Sadly I feel this restaurant is not worth my business anymore. My family and I have been customers here for many years on a pretty frequent basis. The food, service, and ambiance are all mediocre. When they are busy, it can take 5 minutes to even be acknowledged let alone given water. The quality of the food is not up to par with competitors, and quite frankly, I feel it is going downhill. The most recent time I was there with my family on the day before Mother's Day, we all felt a bit ill after eating here. It's sad because I'd like to support this local business and love Japanese food, but it will take a lot of convincing to come back. read more

Sad to give them a bad review as they have been a big part of pasadena for a long time but it was very disappointing. Had several different rolls, just wasn't good. Even the basic spicy tuna roll wasn't good. We had the crunch roll, toot C roll, fried Philadelphia, candy roll, uni sushi, in n out tuna. Out of all these I would say only the toot c roll was ok. Won't be returning. read more

This was our go-to sushi restaurant back in the day. Especially since it was the only place that serves Ono sushis. We visited recently during Covid for take-outs and unfortunately, it wasn't as good as I had remembered it to be. First of all, I had called over 15 minutes and their number says mailbox is full. Since it's not too far from us and I was REALLY craving chirashi bowl we decided to just drive over and order. I had mentioned to the front desk worker how no one picked up the phone for a long time. I get it, business is definitely harder during Covid. But he was not apologetic at all and just said they were on the phone. They did not have Ono that night, but our order of chirashi bowl, one specialty roll and one appetizer sashimi was ready in 20 minutes as promised. I was a bit disappointed in my Chirashi bowl. It was beautiful with all kinds of fish however the octopus (tako) and the tuna were so chewy and stringy. I literally had to pulled it out of my teeth. My husband had the same problem with his albacore sashimi. The Yellowtail and Albacore were just cold and had no taste. Only the salmon and the egg had flavored. They seemed quite busy with their outdoor dining, so maybe our order was just a fluke. This was our favorite spot long time ago, I would like them to continue business so I can give them a try again. read more

Ichima - Jessica Alba Rolls & Albacore Sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Ichima in Pasadena is hands down my favorite Japanese restaurant in the entire world! The service is absolutely phenomenal. The entire staff works seamlessly as a team to make sure your drink is always full and your needs are met. The food is equally amazing. I can't get enough of their dynamite roll and the salmon teriyaki bento bowl is to die for! My husband and I are regulars and we always look forward to our visits. A special shoutout to our favorite waitress, Elyza - she's incredible! read more

Probably not going back. Very Westernized. The Decor was a nice touch but I wasn't a fan of the Udon Soup. read more

First of all they don't seat you according to your arrival... I saw three groups same size seated ahead of me!!! (I saw them check in) They forgot my grandson's meal and it took 35 minutes to bring him a bowl of soup!!!! read more

Ichima sushi, where do I even start? This place is full of customers, which tells me this place is delightful. I thought the food was a hit. I ordered a salmon sashimi and udon with mixed tempura. The sashimi came in this fancy bowl that was to die for. I thought the sashimi and udon tasted fantastic. In addition to the beautifully presented food, there was so much to order, the cooks really did a good job! The servers were so nice as well, they were very patient. I also enjoy the whole set up of this place because it is such a view to look at! This place smelt of absolute heaven! It was as if I stepped foot into a heaven that encircled around me, inviting me to sit down and enjoy. Something I appreciate about the bathrooms is the cleanliness! I so love the idea of taping the bathroom gaps because at another restaurant, the restroom gaps were huge! I also appreciated the wonderful song choices whilst eating. They played lots of 2000s tunes and I really enjoyed their music selections. If I could recommend a sushi place, it'd be this one. Ichima does not disappoint! read more

Ichima - salmon sashimi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

I've visited this place a couple of times. Last night however was a bit disappointing. I order a salmon skin hand roll and it was the greasiest roll I've ever seen made. There was so much greasy on my hand and mouth, I couldn't eat it. Secondly my son ordered chicken karaage and gyoza is one of our favorites. They both were substandard, what can I say read more

