I feel like Ichima has really stepped it up a notch since the last time that I was able to visit. Their decor inside is a tad darker but I feel like it gives the place a nicer, bit more intimate feel. It's also bright enough during lunch time with the windows open that it's not too dark either. I still think the the HBD music is a tad tacky but isn't that part of the reason that we ask restaurants to sing to someone for their birthday? You want the attention and if it's a tad tacky, it's also usually pretty funny. I feel like their customer service has greatly improved. I had the wait staff coming to check on us more often and wouldn't always interrupt us while eating. They'd look to see if we needed anything but would only ask every once in a while. It's nice to see that they're thinking more about anticipating the needs of the guest and not just asking constantly. Especially with there being so many servers and things, it's nice to not be bothered by each and every one of them. The food is still OK. The sushi presentation has improved. I like to come here when I want something generally Japanese, nothing super fancy or special. The boat is always fun to do with family and friends. read more

OH GOD THE RAMEN IS SO BAD I know I shouldn't have expected good ramen from a sushi place... but c'mon, they should be able to make something better than a bland bowl of 25 cent instant noodle with random vegetables boiled into it I wasn't feeling bento at the time but after one taste of the ramen I was stealing as much of my cousins teriyaki as I could Sushi is pretty good Tempura ice cream is the best I've had at a Japanese place, if the tempura coating were just a tad thicker it would have been perfect This place would have easily gotten 4 or 5 stars, but for the atrocious "ramen" read more

(Review based on 3.5 stars) I really love eating sushi and was a little surprised to find this place to be just okay. Anyways, came here tonight to celebrate my mom's birthday a week early with a small party of 4. We came in a little before 7 pm and was seated right away at a booth. The booth actually seemed a little on the small side for the 4 of us with all of our food items. This is what we ordered (and opinions of it): Miso soup: Good, what you'd expect from a Japanese restaurant. Korean short ribs bento box: Beef was really nice and tender. It was also flavorful. This bento box meal was quite a lot of food for one person, as it came with 6 pieces of California rolls, 4 pieces of sushi, bowl of rice and salad. Teriyaki Chicken bento box: Chicken was tender and the sauce was savory and sweet, but nothing really remarkable about it. This meal was also a lot of food for one person. Nothing really to say about this bento box meal either, just your typical bento box meal fare. Ichima roll: wrapped in rice paper, which was a nice change from your typical rolls. It was a little spicy, which I was not expecting. Thought this roll was okay but nothing really gets me to want to order it again (but my brother and my husband thought it was pretty good). Lava roll: Salmon filled, very tasty. However, only comes in 4 pieces. Lobster roll: A great tasty flavor and the added panko crumbs was nice for an added crunch. Rainbow roll: Fresh tasting fish, liked that avocado was sliced on top. Had a nice presentation. Bill came out to $70 with tax and tip. Didn't really think it was truly worth the price of the food we had, but thought it would be nice for my mom to try a new sushi place for her birthday, instead of her old favorite (Kiyosuzu). Oh one thing I should mention that I did not like about our dining experience is that every time a server would bring out a plate to our table, they would ask us if we ordered that dish. The first dish they brought us, we didn't order it, so the server took it away. It just made me feel like they weren't very organized and not on top of their game. But the main sever we had was nice. She refilled our water from time to time. By the way, there was plenty of parking when we arrived. Overall, I think the food was okay. There were quite a few choices for bento boxes and rolls. Nice variety of things to choose from, not all of your typical fare. But really just didn't find the whole experience so unique that I would have to come back for a 2nd trip. read more

This is our go-to spot, since it's close to home...while I give it 5 stars, there have been times of inconsistency with the sushi cooks...the same dish isn't always made the same. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Heart Attack, I could eat it for days...as well as the Crunch Roll. I used to eat the Calamari Roll, until the one time it was overdone and all tempura. Miso soup is good and free, salted edamame is awesome and my girls love the boxes and the kids chicken teriyaki. read more

