Hands down, one of the best Tendon you can have in LA...and I don't usually look for Tendon! Tempura is freshly deep fried and once it came to my tables everything was crispy and taste was phenomenal. Great customer service by the staff, caring, and fast service. Very cozy ambiance, they have both inside and outside seating. For a smaller restaurant like this, it has a good amount of table/seats. Not to mention that their sushi rolls were spot on as well. Would come back several times. read more

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I was looking forward to trying this place out this past Saturday for Mother's Day, but unfortunately, the food and service disappointed me. I understand they are busy, but there is no reason to swing the door at my face when I simply asked where I can put my name down on the waiting list. No answer, just rolled eyes and door in face. We really should've left because from that moment, it definitely felt like it was a mission for the two servers to make it a miserable experience for my family. I later found a small post holding up a chromebook outside of the restaurant with a paper with very small print explaining waitlist rules. It would be a lot better if the restaurant made a larger print sign that just says, "Sign In Here," and then have your small print letter to the customers about the rules. We put our name down at 12:30pm, it gave an estimated seat time of ~1pm. But because of the terrible service and mismanagement of the waiting list, we didn't get seated until 1:30pm. They seated 4 parties of 2-3 before our party of 4 when the open tables were side by side. On top of that, after we got seated, they still gave water and took the other tables orders that were seated after us before they came to us. Food took another 20 minutes to come out. I asked for the bill three times, but it didn't come until the other tables that were seated after us left and it was just empty tables next to us. In terms of the food, it was fine and the tempura was cooked well but I do not need to eat their tempura to be treated this poorly. read more

small and cozy got the combo w a tempura bowl and udon and everything was really good! would want to come back to just try the tempura bowl w fish and other veggies read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Hi. We're back again. They added new items. One of the items is the onion karaage! It's like a Japanese tempura onion ring.. It is very delicious. Comes with tempura dipping sauce. It is a hot day and nothing is more satisfying than cold soba noodles and fresh tempura. The service was excellent as always. It was pretty packed and the servers were amazing. There was a little ruckus at the table next to us with some people who wanted to change their minds after the food came out and blamed the server for bringing the wrong order. I heard the original order AND the server repeats the order before the leaving the table. However, the server apologized and immediately brought out the "new" original order. She handled the situation very well and professionally. I heard the people laughing and saying that they couldn't believe that'they' fell for it. As we leaving I left a little extra tip, because nobody should have to deal with a-hole people like that. And said a little out loud to the server, that some people are just bad people and have no respect. The people at the table looked up at me but said nothing, but stopped laughing. I enjoy coming to this restaurant because the food is delicious and the serving staff are so nice and friendly. I couldn't stand by and let bad people ruin the experience. I didn't rat them out because the staff had already handled the issue. Enjoy your meals and PLEASE be respectful to everyone. Thanks for your time. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Onion karaake. Japanese tempura onion ring. Yummy - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Tiny little spot nestled on Colorado Boulevard, but it fills up fast! Fortunately, I came by myself and was able to sit at the bar. I came specifically for the tempura and I was not disappointed. Literally the crispiest most delicious tempura I've ever had. Large pieces of fish, and tender. 10 out of 10. Fast and friendly service, fair pricing. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Large pieces of fish perfectly fried - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Finally got to try this place and it didn't disappoint! We arrived around 11:40am on a Sunday and wait time was very short, like 10mins tops. Menu is pretty straightforward and there's even the origin story of how this restaurant came about, super cute! I ordered a chicken tendon and my fiance ordered the special tendon (has white fish). It came with a nice miso soup that wasn't too salty at all. Theres also pickled ginger and seasoned celery at each table. Very nice palette cleansers! Tempura was lightly battered and saucy. Not as crispy as I had anticipated but probably due to the sauce. Breading wasn't too heavy either which I prefer. Origj ally my fiance felt there wasn't enough rice but it ended up being just right. Portions are really good and you will end up full but not too stuffed! Loved the variety included in the bowl and the chicken breast was pretty juicy and tender. Would recommend to anyone craving tendon! They do have a Torrance location too. Theres parking in the back that I didn't know existed, but you can also just do street parking around the area. By the time we left around 12:30-1 the line got a lot longer so try to arrive before 12! read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Chicken tendon - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Our first experience with this restaurant was in Torrance and it was fantastic and the same goes for this one. Once we arrived, we put our name on the waitlist on the tablet by their entrance. Wait time was approximately 15-20 minutes as it was dinner time. Once our name was called, we were given seats outdoors, which was perfect. Just what we wanted! Since we ate at the Torrance location, we were already familiar with their menu and ordered right away from our waiter. We ordered two tempura plates - the Special Tempura Plate and the Vegetable Tempura Plate. We also wanted to try the Bluefin tuna sashimi too. The tempura plates were delicious as usual - hot, fresh and made to order. Bluefin tuna sashimi was like butter! High-quality goodness! Paired everything with an Asahi beer and I was in heaven! That dipping sauce they have is to die for. Service was great and the food was perfect. What more can you ask for? So happy we have one so close to home. read more