It's a bit loud but the food is why I love this place. It has a fun atmosphere and a popular restaurant for birthday celebrations.

delicious, large portions, fresh fish, excellent for the price, cool atmosphere, a lot of people, ok staff read more

Ichima - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Great service and a fun atmosphere. The food is good and consistent but not the best I've had. It's a great spontaneous eat out kind of place. read more

Amazing sushi! Best in pasadena and I have to say our waiter Tris was amazing and we had a tough group! A hit for the birthday celebrations and whenever you have a sushi craving!!! They don't take reservations so be prepared to wait or go on a week night early... so worth it and can't wait to go back! read more

I was completely oblivious of this restaurant, which is next to my gym, but never caught my eye. I was so happy to be coming to a new restaurant with delicious and moderately priced foods. Since I'm out of the AYCE game, I'm looking for good quality and great prices, so this happily fit the bill. The service is fast, and the food wholesome. It was not too oily, and the portions just right. The best thing was the service though, as it only took a few minutes to get my Soba, although the combinations did take much more time. I felt I got my moneys worth, and am happy to have another place to write about! read more

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For all the times I've been here, it's only fair that I write a review for them. I really like the food and service here. The restaurant itself is a bit old and run down. So it might be time for them to get a facelift. The sushi here has always been fresh. Not freshly killed extravagantly fresh, but good enough to satisfy the tummy at a reasonable price. I like their bento box combinations with three choices. There's a choice of beef teriyaki, chicken teriyaki, salmon, chicken cutlet, and pork cutlet for your first choice. The second choice is your choice of a sushi roll of your choice of a fish. Third is your choice of gyozas or tempura. It's around $12.00 for dinner and a couple dollars cheaper for lunch. Very reasonable. I've tried most of their special rolls, and my favorites is still the Dragon, Dynamite and Lobster Rolls. I usually would order something that either has eel, soft shell crab, and/or tuna fish in it. Those are my personal favorite rolls. But of course, don't doubt the taste of the other ones. I can almost guarantee that you will enjoy them. The rolls are quite large, and can could easily feed two people. They don't skimp out. I've tried there oyster shooters, fish collars, miso soup, and their fried ice cream too. All is good. The oyster shooter might be a little gross if you're new at it. Psychologically it may resemble swallowing a raw egg, or taking an alcoholic shot with some foreign amaeba in it... for me at least. LOL. But make sure you have plenty of lemons and hot sauce to go with it. Then drink some beer too. Anyhow, didn't mean to gross you out. The fish collar is baked and it's delicious. Very flavorful without an overwhelming fish taste. I believe there's a tab of buttery taste in it because the meat is so tender. Yum! The miso soup and the fried ice cream is good too. Very standard items that nobody can go wrong with. I've each time I was here. Proportions are enough to satisfy your hunger. Especially the bento boxes. I like this place, and I have yet to be disappointed on anything. Service is usually good... unless they're understaffed and overwhelmed. Can't really contribute that factor as a negative. Enjoy your food! read more

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The most reviewed Japanese restaurant in Pasadena is just average... Hot Tea (1.25) - Who charges hot tea for $1.25?! Isn't it usually free? Lunch Bento combo (7.50) - Wow, super cheap!! I got the salmon teriyaki and california roll. Both were standard, nothing to complain about. However, I didn't like the salad at all because it was mainly the romaine lettuce buds. Also, the miso soup is on the salty side. How do you mess up miso soup.. Everytime there was a birthday, loud music would start playing. I heard it three times within the 2 hours I was there. Please change it up and play better music. On the plus side, they give you complimentary banana split for your birthday! read more

