The welcoming sounds of a Taiko starts this wonderful dining experience at this traditional and authentic Japanese restaurant. The unassuming facade prevented me from trying Matsuri sooner but I'm estatic I finally made it in. The food is delicious! Using rice bran oil to fry the tempura is genius. The tempura tastes clean, light, and crispy. Price is average and the wait staff nice and friendly. Definitely putting this on my must eat in Pasadena. read more

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Our visit visit after Covid was about a month ago & we were relieved to see that Matsuri is still there and as good as ever!! WE LOVE this place, it small but comfortable. The food remains excellent and even though the place got busy later, they remained vigilant to re fill our drinks and inquire that all was well. My fav is Udon but my husband goes for the tempura dishes. And their Sushi is amazing!! For old timers who remember the "drum" that welcomed you, well that went away.. but they still warmly welcome you!! read more

We found a gem for sushi in Pasadena. Matsuri has one of the highest quality sushi I've eaten. When it comes to sushi or sashimi, it's all about freshness and quality. Matsuri is a family owned restaurant and they only serve the best. Ever since I had Hokkaido uni in Japan I was unable to find any restaurant that serve them in US. They typically only have Santa Barbara. As I was about to give up, I just asked the sushi chef where the uni was from and he replied they are from Hokkaido Japan. I was so surprise! And they are amazing. We ordered: Toro - high quality, melts in your mouth. Can't go wrong with this Uni - see above Amaebi - they only serve live spot prawns. These were so different than any amaebi I've had. These were crispy and crunchy. It's the different between letting the prawns sits overnight vs serve live/fresh. Hirame/maguro - fresh and good We will definitely come back. It's hard to good sushi restaurant. And will definitely support small business and family owned restaurant read more

Matsuri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Met the owner Jyun very humble and I love that I worked on his suburu and after it was done brought us some sushi. It was delicious will definitely go visit and support local business...All the guys at Rantz Auto loved it read more

Matsuri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

We just moved to LA and stumbled upon this neigborhood Japanese restaurant. It was the first Japanese restaurant we went to and we sure got lucky. We went back once a week for the first two months and then got our credit card bill. This place is addicting and it took all our might to stay away, for a week or two. Every time we would go back, we would say, let's just order some soba and a bit of sushi. But when we got there, the freshest of fish would always pull us back in. But SO worth it! Sit at the sushi bar and Aji and Jun will take care of you. The father goes to the fish market every morning and you taste the ocean. Specials on the white board are worth every penny. In fact, writing this review makes me think we should go there tonight. It's been too long. If you are not in the mood for fresh fish, the mom runs the front of the house. All the hot dishes are her recipes and prepared just like Aji and Jun grew up on. Cold soba/ hot soba, the agedashitofu (BEST I've ever had) tempure, everything is delicious. Yes if you sit at a table the service can be a bit slow. But sometimes it's nice to chill, have a beer, enjoy a nice conversation before chowing down, isn't it? Regulars frequent the joint and sitting at the sushi bar, we really feel like everybody knows our name. read more

Soooo good and the staff is friendly and accommodating! We had a team lunch of 18 people, service was accurate and quick!

Small quite restaurant on green street south pasadena. Green street is known for the more couple-ish restaurants or ones to come with your bff. Raw Fish - quality was okay, nothing spectacular =/ A little disappointed. Roll - pretty good. Although my dragon roll looked like a caterpillar roll. Hot sake - always good with sushi. Maybe this joint is known for their Japanese cuisine instead of sushi? Service: Pretty good, very friendly and helpful staff. They have kids utensile and plates too. Parking: Street, meter. After certain time its free. This joint is available for bdays, but probably can only fit one big party there. Or you can rent the whole place? haha But they're supportive of bdays, they turn off the lights and sing the bday song. read more