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(+) Special Tempura plate (+) Light Breading Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior is known for their freshly made tempura paired with rice, soba, or udon. Indoor and outdoor seating are available and the menu is so filled with great Japanese delights to satisfy everyone. Once you arrive, put your name on the waitlist since it does get pretty long. Food: There are set plates/bowls you are select from. I ordered the special plate which comes with white fish, two shrimp, kakage (mixed of scallop and squid), pumpkin, seaweed, and shisito pepper. I wouldn't say I had a favorite but I didn't like the kakage. The tempura is the star of the show and each bite was light and airy. The tempura sauce is really light and not much flavor/salt. The overall meal was delicious because the emphasis is on the light and crisp coating of the tempura. Pickled ginger and celery were also provided that was a nice treat. Service/Ambiance: The service is so-so. The waitresses seemed rushed and we felt hurried. The ambiance wasn't the best. I would oome back for the food but not the service. I would try to visit again on a weekday and avoid the lines. read more

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Cute little spot! Came here for some tempura goodness with my gal pals Friday night and we were instantly seated around 5pm. Service was quick and attentive. The menu isn't too complicated but there's a nice variety of sushi, soba/udon, and tempura! I got the Special tempura plate and thought it was a good portion! Each of the tempura was very tasty and retained its crunch through the meal. Nothing felt too greasy and the sauce that came with it cut through the fried elements nicely. A sweet little spot I'd probably visit again! I will say, I was baking inside. Idk if there's AC or a fan or anything but I was sweating up a storm! Hahaha! read more

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While looking for a place to eat for dinner that has outdoor seating, so my husband and I can eat with our little girl dog, we ended up deciding to come here, Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior (located at the Arcade Lane and across the street from Vroman's Bookstore. Only sreet parking is available). We dined here last Friday evening. We arrived around 7:30 pm and waited about 15 minutes for a table outside (the wait would have been a little less if we had gotten a table inside). We had to wait for an employee to clean the table outside, as there were dirty dishes and such left on the table outside. It was nice that the heat lamps were on. After looking over the menu, we ended up ordering: Medium Fatty Tuna (Toro) Sashimi Bowl, $21.99 prior to tax- My husband decided to order this bowl. His meal came with a small side of mushroom soup. The sashimi bowl itself came with 5 pieces of toro, which was very good. The rice was also seasoned, which went well with the fish. My husband liked his entree but wished there were more pieces of the toro. Special Tempura Bowl, $20.99 prior to tax- You have the option of swapping your half hard boiled egg for a tempura vegetable at no additional cost. Shrimp can also be swapped for chicken at no additional cost as well. I decided to swapped my half half boiled egg for eggplant. I liked the eggplant and I also liked the tempura, which consisted of white fish, shrimp and 1 slice of pumpkin. There was also small pieces of scallop and squid. The meal itself is on the smaller side but really is a good portion for me (as I generally watch my portion sizes when I eat). I did ask the employee what was the difference between the tempura bowls and the tempura plates, as it is only $1 difference in price. The employee told me that your tempura is served separately instead of on top of the rice if you order a bowl. And then are given a side of Tentsuyu to dip your tempura in, instead of having it drizzled on the rice if you ordered the bowl. You are also given a side of radish as well if you order the plate. ---------------------------------- (Total= $47.49 after tax, prior to tip) Overall, I liked the food and so did my husband. But my husband did not like the small portions. Also because they were busy, the service was not as attentive, but it was friendly. I don't know if I will come back though. read more

