The ramen is crreamy and rich w beautiful juices thst stick to the spoon. Yum. The hand rolls are simple but taste amazing. The fish is really fresh like its swimming in the mouth. Best japanese flavors in pasadena for sure. read more

Mills Alley - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

This "sniffs in" at 4.5 stars... Helpful and kind STAFF. Restaurant also has the name "Izakaya" per indoor signage. Very open and spacious authentic Japanese design without being overly traditional. They have small art pieces for sale on the walls. SALMON SASHIMI: -- big thick fat slices of pristine salmon -- wedge of lime gets utilized; nice touch -- $17 for 4 pieces is no bargain but the slices are thick enough to be two pieces at some sushi joints and this quality is "A" grade -- very tender, not next level tender RATING = A- The wife got the HAMACHI KAMA COLLAR FISH (yellowtail?) and was a fan. It looked good. The yellow thin creamy sauce was great. Citrusy? Familiar taste of sorts. SEARED SCALLOP SUSHI: -- good smoke, not great smoke -- nice texture -- $7 for one piece is hefty for sushi RATING = A- GARLIC SALMON HAND ROLL: -- garlic pop errs on underdone but that is safer RATING = A CHIARASHI DON BOWL was a wife order. Very appealing visually and she downed it. REAL CRAB HAND ROLL: -- A little simple and flat but solid RATING = A- or B+ GARLIC SEARED SALMON SUSHI: -- creamy wasabi sauce on it; visually appealing and equally delicious RATING = A+ read more

Went there for lunch on Saturday, and we were pleased with our meal. I had the Tokyo set with spicy salmon, and hubby had Kaisen soba. Their fish seemed fresh, and I would've given my lunch 4 stars, but hubby really loved his soba, so I'd give it 5 overall. Service was attentive too. What was interesting is that the soba that hubby got, and the mini poke soba that my meal came with, were a little different from traditional soba broth. It had more sesame oil flavor? So it was different from what I was expecting. The meals didn't come with wasabi, so we had to ask for some. A little different take on traditional Japanese soba/sashimi donburi. I enjoyed it. I also appreciated the ice cold mug the draft beers came in. I always give restaurants extra points for that. Loved the ambiance and decor. Simple, modern, and stylish. Good lighting too. read more

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This place is a quintessential Japanese Restaurant that pretty does EVERYTHING well~ Their cut of sashimi and sushi are solid- not to mention the quality. Their ramen (I tried tonkotsu) and it is VERY GOOD- The noodle was cooked to perfection~ Very generous spacing for seating and service is very attentive and friendly, but not over bearing~ The restaurant decor is industrial minimal? Polished concrete, cool like fixtures and there's also a large table that can host a large party. They also partner with a bar just on the outside, so the cocktail options are pretty much limitless- Definitely coming back again and again (It was my second time) read more

Came to Mills Alley during DineLA week and honestly, it was an amazing selection! The staff was super friendly and very attentive to my table. Consistently checked in with me and my friend and our waiter was very knowledgeable of their menu.   Kyuri (5/5) Their presentation was amazing! The chili oil added a nice little kick of flavor to the cucumbers. Perfect starter for your meal.   Bara Chirashi Bowl (5/5) This bowl was absolutely insane. The sashimi was extremely fresh and there was so much love in every bite. The portion size was pretty generous as well. Perfect for sharing with someone!   Mentaiko Cream Udon (5/5) This also was another hit. The creaminess of the udon brought me back flashbacks to when I was in Japan. It was warm and inviting with every bite. Extremely flavorful and honestly wanted more of it!   Pineapple Ripieno (4/5) Such a cool way to present the dessert with the pineapple shell! It was very light and not too sweet. Just wish there was a little more sorbet for the dessert, but still a solid option to finish off your dinner. read more

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The quality of sashimi here is fantastic and the presentation is gorgeous. Every single piece of fish is massive and tender, however I will say the fatty tuna was a little stringy. Also, they have fantastic lunch combos. We got the seared salmon Tokyo set, it comes with seared salmon over rice, poke soba, miso soup, and pickled veggies. Service is fantastic as well! read more

Mills Alley - Seared salmon - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Had lunch with my cousin visiting from Sydney while at old town Pasadena. Yelp reviews were promising so we came to try it. The ambiance was chill/casual. The service was ok. We ordered edamame, seaweed salad, shishito peppers for appetizer. We enjoyed it. The sashimi we ordered was average, a bit too thick of a cut for me. Tuna and salmon rolls were also hard to eat cause it was cut into big pieces. I don't like biting on sushi rolls. It's better to eat the small pieces as whole. Anyways the taste was good. We also shared a beef brisket bowl which was 80 % rice and a drizzle of beef on top. Not as good as I expected it to taste. Overall we had a good time talking and catching up and sharing some food. read more