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This place is kind of small but clean and ambiance is nice. I went there with a GF around 7 for dinner on Friday night. 10 min wait. We order Rainbow Roll Eel Avocado Roll - Eel still have fishy smell Seaweed Salad - flavor is too blend for my taste Sashimi Dinner Set 1 - 11 pcs - **Miso soup which is kind of salt **Rice is a little wet. **2 pieces of Yellow-tail **3 pieces of Albacore **3 Piece of Tuna **3 piece of Salmon Sashimi are not so fresh.. Doesn't come with gingers. Ask if you need it. 2 order of HAMACHI KAMA (Yellow-tail Kama) - This probably best dishes out of all.. Is big piece and worth for the price. Overall, service is okay. We have to asked to get what we need. Food is okay. But not worth it for the price. read more

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If you decide to dine in, all you need to know is they have a Toto in their bathroom. Game over (at least for me) Fish quality is better for dinner, but bento sets for lunch are very simple and thoughtful, with finesse. Quality overall is solid for the price and menu is very home-style Japanese. read more

THE BATHROOMS!! WHEN DID THIS UPGRADE OCCUR?? HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN MISSING OUT ON THIS AMAZINGNESS?! No spoilers, but seriously, I would never have made this discovery had it not been for my coworker urging me to drink more tea then go and relax for a few minutes in the bathroom. Initial reaction: ???? But then: !!!! Glad I'm susceptible to peer pressure. Go do it. Okay, that being said, I also really enjoy Matsuri for their food. My coworker and I stop by every week or two for lunch. Usually we go with the salmon teriyaki lunch special which is quite ample and generally delicious (though I've taken note the last two times I've ordered it that the portion of salmon has become smaller...). All of the sushi I've tried has been fresh and tasty. The service can be a little lacking due to the constant flow of traffic. Sit at the bar if you can; it's a little more low key, and the sushi chefs will take great care of you. read more

Truly a terrible experience today. We have been regulars for the better part of a decade, yet today felt as if they never wanted our business again--which is good for them, because they won't be getting it. For dine-in we ordered two Matsuri Gozen bento boxes and got a third for take-out for someone unable to make it out to the restaurant. When we received the take-out bag we realized that a clam miso soup--listed as one of the components of the bento on the menu--was missing. We had known it was their policy to charge 50¢ extra for miso soups on to-go orders, so we immediately offered to pay the surcharge. They rejected our offer and before having us talk to one of the sushi chefs they said that there was no manager on duty. The sushi chef repeated that they would not include the miso soup because the surcharge policy applies only to regular, non-clam miso soups, but nowhere on the sign does the restaurant articulate that distinction. Upon further questions the sushi chef ran away into the kitchen, rudely saying "I'm not talking to you anymore." Given that this bento box costs $35 plus tax and tip, his reasoning for not including the soup--claiming that to-go orders cost more than dine-in ones to prepare--is totally specious. To all of you reading this review, we have spent many thousands of dollars at this restaurant but today were treated like crap. Don't support an establishment that can't even abide by its own policies. read more

Matsuri is pleasantly surprising. I generally don't expect any authentic asian cuisine in Pasadena but that is how many of the yelp reviews described Matsuri and I can see why. Upon your arrival, you are greeted by a little drumming. A little hokey, for sure, but still a little charming. All the staff are Japanese with cute accents - not blonde Pasadena socialites. The food actually tastes homey and handmade too. Appetizers: JALAPENO BOMBERS - jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and fish roe and tempura fried with kewpie mayo and siracha sauce. I'm not a fan of cream cheese appetizers so this was good, but not my favorite. I did like the heat of the jalapenos though. SHI-SO HOT; tempura fried shisho leaf topped with spicy tuna and a drizzling of eel sauce. This was GREAT. I was slightly disappointed that the shiso didn't add much flavor but the crisp worked wonderfully in holding up the tuna, which matched very well with the sweet sauce. GYOZAS are great - handmade with a light loose veggie filling. Boyfriend ordered the HAMBURG steak, three thin patties of ground beef with a pan fried crisp bottom and slathered with a homemade ketchup. It comes with a side of cabbage slaw, potato salad and a wedge of cantaloupe. Boyfriend liked the potato salad, which had cucumber slices inside. I ordered the MATSURI CHIRASHI, which came loaded with julienned daikon, furikaka sprinkled over the rice, and a selection of fishes - 3 tuna, 2 tamago, 1 salmon, a pile of ikura, clam, eel, mackerel and I forget the rest. Friend ordered the SPICY TUNA SALAD, which he enjoyed. The cooked entrees are all very reasonably priced at under $15 . Me likes! read more

