36 Best Japanese Restaurants in Pasadena

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

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

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

“our 1st time eating at sushi karen this past saturday. It was a very pleasant surprise. the chefs unique recipes for the sushi was appreciated. we will be back.“

“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.“

“Good food, portions & service...“

“I have eaten here a few dozen times now, and it never ceases to amaze me. The food was absolutely delicious every single time. You can tell they prioritize quality because the ingredients are always incredibly fresh. The ambience is warm, cozy, and inviting. What truly sets this place apart is the staff. They are always so warm, welcoming, and attentive.

It is rare to find a restaurant that maintains this level of consistency visit after visit. If you haven't been here yet, you are seriously missing out!“

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

“Pleasantly and delishly surprised. Place is unassuming. Its quaint and intimate.
Foodwise, its fresh and well presented. Sashimi is served warm temperture and not over ice. Which is how it should be. Rice was not overly sticky. Well balanced in combo with the fresh fish.
Service was welcoming and super friendly. Enjoyed the relax vibe.
Definitley on my list to be back“

“I had such a wonderful dining experience here. Every dish was prepared with obvious care and attention to detail.

The tempura was perfectly fried, and I really enjoyed the fresh slice of orange that came on the side. The fish was incredibly fresh and vibrant in the bowl. It is rare to find such high quality and consistency in every single plate.

I will definitely be returning to try more of their menu soon. Highly recommended for anyone in Pasadena.“

“This place is such a hidden suprise in Pasadena! I've only gotten takeout so far, but it has been great the few times I've ordered. I'd love to have the time to dine in as the restaurant itself is very quaint and staff very nice and polite. Their lunch specials are a great deal, with sizable portions. The fish quality is amazing and presentation beautiful. Highly recommend.“

“If we think of city of Pasadena, it is always high cost to get the meal. But there is one place that we need to consider to try, which is San Sai, located at Lake Ave and facing the Plaza's parking lot. Not only the price of the food are affordable but they provide TOP TIER customer services, especially the gentleman called Mark. He understand how to represent the store by providing information relate with their menu and make customer easy to decide what they are going to order.“

“I like this place for simple chicken salad. It has romaine lettuce pieces, shredded white chicken (no dark meat), and fried wonton, with sesame seeds and almond pieces (no peanuts!!) They also serve teriyaki chicken, which I had the last time and that had great flavor as well. 5 stars🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 for delicious simple salad and great service!!

Fyi: parking is at the back of the restaurant, use the back entrance, off from Locust Street, although the front door is open from Lake Ave, there is no parking on Lake Ave!!“

“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.“

“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.“

“amazing food, service and ambiance!“

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

“The food was delicious and the service excellent“

“I’ve been back a few times since my last visit, and I have to say they are much better after the rebranding. The tsukemen is just as good, if not better than before, and the prices are way more affordable now.

I always ask for my tsukemen broth to be extra hot, and it hits every time. Big shoutout to Cici and Michael as well. They helped us out the other night and were awesome.

Service has been smoother, the quality is consistent, and overall it feels like they’ve really stepped it up. I’ll definitely be back again soon.“

“WOW! This might be the best and most authentic sushi i’ve ever had in California. The sushi isn’t like anything you would have at your average sushi restaurant. This fish tastes so fresh. And don’t even get me started on the rice. The sushi rice they have is AMAZING. I could eat an entire bowl of it. If you don’t come at least once in your lifetime you’re missing out.“

“It's one of the best ,beef or chicken teriyaki plates and Japanese food in California .“

“Honestly, the best sushi experience I’ve had in a minute! The fish quality is insane—everything tasted so fresh and literally melted in my mouth. I’m super picky about my sushi, but they absolutely nailed it. The atmosphere is such a vibe, and the presentation of the rolls was just stunning. Definitely found my new go-to dinner spot! 🍣✨“

“Tae and the entire crew at Sushigah take unbelievably good care of my family and me every single time we come in. We honestly don’t feel like customers here, we feel like family.

