I've been coming to Aikan back when it was called Aburi every so often when I wanted to eat a lot…read moreof sushi all at once with their AYCE format. My last trip on Sunday was a good time, and Gita did a heck of a job getting my food out as fast as I could eat them (even though I came in at 8:35pm and asked for 40 pieces of sushi in 2 rounds lol) Their food and service still remains a good reason for me to come back from time to time.

Natari give a really good example of what good service is, great food and awesome service.read more

I finally got to try this place after failed attempts to get in line in the past and the food did…read morenot disappoint! My friend and I shared the following dishes: -Carlos Jewel Box: My favorite dish here. I just loved the variety. Sashimi and fried seafood on a bed of fluffy and seasoned rice. Also a nice umami kick from the ikura. The sashimi was tasty and standard, but I really enjoyed the fried seafood bites. The tempura batter was great and the seafood was nice and plump. -Tendon Combo with Cold Udon: Same notes for the tempura here, the batter was great and the tempura here is on another level. I also liked the half boiled egg and breaking the yolk into the rice, so delicious! The cold udon dipping noodles were also tasty and refreshing. Great for hot weather. I enjoyed the texture of the noodles. The value of each set was pretty good for what it was and the food was good quality. This restaurant is located in a cute alleyway with good outdoor ambiance. I enjoyed dining outdoors. The service here was great and the servers were kind. There's usually a wait to eat here. You put your name in on the tablet located at the restaurant and sometimes they have a waitlist available on the Yelp app to enter in. Overall, a great spot and I would definitely come back for good Japanese Food/Tempura.

Enjoyed a thier small tempura bowl and soba set, but prefer a more typical thicker tempura batter,…read morerather than their signature flaky one! Still very delicious though and was no wait for 6 of us for lunch on a Thursday! The cold soba was also a good compliment to the small tempura rice bowl. Overall pretty solid, though not sure if I would come here ONLY for the tempura. I heard the original location is amazing, but having this here in Pasadena and closer by is awesome too! They didn't have enough room for our party inside so we did have to sit outside which wasn't great in the warm weather. I'm glad I got to try it, as I've been waiting for months for the opportunity- as I also consider myself a lover of tempura and deep fried foods- but this didn't wow me as much as hoped a tempura place would. Maybe their batter isn't something I'm 100% into, and maybe hype played into it, but I'm not 100 % on the Carlos train yet. Maybe another visit or two will even those odds! *note: There is validated parking in the back for the first 60 minutes for Carlos Jr.

food was absolutely delicious, we were served by the owners daughter and she was very kind,…read moreattentive, and knowledgeable. every single thing we ordered was amazing and beautiful. i would recommend and would definitely return! (not pictured, the must try fried corn with truffle salt, and the spicy tuna stuffed tempura shidhito peppers)

My girls and I came here on a Saturday night with reservations. The food did take quite a while to…read morecome out, but the staff handled the situation so well. They were incredibly kind, checked on us every few minutes, kept us updated, and even comped part of our meal and surprised us all with complimentary dessert. That level of hospitality really stood out. A special shoutout to Sho, who took over our table. He was so charismatic, friendly, and genuinely made the whole experience so much better despite the wait. Honestly, if he ever decides to stop working here, he would make a great bombshell on Love Island The food was absolutely delicious, the ambiance was great, and everyone we interacted with was so sweet and attentive. Even though the wait was longer than expected, the amazing customer service more than made up for it. We really appreciated how much the staff cared about making things right, and we'll definitely be back!

I've been to rice and nori dozens of times and it always hits the spot. There are not many…read morededicated onigiri/hand roll spots in the 626 so I'm so glad this place exists. Rice and nori is a casual restaurant where you line up to order and then choose your own seating. The staff is always super friendly and the food is scrumptious. I've tried the bulgogi, california, and tuna mayo onigiris. I love how everything is nicely seasoned and they are generous with the fillings. My favorite however is the blue crab handroll. The blue crab is sooo creamy and not fishy tasting at all. They are also generous with the portions of crab they give you. Overall a huge fan of this place and love taking my friends here.

Rice & Nori in Pasadena is my new lunch spot when I want something fresh but not heavy. Got the…read moresalmon yuzu miso onigiri and it hit that perfect balance of citrusy and savory -- rice was warm and seasoned just right, not that cold sad rice you get elsewhere. Also grabbed a spicy tuna hand roll and the seaweed was crisp, not chewy or stale like some grab-and-go sushi spots. Everything's made to order so it takes a few minutes, but it's worth the wait for the freshness. Portions are fair for the price and the whole menu is easy to customize if you're picky about fillings. Great grab-and-go option if you're in the area and want something quick but still feels a step above typical fast casual. Would definitely come back to try the baked lobster shrimp hand roll next time.

Food is delicious consistently and the ambiance is unbeatable. Quaint place to have top tier sushi…read more Service is generally very good, no complaints. 10/10, underrated place.

