38 Best Japanese Restaurants in Pasadena

“Every dish was delectable, and great service! We all had a fantastic time there! Definitely will be back, and for celebrations.“

“No amount of poorly-written AI reviews can do this awesome place justice, so as always, you're getting a human-written review from a human-experienced event. Yesenia was our server and she was a 10/10 all-around super professional server from the moment we set fot in the establishment. The food itself is unmatched. I have been to their San Gabriel location at least 3 or 4 times and this place is just as good in terms of flavor and quality. The ambiance is great, the server even went as far as lowering the window blinds after some new customers walked in and they sat close to one of the windows. Tsukemen will forever remain as my favorite kind of Ramen (it's basically cold noodles that you dip in a hot and salty broth served in a small bowl on the side). One of the assistant managers offered to help me in how to eat it but I was already familiar with the concept, so I thanked her for her offer and proceeded to eat. The fried chicken is another ball game, it's literally Japanese fried chicken but they also add a touch of some sort of honey-based syrup that makes it 100 times better. My parents had the tonkotsu and it was great too. Truly a remarkable experience in the heart of Old Town Pasadena.“

“amazing food, service and ambiance!“

“The service, the food, the environment and the kindness and efficiency of our server tonight! 😋👍“

“Absolute perfection. The food, the service and the atmosphere are outstanding. The most buttery, delicious salmon I’ve ever had…couldn’t stop eating the salmon hand rolls. Every single thing had incredible flavor and melted in your mouth, staring with the garlic edamame. Try it out, you won’t be disappointed.“

“Good food, portions & service...“

“Salad Dressing is amazing. Parking is horrible. They said 10-15 for my order. 25 minutes and I got a $52 Parking Citation🤬🤬🤬🤬“

“ABSOLUTELY the BEST ramen I have ever had!!! The service is amazing, the fried pumpkin... off the hook!!! Spring rolls, yaaasssss!! I had the King Ramen...whoaaaaa! Daaaaammnnn!! You will NOT be disappointed. Thanks to the owners for the great experience.“

“Well worth the drive from Palm Springs! Excellent food and service!“

“Its open and they really made sure its safe , service and food perfect . Happy days“

“Unassuming from the outside, but a truly great Japanese restaurant. Great quality on the seafood. The basic chirashi was very good with a fantastic variety of sashimi. I will definitely go for the deluxe next time! Definitely a must order is the Matsuri Gozen. It’s a beautifully organized set meal and the flavors are spot on.“

“It’s my second time in this sushi restaurant. The service started out slow on a busy Friday night but it quickly improved.We loved the seaweed salad, grilled shishito peppers and soft shell crab appetizer. The sashimi, salmon lover roll and Cynthia roll were fresh and nicely prepared. I asked for grilled salmon without teriyaki sauce and it came out nice. The dinner was satisfying.“

“There is room for dine-in, though I usually grab takeout. They sometimes use part of the seating space to store extra things, but it is a small location, and I understand the squeeze. All their food is delicious and at great prices.
If you are in Altadena and craving sushi, this is a great local place to grab it.
Sometimes, I will grab sushi from here and grab boba next door at YinYang.

Parking: If picking up, there are 20-minute parking spots by the door. Usually one is available.“

“Ordered a wrap and the wrap is good at approx $10. I got the free dessert milk thing and it was … really warm, kinda sour, and very unappetizing so I didn’t eat it. It seemed like it was left out for … a while.

But they also have these super cute lights if you check into yelp and the rest of their food was fine. Just don’t get the dessert“

“The food was delicious and the service excellent“

“SanSai Japanese Grill is a casual counter-serve chain for health-minded Asian fare from sushi roll to salads to chicken breast. This location is at Lake ave in Pasadena.

Its interior decor and atmosphere were modest and relaxing, respectively.
Their menu items were vast. I ordered their Chicken Breast Plate x salad and soup. It has satisfying flavor and tender breast; I dig it. Service was fast. Prices were fair and competitive.

Overall, I enjoyed their food and service. Perfect for a quick meal. I recommend you visit.“

“I gave this location a try on Friday. I was the first one. My takeout order came out pretty quickly. It took 10 minutes. I ordered a spicy one and it had some kick to it. I wish the portions were a little bigger. Fortunately, I ordered a side item to help fill me up. For the price, I would say, it is above average... but not as good a value as Curry House when it was still around.“

“Riquísima la comida y muy buena atención y servicio 100% 👍🏻“

“We tried the salmon teriyaki sushi dog, Kara age bento, miso soup, and pork cutlet bento. Everything was really delicious. I really liked the sides. The Kara age chicken had a nice lemony flavor. The sushi dog was stuffed with salmon and cream cheese you could definitely get full from eating a few.

