Our new go to Japanese restaurant in Pasadena. Food is fresh and delicious. I was never a sashimi person, unless I ate it in Japan..but at Akinori, I will eat their sushi and sashimi, so yummy! Service is friendly and she continues to check on us throughout our meal. If you live Japanese food , try them out, you won't be disappointed. read more

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This is a small sushi bar/ restaurant on Colorado. We were able to find parking on the street. It felt like a mom and pop shop. We got 2 tuna hand rolls, yellowtail sushi, dry aged tuna sushi, and a couple rolls. The hand rolls were on the smaller side but they closed the back so the filling wouldn't fall out. We've had better yellowtail. The dry aged concept was new and interesting to try. The rolls were standard (tried rainbow and crispy chili). Most had eel sauce which I don't like so couldn't try them. I would try this place again given all the great reviews. read more

Wonderful food and amazing staff. They let you order off the regular menu even if someone from your party does the omakase.

Our favorite local sushi spot. The fish is always delicious, the staff friendly and attentive to their guests. The dry aged options are to die for, and the team makes my hand rolls Thai spicy! I can only hope they're around for many years to come. Do yourself a favor and stop by for some bomb fish. read more

Solid place for omakase in pasadena area. A nice option to have besides sugarfish (though I love sugarfish). Parking was convenient (right out front in street). Service was phenomenal and so was chef. They are so sweet here! Took all of my preferences and wishes into consideration. They're so adorable! I believe it's a Thai owned sushi restaurant and they do a great job! It's in their stellar cuisine culture Great for solo dining. Could definitely see myself returning for omakase in the future if I want another switch-up from Sugarfish. Great work Akinori read more

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This place is very small but cozy. The waitress was very attentive without being intrusive. The pricing is not bad. One piece of uni sushi was $14, but the pricing for the other items were reasonable. Their sushi was pretty fresh. Everything was very flavor and good. They do charge $3 for fresh wasabi. I know some places charge for it but it turns me off when they do. read more

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Amazing place, love the ambience and the sushi never disappoints here. it's always so fresh and so good. read more

Akinori Sushi - Amazing food and atmosphere. We come here very often since this is the best sushi spot in the area. - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

This sushi spot in Pasadena is such a hidden gem! Had dinner on a Friday night with a friend and it was the best dinner we've had in a while Sushi was SO fresh ,melts in ur mouth,you can tell ingredients are premium best quality.The server was so attentive,helpful and explained every dish along the way.We also got the salmon sampler and the server kindly explained every fish with each component.Every dish was delicious ,definitely a must try as you'll be coming back for more Compliments to the chef for making our experience amazing along with other staff!! Ps.there mochi ice cream is just as amazing read more

Akinori Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Unfortunately, my experience here was very disappointing and I will not be returning or giving my money to this place. The restaurant had an unpleasant odor that resembled fish and also there is a smoke, as guests frequently step outside to smoke and then return to dine. The quality of the food did not meet expectations, and the service was unfriendly and dismissive. Additionally, the establishment appears to be unwelcoming towards guests and their pets, which was disheartening to experience. Professionalism and hospitality were severely lacking and should not exist in the year 2025 if you want be a successful business. There are many other sushi restaurants that offer fresher, quality fish, a more pleasant atmosphere, and genuinely kind service. I won't be returning or recommending this place. I truly hope management takes this feedback to heart and focuses on improving both the quality of the food and the way customers are treated. Your staff should learn a few lessons on hospitality and kindness. read more

The food here was amazing it tasted so perfect I haven't had rolls that tasted this good in a really long time! The service was also great, very attentive. Cute and cozy spot, will definitely be coming back again! (Got the trick or treat roll & the akinori roll) ! read more

Akinori Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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New sushi restaurant operated by Thai chefs and waitress! Clean, small and cozy. Love the interior. However, food quality didn't really reflect the pricing. This would be more of mom-n-pop quality. Miso soup is great. The rice is terrible.. but my hubby was hungry so he finished 1.5 bowls sashimi is alright but I just feel it's the same quality as the AYCE sushi on Foothills. I can sense the wasabi is of high quality but it's just very small portion. Soft shell and miso cod were good. Although fish skin a bit burned. Soft opening 10% off now! read more