I had another wonderful experience at Sugarfish. A big thank you to Diana and the staff for making…read moremy visit special. I came with a group to celebrate some milestones, and Diana came over to check in on us and made sure we had an enjoyable experience. The pacing of the dishes and the service was perfect. The dishes were fresh and flavorful. The only dish that was a little off that day was the eel sauce. The eel sauce at Sugarfish normally has an amazing slight bitterness from the caramelization, but there was no caramelized bitterness this time and it was instead on the salty side. Despite that, the eel was still phenomenal and the difference in sauce taste is a testament to how freshly made everything is.

Katsu Jin has quickly become a new staple for me. Their tonkatsu is incredibly authentic -- I love…read morethe ritual of grinding the sesame seeds for the katsu sauce, it makes the whole experience feel so fresh and intentional. If there's a wait, just check in and they'll give you a buzzer. Sometimes the wait can be quite long so I try to go right when they open for dinner. Definitely eat your meal in the restaurant -- the tonkatsu is best when it's hot, crispy, and straight from the kitchen. Service is always very friendly, and the food is consistently delicious. Their tonkatsu is the star, but the furikake corn ribs are a must‑try too. A reliable, comforting spot that never disappoints!

I've been eyeing this place and finally got a chance to try it this summer. The restaurant is…read moresmall, yet it feels roomy. The servers greeted us and sat us quickly. It's easy to place an order here. Just scan the QR code and order from your phone. You can keep ordering throughout the visit and the platform they use keeps track of what's been ordered. The food is made as you order, so be prepared to wait 20 min. They let you know that from the get-go, so no surprises here. The service is great. The staff are attentive and check in as needed. We ordered the spicy edamame to hold us over til the main dishes arrived. It was delicious, with a mild heat and lots of garlic. We also had the cheese katsu curry and menchi katsu curry. The katsus are worth the 20 min wait. The cheese katsu was oozing with thick melted cheese and gave some very satisfying cheese pulls with every bite. The menchi katsu was a generous size and was perfectly crisp. Both orders were cooked perfectly and not oily. The curry had a steady mild heat and a slightly sweet undertone, but it was missing whatever provides that umami flavor I love in Japanese curry. Maybe it needed some garlic? I'm not sure. I'm still pining for the curry from Curry House in little Tokyo, which was suddenly bought out and shut down a while ago. Nonetheless, we had a pleasant experience at Katsu Jin. I came back for the chicken katsu curry. I got take out. It was piping hot and delicious when I got home 20 min later. Highly recommend this dish! The katsu is perfect. Just a note: the parking lot fills up during peak hours and the spaces are tiny.

Food was great! I ordered the salmon don and chicken was great! Phin was also cool! The service was…read moreamazing and will definitely be back:

Ordered: - Hakata set with Tonkatsu ramen (5/5): Came with a…read morespicy tuna don, karaage, and tsukemono. The karaage had a solid fry, and wasn't greasy at all while being both crunchy and juicy. The sauce was a creamy and spicy and paired well with the chicken. The tonkotsu ramen was delicious although a bit on the sweeter side - the egg was very well marinated and the chashu generous and flavorful. - Tokyo set with tuna don (5/5): Also came with soba noodles, miso soup, and tsukemono. The tuna don had a generous portion of tuna and rice. It tasted fresh and was a simple and well executed dish that satisfies your cravings. The soba noodles were a surprise to me. I didn't expect the soba noodles to be in a sauce with a string sesame oil consistency and taste. It was refreshing yet a bit heavier as a result. I also love the variety of fish provided with it. Overall (5/5): Disclaimer - we came here late April. But this is a gem in Pasadena that we wished we visited sooner! The lunch deals have very generous portions for the price and we were super stuffed after. We also were quite impressed with the execution of the tsukemono which looked like canned vegetables mixed with mushrooms that were pickled together for an unexpectedly rich flavor. The vibes of the establishment are modern and tasteful, and we really liked how spacious it was. Service was also solid. Overall we hope to be back to further explore the menu!

Decided to stop by my local sushi place but decided to actually get sushi. I normally go with the…read moreBulgogi Beef Deluxe. Absolutely love that this place gives you everything you get at a place like Benihana (and more!) for less just without a performance. I ordered the NEW tornado shrimp appetizer (8/10) which was a crispy shrimp wrapped in potato as opposed to tempura. I also had the Spider-Man Roll pictured below (9/10) the fish was fresh and delicious and the whole roll felt balanced not rice or crab heavy so A+ ratios and what a great presentation. Affordable as well for a huge bento box, an appetizer, and a huge sushi roll. The service is lightning fast I was seated instantly for a 5:30 dinner and order was ready to be taken almost instantly as well. The great part about my experience was a shared waiting system it seemed like the whole wait staff of 4-5 waiters were helping clean and refill drinks. The ambiance is great if you decide to go in the evening. I went around sunset so it was very bright. The ambiance inside is nice hardwood floors and dimmer lighting a good spot for a casual date or just a regular dinner. I had a great experience as always at Tokoro and will continue coming back. I highly recommend you try.

Tokoro sushi essay Family own Restaurant that has been the community for years. From the moment…read morethat you walk in, you feel welcome and appreciate it.. Their whole team is amazing., helpful and caring. This time we order food and I wish I would've taken pictures, but I was hungry and I ate most of it before I remember. I ordered the rainbow carpaccio and the beef carpaccio and garlic edamame. Everything was delicious.. it's a must try Restaurant when you're in Pasadena