It was as my first time here and The good and service was amazing highly recommend!! Try the all…read moreyou can eat dinner.

Their salmon sushi was bomb! My favorite rolls are the crunch roll and the seared salmon rolls.read more

Walked into this sushi restaurant randomly, and it was so good. Fish are so fresh, we enjoyed every…read moresingle bite. Serving size is great and sushi was made perfectly. Lunch special included ramen, sushi and rice bowls. Food came out quality and delicious, server was so friendly, Street parking depends on lucky, there also parking lot around the area. We will definitely come back again.

Akinori came highly recommended from a friend who lives in South Pasadena and takes his…read moresophisticated eight-year-old for father-and-son sushi lunches. I'm always interested in quality sushi joints that aren't so expensive you can't take a child and stayed alert for a chance to visit. I went with my mom for a quick Monday lunch before she dropped me off for vision correction surgery (which makes Akinori one of the last places I wore glasses). We only had about forty-five minutes, and this was just enough time for a light meal at the sushi bar. The restaurant was small and casual, and we opted to sit at the counter. There were a few other customers, and service was friendly and timely, but not fast. The chefs were skillful and deliberate, and they made delicious sushi. We started with snow crab sunomono, a nice light appetizer of vinegary cucumber and seaweed with a few meaty hunks of sweet crab. Then we got some nigiri: red snapper, black snapper, and tuna sets, which came with akami, toro takuan, ootoro, maguro zuke, and seared ootoro. Every piece was fantastic, the fish fresh, the nigiri delicatelly formed. Finally, I couldn't resist the maximalist Akinori roll, with spicy shrimp and langostino rolled with rice in soy paper, possibly tempura fried, then topped with spicy tuna, eel sauce, spicy mayo, chives, and tobiko. I love an over-the-top spicy-tuna-centric roll, and this one was deeply satisfying. Akinori also does ramen and teriyaki and offers a bunch of reasonable lunch specials. You can eat here pretty cheap, or spend as much as you desire on good quality nigiri. I live almost 20 miles from Pasadena, but I hope to visit this place again.

Located inside of H-Mart in their food court section. My order was ready pretty quickly in about 10…read moremin. Chicken Katsu - The portions are HUGE. The chicken, and cabbage were plentiful. Feels like they shredded a whole cabbage onto my plate! Definitely appreciated it with the sauce too. The chicken was so crispy. The sauce it came with was perfectly sweet too. The rice was incredibly soft but I do wish there was just a little bit more of it. This plate also came with a cup of warm miso soup. An incredible amount of delicious food for around 20 bucks. Well worth it. The ordering process was really simple. They'll call your number over the loud speaker so you don't have to be near the restaurant and can wait at your table. Really impressed with the quality and portions sizes. I will definitely be coming back!

I had been wanting to try this spot inside H Mart because it's highly rated on Yelp. The portions…read morelooked generous, and I finally found someone to share the meal with. We ordered the chicken and pork curry katsu combo, which came as a full set with miso soup and rice. It was definitely enough for two people. The katsu was crispy, though I wouldn't say it was the best I've ever had--but it was still very good. I was satisfied with the meal and couldn't even finish it, so I had to take the leftovers home. This is a solid spot in Arcadia if you're craving katsu.

We absolutely love KazuNori!…read more Since moving to the area, we've been stopping by on a weekly basis! Sometimes 2-3 times a week! Consistent quality, fast streamlined service and delicious hand rolls! Whenever we're thinking of going out for dinner, KazuNori is at the top of the list. We go so often! If they had a membership, we would easily be top tier members! We also love bringing people for the first time and sharing one of our favorite spots. Don't ever change, KazuNori!

Love handrolls! They're delicious and make for a quick but filling meal, and you know exactly what…read moreto expect when you come to a handroll place. My friend and I came to KazuNori for Saturday lunch right when they opened at 11:30. Only one other group was there at opening, but it gradually got busier over the course of lunch. As is standard for handroll places, seating is all counter seating so that you can watch the chefs make and place each piece in front of you. I don't recommend coming here with more than 2 others, as conversation can be difficult due to the seating arrangement. I went with the 6 hand roll set for $29, which offers toro, yellowtail, salmon, bay scallop, crab, and lobster. Everything was good, and my favorites were the scallop, crab, and lobster. You can ask for less rice in each roll if you aren't super hungry or have a smaller stomach. They make everything easy when it comes to paying the bill by charging an automatic 16% fee, so you don't need to fill in the tip. I think that's fair given that each handroll is personally made for you by the chef.