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Decided to give this place a shot even though they're super new. Glad we did! My boyfriend and I came around 2pm on a Saturday and we were greeted and seated immediately. There was only one other party. We ordered the tempura shishito peppers, chirashi bowl, sashimi set, and baked blue crab roll. Everything came out super fresh and delicious! The chirashi bowl comes with seasoned rice and kizami wasabi, which my boyfriend loved. The sashimi set also comes with rice, but plain. I wasn't sure if I was going to like the baked blue crab roll since I usually prefer regular blue crab hand rolls, but it was a pleasant surprise. I did not have high expectations but they were definitely surpassed! We will definitely add this to the list of places to come back to. :) read more

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First thing you notice is the ambiance. You feel the intimacy of the restaurant. The space is tight neat and you kind of feel like you're joining a small family gathering. Unto the food. We got the sashimi combo and presentation was beautiful, which made it very appetizing. Part of their concept is their dry aged fish, I personally never had it even as a sushi lover, but I am now a fan of dry age fish. Thank you for introducing me to this new way of eating sushi! Now the service. Tonight was almost a full house and There was only one server. So hats off to her for working so hard. I do plan on coming back to try their other dry aged fish options. I am very curious now. read more

So glad to have stumbled across this amazing sushi spot. I tried the Akinori Roll, which was generously stuffed with spicy shrimp & lobster, and the outside of the roll was gently battered in fried tempura. It was topped with a spicy tuna, spicy mayo, and eel sauce. Fantastic and FRESH. I was also given a complimentary dish (I didn't get the name), which was fried kewpie rice, spicy tuna, fresh avocado, and eel sauce with a side of micro greens. It was a dish I'd probably never think to reach for, but will now. Great crunch, flavor, and texture. The restaurant itself was very clean and fresh looking. Street parking is plentiful. Chef and staff were very friendly and I'm happy to support this business going forward! read more

Akinori Sushi - Akinori Roll - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Legendary sushi chefs. Blow me away everytime. Get the trick or treat roll. Been going for a year now, best sushi in Pasadena

Amazing sushi ! The fish is fresh and the menu is very carefully thought out. The service is incredible and everyone was very attentive. Very clean and very pleasant atmosphere. Must try spot!! Can't wait to be back read more

The interior of the restaurant is really cute and a different take than most sushi restaurants. The prices on their appetizers are really very reasonable. That alone is enough to get you through the front door. Certain dishes aren't up to par with other sushi establishments, but not horribly off, but just missing that certain something you can't put your finger on. I don't think this will become my first choice, but it so close to where I live, so on occasion when I don't what to deal with a car, I can walk here, which is a plus. So my bet the pricing and the convenience will be it's main draw. You should at least give them a try. read more

I've been to this restaurant many times, but my last visit left a bad impression. The head sushi chef pretended he was going to give my wife a special side dish he had made, but instead as a horrible joke, he ended up giving it to another table that didn't even order it! In other words he brought it over to let my wife see it and smell it then gave it to the other table! That was disappointing and honestly felt disrespectful, especially after being a loyal customer for so long. I've never had a chef do that to me as a teaseThe food is good, but that experience really ruined the visit, and I didn't appreciate the treatment. I will no longer be going back. Thank you to the chef with the glasses! He took good care of me and my wife as always. read more

The fish is fresh and delicious. The staff from the bar, table , and kitchen are all so friendly. We love it!

was in the area to check out a recommended massage service... was lunchtime and googol showed this place... photos looked good and the menu posted looked good had intended to have their lunch special ramen, but was informed they didn't do ramen during the warm summer days... selected the charashi bowl instead fish was excellent and portions generous enough... good ratio of rice to fish ... selection was well balanced wasabi was fresh grated , not some reconstituted powder stuff... ginger were fresh sliced and pickled... very nice touch failed to take notice of the fresh board and the daily special... probably would have gone with something on the board... but what I had was good... if back in the area, will eat there again read more