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Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior is a Japanese restaurant operated by a Peruvian chef trained in Japan that specializes in tempura. The menu goes well beyond tempura, but tempura is the main draw. And for good reason - it's one of the better versions I have had in the states. Not as good as the top places I've been to in Japan, NYC, and Singapore, but definitely more reasonably priced. The tempura is well executed - fairly light and also flavorful, yet not salty and also not greasy. Tried the tempura dinner and loved the prawn and veggies, but the conger eel was a bit tough and chewy. Also liked how even the rice and miso soup were above average here and not an after thought. Service is fast and friendly, prices are reasonable, and it's definitely worth a visit. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Premium tempura set - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

My first post of the year, and it was at a place that I had wanted to check out for a while! I felt comfortable dining here solo - would come back and try more things on the menu! At first impression, I was glad to see that the staff were all Japanese-speaking. As I was glancing over the menu, I also noticed that they were playing nostalgic Japanese pop songs from the early 2000s (ex. Utada Hikaru), which brought comfort to me. I knew I was in a good spot. I ordered the small tempura bowl with cold soba, and added pumpkin and kakiage. It was a fairly good amount for a 'small' size, but I think adding my two additional items helped. I was pleasantly content after my meal and didn't feel overstuffed. Overall I think the tempura was good. Of course, there are other top notch restaurants with higher prices that offer much crispier tempura, but for a comforting Japanese restaurant at less than $29 for a full meal for me, I'm happy. Worth a visit, will come back :) read more

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Another recommendation that absolutely lived up to its praise -- Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior, I was not let down!!! I ordered the special tempura bowl with white fish, shrimp, pumpkin, mixed seafood tempura, seaweed, shishito pepper, a half-boiled egg, and miso soup. That egg though... pure jammy, creamy perfection. Seriously -- tell me your secret! The beef udon was deeply comforting, with a broth that was both flavorful and soothing in all the right ways. The wait wasn't bad at all. It's a quaint little spot with friendly staff. They validate parking. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Honestly a solid tempura spot. I've heard of this place before in Torrance but I didn't know that they had another location, definitely worth saving time than driving over there. My friend and I both got the Premium Tempura Bowl (w/ rice). I loved all the components that came in the set and a good size portion. read more

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This spot is definitely popular -- there's always a line, and I finally had the chance to try it. The restaurant is quite small, so expect a bit of a wait. I ordered the special tempura bowl with extra eel ($32). The tempura was fried to a crisp with a light batter, but the overall flavor was quite subtle. It had a distinct sesame oil taste that wasn't my personal favorite. The mixed sashimi bowl with ikura ($28), on the other hand, was fresh and delicious -- definitely the highlight of the meal Portion was on the smaller side. I added an extra uni hand roll because I was still hungry after the bowl read more

Gotta give this 5 stars even with a crazy wait time. Came here on a super rainy day and it was still quite a wait, only truncated cause it was a solo mission for me... I can't speak for the rice as I had none but I must say the tempura is probably the best tempura I could remember tasting in the US. The batter isn't thick at all, it's quite thin and crispy perfection. The veggies/shrimp is not overpowered by the batter so they definitely know how to do this. They also offer hot water to drink which is so nice cause I usually feel off when I request this at other restaurants. Soba is good too and they have pickled condiments which are a good addition to the meal. I'd def come here again but I wouldn't recommend coming with a big group if you don't want to wait. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Tempura soba combination - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Known for their Tendon, Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior is directly across the VRoman Bookstore. I am going against the grain here but I love their Plates instead of their bowls. The bowls are drenched in their sweet sauce while the plate you can enjoy the crunch! 1. Shrimp Tempura Plate We were sat outside the eatery promptly. Do request their spicy flakes and their side dishes that they offer inside. Make sure to have your order ready so that your food comes out a little quicker. Overall, a nice experience :) read more

