Izakaya Restaurants near Pasadena, CA

“This place was awesome. the fish was extremely good and the service was fast. I'm not sure why it is rated so poorly, but I had a wonderful experience here and I would definitely return if I lived in the area!“

“สนุกสนานอาหารอร่อย บรรยากาศดีมีระดับ“

“Excellent! Totally lives up to the hype. Every dish we had was delicious but the salmon sushi, sweet potatoes and salmon collar were the standouts for me. Only thing I think they could work on is the space— tables set between breaks in the booth, air conditioning that turns the food cold quickly, blindingly bright neon lights. It could just be a bit more comfortable. Still, highly recommend!“

“This might be the best restaurant in LA. The service was phenomenal from start to finish. Our waiter was bright, engaged when needed, and provided everything we needed. Great ambiance with this nice, lo-fi synth.
But the best part about this place is the food. This is some of the best food in LA, if not the best. We got the shishito peppers and crispy rice, handrolls, sea bass and steak, eggplant, and cheesecake. Everything was fantastic. Perfectly timed out of the kitchen. Every dish bursted with flavors that complimented each other. The dessert wasn't too sweet. The Kitsune is also an incredible old fashioned.“

“Bomb sushi!!!! Everything was wonderful, can’t say anything bad. Good rolls and gotta try the crispy rice for an appetizer😀“

“Nice Izakaya right around the corner of Little Tokyo. Staff is friendly and vibes are chill. Drinks and food are delicious. My friend tried some of their sake and really enjoyed the taste as well as the presentation. We started with the Signature Tofu Sampler which is all three of their original housemade tofu, served side by side in a beautiful three bowl tray. The first was their classic tofu in a traditional style that is served with a house miso paste and you could toss on some roasted green tea salt to your own tastes. I think this might have been my favorite because it was so effortlessly simple and tasty. Their creamy tofu is extra soft tofu made from fresh cream and soymilk, with a dashi cream broth. They asked us to eat this one as is and not to add any additional salt or sauces. Lastly, was the black sesame tofu which is a creative take on the original tofu infused with black sesame. They suggested adding in some wasabi and soy sauce that really enhanced the flavoring. If you are a fan of tofu, I highly recommend trying this sampler. The Omelette Noodles with Simmered Wagyu Beef is just ok. Loved the omelette and wagyu beef. The noodles were fine but I think the dish was overpowered by the seasoning. Not my favorite but that is probably just based on my personal taste preferences. The Grilled Salmon Chazuke was fantastic. It is a rice porridge dish mixed with dashi and topped with a beautiful piece of grilled salmon. We also tried a couple pieces of nigiri and I loved the Chu-Toro ones. Definitley not a bad choice if you are looking for casual but yummy dining in this area.

Now for my standard comments. The location is clean and well kept. Comfortable indoor seating. There is also a decently sized outdoor seating area as well.“

“Sashimi is fresh. Grilled items are tasty. Good selection of sake. And the service is very good. Thank you, Nathan.“

“😘😘😘😘😘The taste is very good.“

“Oto-Oto is exceptional in every way. The food is fantastic and considering the quality, reasonably priced. The presentation of the food is beautiful without being over the top. The staff is friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, and timely without being intrusive. The chefs are professional trained sushi chefs. The atmosphere is lovely, warm, and interesting-- note the giant bonsho (bell) hanging from the cool, high open ceiling and the display of bottles at the bar for example. It is quiet so you can hear yourselves talk. It stays busy without ever feeling cramped or rushed. If you look at the clientele, you will know it is a top-notch place because they are locals and people who keep coming back time and time again -- the staff recognizes and remembers them and there are warm exchanges between them.We often get take-out and one night I sat and just observed the interplay of staff -- it was like watching a beautiful dance as they wove in and out -- making drinks, taking orders, delivering food, and the chefs with hands flying as they made dish after dish and without breaking stride, they smiled through it all - it was better than watching most of what is on television. We love Oto-Oto in every way and highly recommend it.

Parking: Big lot“

“spacy garlic edamame is vary delicious.!!“

“This was my first time visiting this place, and I have to say, the only ones truly making it stand out are the servers. Those girls are amazing! Even though the space is small and seating is limited, they know how to make every guest feel welcome. Honestly, I’m only coming back for their incredible service. Please consider giving these girls a well-deserved raise!“

“The flavors of all the food was amazing.... everything on the menu was intriguing , I wish I tried it all!“

“A hidden gem in Montrose. Very good food, attentive service, reasonable price.“

“Food and service were fine; we would consider return visits. However, indoor dining was much to noisy, we could barely hear each other talk over the din...painfully noisy because I had to adjust my hearing aids to the max volume using the restaurant noise reduction setting just to hear bits and pieces of intelligible conversation. Otherwise, I would only be able to hear noise. It took a few hours after leaving for my hearing to recover. We would only return during warmer weather so we could sit outside, where there's not the sound bouncing off of all the hard surfaces.“

“The best everything…so, Go!“

“The food is all excellent, the service exactly what it should be (neither intrusive or absent), and a wide variety of price points that should satisfy any budget. Highly recommended - We’ll definitely be back! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“Going here is a trade-off: you get good food quality and quantity, but the service and vibe are bad. You’ll eat well, but the hostess might be rude and you’ll likely have to wait. $30 for all-you-can-eat sushi is a fair price for those concessions.

The tablet ordering is good because you don’t have to deal with the staff. Once you actually sit down and start ordering, the service is quick. The sushi was high quality and Menu A has enough variety. They constantly nag you about the 90-minute limit, the wait times between rounds, and the extra charges for unfinished food. It’s annoying, but it won't stop me from stuffing my face.“

“Moxie is a great place for family and friends to hang out. Outdoor seating is cool and comfy. Super yummy food by Japanese Chef. Staffs are super nice and helpful too. They sanitize before seating the customers. They even prepare small bottle of hand sanitizer on every table which customers can bring home. During COVID, they have continous deals such as AYCE before, and now $1 skewer. It's a 'must try' dining. A cool place to chill. Highly recommended.“

“Their recipes are undefeated“