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Not sure why this place has 3,5 stars, because it rocks! Super fresh fish! delicious! clean and cozy, friendly personnel. read more

Matsuri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

I've been coming to this place for years. Family business and the quality is superb! If you expect to see gigantic portions that you like to soak your sushi in soy sauce then this isn't your kind of place. If you are a foodie and understand that sushi is a mean to be savored and eaten nicely in a bite then you will appreciate this place. Price-wise it's a bit $$$ but you're paying for the quality. If you think their prices are too high or serving too small this isn't the restaurant for you. They have many loyal patrons and a seat at the bar is often tough to get on weekend for dinner. Also it's a tiny place with 40 max capacity. Street parking is abundant, although they are located at a corner on a one way street, and they have a few spots on back. The sushi chefs are also avid fishermen and know their fresh fish! I like to sit at the bar (b4 C-19) and order the Omakase, for those of you who don't know what that means, it's basically letting the sushi chef pick what to serve you! It's wonderful and surprising what they create. But I warn all that if you choose this then eat it according to the Chef's instructions! Why? Because you'd be insulting the Chef. He has taken time to craft you a serving for texture, presentation and flavor so you get the best experience. If you mess with his creation then you have defeated the purpose! However it's ok to let them know at the start of allergies or what you dislike, so they don't include it as a serving. Ok to buy the Chefs a drink and to tip. Try their daily specials and everything is delish! I also love that they have a very nice bidet in the ladies room with heated seats, lights, temp control and air drying! read more

My first time dining at this sushi restaurant and I thought the quality and taste of the food was A+. The service was equally great with a very relaxed ambience where you can sit at the bar for a couple of hours and enjoy each dish without being rushed. My favorite last night was the Red snapper but all the other sushi's were amazing too. read more

Came here for dinner midweek. Not too crowded at all. Menu seems simple with large selection. Food was fresh with good size on the specialty rolls. Service was quick and responsive. Overall, a good dining experience in a very low key place. read more

I loved the spicy tuna. Best spicy tuna I've ever had. The eggplant appetizer is delicious. Will return.

Great place for Japanese food. Love the dinner sets. It's a place to go to if you don't know what to choose for lunch or dinner.

For $37 (4 cut rolls) I expect decent sushi. Uneven cut rolls, so that it looks more than what you actually get. 2 end pieces of the sushi didn't even have rice all around. But hey, the ginger was good. There are enough good sushi places around here who actually appreciate business and deliver good quality. The sushi chef even ran after me and told me to not come back since I didn't tip him. No worries, I won't!! :) Oh and Only Sushi orders at the bar. I get it if it is busy, but I was the one and only customer! Well, nothing to add! read more

When you first walk in you see a lively sushi bar with a couple of guys very busy making sushi dishes. A very friendly young lady sat us in the back of the restaurant. Menus were right there ready in hand and there were a couple different ordering options. The first option was to order individual pieces of sushi and a little menu that they took up to the sushi bar up to 3 rounds. The second option was to order off of the menu. We decided to order some bento style meals. Mom ordered the salmon which came with several sides. I ordered the sashimi and tempura plate and our friend ordered a caligornia sushi roll plate. Out of the three meals that were ordered I'd say that Mom's salmon was the best deal. The portions were very generous and the salmon was very tasty. My tempura was very crispy. It was a combination of vegetables along with two large battered and fried shrimp. The plates came with a scoop of rice and a scoop of macaroni salad along with a green salad. Somehow the macaroni salad just seemed out of place. The sashimi on my plate was strange, the pieces were oddly cut and about a half inch thick. There were maybe five pieces of sashimi that were about 1 1/2 in.² each. There was no seasoning or marinade or salt on the fish it was just cubes of raw fish. I had to ask for a dipping sauce for the sashimi. The macaroni salad was Luke warm and really unimpressive. If I were to go to this restaurant again I think I would probably order the salmon or I would try the sushi bar. Moms salmon was definitely the best deal of the afternoon and my mom seemed very happy with her meal. The friend that was with us commented that her meal seemed like a bunch of things on her plate that didn't really go together. I gave the restaurant four stars because the staff was very very friendly and very helpful. I took away one star because 2 out of 3 of the meals just seemed odd. read more

