday. Nice dimly lit atmosphere and not too noisy but just enough for privacy in a conversation if you don't have busybody neighbors. Honestly folks it all comes back to the service. I've had great sushi but horrible service and I'll never go back but this place kicks ass in both arenas. Hit it baby. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Two Nozawa combos - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Simple menu , high quality sushi and fair prices is what I get every time I eat at Sugarfish. They have a nice selection of sake and Japanese beer. It's a small restaurant in a courtyard sandwiched in by other businesses. There is street parking on Lake Ave and there is also a public parking structure behind the building. Sugarfish partially validates parking if you park there. Reservations are not accepted. First come , first served and everyone in your party must be present in order to be seated. Gratuity is included in the bill. Like I said , very simple and straightforward business with quality sushi. The fish melts in your mouth and the sauces (if any ) are minimal. You really taste the seafood as it's not drenched in sauce or soy to mask the quality of the fish. Go to location for sushi in / near San Gabriel Valley. read more

I've always been a fan of Nozawa since the original location in Hollywood and visited their Sugarfish spot in DTLA for years and even Nozawa bar. I've been at the Pasadena location quite often and service always on par. This is the 2nd time I got take out from this location since COVID. All I have to say is they're estimated time is on the dot. If they say 60 mins they make full use of the 60 mins. So don't arrive 20 mins early thinking you might get your order faster, bc you won't. My suggestion is either come on the time or a few mins later. Sushi bento is pretty spot on and the quality of the food is always consistent. I wouldn't go for the don't think menu. I didn't find much difference in terms of the sushi compare to the trust me or the Nozawa. I rather order extra side sushi for the additional price. I would also recommend to order via Postmates just bc you can get discount codes from Postmates. Also gratuity is also applied as well for 16%. Even with the no dinning out, I guess Pasadena still allows for outdoor dinning currently and they have about 7 tables to accommodate parties of 2/6 maximum. Staff has on mask, face shields and goggles. It's probably as clean as it gets for most of the dine out places. read more

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Real tea light candles, large pieces of tuna in their sashimi what is there not to like about this location. If you haven't tried Sugarfish this would be one of the locations to try. Sushi served over warm rice is incredible. Just remember to eat it the moment the servers drop it off at your table to really enjoy the meal. This is one of the few sushi places that eating at a table is just like eating at the bar. Service is always top notch. Tipping is already included in the bill so no hassles at the end. I just wish this place was closer to my home in OC. read more

Tried sugar fish with no expectations and left content. It's a cool concept but nothing stood out or was amazing. Opted to share a Nozawa Trust Me and it was a nice snack (for 2 people) for when you're kinda hungry but not trying to be full. Maybe I'm just an idiot but I couldn't confidently determine which fish was which when looking at the photos but pretty sure we ended up guessing them all correctly lol We followed the directions as to which dipping sauce is for which fish, I liked the salmon the most. It was fun to eat but I don't think I'd get this again and would probably opt for something like Kazunori at this price point read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Nozawa Trust Me - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

I was optimistic about this place given the simple rolls (fish and rice) and other items that I typically like, but this is the only place I've been to that uses minced/gooey/pasty/pureed fish rather than solid pieces in such as a simple salmon/yellowtail roll. The nigiri and sashimi were standard but nothing special. The place is pretty cramped, also, and the dishes came out very slowly. I certainly wouldn't have tipped 16 percent, so I see why that add said surcharge in lieu of tips. read more

This place is located just behind Lemonade. I came a bit after 4pm so dinner service just started and there was only about two other parties already seated. I decided to go with the Nozawa Trust Me which is $46 for dinner or $58.83 after tax and service fee. Edamame- I prefer with coarse salt but seemed like it was brined in salty water. It's alright. Tuna Sashimi- Doused in ponzu and slightly fishy. My biggest gripe was the inconsistency in the size and thickness of the pieces, varying from thumb to trident gum size. You could tell it was scrap meat with tons of jagged uneven cuts. Of course it's good to reduce waste, but the presentation was especially disappointing for this. I would have preferred if they just turned it into filling for another hand roll. Albacore, sea bream, salmon nigiri- Better quality fish than the sashimi. Salmon is always my favorite, it was okay but not special. Albacore is hit or miss sometimes for me, but I enjoyed this one. Sea bream is a little chewy for my personal preference, but the flavor with citrus salt was good. Toro Hand Roll- Good with a spot of wasabi. The seaweed used for the rolls feels good quality. Otoro, yellowtail, and scallop nigiri- Otoro and yellowtail were fine. Did not love the scallops because it was soaked in the ponzu so it was super salty and the rice was falling apart everywhere. Crab Hand Roll- It was okay. For clarification, I was asked at least once by a server if all the food tasted okay, but I can be a bit of a weenie about complaining about the food unless there are any major issue. Servers were nice and seemed amicable with each other, which is always good. Servers attentively gave me plenty of refills for water. By the end of my meal, restaurant was almost completely dimmed and they put out some tea candles by all the seats. It would be nice if there were some bag hooks under the counter or tables because seems like a lot of the reviews complain about lack of space. They offer parking validation but there are nearby outdoor lots with 90 minutes of free parking so I didn't need it this time. Drink selection is small, wasn't feeling the options. read more

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This is hands down my favorite luxury sushi spot. This is not like your typical AYCE quality sushi. This is worlds above it. We did the "Don't Think, Just Eat, Trust Me" and it was phenomenal. This actually filled us up too, so make sure to visit moderately hungry. There is no advance reservation, so make sure to come and get your spot. The service is very welcoming and professional. The mood and lighting was also very intimate, loved the ambiance. read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Sashimi Course from the "Don't Think, Just Eat" menu at the time. - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

This place was delicious! We came by when we were in Pasadena and have heard really good things about Sugarfish. It lived up to the hype!! We ordered the Nozawa Trust Me and the Trust Me! They came with edamame, tuna sashimi appetizer and an assortment of sushi! It was delicious and so fresh! Added the Nozawa sake and it was amazing! Can't wait to go back!! read more

SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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We got the lunchtime omakase! Such a great deal - the cheapest tier is $28. Service was so friendly, and food was so good. Food is consistently good, even at all their sister restaurants too. They automatically charge a 16% service charge. At the end, we still had a little room so we ordered an extra scallop hand roll on top of our omakase :) soooo yummy! read more

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