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    Tokyo Wako Restaurant

    2.8 (625 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Sushi Bars

    Tokyo Wako Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    TOKYO WAKO RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Tokyo Wako Restaurant

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    Reviews With Photos

    Scallops wrapped with Salmon
    Jennifer D.

    Friday night, my family walked in and saw it was a bit empty. Already was giving red flags. I've been living in pasadena my whole live and I've never been here. This is a first time we were here. There are two areas: one for the grill where the cook in front of you, and another where it is standard dining. We went for standard dining. To start: Ambiance: 1/10 - Depressing. Bland. Simple. Nothing more. Service: 8/10 -it was okay. Unfortunately forgot the guys name but he did his job as normal. Nothing to complain about him. The hostest at the front was nice as well. Food: 1/10. Atrocious. I've had better japanese food else where and I gave this place a shot and I've never felt so digusted. Chirashi Bowl: 4/10 - the fish ok ish. But one piece was very fishy and another had a weird taste. The salad inside the bowl was unnecessary because it did not go with the Sashimi & Rice. The bowl came with miso soup and a set salad. (Next comment) the rice was good sticky rice. Nice and warm and compliments with the fish. "Miso Soup" : 1/10 - just looking at it we were like what is this?? It's not even miso soup. It's like clear broth with super thing mushrooms and some green onions. We all know what kiso soup is and THIS IS NOT miso soup. Mini Salad: 1/10 - bitter and wilted piece of lettuce. And the dressing is like a citrus sesame? But honestly I don't even know what it is. That didn't bother telling us what dressing it is. It made the salad super watery too. Unpleasant. Scallop Salmon Wrap: 1/10 - came with rice that was dry and hard. Inedible. The Salmon was over cooked and dry. It tasted bland. Veggies Tempura (no photo): 7/10 - it's not the best we've had, but after comparing to everything we've ate, it was so much better. It came with a good amount of tempura. I do noticed there was more squash pieces of tempura compared to having better veggies options like other places have. Ie: this has more variant sweet potatos. Garlic Edamame: 7/10 : Came in a standard size bowl. It was over cook/mushy. Some pieces were good, and other pieces were bad. The garlic flavor was nice though. Price for this whole entire meal: $107 with tip. Literally 4 things cost this much is ridiculous. I've been to other Japanese resturants where i got more bang out of my buck and paid around the same price or even less. This pricing does not live up to its par of quality in food. It is such a disgrace of calling this Japanese food. Never coming back again. I'm just happy to try it. Note: Food is Horrendous. It is not our servers fault that the food was bad. He even saw how much left overs there were and was like "oh is the food okay?" I had to say "yeah it's fine". Update: my husband and I got food poisoning and was vomiting hours later after dinner.

    Looking out the window from Tokyo Wako ... amazing
    Christine B.

    First time visit to this location and it's really lovely at night..... chef was very authentic food an entertainment was a great experience a very nice quiet place to enjoy a good meal!!... servers were very attentive and friendly

    Caterpillar roll is slimy and unappetizing!
    Ruffa G.

    BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE! Really really bad! Really rude server (Miguel)and receptionist! What's the problem with these people. We are just starving that's why we didn't leave! What is Management doing about it?! The food is horrible. The only nice thing today was when we paid the bill- Sarah was nice!But that's it! Not coming back!

    Joey A.