Ichima - Salmon teriyaki and California roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Been here numerous times. Always thought this place was the best bang for its buck for sushi. It used to always be crowded but glad the crowd has been dying down. What used to be about an hour wait here on weekend is now down to about 20-30 mins which isn't too bad. Sometimes it's even sooner as you don't see as big of a crowd anymore. The service is the same; hit or miss with some waiters/waitresses. The food is decent and price used to be decent until their most recent change of menu look as well as pricing. Seems like prices went up a bit but it's still decent compared to other places around here. Either way, they got a few tvs that show sports which is a plus. Nice atmosphere to enjoy some sushi with friends/family. Great selection of sushi rolls but sushi is a hit or miss as well. Sometimes they taste good while other days, it's ok. read more

The Service: SUPER attentive from ALL staffs. It didn't seem like there is one specific server for each table? Because more than one servers would come to our table and asked the same questions, "Would you like to order something to drink? or Are you ready to order?" They do have many staffs on duty & walk around the restaurant, checking on each table. The Food: Fresh ingredient. They are more American-Japanese cuisine. The taste is more tailored to non-Japanese liking. Majority of the customers are non-Japanese. The Parking: lots of free parking in the ot read more

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Even though the restaurant is of Japanese origin the food is a loose representation of this. I believe it is reflective of management that the food quality is just ok. We had chicken katsu; which came out dark brown breaded and dark gravy covered and rubber chicken teriyaki with brown iceberg lettuce. My drink was excellent! Blackberry iced-tea. The wait staff were nice but didn't really pay attention to what we ordered. Chardonnay came out as a merlot. Saba sushi (mackerel) came out as salmon. No place is perfect; and this is more of a family style restaurant. We did experience a lot of push back when we mentioned the errors. Management did listen to our concerns and experience but didn't really care. "Here is your check; have a good evening." $52 for the dinner is very reasonable; but the overall experience was disappointing. The management doesn't really seem to be concerned with quality or customer input.9 read more

Ichima is my go to sushi place when I want fast and cheap sushi! Yeah, it really depends how you weigh out the most important factors: quality, quantity, freshness and taste. Ichima ranks a 3.5 for quality, 4 for quantity, 4 for freshness and 4 for taste. I love that they have so many options for sushi and they have a variety of specialty rolls. Each time I come here, they end up adding new special rolls to their menu. Their catchy names really get to me and I ended up trying their Lava Lamp roll along with my usual, the Mexican Deep roll. Most hand cut or rolls are priced between $3 - $10. If you are a big lover of sashimi, I suggest you give their sashimi salad a try. The salad is very reasonably priced at 9.99 and it's so filling. Come here during a weekday evening or a weekend and you will be seated shortly. However, the wait on a Friday evening really adds up. But the wait is worth it because the service is a 5. They hired more than enough servers to provide the best customer experience yet. Every 2 minutes, another server comes by and asks you how you are doing and try to find any way to better your experience. PLUS! read more

Ichima - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I've been to this complex a ton of times, bowling at Bowlmor and eating at the various places like Kabuki and Corner Bakery but never came to Ichima. I was meeting my friend here before our Bowling league at Bolwmor and we both love sushi. It was between Kabuki and here and since I had already been to Kabuki and the fact the it's a chain, we decided to come here. He got there early and grabbed a table. They gave us edamame to start and we ordered some beer. My friend got this dark Kirin beer called Black Kirin and it was interesting. I got my usual Sapporo and we also got some hot sake. We ordered the rainbow roll, the dragon roll, the BSC roll and the salmon roll. Also asked for the Oyster shooters. This waiter was nice but for some reason, brought us a Spider Roll instead of the rainbow and an Uni Shooter instead of the Oyster. Everything was yummy though so I can't really complain. The Uni shooter was interesting - I only had a sip but thought it was very salty. Anyhoo, I do like this place. It's a good sushi place, nothing amazing but generally good. read more

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I thought this was great! The fish was fresh and every roll was very flavorful! Service was great and it was very clean and ambient. Definitely recommend the Pasadena roll. read more

