Excellent. Just excellent!! We have been here many times and…read morethe food and environment are consistently excellent Definitely recommend them

Food was amazing. Felt like in Japan! The host are lovely…read moreand everything was 100%. Would definitely go there again.

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!

Wow! 11/10 highly recommended…read more Mama M Sushi in Old Town Pasadena I knew this restaurant would be good, but I was blown away and was really surprised at how generous the portions are. Fresh, high quality, light and balanced. Really well executed and this husband. All the little details of each roll stood out! What we ordered: - Rainbow Tempura Roll - 7 pieces my favorite - this was really unique - Big Pack Roll - 10 pieces - Salmon Attack Roll - 10 pieces - Cute Devil Roll - 10 pieces - Tempura Don - wow this was an impresssive large bowl of perfectly fried tempura shrimp and veggies! It didn't feel heavy and is one of the best I've had. you'd be surprised that this restaurant doesn't just specialize in Tempura tendon bowls. The quality is so delicious . We actually sat next to a woman who was in town for the week and she ate here 4 days in a row! We understand why!

Finally tried Mama M Sushi for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. It was pretty busy when I walked…read morein during the weekday, lots of people, looked like locals and folks working nearby who come here regularly. Definitely feels like a hidden gem that the neighborhood already knows about. The lunch special is a great deal: comes with miso soup and salad. The fish was fresh and the quality was solid for the price. I can see why people keep coming back. There is even a discount on the Nostalgic Cafe next door on your recipet. Service was friendly and the vibe is casual and cozy. Old Pasadena location is convenient and there's parking nearby. ***Pro tip: They're on InKind so you get 25% cashback every visit and $25 off your first visit when you sign up https://app.inkind.com/refer/EUDQIJDO

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.

Rice and Nori is located at 105 North Hill Avenue Suite #102 Pasadena, California 91106. This is a…read moregreat location with a number of small eating establishments and offices. I love that you walk into the restaurant through the patio area along Hill Avenue. I walked by a number of tables before I got to the ordering counter. I was greeted by a friendly 'hello and how can I help you?' I explained that I needed some help with the menu as I had read what they offered online but had some questions. After listening to some suggestions, I came up with an order. I decided on a box of three hand rolls with sides. I also knew that I wanted to try the sushi balls that were on the menu. I knew that I wanted the yellowtail sashimi and the lobster ball. He double checked my order and told me that it would be a few minutes. As soon as I ordered the lobster ball he let the chef know so he could start on my order, as follows: Bacon Avocado ball Baked Lobster shrimp hand roll Yellowtail sashimi Salmon yuzu hand roll I sat down at one of the tables as others lined up to put in their orders. I could tell from the orders that there were some people that were regular customers as well as some new clients standing in line. It was nice to know that I was not the only one with questions about the items on the menu. There were staff members taking out some items and making sure tables were cleared and sanitized properly. It was a busy time of day, people picking up as well as people ordering. A number of the tables were filled with customers. The patio also had a number of tables with umbrellas. After about 10 minutes my order was ready and I was on my way. Once home I unpacked the items that had been carefully packed by the staff member. Everything looked really good. Some of the items still had the fresh aroma of the kitchen. I was happy to see that all the condiments including wasabi were packed with my order. There was even some salted edamame in a small container. My favorites were the bacon avocado ball and the Yellowtail Sashimi. The Lobster Ball was also a hit with me. It was all very good. While I walked. I noticed there was plenty of parking alongside the building as well as side streets in the area. With this location just off the 210 freeway. It is also close to Pasadena City College, about three blocks away. I will definitely be back and look forward to trying some of the other sushi, sashimi, ball & hand roll options.