Sitting at the bar is fun and the sushi is excellent. Jun encourages his Customers to relax and enjoy. He also creates dishes that I have never experienced before. read more

the service was rlly attentive and the food was high quality! i recommend coming here when u crave sushi or bento boxes! read more

Matsuri - Sushi Deluxe Plate - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

Wonderful service and delicious and fresh sushi. Just get the omakase and tell the chef how much you wanna spend. You'll leave with a full belly. read more

The Tempura is so good and crunchy. And you can never go wrong with their unagi!! Always so consistent!! Their sushi and sashimi is very old school Japanese. That's okay for many, but I like a lot of the newer Japanese and korean places that add lots of creativeness to theirs. Maki and Sushi is my go-to... read more

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Cobb salad to go, $18, small, weak. Other places give you gobs of Cobb. Too bad, I really wanted to love it. Really an $8 salad. read more

We were there with a group of 10, and the sushi was pretty good, but the spicy salmon handroll was fantastic and my favorite of the night. The service was wonderful. When in Pasadena, it's definitely worth a stop. read more

Such a delicious little local sushi spot. Everything was so fresh and delicious. The chefs were so nice and the staff was friendly. You know it's a legit sushi restaurant when all of the staff and chefs are Japanese. Definitely recommend coming here. read more

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This is my to go sushi place for lunch. Have been their customer for more than 10 years now. Staff are all friendly and food is yummy. Ordered lunch yesterday and the presentation was well done. read more

Matsuri - Sushi deluxe for lunch - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

Didn't get a drum call when we entered. Or service, for that matter. Waited around for a long time before we were seated even though there were plenty of free tables. While the waiters were pleasant, the orders were taken incorrectly and the waiters who brought the food out had no idea what was for whom. Finally, the food was mediocre. We ordered a beef teriyaki box and a salmon teriyaki box. There was 60% less beef than salmon. The teriyaki sauce was good but also very sweet/salty (and didn't come on the side as we had specified). The salad was good, but the macaroni salad was bland in comparison (which we left largely untouched and then the server gave us a lecture about how we should eat it, "its very tasty!") I had crab rolls with my box, which were tasty. The tempura was fresh. I like the rice they use, if that means anything to you. This wasn't our first time eating here...I remember it being tastier, but maybe it was what we ordered that was disappointing. read more

Matsuri - Beef teriyaki with sauce on the side - Sushi Bars Near Me - Pasadena, California

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The food it's not authentic comfort food. It's kinda cheesy. The price it doesn't match the food quality either. Also very slow for waiting the dishes. I don't recommend this restaurant. read more

Good Japanese food. Good service and the fish is top quality. If you like authentic Japanese food this is a good place to go

Deliciousness is right here in Pasadena. This place was owned by the father but now the two sons are the sushi chefs continuing the legacy of his father. They are so nice and friendly. There's enough parking around the neighborhood you shouldn't worry about that. Always check if it's busy or not. I think it helps because it can get busy. Good for date? Sushi is always good for a date. Good for family? yes Can you save your leftover sake? You can but not for too long. We had ours saved for 8 months and of course it was gone..HA! Highly recommend this gem in Pasadena. read more

Quiet gentle atmosphere and amazing traditional Japanese food! Fresh fish and friendly service.