14 seater and 9 Bar stools Fresh cute delicious new place Came with daughter she liked the food And will come again since it's close read more

Akinori Sushi - Yelp website - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

It was very good food with great quality. I highly recommend this place. It's new. Both rolls and nigiri were amazing. Even the salad was good! read more

so amazing and fresh!! Really quaint and quiet restaurant with delicious sushi. Staff was friendly:)

Found this hidden gem going down Colorado and thought i've give it a try. Ambiance: Very cozy and warm. Service: Warm welcome by staff and the chef. Very attentive and knowledgeable of the menu. Food: I AM GLAD i stopped by. As a sushi connoisseur Freshness and presentation is everything. And Akinori checked all my boxes for an exceptional sushi place. Definitely will be back. Parking: Very easy to find street parking right out front. Recommendations: I recommend the Chefs Special and the Colorado Roll! read more

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Sat at the bar and ordered a la cart, left hungry. Don't mind paying $$$ but expect to be feed appropriately. Too small fish slices and too long a wait. Disappointed, will not be coming back. read more

This place is definitely overrated and overpriced! Totally not worth the price. The food is average like nothing stands out or memorable at all. We ordered squid sushi and the rice was sauced with yuzu (my guess) sauce which made the rice very loose and salty. We totally didn't enjoy it. They only had Santa Barbara uni and charges $14/piece. I don't mind to pay $14 for a piece of uni but the portion is TOO small like only one layer plus the uni tastes a bit bitter. read more

I came here with my husband and two teenagers because the Yelp reviews were outstanding and I was craving for real authentic Japanese food. We walked in with no reservation but got lucky because four people before us were getting ready to leave so we got seated in 10 minutes like the waitress said we would. I ordered the $34 premium chirashi bowl which was just ok for my taste. It didn't have sweet shrimps but it had two reasonable size fresh scallops. The sashimis were fairly fresh but the rice was a bit too sour (too much vinegar?). My daughter had the katsu entree which she thought was ok, nothing mind blowing..My son got the eel bowl which too almost 30 minutes to get to the table after I got my bowl and my daughter got her entree. My husband got the $80 Omakase which was slow to start with the chawanmushi as the starter. Omakase include 7 pieces of sushi pieces. The rice once again was sour for our taste. The 7 pieces all came at once but like 25 minutes of the first signature appetizer (chawanmushi). There's only 2 sushi chefs behind the counter and one waitress waiting on 24 customers in the small restaurant. They could use another server to improve the service there. Ambiance was loud with 24 people in the house.The tempetature was warm because the place is small and has no central AC or maybe they did but we felt warm and it didn't help that it is still Summer. Imagine eating raw seafood when you're feeling warm. Overall, it was our first and last time there. Would have love to be a regular customer because we live so close to them but I am afraid we will not. Sorry to ruin your outstanding ratings. read more

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This is a nice, quaint and new sushi establishment in my neighborhood. They have a simple and clean setting. The menu has a nice variety of options. You can choose among traditional sushi and sashimi, rolls, and cooked entrees such as salmon & chicken teriyaki. My daughter and I tried the following: 1) mixed tempura, spicy tuna crispy rice, Hamachi sushi, and the 210 roll. All in all, we liked every dish. My only negative critiques would be that they could improve the sushi rice as it lacked the needed vinegar for both flavor and sticky consistency. Without that necessary ingredient the rice breaks down far too easily. True sushi should be using Japanese rice fermented with vinegar in a hangiri bowl. Also, the fish slices were rather minimal. The staff is very friendly and accommodative. read more

The fish was delicious! So fresh. The service was just right. Loved the salmon and yellowtail sushi. read more