I really like this place. The atmosphere is great, and it seems very family friendly. It wasn't too crowded when we came for dinner. We were able to get seated right away. The service was very attentive. We were checked up on often and frequently offered refills on our drinks. We shared several rolls, it was just enough for two people: Gyoza- potstickers are a hit or miss for me. Ichima gyoza...hit! Salmon skin- smoked flavor, this was my least favorite Tuna- good fish, but the roll was cut into uneven pieces Salmon lover- delicious Tahasdfasd?- I wish I could remember the name cause this was my favorite, it had special sauce and started with a T. That's all I remember. Sorry folks, I dropped the ball on that one. **edit** Thanks to a fellow yelper, I think it's the Taheati roll! **edit** Delicious, well priced, and great service. Yum! read more

Even though this isn't my go-to sushi restaurant, I thought I'd come here instead of Gin this time around with a friend. Met my friend here around 6 for dinner and was seated immediately. I've been here before where there was a long wait so I knew I had to get this before the dinner rush hour. You can sit at the bar or around the restaurant. We opted for a booth this time. After getting seated, the waitress took our drink orders and asked if we wanted some miso soup. We weren't sure if the miso soup was part of the meal or if it was a separate order that we could get charged for. I was about to just opt in for it but my friend took the reins and straight up asked the waitress if it was free. Luckily she said it was so we just took it. Looking over the menu, I remembered a few things I wanted to try from my past experience and looking at Yelp (of course). First, I marked an order for the uni. We also ordered the Spider Roll (a perennial favorite of mine no matter where I go, the Mango Tango roll, the salmon sushi, yellowtail sushi, and the inari sushi. Waitress came to take our ticket and whomp whomp whomp, she said they did not have uni today. Such a bummer. The main thing I wanted to try and they didn't have it The miso soup came and I see why it was free. Not much of a miso flavor. Actually kind of bland and that is weird to even say for a miso soup since its supposed to bet his bath of salty goodness. It wasn't very hot so after fishing out the pieces of seaweed, I was done with it. Now for the main attraction, the sushi. First came the Mango Tango Roll. Slices of salmon lying atop the sushi roll with chunks of mango scattered around. Very tasty especially with the hint of citrus/tropical flavor from the mango. And of course the little bits of tried tempura skins sprinkled around the plate add a bit of crunch and something to nibble on between pieces of sushi. Next the salmon, yellowtail, and inari. Call me lame but I love the inari sushi. Sushi rice placed into a bean curd pouch. Simple and so delicious! Sweet from the bean curd and a bit sour from the sushi rice. Super simple and filling but still worth it in my book. Salmon and yellowtail were fresh but not too exciting. Still good pieces of sushi to change it up while taking the full flavored Mango Tango and spider roll. As for the spider roll, I expected it to be a bit larger but it was very tasty. Crunch soft shell crab stuff inside the sushi rice with smelt eggs and dices green onion. How can you not like friend anything? All in all, this place is good for the price. I still give gin a slight edge for the taste and portions but this place is very close. The service is great. The food is tasty and fresh. MAYBE NEXT TIME, THEY WILL HAVE UNI.... If it wasn't for the price, maybe 3 - 3.5 stars but you can't really beat this meal coming out to around $35 with tip. read more

Ichima - Mango tango, salmon sushi, yellowtail sushi and inari sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

I came here a while back on a whim. My friend recommended it so we came to try it out. Well, I ordered my usual stuff, which was a philly roll and spicy tuna. The sushi was an okay but for some reason, the sushi didn't taste really good. Kind of soft with no crunch. Not only that but all of my rolls kept falling apart. :( I'm still giving a 3 because even if it fell apart, it still tasted pretty good, although they were pretty small. My boyfriend order Cha Soba Noodles (I think), and when he got them, the noodles seemed a bit under cooked. It was soggy and a bit mushy. He got Cali rolls too, but those tasted just great he said. Towards the end of our meal, the waiter dropped off another plate we'd been waiting for, but it wasn't the plate we were waiting for. My friend thought he'd made a mistake so he just ate it, but turns out that the waiter did make a mistake. Overall it wasn't a terrible experience. The place was pretty busy so I figured mistakes were bound to happen. The food wasn't UBER expensive but the food wasn't that good either. I'd probably come back here to try it one more time though. read more

Ichima - Soggy weird lookin' soba noodles :( - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

Their garlic Edamame is out of this world. The grilled Teriyaki salmon is chef's kiss.