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Tendon tempura Carlos junior continues to be one of my all time favorite places to eat and I'm so glad they opened a location in Pasadena. Lines are much better than when they first opened and you can join the yelp waitlist once you arrive at the restaurant. My favorite thing to order is the special tempura bowl and I love adding on the pumpkin and mushrooms! Food is consistently solid and always hits the spot. The sashimi is also always really good! We're usually able to find parking on the streets nearby. Seating available indoors and outdoors, though inside is pretty small. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Tempura bowl - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

This was such a yummy experience! It was a rainy day in Pasadena and we wanted something warm. I had been here a few times and knew it was a solid tempura place. It's small but mighty! Expect a small wait we waited maybe 20mins on a weekday lunch hour. You can select tempura on rice, on the side, with soup or however your heart desires. Small dining room but has some patio tables as well. I would recommended for parties of 4 or less. Anything larger and you're basically taking up the whole restaurant. Parking is validated in you park in the ArcadeLane lot or you can be a local and find local street parking or lots. If you love tempura come here! It's got so many choices for tempura and some sushi options. I went for the beef udon this time and it didn't disappoint. It was giving a slight hint of Maragame Udon but with its specialty dish of tempura with rice you really can't get anything like it. The staff is always so friendly and you'll have plenty of time here. No rushing you. Just enjoy your tempura and keep going back. read more

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I came here to lunch with a friend on a Sunday afternoon. It took about an hour to get seated but they put you on a wait list and you can walk around old town while keeping an eye on your spot in line. Absolutely loved both the Udon and the tempura. I think I'd get the plate instead of the bowl unless you're really craving rice. Tempura was both tasty and super crispy without feeling oily. There is indoor table and counter seating, and some outdoor but covered. More of a casual spot. Overall definitely recommended for a casual Japanese restaurant! read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Tempura plate combo - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Decided to walk down the blocks in search of a new place for lunch. So here I am, they have a wide selection of sashimi's and tempura, as well as udon. Was greeted by a friendly gal walking me to the counter table for me only. I actually like their condiments - the celery and gingers were delicious! The tempura was actually pretty good. The egg was a surprise when I popped it into the rice! read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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There is a parking structure in the Arcade lane, but I am unsure where that truly is. However, there is plenty of street parking nearby that you can park. I parked in the Pasadena Playhouse structure. $5.99 for parking, and you scan a QR code to pay then exit. When you arrive at the restaurant, they have a self check-in kiosk asking for how many people in your party. You must have all of your party members there to be seated. The inside has a few bar top seats, and about 8 (2 seater) tables inside. Larger parties will be grouped in tables of 4, kind of hard to seat everyone together in your party (we were okay with that, we were all friends of one another). Outside had heating lamps and had about 4-5 tables that can seat 2-4 people. I ordered their jumbo shrimp tempura udon, hot. I must admit, their jumbo shrimp is an extremely large prawn! Their udon noodles were just right, I didn't care for the broth. The rest of my party ordered their shrimp tempura plate/bowl, california roll, and a sashimi bowl. I also asked for a coke, but they didn't tell me it wasn't refillable. That's the reason for my 4 stars. Their california rolls were larger than normal because my godson had a hard time grabbing it with his chopsticks (knows how to use it because he had sushi for dinner the night before). The shrimp tempura plates and bowls were filled to the top! It came with rice, miso soup, and an egg. For a party of 7, our bill was $$$. There are two restrooms, one says woman only and the other is gender neutral. They're narrow, but normal door width to go inside. I didn't see any gratuity added for my party of 7, but they did ask if we wanted separate table bills or just put onto one tab. We enjoyed our time, and will be coming back to try other items! read more