After my life ban from Kabuki several years ago (story for another time/review) I've been looking for a place that combined reasonably good sushi with reasonably affordable prices. Since freshness is a non-negotiable when it comes to consuming raw seafood, that also enters the equation in a powerful way. Ichima fits this bill pretty well-- it's not mind blowing stuff, but the price is relatively cheap, and there's a wife variety of nigiri and rolls. The Marilyn Mon-Roll is good, and it's hard to screw up a spider roll. My litmus test is always to get a round of yellowtail, albacore, salmon, and ikura. All of these were fresh and not fishy. The service is hit or miss... It's not that they ignore you, it's that they sometimes can't figure out who is waiting on which table. If you can handle it, you're probably better off at the bar. Or drink three of those big Sapporos, and you kinda don't care anymore-- but suddenly you'll wonder: "why is there a Chinese wall mural in a Japanese restaurant?" The cosmic dance.... Continues. I'm Leonard Nimoy... Good night. read more

Well, I won't give up on us Even if the skies get rough I'm giving you all my love I'm still looking up at..ICHIMA! - Jason Mraz (i won't give up) I remember I came here a long time ago with friends/family and they had a decent wait. I didn't remember the food much but it must've been alright. Fast forward to August 2020 and they have outdoor dining + takeout. Seems like business is doing pretty well for them as I saw a decent amount of orders coming out as I was picking up. I ordered a bento box w/ chicken teriyaki + california roll + tempura. This is a very standard order for me when I try new Japanese places as it's the benchmark to see if I would return. The rice on the california roll was a little bit soggy but it could've been the heat from the weather. The tempura was quite good. The salad dressing (standard ginger) was not good and something was off about it. The chicken was the most disappointing - its as if they cooked a chicken breast on a foreman grill, cut it into random pieces, and put sauce over it. I actually didn't even finish it - sad. In hindsight I should've tried their sushi instead and possibly had a better experience. The worker taking my payment and giving me the food forgot to give me chopsticks or any utensils / napkins. Shout out to the girl taking my order though - she was constantly busy taking orders and patient with everyone. read more

Not bad Ichima... not bad at all. My friend told me about this place and how most of their rolls are cheaper here than at other restaurants. After looking at the menu, I can say that while they aren't that much cheaper, it's still a really good place for sushi. They are very generous with the fish portions I must say. The place was packed with people! Luckily my friend and I got a table together before the rush really came. The service here is decent. Like many others have said, when it gets busy, it won't be as easy to get their attention. However, they do serve a complimentary bowl of miso soup to start, and if you order any of the Japanese beers, it comes with free edamame to much on. Here's my review of the rolls we ordered (and pics!) Yellowtail/Salmon/Spicy Albacore Rolls http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/VntLA3Ner2hQw0GbNDoSUQ?select=I1qJZBmix-dGRHG5cQk20w - Delicious! Very generous with the fish portions, that I wouldn't mind substituting these for nigiri. The salmon here tasted fresh, and was simply delicious. Alaskan Roll http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/VntLA3Ner2hQw0GbNDoSUQ?select=ycut2CTDDartnJWscVF3Ag - An offering of salmon over California Rolls... what's not to like! Again, they gave a nice portion of fish for each roll. I ended up just taking out the salmon and eating it straight up w/out the roll. Great flavors both ways. Calamari Roll http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/VntLA3Ner2hQw0GbNDoSUQ?select=JxrL-5IIm_FlI1Ta0YdboA - I was surprised at how good this was! I am a huge fan of calamari, but bundling it up into a roll itself with lettuce and rice was not a bad idea at all. Tasty! Lobster Roll http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/VntLA3Ner2hQw0GbNDoSUQ?select=pUCMI7ENmdaor9qQ6T-uSw - This roll was only $6.95. There are bits of baby lobster placed on top of a wrapping of rice and lettuce. It's different from most rolls I've seen, and tastes more like a Chinese lettuce wrap than sushi. But still good nonetheless. Lava Roll http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/VntLA3Ner2hQw0GbNDoSUQ?select=MsePO5X2qgS9as0H_8F_mQ - Filled with cooked albacore in the middle, it was definitely the most cooked sushi we had all night. Delicious and lots of flavor in each bite I ended up taking. So while normally I prefer nigiri, tonight had some interesting rolls that I just had to try. Good stuff! Total was about $25 for myself and my friend, and we were extremely full afterwards. I'm sad there isn't a Happy Hour here, but the prices are still good enough to keep you satisfied. read more

