Formerly Modan, Kontesu is probably one of the most ethically priced restaurants in the SGV. At a…read moretime when all restaurants seem to use inflation as justification for their inflated prices w out the quality to match, Kontesu proves that good food doesn't have to come with an outrageous bill. From their sub $20 generously portion unagi plate to their $9 appetizer, all with freshness and quality that rival the high end Japanese restaurants in the area, This place is a shining example that even in affluent neighborhood like South Pas, restaurant can still serve quality food at honest, reasonable prices. Honorable mention is their perfectly cooked soy marinated egg.. which most ramen shops charge $2.50-$3 per..Here it's $1.25! Part of me is worried Kontentsu might realize they're still stuck in affordable pre-covid pricing... Here's hoping they' don't!!

Came here twice and both times were very positive. Every ingredient is very fresh, and the flavors…read moreare neither under nor overwhelming. The stand out for me is the poke ramen. This was one of the most unique things I've tried at a Japanese restaurant. For $17, the portions are super generous - lots of fresh salmon and tuna, and not overfilled with lettuce fillers. I normally won't eat kale, but I'll eat this! The kale noodles were very similar to soba noodles, and the kale bits were crispy almost like nori. I enjoyed the sauce they used - a little sweet and nutty. I'd repurchase this without a doubt! I got the salmon lotus roll on my first visit because I love lotus chips, and so this one really intrigued me. The salmon on top was delicious and very tender. It might be one of the best salmon rolls I've had. The unagi in the don was also very tender that there was no need to chew. I haven't had much unagi in the past, but this is one of the better ones I've had. I've mainly had firmer ones, but I liked that this was very soft. Lastly, I tried the black tonkatsu ramen, and what I loved the most about this was generous amounts of the crunchy thin mushroom. This is one of my favorite ingredients in ramen other than the chashu and noodles. The broth isn't very thick or rich, and I think the amount of garlic in it was just right to be enjoyable. The noodles were cooked perfectly al dente. Overall, I've found this place to be a very enjoyable experience, and I'm excited to try more of their menu!

This place never misses and the consistency is what earns another star for me…read more We ordered the same great hits: Corn Rib Appetizer Chicken Katsu Plate Cheese Katsu Plate Side of Curry We usually come for lunch, but we came for dinner. Keep in mind they stop seating 30 minutes before close! I love the service and again, consistency is key! The quality remains the same over time. I also want to point out how toddler friendly they are. They take note if you have a little and bring out a special plateware for them.

Katsu Jin is a chain Japanese noodle and Katsu restaurant. This location is on Fair Oaks Blvd in…read moreSouth Pasadena. We went early right when they opened and ordered the following items: Cold Soba Noodles and tempura 4.5 stars served with a small cup of dipping sauce Spicy edamame 2 stars under cooked under seasoned. Fried squid legs 2 stars soggy and greasy Tonkatsu ramen 4 stars nice broth added corn topping the chashu was good Could have been more temperature hot. The restaurant interior is basic. In a busy strip mall so parking spaces are a premium. Service was ok.

Came here for a work lunch at around 11:45 on a Thursday and it was totally empty. Service was…read morequick. I ordered the mixed sashimi lunch with tempura. It came with a cabbage salad, miso soup, bowl of rice and surprisingly some Mac salad. I honestly thought it would have had more sashimi cause the dish was kinda small but no worries. Next time I'll try the sushi lunch combo cause my coworker got that and it looked like a good deal - it came with 5 pieces, a California roll and a spicy tuna roll. She only got miso soup and not the salad though. Food was pretty good. I did get a stomachache later but I think maybe it was just too much fried food or I just ate too much cause the fish tasted fine when I was there. There's only two bathrooms though - one for men and one for women. The one for women was out of order so they let me use the men's. It was clean. I just note this cause I dislike having just one bathroom for a fairly mid size restaurant. We also walked here so I'm not sure about the parking situation but I didn't see a lot so I'm guessing street parking on green or Wilson is what you'll have to do. The only other downside was that the couldn't do separate checks which always sucks in a group setting. Anyways, it's better than the other sushi place near our workplace so I'd give this place another chance.

We walked in around 7pm and were seated right away, without a reservation. Each server we…read moreencountered were so nice and helpful. It's a pretty casual restaurant and everyone seemed to be enjoying their dinner as well. We ordered a few appetizers and have no complaints about any of them. The cold tofu was different since I'm used to it being in a dish with soy sauce and the toppings in it but it came in its own bowl in ice water, which kept it at a perfect temperature and a nice texture. The gyoza had such a nice freshly grilled taste and the filling was nicely flavored also. The tempura mix was super light and was definitely fresh. The last thing ordered was the sushi which was fresh. I'd love to go back for happy hour and try a few more options.