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AN ALL TIME FAVORITE JAPANESE FOOD JOINT FOR ME, ESPECIALLY FOR TEN-DONS (TEMPURA BOWLS)! This place is definitely a treat for me and I think about the Ten-Don from here ALL the time. This was my third time having Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior, but my first time at this location in Pasadena. Not too many seats in this location, maybe able 6-8 tables and a bar section. There was a full house when I can around on the weekend afternoon but I didn't have to wait too long. The servers were friendly with when we came in and got us situated as soon as there were seats available. We each ordered a tendon with mine being the Premium Tempura Bowl with added Ikura, a true mountain of food, comprised of tempura of Conger Eel from Japan, 2 shrimp, a mix of scallop/squid, seaweed, shishito pepper, and egg, all stacked on top of a bed of rice and garnished completely with ikura, shiny orange orbs of salmon roe. The tempura and subsequently, the rice below, is coated in their special tempura sauce. I love this tendon. Each bite is pure indulgence and food texture heaven; crispy tempura coating, enclosing soft, warm seafood, with a savory and slightly sweet sauce, and an burst of umami from the ikura. I also love eating the rice soaked and mixed with the tempura sauce and the yolk from the half boiled egg. Each meal is served with a miso soup, a comforting accompaniment to this delicious dish. Would definitely recommend going all out and getting any of the tendon topped with the ikura! Can't wait to go back! read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Premium Tendon with Ikura - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Was recommended this place by a friend! We were excited to eat here, because of all the hype. Around dinner time, it was quite popular. There's street parking, but I believe there is a parking garage nearby that you can get your parking validated. We were very lucky to get street parking and at the time didn't have to pay for it! We got on a wait list, and it was probably about a 15-20 minute wait. There is VERY limited seating indoors and outdoors. We ended up sitting outdoors, and fortunately they had heating lamps outside to sit close by. They were able to accommodate our party of 5 by putting two tables together. We ended up ordering the special tempura bowl. It felt like I was transported to Japan by how authentic the flavors were and the simple, but beautiful presentation of food. The things that stood out were the light tempura and the deep fried, but almost soft boiled egg. The fish was very fresh. We did add ikura, and I think this was a good call for extra texture in the dish. I typically share dishes with my partner, but I feel I could have easily finished this bowl on my own. Therefore, I felt the portions leaned on the smaller side. We also got the udon with egg. I felt like this dish was probably something I would pass on. It was very, very simple compared to the special tempura bowl (even that was somewhat simple). The soup was more on the sweet side, which I prefer my soups to be on the savory side. Broth felt light and clean. Not too many toppings in here, really it's just the fishcake and egg. We also had a dipping soba noodles to share. I also felt that was pretty simple, and also something I'd skip. Overall, I enjoyed dining here, and on top of that, the name is so entertaining to say "Carlos Junior"! read more

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Ordered: - Special tempura bowl (4/5): My gf really enjoyed the scallop tempura in particular as that was the first time we've ever seen this before! - Premium tempura bowl (5/5): While there's less variety in the bowl (such as less veggie tempura than the special bowl) it does include a huge piece of eel. I was super full after this bowl. Overall (4/5): A bit pricey for what you get but the tempura certainly is well made. We did wish that the bowl and plate options were the same price since we prefer the form factor of the plate - it's definitely a decision to charge an extra $1 for the plate option when they both contain the same things! Since we got the bowls, we were forced to eat most of the tempura in order to dig through to the delicious sauce-soaked rice. This also made the tempura feel oiler/heavier than if we were able to break it up with something else. Portion sizes were decent and we got lucky and didn't have to wait at all on a weekday lunch. Would come back if we were in the area and craving some solid tempura but otherwise probably wouldn't come out of my way for this. Service was good and since we came at opening ambiance was pretty quiet. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