Like a lot of the comments say, the bento boxes are pretty good! Other than that, nothing about this place is special. The hot tea doesn't come with a pot. We ordered edamami and it was cold. When we asked the waiter if he could please warm them up, he mentioned that we ate some already. We ate like five so I don't know why that was a problem. He warmed them up but they were still kind of cold. Overall the customer service was lacking, I had to get up and walk to the front desk to ask for boxes to go because the waiter never checked up on us or asked if we needed anything. The server's would drop food off at our table and rush away before we could ask any questions. read more

I love this place! The service is great and the food is amazing. I've been coming during covid and I feel completely safe. They check your temperature before getting seated. Servers wear their mask and have a face shield on. Tables are spaced out and they have heaters for those cold nights. read more

This place was good, spacious, and had fresh tasting sushi. The only real drawback is that they don't take reservations, so depending on what night you go, you will likely have to wait between 30 minutes to an hour. read more

This was my first proper mean during this trip in LA. As a sushi lover, I think it was above average compared to many sushi bars in America apart from those very fancy Michelin ones. Californian Rolls are always my favorite with avocado. Udon was nice in a big bowl, and beef, I think, was the best part. The most satisfying dish was the soft shell crab, deep fried with sweet sauce, which was perfect. read more

You can never go wrong with this place. They always have the most fresh rolls and literally every item on their menu is tasty and clean compared to any other place I have been to in this area. I Highly recommend it for every time. read more

This is one of the many places that I love to dine at. The sushi here is by far one of my favorites. I don't know why but I tried other places and they simply just don't compare to this place. The thing about this place is that there is always a wait of at least 30 minutes or more. But if you are lucky enough you can get there before the dinner rush. I ordered the beef teriyaki bento box with California rolls, tuna sashimi. The sashimi was absolutely delicious. it slid down like butter. As for the bento box, I was stunned by the simple taste of the beef although it was overwhelmed by the teriyaki sauce. There was too much teriyaki sauce on it. What surprised me even more was the fact that it actually filled my stomach. It looked like it wouldn't fill me up but I was wronged. For dessert, I got the tempura green tea ice cream. I was simply wow by this dish because first of all I only decided to order this when another table got it. It was the perfect compliment to this meal. This place is simply the best sushi place around. read more

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My first time eating here and it wasn't the experience I'd ever want to put on someone else. There were staff walking around everywhere and not one had the time to help. My friend put us on the waiting list when we started driving there, we got there and waited 35 min then we were seated. My friend had bragged about the place for some time and I was anxious to try everything. We waited for what seemed like an eternity "15" before a waitress came to take out order. We placed our drink order and food. I had made sure to mark the paper menu for my sashimi salmon and octopus. We gave that yo the waitress then we ordered more food from the main menu. The waitress brought out miso and hot tea. It was luke warm tea but I drank it and ordered ask for a refill "now it was cold tea". Fine with me; then the food came. I got my steam rice and sashimi octopus. I proceeded to eat because I was hungry and ended up finishing my octopus sashimi. We called a waitress over " not the original one" that took our order and she said I never ordered it. I'm very angry! Why are you giving me a menu to mark what I wanted for sushi /sashimi if you are never going to read it? After all the wait I would expect that you get something right? The will be my first & my last time I go there!!!! read more

Irasshaimase!!!!! This place is nice inside. It's big. The temperature is good so it's not like you're eating in Japan in the winter. The staff gives you space to order but they're still attentive. My girlfriend and I try a different roll every time and they're all delicious even though we have our favorites. The price is what you'd expect. Decent without being so low that you'd be suspicious of what could be missing in your food with too-low of prices. This is my go-to sushi place and I don't see that changing. I'm glad they're open during these times read more

Everything is mediocre. Located at the back of a shopping strip. The interior was recently remodeled, and is s little nicer than it was. Best description would be-Sushi Dinner. Service is friendly and attentive. Prices are a little expensive for the quality. read more

Avoid this place at all costs! I brought my 82-year old mom for lunch today and we are not welcomed. Are they shunning the elderly? One of the waiters, Hendy, is rude and has very bad table manners. I would give zero stars if there is an option to do so. read more