    Recently we celebrated a birthday with 13 of us, at Tokyo Wako Pasadena, and it was nothing short of a disaster. While the price wasn't bad, the service (Miguel) was absolutely atrocious. From the moment we sat down, it was clear that the staff had zero respect for us. They kept glaring at us like we were doing something wrong, probably because we were a younger group. The chef couldn't even get a simple order right after repeating it! Completely butchered the steak orders. Three filet mignons were all cooked medium, even though we ordered one medium and two medium-rare and they all went to the 3 on the right in a roll,But somehow he even put steak to the person that ordered Salmon. And to top it off, he gave my filet mignon to someone who ordered a medium-well ribeye. Are you kidding me? No apology, than at the end everyone got their food and someone got mine and that person steak was still on the grill than he says I have an extra steak if anyone wants more. Like no it's not Extra!! It was just an attempt to play it off like it didn't happen. Completely unprofessional! When it came time to pay the bill, the situation got even worse. The staff hovered around us like we were criminals, giving us uncomfortable stares as if we were going to dine and dash. We decided to pay in cash as a group, but that seemed to trigger even more suspicion. They started speaking in another language, and it was blatantly obvious they were talking about us. It was downright disrespectful. This was my first time at Tokyo Wako Pasadena, and it will be my last. The place was practically empty when we arrived, and now I understand why. They had every opportunity to make things right, and they didn't. Do yourself a favor - skip this place and head to a Korean BBQ where you'll actually get your money's worth. This restaurant deserves to fail. **Avoid this place like the plague!**

    Filet and scallops
    Colleen L.

    This place is never busy lately, which is nice. I've been here several times before covid and after. After covid it's never really busy. The girl at the front was nice as she took us to our table. The worst part about this place was our sever. He literally seemed to be in his own little world. He kept calling my adult son, "bro", which is not the most professional. We were a table of 6 and after we ordered the soup was brought out. The cook started cooking before we informed him we still didn't get salads. The server brought them out and handed everyone one but me because he got distracted with another table that wanted to pay their bill so he just set the tray down. Someone at our table went and grabbed the salad. A couple of us wanted another beer and he returned with only one saying they were refilling the beer so he wanted to know who was going to get it because he only had one. Strange... then in the middle of dinner he bought out soup - again. Finally, to top it off, he brought another round of salads when we were done eating. Very strange ... but I must say the food was good and the fried rice was excellent.

    a bottle of kirin light and a glass of water
    Patrick M.

    My first visit to this restaurant, and I ordered way too much food, but everything was excellent. Started with the vegetable tempura appetizer and order the Chitrashi sushi for my entrée. Both items were prepared perfectly. The tempura was excellent: crisp, warm and delicious. The sushi was very flavorful and fresh and I realize it's been too long since I've had sushi! Recommend both of these dishes

    Shrimp

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    5 months ago

    This restaurant is like shotgun Beni Hamas servers are good. The food is good. I recommend this place if you wanna go.

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    8 months ago

    Quaint setting, good food, it's a bit difficult to find the restaurant. Friendly service.

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    The food doesn't taste good and the place smells very oily. And the service is lacking

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    2 years ago

    Food is okay and the customer service could be a little bit faster. Probably won't be back for awhile.

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    Page 1 of 16

    Ask the Community - Tokyo Wako Restaurant

    Hi, do you have happy hour?

    They did in the beginning of the year but I think they took it off

    Are they still open?

    Yes they are, for dinner. I went there last month

    Are there vegetarian options on the menu?

    Yes, they have a vegetarian entree with rice, soup, salad, grilled veggies and tofu. They also have soba type noodles with tofu and avocado & tamago sushi, etc. You'll be able to find something for dinner.

    View All 7 Questions

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    Kazunori is always a consistent hit and my go‑to spot whenever I'm craving hand rolls. The quality…read moreis unbeatable for the price -- truly the best deal around -- and everything is always fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. Service is friendly and attentive. They keep your water filled, and they're quick to refill wasabi and ginger without you even having to ask. It's bar seating only, which can be a little tricky for a shorty like me to hop up and down from, but the food and service make it worth it. There are no reservations, just walk‑in, but the service is fast and I've never had to wait. Plus, they offer free parking validation for 2 hours, which is a huge bonus. Always reliable, always delicious -- Kazunori never disappoints!

    I came here about two months ago when they first opened! I thought I had posted my review, but it…read moresomehow got saved to my drafts. I still wanted to leave a wonderful review based on the experience I had here. When arriving on a Saturday morning, there was a small wait - but it's completely understandable why. I ordered the five piece hand roll. Each hand roll was absolutely delicious and fresh. My favorite would have to be the yellowtail, lobster, & scallop. It's honestly the taste of perfection. My experience was made even more positive with service from Kyle and Eddie. They both were extremely friendly and always made sure that I was tended to. Their upbeat personality only added more my dining experience here. I will definitely be back soon.