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OMG. Almost don't want to review because we want to keep this place to ourselves. It is fantastic. We tried the omakase, sashimi platter, salmon teriyaki, and various sushi. Wow wow wow. Everything was amazing. Standouts were the dry aged kanpachi, wagyu, scallop, red snapper, scallop... but pretty much everything was incredible. Even the salad and edamame were elevated compared to other Japanese restaurants. Thank you for an incredible dinner. We will be back. read more

We had the pleasure of celebrating our 8th anniversary at Akinori tonight and we couldn't NOT leave a review. This is hands down the best sushi in Pasadena. You can't go wrong with the Albacore or Yellowtail sushi or the 210 roll but honestly it's all delicious. The service was amazing. The server was polite, attentive and kind. We shared that we were celebrating our anniversary and we were surprised with a delicious dessert at the end. If the sushi didn't blow us away, the dessert would have. They served us a green tea ice cream with a Japanese cheesecake and New York has nothing on that cheesecake. It was our first time trying both and it was ridiculously good. I don't even like green tea but I'd eat that everyday of the week. read more

Akinori Sushi - Albacore Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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First time here! let me start up by saying it's a very clean welcoming location with a homely feel to it a local spot, very simplistic in it's decor because it stands on the quality of the food they serve. All the fish rolls that we tried were silky smooth in texture and freshness galore. We absolutely love all the flavors that they combine together And the service was absolutely amazing and on point. We brought in our two year-old and they made us feel like we were the only ones in the restaurant. Amazing place will definitely be back and highly recommend to all. Thank you! read more

Sushi places are popping up in Pasadena. We have many good sushi spots but it is encouraging to see new ones to change it up. Akinori is on a part of Colorado Blvd that isn't heavy with restaurants (yet). The decor is clean, sparse and you get the vibe they're still finding their groove. The sushi is good and flavor is unique. We had some sushi standards: Albacore, Salmon and they were tasty with added onion crunch in the albacore. The special handroll was delicious: Scallop, Uni, truffle. The yellowtail collar was also superb. Give it a try for a nice bite. read more

Delicious traditionally made rolls and sushi. They also provide real wasabi! Will be visiting again read more

Akinori Sushi - Chef slicing yellowtail - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

The fish is very fresh, roll recipes are tasty, and the service is excellent. Love this place!!!!

Best sushi I have had since being on Oahu! I love this place. Everything was reasonably priced, and the service was amazing.

Akinori is definitely Pasadena's newest hidden gem! Recently just opened and it is a place that you need to stop by for sushi. Everyone was so welcoming and sweet. Tom the sushi chef was awesome and so kind. Do not sleep on their kitchen items as well!! What am I saying, do not sleep on this place. Definitely will come back! read more

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They are severely understaffed and not well coordinated. Friday night: We had reservation at 7PM, didn't get seated until 8PM. After we got seated, the sushi came out horrendously slow. One small plate would come out like once every 10 minutes. We had an event that we wanted to go to at 9:45 PM, but couldn't make it in time because the sushi was taking so darned long to come out so we weren't done eating even after nearly two hours! In fact, I was still not completed filled at the end; I didn't order more because I was tired of waiting so long for food to come out. They also forcibly included a gratuity/tip in the (already expensive) bill... Service was not worth a high tip. There are other Akinorj locations that are better; the one in Pasadena isn't great. read more

Pricey but worth it!!! Probably the freshest sushi I have ever had. The albacore sushi is hands-down my favorite. Had to order another round. It is so delicious!!!! read more

Elevated and delicious sushi. Friendly sushi chefs. Friendly waitresses although may need a little more training. Favorites were yellowtail, kanpachi, snapper. The snapper was fantastic, marinated in truffle oil. Seared albacore with crispy onion on top was amazing. I wish they would serve the miso soup in a real bowl and not plastic with a plastic spoon resting inside the hot soup. The food was good enough to be a 5 star restaurant. If they could up their game with service, the dishes/decor, they could seriously try to go for a Bib Gourmand or equivalent. For now, I'm happy that it is unfussy and unpretentious and I can drop in when I pretty much want to. read more