TL;DR: delicious tendon, quick service but the prices are a little high We rolled up here after my friend told me about this spot in Torrance and I realized that they had another location in Pasadena. We went for a fairly late weekday lunch and got a parking spot right in front of the restaurant. The menu has a few options, mostly variations on how you want to consume tempura, and some lunch sets. There are also explanations on the wall on how you should best consume your tempura order! Pretty cute. There are two kinds of pickles on the table: ginger and also celery. You can help yourself to as much as you want, and they're pretty good. Regular tendon: this came with two shrimp, fish and a bunch of vegetables, and a tempura egg. It's drenched in sauce and comes with some yuzu on top of the egg which really elevated the entire bowl. Yum! Premium tendon: I ordered this because I wanted the anago, and it also came with bay scallops, shrimp, vegetables and a tempura egg as well. I love me some anago but this bowl was almost $30! It's worth it, but that's still pretty pricey for lunch. The anago and scallops were really good. I liked everything in that bowl. Service was efficient, just friendly enough to be good but not too friendly and warm. I read other reviews that there are lines so a late lunch seems to be the ticket here. I would definitely go back again if I lived in LA. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Premium tendon - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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The tendon was delicious and very filling, with a light citrus note (yuzu or lemon) in the sauce that added a refreshing touch. It was raining and cold that day, and I was asked to wait outside while my husband parked, which felt a bit uncomfortable, especially since the restaurant wasn't very busy. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Came with friends on a Saturday and they were a little busy. We were the first in line on the waitlist, but considering our big party with limited seating, it took us about 40 minutes to get seated even though the wait said about 11 minutes . A party of four would probably be the biggest party I'd come here with. The food, however, is really good. The tempura took me back to when we had tempura in Japan. I personally do not eat shrimp, so I substituted mine for the fish, which was a great substitute. I also loved their pumpkin tempura. Their hand roll order comes in two pieces and enjoyed that as well. Would only come back with a smaller party. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Plate meal - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

It is a blessing to have Japan-level tempura in Pasadena. The thing to get is their tempura, obviously. Order whatever set suits your palate and appetite, and I most often order the Special Tempura set, which comes with a shrimp, bay scallop, white fish, shishito pepper, kabocha, and seaweed perfectly fried to a light crisp. At times, I opt for a bigger set (Premium) or one focused on what I want the most (Shrimp). I highly recommend the tempura plates over the bowls, because it's just easier to enjoy when the tempura is not crowded into a single bowl. The sets come with a miso soup with maitake mushrooms, which is an elegant upgrade. Their tare (soy dipping sauce) is phenomenal, a bit smoky and savory with a lot of dashi. They also offer udon/soba and sushi, which we order regularly because it is nice variety, but I don't consider this their strong suit. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Plain udon - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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My 2,000th Yelp review has finally arrived! It is now in the history books. Wuhoo! I am so excited to dedicate this review to my dear long-time friend and work colleague who loves tempura. You know who you are. This one is for you my friend! I was introduced to this place by another work colleague who was recently here for a farewell lunch in celebration of another work colleague who decided to move onwards to new adventures. Cool beans! Thanks for the introduce! It is located at Arcade Lane on Colorado Blvd in Pasadena. Free street parking is available for now, but paid parking stations are coming in 2026. Plaza parking is in the back located on Green St. I'm not sure if it's free or not. I came here about 30+ minutes before closing time on a Wednesday night. Funny, I walked right past it thinking they were somewhere inside the plaza and not right out front of the plaza. It turns out they took over the corner spot where Tayuka Japanese Restaurant used to be. Sad to see Tayuka have closed its doors. It was a full house, but no lines. Several tables inside and outside, but still limited due to the small space. They have a waitlist open until a certain time. Upon entry, I was greeted right away. I wanted my order to-go so the nice young lady handed me a to-go menu. It had limited items on the to-go menu compared to the full menu for dine-in. I wonder if I could have ordered from the full menu. Hmmm? I'll have to ask next time. I got the Mixed Sashimi Bowl with miso soup for my eldest daughter. I chose the Special Tempura Bowl with miso soup for me. Water while I was waiting. Wait time was short. Got my order in less than 15 minutes. As for both bowls, at first glance, I thought they were small especially for the price of over $20 per bowl. Now to the taste, both were amazingly delicious and tasty. My daughter and I goobled them up within 15 minutes LOL. Either we were super hungry or it was that good that we couldn't stop eating or perhaps both. Special Tempura Bowl had 1 white fish, 2 shrimp, pumpkin, kakiage (mixed seafood tempura), seaweed, shishito pepper, and half-boiled egg over white rice, and miso soup. Tempura were scrumptious and quite tasty. A couple more tempuras would have been better. Batter was amazing! Not too oily, just perfect! Unfortunately, due to the condensation within the to-go box, the tempura got whimpy. The batter was no longer crispy. Whatever sauce they placed on the rice, it was very good, too. I normally don't take down rice that fast, but I did that night LOL. Mixed Sashimi Bowl came with 6 slices of fishes over a bed of sushi rice... 2 salmon, 2 tuna, and maybe 2 yellowtail. Fishes were very fresh and tasted good. The cuts could be have a bit thicker or at least offer 3 more slices of fishes. Not a lot of sushi rice which was preferred. Overall, our meal was quick and delicious at almost $50 total. It is a bit pricey IMHO. Will I be back you wonder? Yes, of course I will. Gotta to eat the Special Tempura Bowl again, but next time in it's freshest form for dine-in. I'll be back to eat with my friend! Btw, there is a cool story behind Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior and its humble beginnings. Go read all about it! Oh, one more thing, they give steps on how to eat tempura and all deliciously. Very cute with nice visuals! Happy Reading! read more