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    Tendon Tempura Carlos Junior

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    I was looking forward to trying this place out this past Saturday for Mother's Day, but…read moreunfortunately, 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.

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    Osawa Shabu Shabu & Sushi - Outside - IG: @eatwithxjenn3

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    Osawa is 100% worth the hype, and if you haven't heard of it, let me hype it up for you…read more The place is small so be prepared to wait if you're trying to go on a Thursday-Saturday, or show up when they open for lunch or dinner. Ambiance is super cute, love the little flags over the sushi/shabu bar and the art on the walls adds to the Japanese restaurant feel. The aroma when you walk in is mouthwatering (I was really hungry) but it doesn't smell fishy like some sushi places can. Staff is unbelievably great, super friendly and helpful if you have any questions about the menu or want recommendations. Don't be afraid to ask what the MP is on omakase, they totally work with what you're looking to spend or based on how many pieces of sushi you want to eat. Now for the real reason to visit Osawa: the food is absolutely amazing!!! Fresh, tasty, perfectly portioned. From the shishito peppers appetizer to the sushi, sashimi, hand rolls, and shabu; I cannot recommend this place enough! They have plenty of sake options to pair with your meal as well as beer or specialty cocktails if that's your preference. They offer to explain your order when it arrives which is great for those newer to sushi or just trying something different. Seriously, some of those fish practically melt in your mouth. I personally haven't ordered any rolls yet but they absolutely look delicious. If you're looking for a good sushi date spot, this. is. it. It's also good for a small group, maybe up to five or so before you feel cramped. Shabu is seated at the bar and their meats and veggie are delicious and fresh, enhanced by the tasty broth. It's even good on a summer day because they have solid air conditioning. Cannot say enough good things about Osawa. Go try it for yourself. :)

    I had been a longtime customer here for about seven years, but I stopped going after getting food…read morepoisoning from fish here in March 2025. After more than a year away, I decided to give Osawa another try on May 8, 2026. Unfortunately, the experience confirmed why I had stopped coming. Around 9:02 p.m., my waiter came by to ask for last orders. I ordered chicken karaage. This is a simple dish that usually comes out in about 4 to 5 minutes. For whatever reason, the order did not arrive until around 9:26 p.m. -- almost 25 minutes later. It seemed obvious that the order had been forgotten. When the karaage finally arrived, it looked hastily sauced. Several parts of the chicken were unsauced, which is not how the dish was normally served in the past. Given the delay and the apparent mishandling, I did not touch the dish. A Japanese male manager wearing glasses then came over. He recognized me, and I explained that I had not been back for more than a year because of the food poisoning incident from fish in 2025. Instead of responding seriously, the manager smiled and giggled slightly, then launched into an irrelevant conversation about his connections in the Japanese food industry in Old Town Pasadena. When he asked why I had not touched the chicken, I explained the almost 30-minute delay and the problems with the dish. Rather than comping the item or offering a real apology, the manager asked whether I still wanted to eat it or would prefer to cancel it. He then ended the conversation by suggesting that I come in during weekday lunch for the $18 lunch specials. That response was bizarre and tone deaf. I did not return after a food poisoning incident to hear a sales pitch about lunch specials. I returned as a longtime customer giving Osawa another chance. Osawa's way of doing business has changed a lot. I've seen better customer service at Erewhon.

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    SUGARFISH | Pasadena - Outside of restaurant

    SUGARFISH | Pasadena

    4.1(1.8k reviews)
    0.7 mi
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    Came here for lunch on a Saturday. There was a line before opening so I would recommend coming…read moreearly, especially if you are coming with a group. The meal was a fun experience! It was clear that the chef put a lot of thought into each bite. The ones that stood out the most to my group were the salmon sushi with toasted sesame (the nuttiness of the toasted sesame was incredible), unagi (the eel sauce was the best that I've ever had and I've been to Japan!), and the lobster hand roll. I would recommend parking The Commons so that you can get validation at Sugarfish.