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Came here for a Saturday lunch. There was plenty of seating inside and was super spacious. The menu is relatively expensive, but I didn't expect any less from a Japanese restaurant in Pasadena. We ordered the ~$25 Hokkaido lunch set (tonkatsu, cold soba). The tonkatsu was fried really well but a bit dry. I enjoyed the cold soba and was a perfect carb on a hot day. We also got the ~$56 premium sushi set (6 pieces including uni and toro). The fish was super fatty and tender and was a thick slice. It also comes with 3 pieces of blue crab cut roll and 3 pieces spicy tuna cut roll. Those weren't anything too special. The sushi set comes with a miso soup too. We also got the vegetable tempura and the fried was light and crispy, contains green bean, eggplant, yam, mushroom. The price was about $13 but we were kinda underwhelmed with the amount of tempura for that price. Overall, the service was very good and attentive. Food also came out relatively quick. Inside was super minimal and modern and clean. read more

Mills Alley - Hokkaido Set - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Ordered: - Hakata set with Tonkatsu ramen (5/5): Came with a spicy 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! read more

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Repeated multiple times does not disappoint. Tempura everytime. Also the sauce in the tokyo set for lunch/soba kaisen for dinner, is a must get. I don't even have soba/sashimi as my first choice in japanese places but this is something I must everytime I'm here. Service is actually too nice. LOL This is actually legitimate 5 stars, no inflation. Great interior too and very spacious so there is privacy without being too close to other tables. Again, shocker given how modern it is, you wouldn't expect high quality japanese food here read more

Resy restaurant for the Amex resy dining credit! Made a reservation but one wasn't needed for Saturday lunch. I got the Hokkaido set and my husband got the Sanuki set. Both were good and a perfect amount of food. However the one critique is that the tempura did not come out super hot tho and the batter wasn't as crispy as I would have preferred. However the tonkatsu was very delicious. Also, l do think prices are a little high in my opinion but it's probably because of the area. Parking: public structure for $1 for 2 hours. read more

Mills Alley - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Came for their lunch specials and used our Resy/Amex credit. Their lunch specials were a great deal - I would recommend getting the lower sushi lunch set if you had to just pick one on the menu. My kids and I actually preferred the less premium fish. The ramen was okay. Didn't stand out from other ramen restaurants. But you do get a lot of food out of the set. read more

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I loved the lunch special. You have a choice between spicy tuna, karage. Or spicy seared salmon. I did request for no spicy but they added and the server asked if it was still okay because she did tell the chefs multiple times no spicy. But i told her it was fine. The spicy wasnt too bad either. I thought it was going to be chpped up like spicy tuna. Glad it wasnt. The poke soba was interesting but the fish it came with was too bloody tasting for me so i couldnt eat it all. Miso soup was really salty. Garlic Karage chicken tasted like soy garlic chicken which i didnt mind because i love soy garlic. The tempura was also light and the sauce was good. The heaven sake was super smooth. Bathroom is super clean. There are lots of parking structures around or metered street parking read more

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This is a bit of a mixed review. The service was friendly and attentive, which we really appreciated. However, we felt the food was a bit overpriced for what we received. We came expecting sushi rolls, but they only offer hand rolls, so that was a little disappointing since rolls were what we were looking for. We started with the fried squid, which was very chewy and just okay. We also ordered three hand rolls--the spicy tuna, salmon, and tempura. They were a nice size, tasted good, and the staff kindly cut them in half for us, which we appreciated. The yakisoba, unfortunately, was much sweeter than I prefer and wasn't my favorite. Overall, the service was the highlight of our visit, but the food didn't quite meet our expectations, especially considering the price. read more

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6/10/2026 First time at Mills Alley. Decided to come here since this was close to the other shops I wanted to go to today. Also, the prices seemed great for lunch. HAKATA SET (Your choice of: Tonkotsu or Miso Ramen, comes with Mini Spicy Tuna Don, Chicken Karaage 2 pcs, Tsukemono) This was one of the set items for the lunch special. Chose the miso ramen. The miso ramen had a very strong white miso flavor. Didn't hate it, as I do love miso, but it was a little too much miso for my liking. Typical curly ramen and it was cooked well. Loved the jammy egg too. It was a soy marinated egg. There were also three pieces of chashu too! It was good, but slightly overcooked. The portion of the ramen was medium sized and was surprised they didn't bring a smaller size since it was a set meal. But happy they were generous! Spicy tuna don was a small bowl, but they gave a good portion of spicy tuna, which was delicious. Chicken karaage were two pieces of chicken and it was just okay. No tsukemono was served with the meal. Overall the meal was satisfying. I think the price was fair for what was given. CUSTOMER SERVICE Good, friendly and attentive customer service. No complaints! AMBIANCE / TABLES + SEATS Very calm and relaxing ambiance. It was quiet and no music was playing, which I liked. The restaurant was super clean and I liked how the tables were set. Large tables in the back and small tables were closer to the front. Bar seats on the side. It was a medium-sized restaurant, but the layout made it feel larger. Clean bathroom too. PARKING The closest and most logical parking spot was the one right across from the restaurant. School House Garage on 33 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91105. Rates: $1.00 first 2 hrs, $2.00 for each additional hour. $12 for the full day. I liked the set menu, it was good for the price and I would like to return to try their other lunch menu items, whether it would be a set menu or a la carte. read more