Came here for their 10-course yakiniku experience and thought it was a great way to try a variety…read moreof dishes and wagyu cuts. The course featured both A5 Japanese and American wagyu and there was a lot of attention to detail throughout the meal. We started with the wagyu tartare and hamachi and both tasted super fresh. The steamed egg with abalone was silky smooth and comforting, while the cod was rich, buttery, and fatty in the best way. I also enjoyed the fresh crudité with the red miso dip as a lighter bite in between courses. The meats were definitely the highlight. The beef tongue was thick and flavorful, and I especially liked the scallion kosho because it balanced out some of the richness. The ribeye, short rib, and chuck were beautifully marbled, and the fresh wasabi was a nice touch that complemented the meat well instead of overpowering it. We also ordered the bone marrow rice on the side and I'm glad we did. It was rich, packed with flavor, and had chunks of meat mixed throughout. Our server also brought out birthday shots poured through the bone marrow which made the experience extra fun and memorable. Finished everything off with mandarin sorbet and vanilla ice cream which was refreshing after such a rich meal. Overall a fun dining experience with quality ingredients and good service.

Three for three, Yakiya has yet to disappoint. We celebrated our anniversary at Yakiya again, this…read moreyear at the Pasadena location. It's good to know that the amazing quality is consistent between branches, both in terms of food and service. There is a lot more space between tables here, making the Pasadena location feel considerably more intimate than the Hacienda Heights location. The calm atmosphere at 8:30 on a Sunday evening was everything. Everyone who waited on us was incredible, but Jeffrey especially was an absolute delight.

Ducks is a really cool izakaya-like hole in the wall with an impossible-to-decide-from menu because…read moreit's full of japanese bangers. Once you walk in you get their double AC atmosphere with friend servers that make you feel like a regular at a local spot. Their beer selection is tastefully selected with beers you may not usually see at typically restaurants. Perfect for a chill, fun hangout spot for the night.

If you're in a mood for a simple meal delicious meal at a decent price, Ducks is the way to go…read more When I was growing up, I would eat udon or soba noodles as a simple meal. As an adult, I would crave it, but sometimes I just didn't have the energy or the ingredients to make the dish or it would be super expensive to eat this at a Japanese restaurant. I was craving something simple on a random weekday night and I saw Ducks come up. I went over and even though it was past dinner time, it still was pretty busy. I decided on cold soba, udon, karage and pork cutlet. Food came out pretty quickly. My favorite was the cold soba (simple and delicious) and the karage (perfect batter and chicken). The cold udon was ok, but I think it would have been better hot. The pork cutlet was also decent. I'm definitely going to come back here. They have a lunch special that I really want to try and other items that looked tasty. I do want to warn though that I don't think that their AC works well (or maybe it doesn't work?), so it was super hot it there. If you get overly hot, definitely recommend picking up on hot days.