    Free Trust Me on your birthday! You have to dine-in twice prior to your birthday and make sure to…read morewrite down your information on their check-in papers that usually come with your bill. There's a few parking lots that are surrounding the place but they all require payment. I came here on a Wednesday night at 8 p.m. and there wasn't a wait fortunately! We were seated instantly next to two tables and I will say, it's an uncomfortable few seconds (for both parties) squeezing in between to sit down since the tables are so close together. I will say that the restaurant has a dark/intimate ambiance since it's lit by the candles at your table. My table ordered 2 trust me's and 1 nozawa trust me. You're served with a plate of edamame and then each fish one by one. They wait for the entire table to finish eating the plate in front of you before going back to the kitchen to let them know when to prepare to following dish. The fish literally feels like it melts in your mouth. You get a chance to chew but then everything else melts in your mouth. The sushi rice they use is magnificent. When the sushi comes out, the rice is so warm and the fish on top is cold and it's honestly an amazing experience in your mouth.

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    4.6(320 reviews)
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    Wheelchair accessible
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    I went on a Thrusday @ 3pm and there was plenty seating, very chill. Great spot if you are eating…read morealone or in small group. Waitress was very nice and food didn't take long to come out. I was very surprised at the size of our plates, it made the price very worth it! Ordered the Spicy bulgogi ramen but I wouldn't say that it's even spicy which is fine for me I'm not even a huge fan of spice. 10/10! My fiancee ordered the Bulgogi entree that comes with steamed rice & miso soup. They are not stingy with meat here and the meat quality is pretty good. 10/10 for him. The nigiri had pretty big pieces of salmon on top so the ratio of fish to rice was a little unbalanced, not enough rice. The salmon was good quality though, 8/10. I also got the baked salmon roll and it was suppose to be spicy but, again, not really spicy lol I loveeee me a warm baked roll though and it was delicious 10/10 Overall I recommend it for casual eats. I want to come back in the evening because their hours say open until 12:30am which could be a late night vibe! Must-try spot with amazing food!!

    Tried this spot with my partner on a weekend date and first impressions is that this place is quite…read moreclean. Upon entering, there's seating both on the left and the right side. There's counter seating, group tables, and MISC tables as well. There's a waitlist on Yelp to join so plan ahead if the restaurant is busy. Parking here in Pasadena can be a bit tough but not near Sushigah. Next to it is a huge indoor parking lot where it's only $1 per 2 hours, very much worth it. The menu here is very extensive, ranging from sushi rolls, sushi, ramen, udon, standard sushi apps, bento boxes, etc. Our orders were taken pretty quick, service I'd say was around a 7/10. We were checked on a couple times but seem like the staff weren't fully paying attention as I asked for some extra utensils and my partner asked for the other dishes that our order comes with but they were all forgotten, requiring a 2nd request before receiving our items. Other than that, service was pretty good. It was great that the staff was friendly and quick. -- WHAT WE ORDERED -- Cheese Bulgogi ($25) Rainbow Roll ($18) Mango Cha Cha Roll ($20) Lemon Salmon Roll ($19) Salmon Bento Box ($21) Out of all the rolls, the Mango Cha Cha is the standout. From the pictures posted, it seem to be the most unique roll and the most popular roll to try. Highly recommend trying this as it has a great flavoring balance between the ingredients and the mango on top. MUST TRY!!!! The cheese bulgogi is also pretty underrated. Although a bit on the expensive side, if you like both combined, this is the dish for you. Love the variation of the dish, and it was also cooked to perfection. The bento box is great as well, presented very nicely, and portion is huge I'd say. A great box to eat on the go or at the restaurant. Not too expensive as well.

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    Tokyo Wako Restaurant - japanese - Updated May 2026

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