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If I think about tendon or tempura, I think of Carlos Junior. I found the original location in Torrance on a whim because the Mitsuwa was being moved and I couldn't get the one in their food court. I was with a foodie friend and my god we were amazed. We took the 45 minute drive there a couple days later because we were both craving it again. I'm happy they've opened one up in Pasadena closer to where I am periodically as I've already hit up this location a few times at this point. Service is friendly, and food is mostly consistent with the original location. I love love their celery and ginger sides and also their chili is not too potent so I can put a lot. I keep forgetting whether I like their tendon or tempura sauce more. I need to order both again and do a taste test side by side one of these days. Have brought many friends here over the years and everyone was very happy with the place. Typical interior of a Japanese place. read more

Simple and well done! They just do one thing really well and it works. The interior is a bit small, so wait times can be quite long, expect 30+ min at peak hours. I've been a few times now and really enjoy their rice bowls! It has such a deliciously savory sauce poured over the CRISPY light tempura. The crunch is great and the batter allows the flavor of the veggie/shrimp to shine through. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

So glad Tendon Carlos is now in Pasadena, much closer than driving to Torrance! Recommend check Yelp booking before your go, the restaurant is very small and always a waiting line. We went on after a long day of work, and the crispy tempura just hit the spot! The running egg yolk mixed with rice and the house sauce was so delicious. The picked ginger and famous picked celery were refreshing as always. After a few tries, I still feel eel tasted better when its grilled, it is a bit wasteful to tempura fried the eel filet.. but its just me. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Parking - they have parking in the back and they validate!! Okay so first, the inside is pretty small. They have outside seating but it's not good for large parties. We were a party of four and we waited about 30 minutes before we were seated. The service started out food but about five minutes after we sat down the waiter asked us if we would like to move to another table that was bigger. We did not feel like moving since we were settled in and ready to order so we just said that it was okay! But she then insisted that we moved because they had another part coming in. We were a little bit thrown off because we would have happily moved if she just asked us. This is where the service kind of went downhill for us. They kind of forgot about us. They didn't bring our waters and we had to flag them down to order. When they brought us our food, our table did not have any utensils. I had to go back to the table they moved us from to get chopsticks for everyone. Towards the end of the meal - we had to flag them down again to ask for our waters. The restaurant is not even that big. It is one room that fits like five parties so for us to have to flag the waiters down was kind of annoying. We had originally asked for cold water but then she had brought us hot water. Which would've been fine but the cup they gave us had no handle and it was super hot. There was no way to hold the cup and drink it! The food was just okay. It was nothing to write home about and not something I would come back for. Overall, it was a decent experience if you are someone who likes tempura. read more