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I came here after finding out that Gin closed at 9 :( I'm glad I came though! Waiters were very friendly , and we were seated at the bar immediately. The sushi bar people were very kind and personable, and they let me customize all of my orders!! We got: Toot C Roll: Yummm...looked good, tasted good! Juicy and amazing :) Mexican roll (NO RICE!): I really wanted to eat spicy fake crab meat, but I didn't want rice, so the nice chef made me a beautiful Mexican roll wrapped in cucumbers! Delicious, even if it was $2 more for customizing... Crab meat handroll: JUICY! The sauce they put on it is fantastic! Teriyaki beef appetizer (child portion): Very tender...not that "real steak" texture like Sushi Kamon's in City of Industry, but was soft and succulent, lightly drizzled with sauce. I remember liking it, but not being the biggest fan. Overall, this place definitely gives Gin a run for its money. Great vibe and ambiance, and everyone is so friendly! I would definitely come here again :) read more

Ichima - Melt in your mouth with tender meat on top...toot-c-roll! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Best Sushi Spot! Fresh and delicious food. I've been coming here for many years, the good service and good food quality is consistent.

Date night with mom (: Had the best experience here ! It happened to be one of the sushi makers bday ... so we all took sake shots ! And overall it was just a great time and amazing environment to be in. The food was great and of course our chefs were funny and make it an enjoyable time read more

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The best comfort sushi in East Pasadena. Always consistent. Service is seamless and friendly. My go-to for years.

Nice ambiance and fresh fresh fish! The yellow tail basically melted in my mouth!!! Amazing. Complimentary green tea and miso soup. Will return! read more

Good food! Good value!! I started coming here when I got fed up with Kabuki just around the corner (actually in the same plaza). I'm glad I did. The atmosphere, service and the food are all at least a step up. =) I make it a point to sit at the sushi bar and talk to the sushi chef to find out what's fresh and what isn't. I've gotten to know them and they do me right! I usually order the Fatty Yellowtail and Salmon sashimi and they have been consistently fresh. My wife and I usually order some rolls and other sushi to fill us up. I've always been satisfied eating here! =) read more

Food is ok. Service is terrible, we attended as a party of 6 and on the menu is states "party of 5 or higher will get gratuity charged" which was perfectly fine, except the service was awful. I feel as if they already know they will make good money on the table so why even provide good service. Ambiance was loud, seemed hectic, seems like servers never wanted to come to table to see if we needed anything. Would not recommend. read more

This is our favorite go to sushi place. Salmon is my favorite! Melts in your mouth and it's so fresh. Could be quite packed during 630ish. We always order the sashimi combo B place with 4 kinds of fish, 3 pieces each. And any special rolls. I love the salmon roll or the dragon roll. All are very good. Service is good too. Try this place out! :) Located right next to ralphs. A bowling alley is next to it also. read more

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Bento box options were really nice, we could choose from a great variety of combinations.