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Cute place in old town Pasadena! We went for lunch on a Saturday and was sat immediately. Servers were quick and friendly. We felt that the lunch specials were a good deal with how much food you get. I loved the mini spicy tuna donburi that came with the ramen. The pork was a little chewy for me compared to other tonkatsu ramens. Also, the bathrooms were dirty and unkept. read more

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Mill's Alley was a gem found on resy. I had a post Japan trip depression and knew Japanese food would be the remedy. My friend made a reservation for a party of 7 on a Saturday at around 6:00 pm. For parking, there was a structure right across the street. It was packed at the time and I needed to circle around a few floors before I could grab a spot. Upon checking in, I was a bit early and was prompted we couldn't sit before the entire party was there. Once ready, we were seated at a large table near the back. It was spacious and we all had ample room for our dishes. One of the things I liked the most about the menu was the variety of items. Some of my friends got ramen, while another got handrolls, skewers, etc. Personally, I got the chirashi donburi. This took the longest to make but it was well worth it. Everything from the rice to fish were seasoned well. This was the perfect dish for someone that's super indecisive like me! Furthermore, the vibes of the place was great. We had a server that frequently came to fill out waters. He had a great sense of hype as well. Highly recommend Mills Alley for the delicious food and ambiance! read more

Mills Alley - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Went to this fantastic sushi shop for a weekday lunch. Started with the iced matcha then the seaweed salad and garlic edamame. Seaweed salad was good but the garlic edamame was the best I've ever had. Then had a crab hand roll, good and the one piece of sushi I had was the seared garlic salmon and I moaned out loud it was so good. Had the spicy tuna don and it as actually really spicy and very good. Next time just sushi because it was so good. Inside is very minimalist but and beautiful. Service was impeccable. Highly recommend as a great place for lunch when you want really good sushi for reasonable prices. read more

Mills Alley - Spicy Tuna Don - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Super solid Japanese spot in Old Town Pas. Service was great, I like the interior of this restaurant. It's a great space. A little pricy, but makes sense given the location in the epicenter of Old Town. I appreciated all the available options they had. Tonkotsu ramen, 8.7/10: Very comforting bowl of ramen. Chashu had a perfect ratio of fatty to lean pork and the sear on it was phenomenal. All the accoutrements on top were a nice addition. Corn, bamboo, and plenty of green onion all were great. I personally like the thinner firmer noodles, but the bowl still hit the spot. I also asked for firmer noodles, but they weren't quite there. The super creamy, fatty, pork broth really stood out though. The black garlic oil is top tier. Unagi, 8/10: Good buttery smooth piece of unagi. No complaints here. read more

Mills Alley - unagi - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Brought my wife here for our anniversary lunch. The ambiance is simple and understated, much to our liking. We are foodies and more about the flavor profiles, clean ingredients and tasty food. They had a lunch special that appealed to me so I went with the Hakata set. Tonkatsu ramen with spicy tuna don, chicken karaage and tsukemono. The broth had flavor and the ramen was cooked to perfection. Tender pork belly enhanced the flavor. The spicy tuna don had a nice kick and tasted very fresh. Good crispy chicken karaage without being oily. My wife went with the Hamachi Kama (collar) and four pieces of Hamachi sushi. Great flavor and good fresh yellowtail sushi and generously sliced. They complimented us with some matcha ice cream which was creamy and flavorful. But decided to still try the dulce de leche cheesecake...yummy. A winner we will be back. read more

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Service was great. We were seated right away as there were only two other groups dining when we were there but we were never short on water and tea the entire night. The restaurant is well-designed with its high ceilings and brick walling, which also makes the place feel expansive. The plates and the chopsticks were of high quality too. I wish that the atmosphere was a little more lively but we did go on a Tuesday night! For food, we opted for the noodle dishes. We had the tonkotsu ramen and the pinenut soba. The noodle dishes had generous portions and the meat was prepared well. The broth was rich without being too heavy, the noodles delivered on the texture and the tonkotsu practically melted apart. When I looked at the prices of the other dishes, the izakaya and the sushi seemed to be their showstoppers but they were priced on the higher side so that deterred us from ordering. Their lunch menu seems to be on the more affordable side so I have yet to go then. Parking in Pasadena could be challenging, but we easily found street parking after 8 PM (since it's free then)! read more