Let me start by saying my family & I are frequent visitors to Rice & Nori in South Pasadena. This…read morewas our first time visiting this location on Hill. We ordered, the food was good but the only reason I am leaving this review is what happened in the dining area. A young lady who works at the front register area comes out and appears to check the trash by pulling it out, proceeds to throw up in it (yes the trash in the dining area where family's are dining at the same time) and then right after I would assume she would go to the restroom to take a moment to refresh herself and gain her composure but no, she then goes to the the front of the restaurant where there is another trashcan by the front door, I'm thinking to myself ok, she's checking the trash can this time...but no!! She throws up in this one as well!!! All while a man who looks like a manager is talking to another employee who is working the register, they clearly see her throwing up in the dining area and just keep on with their conversation like nothing is happening. Even after alll of that, after she has now thrown up back to back in the dining area she still does not go to the restroom. She washes her hands in the employee kitchen area and sits down in the dining area right after. I was utterly grossed out from seeing all this while eating dinner, I hope the employee did not have a virus because she was handling the trays and so on that were passed to us before we ate. I will never return to this location again.

From the very first bite, I could tell the quality of the fish was going to stand out. The salmon…read morewas buttery, fresh, and practically melted in my mouth. Paired with the thin slices of lemon, it gave every bite a bright, refreshing finish that made it hard to stop eating. The rice held together perfectly without overpowering the fish, which is exactly what you want from a great sushi roll. The second roll was just as impressive. The fish inside was incredibly fresh with a clean, rich flavor, and the balance of rice to filling was spot on. Too many sushi spots load up on rice, but this one lets the quality of the seafood be the star. Every piece tasted like it was prepared with care, and the freshness really shines through. This is the type of sushi spot that reminds you why simple, high-quality ingredients are all you need. If you're someone who appreciates fresh fish and well-crafted rolls, this place deserves a visit. I already know I'll be back because there are still so many items on the menu I want to try. Restaurants that consistently serve sushi this fresh are hard to find, and this one definitely earned a spot on my go-to list.

We came here before a musical at the Pasadena Playhouse, some place I found as everyone in our…read moregroup enjoys sushi and it's a 5 minute or less walk to the theater. The Mango Tango Roll was absolutely the best! I wish I could say the same for the Blue Ocean Roll, but the Rainbow Roll was good as was the Sunomono Roll, and we split everything with another couple. They had a deal of buy 3 rolls get 1 free. Sergio was a good server once the food was ready as the restaurant was pretty crowded and we probably took to long to order. We all said we'd definitely come back here if our group wanted sushi.

I really like their food. Great hand rolls! I order from them all the time. My complaints are all…read morewith their doordash menu. It doesn't say what many of their dishes are; the 3 hand rolls set has what kind of rolls? I can't tell what half the bento plate is (shredded unidentified meat and some kind of fish, and possibly spam, with a roll of some kind and some crispy tuna). Also, while I do love being able to make substitutions, paying extra money to replace an item with an item that costs the same seems like a rip-off. EX: Shrimp and salmon come with the combo plate, but if I replace the shrimp with salmon (because I'm allergic to shrimp) then I have to pay more. It would be the same cost if I did the reverse. It's a little money-grab. Katsu-Ya, I really like you and want to give you more of my money, but you aren't making it easy. I love your hand rolls and want to try the hand rolls set, but I'd have no idea what I was ordering. I don't like paying extra money arbitrarily because of an allergy. Also, send kabayaki sauce with the eel. Everywhere else does it. Happy to change my review if they tweak those tiny things.

I mean, it's horribly overpriced for what you get quantity and the quality wise. The crab roll is…read moresmall and costs 8 dollars, and trust me this isn't quality crab or even a lot of rice. I can get better sushi from sushi stop or the japanese place around the corner. Has that cheap defrosted quality to it and it's pretty clear the people don't care about the quality of their work. Just don't bother. For this price, you could get a decent meal. Ambience is non existent bc you pick up stuff from lockers but I'm not marking off for that because it's expected. Two stars because it's edible and presentable... enough.

Very fresh fish. Delicious. We were at the bar and the sushi chef Charlie was friendly and…read moreengaging. Made good suggestions. We really enjoyed our meal.

Stopped by here real quick for a snack while waiting for my car to charge. When you walk in it's…read morenicely lit with warm lights and very spacious with booths as well as tables. Staff were very friendly and quick to help. Ordered two hand rolls to go: 1 salmon and 1 yellowtail. Food came out quick and well packaged. Rolls were delicious! Cuts of fish were larger than expected. I'm interested in coming back and trying more or even the omakase option.