It's hard to find places for a big group that doesn't involve the words "cheesecake" and "factory!" Ichima is a great place for a birthday dinner! They took my reservation over the phone for a Saturday night for 25 people with no problem! I didn't have to put down a credit card or anything either. The prices are very reasonable and your friends can celebrate your birthday with you without breaking the bank! There's a wide variety of food - fish or not, cooked or not, etc, so there's something on the menu for everybody. Decent sushi at a decent price! I didn't know when I booked it, but you do get embarrassed when they bring out your cake at the end of the meal. Thinking flashing lights and loud techno music haha. read more

i came here once with a friend to catch up and i liked it so much i came back again within a month time span. the service was good.both times i went i noticed that people tend to have their birthdays here. they can house a few large groups. pretty spacious and the wait never seems to be long! im a big fan of salmon so i usually order rolls that has salmon in them. the miso soup is good and not too salty so i'm definitely a fan of that! unlimited all you can drink green tea! :] i dont recall what i ordered exactly but i will definitely be coming back! :] the sushi chef was really nice and tried to strike conversations with my friend and i. he seems pretty young but sorry ladies he's married. read more

This is a great place to go with friends and family. Dinner and lunch here is really good. The food quality is good and the price is very good. The portions are good and the taste of the food is what you would expect from a family style Japanese restaurant. The sushi itself is not amazing but good for the price. The Bento combos are good, and they give you a lot of food. The servers here are really nice and the ambiance is very welcoming. I like that they have T.V.'s so you can watch the game. I would definitely come here for birthdays or celebrations because its great for big groups. read more

Yum! I'm from out of town and craving sushi, so my google maps ap suggested this place (along with the number of positive reviews!). Service was quick. I had three rolls: the spicy scallop roll was your average type. It used the small scallops though (are those bay? or sea?). It was slightly sweet at first, and the spiciness came after. Next was the Dynamite roll: a baked california roll, topped with scallops, (imitation) crab, and mushrooms. There was a LOT of topping, and I could tell it wasn't baked for long; the roll itself was still cool, while the topping was hot. It was more sweet than I usually prefer, and maybe too many mushrooms. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't my taste. My favorite, though, was the Lava Lamp! It's a baked albacore and salmon roll, topped with LOTS of crunchies (probably too many, but they're easy to scrape off). The roll was delicious!! It's only four pieces, though, so keep that in mind. VERY good though! There were a lot of waiters and waitresses, probably about a dozen or so. It was sufficiently crowded inside, even though it was still on the early side, and many of the waitstaff were just standing around, probably waiting until they got a table. I think I counted three sushi chefs. It was a good sized restaurant, and everything was efficient. Definitely four stars =) read more

The highlight of this place would have to be the Toot-C-Roll. Just a sushi roll with a thin slice of steak meat plus a dab of Sriracha sauce. Doean't that sound good already? For the bento box meals, it was edible but nothing memorable. I usually get the Ichima Plate Combination with chicken teriyaki, california rolls and mixed tempura. There's a good amount of serving size and I think I could do without the chicken teriyaki which was completely lackluster. Since I don't think I can get full off of the Toot-C-Rolls alone unless I get about ten plates (can't blame me for how good it is), I won't be coming back here unless I'm craving the rolls. read more

Competitive pricing. Sushi is OK. Service is below average. read more

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I've forgotten about this little place even though I frequently visit here. Honestly, if this place wasn't so far from where I lived then I would probably come back way more often than I should. 3.5 FOOD QUALITY: Fresh fish and decent quality food that has good flavors. Although the food doesn't leave the best impression, I know that I can safely leave this place with a happy stomach. SERVICE: Service was okay -- polite and kind but nothing too special ENVIRONMENT: This place is pretty huge! Lots of seating with an adequate amount of seating. I don't think I've ever had to wait here, but it's been a little time since I've visited here. Ichima offers a decent food and a comfortable dining spot. It is in no way a high-end sushi joint, but somewhere in the middle. read more

I've been here once & that would probably be enough for me unless I get dragged here by friends again...the food is good, like generally good if you don't eat sushi often. Nothing that I tried here was "bad" but just subpar compared to other sushi places in the area. Service was pretty basic, our order was taken quick & food brought out fast, our waitress I guess did her job but with no emotion just like a robot. Haha. Sometimes that's how places like this get, their generally busy so the staff just goes through the motions, no real genuine friendliness here. The sushi itself like I mentioned above was subpar. Everything tasted reasonably fresh but nothing wowed me, also a little pricy for the portion sized compared to gin sushi down the street, after going to Gin the sushi servings here just come off as a slight rip off. I fairly gave this place a 3 star knowing that the staff did their job & the sushi was edible, unfortunately with me being a sushi snob I wouldn't think it to be anymore star then 3 overall. read more