Ichima's sushi is fresh and delicious. I always order their Chirashi bowl and add a miso soup. Chirashi bowls tend to be expensive, but their is a little cheaper at about $20 and I always end up full. I also feel their food is consistent compared to their sushi places I go to, so I am never disappointed. I took away a star because of their pick up. Because they do indoor seating and people still pay at the counter for pick up, it feels crowded in the small waiting area at the entrance and social distancing js not practiced or marked noticeably on the floor. I bought my order on yelp and already paid for it online. So I expected to be in and out; instead, I opened the door and felt it was crowded, so I awkwardly waited outside in the sun for 10 minutes. Then when the line got down to one person, I walked inside and waited again. 5 minutes later someone asked me if I ordered and then they still asked me to sign a credit card slip with their pen. Food was still great though. read more

Ichima - Chirashi Take Out - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Sushi is fresh and price is reasonable. One complaint was that they put the wrong price of the beer we did not see that until we got home. Check you bill before you pay. read more

My friend and I are a huge fan of bento boxes. We love our chicken teriyaki and tempera so I knew she wanted Japanese when we decided to go for lunch. I decided to yelp and picked this place since my cousin gave it such good reviews. This place is near the bowling alley and has plenty of parking. They offer you miso soup right away. We both order the same thing. We decided to go with three items bento box. I decided on chicken teriyaki, California rolls, and mixed tempura. They also let me switch my rice out for more salad, which I'm so happy they let me do. Everything was yummy and super filling. I wasn't even able to finish my food and it was only $10 for all that food during lunchtime. I thought everything was cooked well. I think there is a little bit too much batter on the tempera but I just peel some of it off. Overall, I would come again especially for lunch cause its such a great value. read more

Kinda between 21/2-3 stars The environment is not really clean. There are some left over noodles underneath our table and we have to flag someone down to clean it up. The soy sauce bottle is sticky. My Chicken Cutlet is over fried. The Sushi combo is average, the Uni is OK, and the Sweet Shrimp is below average. Price is good for the lunch combo. Won't go all the way to Pasadena for Sushi. There are better choices close by. read more

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Having dinner here is amazing. Specially when people have birthdays. Good sushi with quality salmon. And the best part are the baked mussels they also deliver in flavor and follow protocol due to covid. I denied their menu as i downloaded my own and browsed through it while waiting at the cue. They gladly took me to my seat and enjoyed a satisfying dinner. Miso soup was a little too cold. But other times I have it it's hot. Needs mild improvement . Their salon roll are plump and spicy tuna roll was very mild spicy which I enjoyed. And the best part those baked mussels are to die for !! read more

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- BBQ Short Ribs + Sushi (4pcs) + California Roll ($15.95) the short ribs flavor is on point! the california roll is good and standard, and there's also sides of salad, rice, and soup. i enjoyed the 4 piece sushi assortment too, would try their specialty rolls next time! - Seafood Yakisoba ($10.95) i love the variety of seafood in this yakisoba including mussels, small scallops and shrimp! the flavor of the yakisoba was just okay for me but the seafood really brought the dish elements together. - overall ($29.66) i ordered over the phone and my order was ready in 30 min. they packaged my togo order with a "sealed for your safety" sticker, which i found to be a nice attention to detail. there was outdoor dining in a tent and most of the tables were occupied when i picked up my order. a happy sight to see! read more

Ichima - ig: @eatingsfrom - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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First time in Ichima and it did not disappoint. Came on a Wednesday around 6:30 PM and our party of 2 got seated right away. Food quality/service: They have a large variety of selections on their menu aside from rolls and sushi. They have bento boxes, tempura, and etc. They also offer complimentary miso soup so that's already a plus in my book. We ordered mango-tango, lobster roll (baked), and spider roll. All were flavorful, with no "fish" taste, and are decently large pieces. The only complaint I would have was that the lobster on the lobster roll was quite hard and It tasted like it came from a frozen package if not for the sauce. Other than that, service was relatively quick and the waiters are very attentive. Ambiance: Dark mood lighting during the night and perfect for a date night. Has moderate noise level. Parking: Shared parking lot with other business, but it's not difficult to find parking. read more

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