Came here with my friends and my son this past Wednesday for lunch. We arrived about 10 to 15…read moreminutes after they opened at 11 a.m., and it was the perfect time to avoid the lunch rush. I've been wanting to try Tendon Tempura Carlos Jr. for a while since their original location is in Torrance. I'm really glad they opened a Pasadena location because we're lucky to have one here in the 626 now. Parking was easy since there are spots right in front of the restaurant, but they are metered and cost $2 per hour. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by the staff. Since the weather was nice, we decided to sit out on the patio, which was cool and comfortable. To start, we ordered the fried tempura mozzarella sticks ($5.99), onion kakiage ($2.99), and edamame corn kakiage ($5.99). Everything was delicious, but the mozzarella sticks were the clear favorite. They were fried perfectly with an amazing cheese pull and plenty of cheesy flavor. We decided to share all of our entrees family style. For my son, we ordered the plain hot udon, which was simple and perfect for him. For the rest of us, we ordered the Premium Tempura Bowl ($32.97) and added ikura ($4.98), the cold soba with dipping sauce and tempura ($19.99), and Carlos's Jewel Box ($31.99), which came with chopped salmon, toro, yellowtail, and popcorn shrimp over rice. We also added extra toro for $8. On top of that, we ordered a side of five slices of chu-toro for $15.49, which honestly felt like a great deal. The Premium Tempura Bowl was definitely the star of the meal. Every piece of tempura was light, crispy, and fried perfectly without feeling greasy. The fried tempura egg was absolutely chef's kiss, especially once the yolk mixed into the rice. The tempura dipping sauce was also excellent and brought everything together. The Carlos's Jewel Box was another standout. The fish tasted fresh, and the rice with their house sauce paired perfectly with everything. The added toro made it even better. The cold soba was well prepared, but it just wasn't our cup of tea. That's more of a personal preference than anything because the quality was still there. The restaurant has a modern look while still feeling like a cozy mom-and-pop shop. I really liked the decor and the welcoming atmosphere. Since we were the only table sitting outside, I can't really comment on the noise level inside, but the patio was peaceful and relaxing. The service was great. The staff brought out a booster seat for my son and even helped secure it to the patio chair. They also brought us all the condiments, including ginger and pickled vegetables, without us having to ask, which I appreciated. Overall, I would definitely come back. The tempura was some of the best I've had in the 626, and the rice bowls were just as impressive. If you're visiting for the first time, I highly recommend ordering one of the tempura bowls. You really can't go wrong. It's great to see a restaurant that started in Torrance expand to Pasadena because it's a welcome addition to the 626 dining scene.

LOL - I don't know what's wrong with this place. I've been to their other location. I was there 7…read moreminutes before opening. I wanted to look at the menu to order to go. I was handed one by a staff member, but another came over and ripped it out of my hands and told me that wasn't allowed. As a fellow Asian I get that people from the motherland of the rising sun likes rules. But me looking at the menu to order in 7 minutes before isn't going to kill anyone. I left and came back and got my food. The food is delicious, but that was unnecessary.

I had probably the best restaurant experience I've ever had this past Monday evening at Tokyo Soul,…read moreand it wasn't just cuz of the delicious fare, but also because of [& overwhelmingly so] the abundant hospitality that was shown to me and my friend. (: How it started: I showed up a couple min prior to their 5:30pm opening time and got welcomed in. Before I even sat down, a stranger at the corner table asked if I liked beer, to which I said yes, so he recommended the Suntory premium malt draft beer. I decided to go ahead & order it and liked it quite a bit & let the table of friends know. Before I knew it, I'd be introduced to Stan, one of the sunniest people you'll ever meet. He & his friends pretty much make the big decisions for the mall and are somewhat more involved w/ a handful of places like Tokyo Soul. It was such a privilege to be on the receiving end of their warmth, generosity, and openness. My friend & I ended up getting to try some of the items they're planning to introduce the following week (which I won't post pics of, just to keep it a surprise :P) as we continued getting to learn s'more about our new friends, interspersed by the continuation of my & my friend's own convos. We felt lucky that we got to be served by Edward too (a mentee of Stan's), who usually doesn't work that shift, but his friendliness was definitely one of the first things I noted as I got seated. The hospitality that night outshined the food only because it was like nothing I've experienced in LA. However, the food can hold its own, and though my conversations w/ my friend + Stan & co. meant I was eating my pork katsu curry rice way past its prime state, the dish was still so flavorful that it was a delight to eat even cold. What a Monday night to remember. Thank you Stan & co. for taking care of us so well!

I always pass by the spot but with a toddler, the hours of operation never really worked for us…read morewhere I can sit down to eat a meal inside or it's closed when we are here in the mall. Only option was finally to get takeout today. A little pricey for what it is. Not much rice or curry. Didn't really fill me up after paying almost $50 for sharing beef curry rice medium spice and hayashi rice. It came with miso soup on the side and bc of the cyclospora outbreak, they weren't serving salad so refunded me $4. The beef in the curry rice was too beefy and chewy. The medium spice didn't really have a kick to it. The meat in the hayashi rice tastes like hot pot meats and the flavoring in that didn't have enough OOOMPHH if you know what I mean. Since it's located in the mall, there's plenty of parking available. This restaurant is on the 2nd floor right next to Nordstrom.