Came here on a Saturday at around 11 AM just before the lunch rush. My friend is a vegan and found…read morethis place on Yelp after searching for vegan options. The menu had a little of everything for everyone (meat, veggie, vegan, etc). My friend ordered the vegan banh mi and I opted for the chicken banh mi. Food wise, the banh mi's were pretty decent. The portions are pretty big (I only ate half) and the prices were decent for Pasadena. The bread was nice a crunchy but the banh mi was lacking in vegetables and the chicken was a bit dry. My friend seemed to have enjoyed the vegan banh mi (tofu banh mi) and her matcha drink. The place is a nice little spot with a few tables. Service was great! You order at the counter and then find a seat. When it got closer to 12, there was a lunch rush and many people walked in. I noticed alot of people were ordering pho even though it was about 85 F outside haha. I would like to come back and try the pho! For two banh mi's + 2 bags of chips and a matcha drink, the total came out to be around $38 after tax and tip. If you're in the area looking for decent Vietnamese food with vegan and vegetarian options, this place is worth checking out!

Ginger and Spice proves that you can find great flavor and quality from a small "hole in the wall"…read morerestaurant, What did I order? Banh Mi (Pork) Fried Egg Rolls (shrimp and pork) The banh mi was very good. Although I'm accustomed to much more cilantro also it did not have the usual cucumbers and shredded carrots. I thought that was standard to every banh mi? Bread was nice, and the flavor of the pork was very very good. The egg rolls I believe were made fresh in house. The size and quality were so good. If they were a frozen variety, then I've gotta tip my hat to the kitchen for doing a great job at sourcing a good supplier. $12 for a banh mi is a bit steep considering theres really great shops priced at $6. Would a return? If I were in the area maybe, but i personally wouldnt drive a distance or out of my way.

Great service food was flavorful, been coming to this spot for the past pew weeks, haven't tasted a…read moredish that is not good. will be coming back 10/10 Recommended.

We love Kwan Kitchen…read more Their flavors and portions are great. Their green curry is sublime--one of my favorite Thai curries from the plethora of Thai joints I've tried. Their green curry ingredients used and preparation are top notch also,

This place is a bit hidden in an alleyway, but I love poké so when this popped up on my Yelp search…read moreI knew I wanted to try it. Fair warning, they do not have white rice available. It's only purple or brown rice, which is a healthier option, but I understand it's not for everyone. I got the regular size poké bowl with purple rice, and it's cooked perfectly that it has a fluffy texture very similar to white rice's. What I really liked about this place is that they mix your sauces with the protein in a separate mixing bowl before putting it into your poké bowl. Most poké places I've been too won't do this as an extra step - they'll just drizzle a bunch of sauce that sometimes the dry ingredients gets drenched and soggy. As for the fish itself, the portions are very fair, and the quality is good. They gave a pretty generous amount of avocado as well, which was very fresh, and you do not have to pay extra for it. Rarely do I come across a poké restaurant that does this.

I got a Large Poke Bowl for to-go through DoorDash. It came with a lot of toppings and sides which…read moreworked well together. Next time I'll ask for more sauce as the included drizzle was too little. For about $24 including tax, I got more food compared to similarly priced Poke spots in Pasadena.

We ate here on a Monday night and found parking very easily! If you're coming with a party of 2…read moreyou'll probably be sat at bar seating and they had TVs showing the World Cup! We walked in and were quickly greeted and seated at the low bar seats. We ordered the set for 2 which came with an appetizer, 2 shabu shabu meals with 2 large meat servings, and one dessert. We got the soft shell crab appetizer, sukiyaki broth, spicy miso broth, and the churros dessert. The broths were delicious and flavorful and the meat and bowl of veggies and noodles were filling! We enjoyed the short rib meat choice the most. The appetizer and dessert were okay, pretty standard but I would definitely come back for just shabu. The restaurant is on the smaller side and feels busy but is very clean and has a good atmosphere. I'm looking forward to coming back to try other broths!

The service is always great and everyone is very friendly. I asked for extra vegetables instead of…read moreudon, and they were very accommodating about it. Since it's not all-you-can-eat, some people might feel the meat portions are a little small, but it actually helps you enjoy a reasonable amount without overeating. The appetizer menu is also really good, so I'd definitely recommend ordering a few dishes to share.

My husband and I came here for lunch, and we had a wonderful experience! We ordered the fried rice…read morelunch special, which came with soup, salad, and an egg roll. We also ordered the papaya salad with shrimp and the chicken Tom Yum soup. Everything was absolutely delicious! The flavors were spot on, and every dish tasted fresh and well prepared. The papaya salad was perfectly balanced--not too sweet and not too sour. The Tom Yum soup was incredible. My husband usually doesn't eat soup, but he loved it and kept commenting on how flavorful it was. The fried rice was also excellent, and the lunch special was a great value for the price. On top of the amazing food, the customer service was outstanding. Everyone was friendly and attentive, which made the experience even better. We will definitely be coming back. I can't wait to try more dishes from the menu. Highly recommend!

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!…read more I was honestly so impressed. To be fair, I haven't been to many Thai restaurants that I didn't enjoy, but this place really stood out. The quality of the meat was excellent, and every dish was packed with flavor. The service was calm, friendly, and attentive. I was actually surprised by how quiet it was because the food deserves a much bigger crowd. What really blew me away was the portion size for the price. The servings were huge and such a great value. We had enough food to easily feed 5-6 people, and the bill was still incredibly reasonable. I'll definitely be coming back!