The bento box was beautifully presented. I had never seen one made of paper before but it made for a handy to go box. We will definitely try the other sushi dogs and other bento next time.

Parking: There is no parking in front of the restaurant. There is some street parking on Hudson but it is very limited. The metered parking on Lake is 1 hr except Sunday. $1 an hour.“

“An unassuming place with very tasty, fairly priced food, B-Man's still got it. Just got a chicken curry bowl, spam musubi, steamed veggies, and an order of fries. I wanted a feast! You know, I love spam musubis and I COMPLETELY forgot that this place has The Best spam musubis. Their grilling of the spam is awesome and their reasonable use of teriyaki sauce really let's you taste it. The chicken curry was as rich as I remember.

Also, I'm very happy I didn't have to pay $8 for a single musubi, unlike some places.

Come here!“

“Always an amazing experience“

“My girlfriend and I recently visited Sushigah during a brief trip from San Diego, and we were thoroughly impressed. With high expectations for sushi, we found Sushigah to be exceptional. We began with a seaweed salad and Crispy Rice, followed by Salmon Sashimi, the Cucumber Special Roll, a Salmon Handroll, and a Spicy Salmon Roll.

Each dish was incredibly fresh and flavorful, with the salmon sashimi practically melting in our mouths. The temperature of the dishes was perfect, and the presentation was outstanding. Sushigah has definitely earned a spot as a must-visit destination for us whenever we're in Pasadena.“

“Delicious teriyaki chicken/ rice/ broccoli, carrots, and zucchini. I love to stop whenever I’m driving back to our Hesperia house after visiting family or friends in Paramount, California“

“ordered the Nozawa Trust Me and it did not disappoint! fish was fresh and brought out at a good pace - never went too long between plates, but also didn’t feel rushed. ordered some of the limited selection as well, and they were delicious (uni & eel)! highly recommend this place if you’re a sushi lover“

“This was my first visit and I wasn't disappointed! The all you can eat option was excellent ?, my cousins and I had four rounds until we had satisfied our appetites! I liked how they updated the restaurant from the previous occupants! I definitely will recommend and be back!“

“A pretty good fast food restaurant. I got the double chicken plate with rice, noodles and Asian slaw. The portions were decent and tasted good. It came with two sides of extra teriyaki sauce which was very unnecessary in my opinion, didn’t add any more since the chicken already had a lot. They have some seating but mainly for takeout.“

“I feel like this place would be a lot more popular if it was in a better location. A really nice restaurant offering a large selection of Japanese and Thai food. I only tried the sushi omakase and it was quite good. Good quality and presentation, with all sorts of different fish. Reasonably priced too, great spot for families and groups.“

“We had a great meal here. Much more chill than Aikan and we liked the options better because we don't need all you can eat. We had a mix of tuna, salmon, California rolls, as well as avocado, cucumber, vegetable and even a teriyaki chicken roll. We each enjoyed what we got.“

“Neighborhood’s Japanese Restaurant with good Value !“

“Amazing 🤩 great server/ food delicious“

“This is the best Yoshinoya I’ve been to in a long time. They were very fast, that’s a good thing. But really it’s Hong…he’s one of the most positive people I’ve ever met in California. The guy just gives off good energy. This place is lucky to have him.“

“I have been going to Tokyo Wako (the chain) for over a decade and I can firmly say that Juan Jose is the best chef I’ve ever had the pleasure to cook my meal. He was so careful to ensure there was flavor in our food, and that my friend’s allergies were all accommodated. He’s so friendly and made the tastiest meal with care and a smile. Ask for him as your chef when you visit!“

“The food was delicious, One of the best sushi in Pasadena“

“I have been coming here for 3 yrs. The staff are so friendly and the sashimi is always fresh!“

“Fresh, flavorful sushi and fast, friendly customer service. Top-tier experience.“

“We visited Sushistop in Pasadena after church on a Sunday and had a great experience. Though the restaurant was empty when we arrived, we decided to give it a try based on recommendations from friends—and we weren’t disappointed!

The menu is extensive, offering a variety of sushi, sashimi, and bento options. The service was attentive, and the food arrived at our table quickly. We tried several items, including the spicy tuna with crispy rice, salmon roll, albacore sashimi, and the teriyaki beef with tempura shrimp. Everything was fresh and flavorful, with the sushi rice perfectly seasoned. The teriyaki beef was especially tender and paired well with the savory sauce.

The interior of the restaurant is pleasant, and it’s a great spot for a casual meal. Parking is convenient, as there’s a public parking structure on Green Street where you can park for just $1 for 90 minutes.

We’re looking forward to returning to try their lunch specials, which include sushi rolls for under $10—a fantastic deal. Sushistop is definitely worth checking out for quality sushi at an affordable price!“