The sushi is always fresh and excellent, but what really makes this place special is the people. Tae and the team remember us, take care of the kids, and always make sure we have a great experience from the second we walk in.

It’s rare to find a restaurant where the food is this good and the hospitality is even better. Sushigah has become one of our family’s favorite places, and we genuinely look forward to coming back every time.

Couldn’t recommend Tae and the entire crew more highly.“

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

“Teri & Yaki is such a hidden gem! The food was fresh, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. The teriyaki chicken was tender with the perfect balance of sweet and savory sauce, and the portions were generous. The staff was friendly, welcoming, and made the whole experience even better.“

“Neighborhood’s Japanese Restaurant with good Value !“

“This place does Japanese AND Thai food?! So let’s see if they’re pretty good eh or ew. I got their spicy tuna and imitation crab crispy rice, dragon roll, and chicken pad Thai to try. The spicy tuna was smooth, not fishy, not really spicy, and pretty limey. The imitation crab mixture was mellow, not fishy or stringy, and was a little mayoy. The rice on the bottom was lightly crispity crunchity and chewy. The dragon roll was filled with more of that imitation crab mix and crunchy briney not fishy masago and was topped with a thin layer of creamy avocado, fatty skin on eel, and sweet drizzle. Wasn’t the biggest fan of the eel skin. The pad Thai came fresh crunchy iceberg lettuce topped with like a peanut sauce dressing. The pad Thai itself was nicely sweet, savory, and tangy and had chewy springy rice noodles, crunchy bean sprouts and a decent amount of a bit dry chicken breast, egg, and bean curd. They’re family owned, everyone here is super nice, and everything tasted really fresh, clean, and not fishy which I like. Overall this place is lowkey pretty good.

Crispy rice $8.50
Dragon roll $19
Chicken pad Thai $21.50“

“My husband and daughter love this restaurant for its AYCE sushi. It used to be Kabuki before the restaurant relocated, and it's great to see people still flocking here. The food is consistently good, and the portion sizes are just right for me.

Since I'm allergic to fish, I can't personally vouch for the sushi, but my husband and daughter say it's fresh and delicious every time. The staff is friendly, attentive, and the food comes out quickly with appealing presentation.

If you enjoyed Kabuki, you'll probably love this spot. The AYCE option feels like a great value, and there's plenty to choose from. Come hungry, because this place is unlikely to disappoint!“

“The fish was sliced beautifully, and the citrus-soy dressing was light enough to let the natural flavor come through.

The nigiri platter was the highlight of the night.

The toro melted the moment it hit my tongue, and the yellowtail, salmon, and shrimp were all clean, fresh, and perfectly seasoned.

The baked jumbo prawns were unforgettable — creamy and smoky, topped with masago and green onion.

Every dish was plated with real care, and the service was warm and attentive from the moment we sat down.

The quality of the fish here is something you can taste right away.

I honestly don’t think I’ll ever forget this meal, and we’ll be back soon.“

“Always an amazing experience“

“They are so nice, I told them that my handroll didn’t have a lot of fish and they told me they would replace it, when I picked up my order they gave me two free handolls and two pieces of sushi! Their albacore, Toro and crab handroll are really good! And the hamachi sashimi“

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

“My favorite comfort food! It’s always good, fast and good service. Tried the Yaki beef today and it’s unexpectedly delicious. I wished I asked for extra crispy onions. This location don’t skimp on ginger and crushed red pepper which is a super plus.“

“I had a fantastic experience dining here. Everything from the presentation to the flavor was spot on.

I was especially impressed by the dessert, particularly the dish featuring those perfectly fried green tea squares topped with a generous swirl of whipped cream and a bright red cherry. The attention to detail really elevates the whole meal. I will definitely be back soon.“

“The hamachi serrano is perfection!“