Probably one of the worst sushi places I've been to. Decided to coma here since the bf and I decided to try a new sushi spot in Pasadena and due to their good reviews, which makes me think the ppl in this area and or the ppl that come here don't know what good/fresh sushi is! Smh The service was decent, and fast. They also give really hefty portions for sushi. I normally order sashimi and they slice their sashimi pretty thick. The quality wasn't bad, but it was definitely on the "about to go bad" side. We also ordered a couple rolls. Unfortunately, we had to send back the baked lobster roll. The lobster was dry and tough, which also had an awkward taste. We also sent back the sweet shrimp sushi. That as well had a sour taste to it. It was so bad we were afraid of getting sick later from the food. Definitely will not be coming back here. read more

Great place for a bite to eat. I was craving sushi when a friend told me about this place. They're priced very fairly (I'd go out on a limb and say on the cusp of being cheap) and all of the food was great. We got the spare rib bento box which came with rice, 4 pieces of sushi (yellowtail, albacore, white fish and shrimp), salad and rice. The sushi in the box was just okay, but it was a great value at around $13! We also got the Tootsie - C roll - AMAZING! I've never had beef on my sushi and this roll doesn't disappoint. The only thing that could've left more to be desired was the Miso Soup - excessively salty - and the Fried Ice Cream - I don't know how you can fry something incorrectly or what batter they used, but it was all just so wrong. All in all, you're enjoy your meal at Ichima and won't break the bank doing it. Enjoy! read more

I've been here twice and am not particularly impressed. The fish smelled like the grocery store or out of the fridge. For the CHIRASHI BOWL, the fish roe were soggy and were not firm as fresher roe would be. I was not satisfied with the stinky salmon sashimi or the chewy octopus. read more

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I've been coming to Ichima for years now. It's one of the best sushi restaurants in the area and has the best prices. I love how quick they are. Only tip is if you go in for dinner or during busy hours on the weekends you might want to make a reservation because they get busy fast. read more

We have been customers for 30 years when It was Yamaha . The service we received tonight was unbelievable. We walk in sign in for sushi bar, while waiting 2 people walk in , look around and seat themselves at the bar. Hostess doesn't even blink.there are only 4 people seated and over 8 seats available. After 10 minutes, I approach and ask it's empty could we be seated. She announces that the servers are busy and don't want anyone to serve, we ask them we can just sit and have a beer and we're in no rush. Answer is no. At this point there's 3 of them , No apologies , no smiles , unbelievable. I had to ask 3 times how long is the wait to get an answer saying they did not know. Well you sure did loose our business. And we are at sushi of Naples right now being served with kindness, respect and a smile . read more

I have lived in Pasadena all my life. I've eaten at this and almost every other sushi restaurant in Pasadena since the early 90s. Every time i have eaten at Ichima, without fail, they have gotten my order very wrong. Now, this truly wouldn't be a huge deal, except i am allergic to avocado and it's a deadly allergy. I tell them every time i order, and yet they still mess it up every time. I think there food is pretty ok most of time so that's not really the problem. The issue is service. I ordered from them this time ONLY because my wife wanted rolls and nowhere else is open. I ordered a baked roll that has no avocado on or in it, and when i got the bag open they had given me a roll covered in avocado, avocado inside it, and not baked! This is pure incompetence, just like always. I will not ever be eating here again read more

I don't understand how this place has so many positive reviews. We came here on a Friday night and left in thirty minutes (not by choice). We ordered an appetizer with the expectation that it would come before the main courses as all appetizers usually do. However, our main courses came about 5 minutes after we ordered. We kindly asked one of the servers why our appetizers did not come first and he explained that the sushi was just faster. This didn't make sense to me because I had ordered an appetizer with the intention that I could enjoy it before our main course. We felt even more rushed when our server brought us our check when we were finishing our main course. We did not request for the check, but she just decided to leave it on our table. Yes, the food came out really quick but it ruined the whole dining experience for us. We came on a Friday night hoping we would be able to chat and enjoy ourselves. Surprisingly, it was not busy on a Friday night at 7 pm, possibly due to the Dodgers game. So there really wasn't an excuse for why they were rushing us and tried to get us out of there ASAP. If it was really busy, we would have been more understanding about them rushing us. read more