Worst restaurant I've ever been to hands down! I've never been treated with such disrespect in my entire life. Apparently the owner (Jyun) yelled at me for not tipping him enough. Such a shady business. Will never set foot in this store ever again. Plus the food is overpriced! He's probably taking his anger out at me because he's in his forties and going through his midlife crisis and cannot amount to his daddy's legacy LOL read more

The food is quite good, but they won't let a large order split between multiple people. So, don't come here unless it's a small group. Restaurants who do this are just being lazy, considering we had a $300 check this is really stupid. read more

Best find in Pasadena this year! Food completely authentic Japanese cuisine! Not trying to be an Asian fusion. Just true, authentic, delicious Japanese food! While the ambience is not much to talk about, the food and the service most definitely is! There were a lot of people in the restaurant being served, but felt like we were VIPs in terms of the service we received! Will definitely be back! read more

FYI they stop taking new customers an hour before closing. We were turned away at 8:30 on a Friday night when they close at 9:30.

So polite , so amazing, love it there! Food outstanding, wish we would go more often.

Food and service are good, staff are very friendly. There is a parking lot at back. The only thing I didn't like was their rule on who can sit at the bar or the way they serve at the bar. I didn't quite understand what the lady said but basically the bar is not for everybody. I don't know if this was something they changed due to covid. read more

If I were to sum up my dining experience here in two words it would be DISHONEST & MEDIOCRE. Here is what was ordered for 2 people. All sushi was ONE order (2 pieces) except for the mirugai which came with 2 pieces sushi/5 pieces sashimi & ponzu butter sauce soup with the leftover tendons. Hirame, Aji, Ama Ebi, Hotate, Uni Tempura, Albacore, Mirugai, Ikura, 1 x Unagi Handroll (9 FOOD ITEMS TOTAL) 1 hot tea & 2 large hot sakes Total was $160.51 Let's start with the dishonest part, I've eaten 15+ dish omakase at very well established sushi joints that were cheaper than this. Thank goodness I did not order the Toro or we'd be looking at a $200 meal (closer to $240 with tip). So what does $160 get you at Matsuri? Very marginal fish drenched in Ponzu and a whole lotta nothing. And on to the mediocre part: Deep fried shrimp head on the Ama Ebi was fried so badly that the shell literally tore up my throat. I could still feel the shell stuck in my esophagus after downing 2 shots of sake and a cup of water to clear the after effects. It was very uncomfortable, borderline painful. The first two dishes (Hirame and Aji) were drenched in ponzu which kind of set the tone for the night. Apparently this is what Matsuri customers come to expect. You know it's bad when the rice is dark brown color, starts to fall apart, and a pool of ponzu is leftover on the plate. Scallop quality was mediocre, very similar to sugarfish. Alabacore was mediocre. The Uni Tempura was surprisingly decent. The uni was wrapped in shiso leaf and deep fried in tempura batter. Mirugai set was pretty good as well. The giant clam itself had the right elastic texture with a subtle hit of brininess. The ponzu/butter sauce they served on the side was suspect and should not have been on the plate. The unagi was way to crispy for my liking with any taste of the eel drowned in eel sauce and burnt unagi. I typically find Sushi restaurants to be fair and honest especially when you're at the mercy of "Market Price" pricing and many sushi restaurants just write daily specials on a board with no pricing correlation. It is also a burden to be asking "how much is the mirugai, or how much is the sweet shrimp etc." hence the level of trust when you get the bill with random markings from the sushi chef and a price. In this instance, I was thinking $100 TOPS in my mind. The beauty of sushi is that in most instances, it works in direct proportion from a quality/price standpoint and not INVERSELY. You eat shitty sushi at Kabuki, you expect to pay shitty prices. You eat very good sushi at Sasabune, Zo, Urusawa you pay an arm and a leg. You then get those rare instances where you get great sushi at a great price or INVERSELY you get MATSURI. For the SAME quality of fish as Sugarfish, I can buy a "Nozawa Trust Me" (6 sushi orders, 2 hand rolls, appetizer, edamame) and a sake for $50. Technically I could buy 3 x Nozawa Trust Me's and 3 sakes for $150 and still have money left over to buy 1 more large hot sake. So lets compare: 6 x sushi, 2 x appetizers, 1 handroll (9 items total) = $140 (minus hot sake) 18 x sushi, 3 x appetizers, 6 handrolls ( 27 items total) = $137.34 You do the math and let me know. read more