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Really want to like this place since everything look so legit and passionate. Ordered the premium tempura plate. They spread it out on a plate instead of pack them all on a rice bowl. The crunch and flavor is there, and you can taste the ingredients is good. Even the oil tastes clean. But i can't help to notice that my order is a bit overcooked since everything but the shrimp is on the slightly tougher side and extra oily. As a huge fan of fried fritters from all kinds, usually i found tempura to be the least oily one, so i'm a bit surprised there. The premium tempura plate consist of all seafood except for two shishito peppers. Honestly i was expecting there's a couple of vegetable tempura mixed in. Weird request, i know. But when i think of tendon, i expect a mix of seafood and vegetables. Granted my order is a 'deconstructed' ten-don since it's not in a donburi setting, but still the expectation is there. Overall the price reflects the quality served. My favorite ones are the shishito (more like baby shishito since it's not spicy at all), the shrimp, and the magnificent egg and miso soup. Make sure you get the indoor seat though, so you get access to the pickle and condiments which on my visit i could only stare at from behind the glass. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Premium tempura plate - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Pasadena, California. Which Latino from Peru can make very good dons with Soba/udon on the side? Tendon Tempura Carlos Jr. Can. Love the story to his business. Chef Carlos Pinto trained in Japan. After settling in the States he opened his first location in Torrance. And he's been a success. He gets the art of making tempura and soba: the bonito broth is on point, the runny egg delicately coats the sushi rice, the tempura lighter and better than what you get in most restaurants. This is a brisk service with diners opting to grab any available seating inside or out This resto (a common business in Japan) serves a variety of tempura, dons, lots of soba and udon choices (cold and hot) something missing in many Japanese restos in the U.S. until now. There are simple sushi rolls and sashimi side dishes also. So you dont leave wanting. The Pasadena location is newer and hope the quality of the tempura gets better -- it's not as light and delicate as what you'd get at the Torrance location. The rice could also improve a bit by giving it a better washing. Service is friendly polite and responsive in the 5 times I've visited. I love coming here when it's 100 out and need a tempura/cold soba fix. The Colorado location is new and it's Packed ....but the genius thing is you can open your Yelp app and get on the wait list. No more Resy and OpenTable hard sells before you get todo your business with the resto. Thank you sooo much Yelp! This is an innovative service that helps diners. ..... ALOT! End of Yelp. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Mmmmmmm. Finally. 9.21.25 - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

This has to be the best Tempura in Los Angeles and one of the best outside of Japan. Staff is incredibly kind. I ordered the premium tempura bowl that came with unagi (eel). I thought the portion size was great, until the waitress came back to tell me that they served me a smaller eel filet and will bring me another. I thought they might bring me another small piece to "fulfill" the missing amount. Nope. They brought me a whole entire other piece!! Who does that!?? Each and every piece of tempura was so light and flaky and crispy. The "meat" for each was tasty, cooked well, and delicious. The eel was so soft and delicious. I also ordered a side of pumpkin tempura that was delicious. The spicy tuna handroll was simple, straightforward, and excellent read more

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Great place to get high quality tempura with a great variety of options. I personally prefer the tempura by itself to maintain its crispness over the other option where you get it in a bowl with sauce already drizzled over it but that's just my personal preference. The sauce is still available but at least then you have more control over how much you apply. Nonetheless, the space is actually very small but I appreciate how patient the staff is given the difficult circumstances they probably face on very busy evenings. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Tempura - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

One of the best tempura I've had in LA! Special tempura bowl - It came with these tempura: white fish, shrimp, pumpkin, seaweed, shishito pepper, and half boiled egg on top of a bed of rice. Also added ikura since I love it. And a side of miso soup. Really filling. The tempura was light and crispy. As close as I can get tempura like in Japan. Anago tempura cold soba - the soba here is delicious. I like dipping my soba into the broth and it's perfect summer dish as well. The eel was delicious and perfectly battered. It also came with a soft boiled egg on the side. Make sure you're within close vicinity as they quickly call out numbers. We wandered a bit far and almost did not get seated. The wait time was over 30mins so thought we had plenty time to come back. The waitress was kind enough and we got sat at the bar. The place is pretty small and there's parking at the back. Would definitely come back here again! read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Special tempura bowl - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Great food and service. Ordered the special tempura plate. Tempura had a light crispy batter, but very flavorful. Definitely recommend. read more

Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California