Mediocre food. The coupons are a big plus, though. Buy one, get one 50% off. Another plus: the dinner portions (~+$2 from the lunch portions) actually look different from the lunch portions - unlike those of other restaurants. I've uploaded photos which might help. read more

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The best of the best when it comes to sushi. I love the baked rolls, the tempura rolls, the gyoza... it's all delicious. Very reasonable prices for sushi. I like to consider myself a regular here. Great for birthdays. I have tried tons of sushi around LA, and I cant express this enough: this is the best sushi in the Los Angeles area! read more

I come here to get take out at least once a week and most of the time I am happy with the service they provide. They are fairly quick at preparing your food. This is definitely a great place to go if you need quick decent sushi on the go. I just have one tip, one time I placed an order here through Postmates as a to-go order and they cancelled my order 15 minutes after I placed the order, so when I was there to pick it up, it wasn't prepared and I had to place another order and wait another 15-20 minutes. read more

Ichima - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

This is one of my favorite sushi shop in the 626 area, the service was always great when I visited pre-covid, and the food/fish was always fresh. The quality of the sashimi is something that stood out to me, compared to some other sushi restaurants in the area, I think this place has the best sashimi east side of little tokyo. read more

They asked if we wanted miso soup before we ordered. The teryaki beef suckssss asssss. Rolls were OK. But the rice is a bit on the hard side for a sushi place. Overall, I'm disappointed about this place, especially with the reviews it has received. I'd prefer Kabuki or Gin's Sushi over this place any day. read more

Ichima - Nigiri salmon sushi. Two pieces for $3. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Ichima is my GO-TO sushi restaurant in the 626. If you read most of the reviews, you see that Ichima doesn't have the freshest fish. They probably don't, but the food still tastes great. The sushi chefs are super friendly (so I suggest sitting at the bar), and it's always packed so be prepared to wait around 30 minutes if you go for dinner or on the weekends. Chirashi ($12.95) Probably not worth it. You get 2 of each fish over rice. The first red flag has got to be the price. Any Chirashi bowl that's under $20 should tell you it's fairly small. Probably won't be getting this again due to the size. Dragon Roll ($10.50) One of my favorites!! They give you a super generous amount of everything. The eel takes the cake, and is probably the only reason why I get the Dragon in the first place. This is a must every single time. Hawaiian Poke Roll ($10.50) So this is my first time getting this. It's a California Roll topped with Hawaiian Poke and seaweed. I am FOR SURE going to be getting this every time, along wit the Dragon. Shrimp Tempura Roll ($7.50) Pretty classic roll. Nice size. Definitely worth the price. Spicy Tuna Roll (Cut) ($3.50) Not a fan of spicy tuna in general, and STILL not a fan. I just don't like spicy tuna, but if you're a fan, get 'em tiger. Salmon (Sake) ($3.50) I guess we couldn't get enough of the salmon (because you get some with the Chirashi). Still cheap and a smaller portion (than the Chirashi). Overall, great sushi at a great price. I'll still be coming back at least once a month. Dragon Roll + Hawaiian Poke Roll = Win (every time). read more

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This is my first time visiting the restaurant and was not impressed. The hostess would not seat us until all party was present. We ordered; Ichima Bento 3 Item Combo (Chicken, 4 piece Sushi and Gyaza) 2 Chirashi 2 Sushi Combo C assorted sushi - Tuna, Yellowtail, Salmon, crab Albacore, Shrimp, Octopus, Eel and 6 pieces Spicy Tuna Roll Dragon Roll Spider Roll. Our order took approximately 45 minutes because there were only two Sushi Chefs. The taste and quality of food was mediocre. The waitress was very pleasant and accommodating. They deserve 5 Stars for outstanding customer service. The negative part of this experience is they charged 18% gratitude for party of six. Our party included four adults and two minor children. I would not return for another visit because of their slow service and quality of food. Especially, the gratitude charge for party of six. read more