Mills Alley - Tonkotsu Ramen and Pinenut Soba - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

This is my go-to spot for sushi in Pasadena. Usually, my partner and I get a couple of lunch sets since it comes with a poke soba, miso soup, and some veggies, in addition to the entree. The salmon lunch bowl is lightly seared and the fish melts in your mouth. And the beef in the beef bowl is so tender and is phenomenal every time. I've been here 3-4 times in the last few months and the quality is always great, clean, and consistent. Great spot for a date night or a dinner with friends. Alison, our server, was attentive and always really courteous! She made some great sake recommendations as well. read more

Mills Alley - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Love the service here! Very prompt, welcoming and professional staff. This is our fav sushi spot. You can really taste the quality of the fish. Even the takoyaki here is so much better. I know 90% of restaurants use the premade kind but this one actually tastes like they make it in house. I would recommend making a reservation just in case you don't want to wait. Sometimes there is a long wait and sometimes the place is half empty. The wait is a gamble but the food isn't. We will be coming back everytime our Resy credit refreshes! read more

Mills Alley - Chirashi Don - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Everything was so good! This place had amazing and fresh food, with great service. The menu had a great variety and we ordered a good amount to try. Chirashi Bowl- large portion with a great balance of big cuts of fish and rice Blue Fin Tuna, Toro, and Uni - extremely fresh and great quality and size fish Tonkotsu Ramen- rich in broth, tender meat, and great toppings included Chicken Karaage- hot and crispy, big chunks of juicy chicken The cocktails were great too, but a tad bit on the sour side. Overall, solid Japanese place. Would come again! read more

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Came for a late dinner, no waiting time. The restaurant has nice interior design, it's spacious and clean. Food: we ordered Shishito, uni sushi, Tonkatsu Ramen (asked for spicy ramen, waiter said okay, but there is no spicy ramen on the menu), scollop skewer, pork belly skewer, and 4 pieces of Otoro tuna sashimi for ending. Shishito was alright, uni sushi was very nice! Ramen came non spicy but still is a very nice dish. The skewers were disappointing, scollops were dry and fishy, pork belly were also dry. In terms of the 4 pieces of Otoro, our waiter forgot to put our order in until we reminded him. Our utensils were taken away and no one came to check in with us until we told them we have another order. When the Sashimi finally came, I immediately noticed it's not Otoro, it didn't look like fatty tuna. After tasting them, I confirmed with the waiter and he said they only have Toro tuna, no Otoro (which he didn't clarify when we were ordering). I am attaching the Toro Tuna here for everyone to judge, these are 45 dollars for 4 pieces. All 4 pieces came with sinew (white string like muscle tissue), it was a disaster. With the amount of good reviews for this restaurant, I am not satisfied with the service or the food I received. read more

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看過人生百態，了解世態炎涼，其實眾生皆苦，這人間煙火， 事事值得也事事遺憾呀～ 今天來介紹在 Pasadena 的日本料理店，要在Pasadena 這一級戰區開店，東西都要有點特色， 環境也要漂亮， 我是看到他家的潘朵拉盒子的照片， 非常吸睛， 才跟朋友過來探店， 點了碗拉麵，跟我喜歡的烤魚下巴， 結果三道菜我們兩個都很滿意，拉麵香濃，烤魚多汁， 潘朵拉的盒子光看就很開心了，魚片新鮮， 我喜歡的干貝， yellowtail, toro, Uni 都有，更是沒啥好嫌的，他家也有一些燒烤，只有兩個人，沒法點那麼多東西，相信版友應該有人嚐過， 這家環境也優雅，寬敞， 在這吃飯是很舒服的 read more

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Overall, I like the atmosphere of this place. It was quiet and peaceful for a weekend afternoon lunch. The sushi was good quality and delicious. The tonkatsu ramen was pretty good, and the spicy tuna bowl had a bit of a kick to it. I consider it some of the most delicious food. The flavor wasn't too overpowering, and it's just a nice, subtle Japanese dish. read more

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Came in for a weekday lunch while we were in the Pasadena area. We were greeted and seated right away. The restaurant is very clean, well designed, and very spacious. For the menu, we opted for the lunch specials with the Hakata set and I forget the other one, but it was with the teriyaki combo. Both sets were well prepared and presentation was nice. For lunch, the Hakata combo is a lot of food, but it was so good, I ended up finishing it all. No regrets. The tsukemono was little too sweet for my personal liking, but it was prepared well. The kaarage was well cooked, nothing special, in the usual aioli most places served. The tuna bowl was delicious and well prepared with just the right portion of rice. The protein to rice ratio was just right. My favorite was the tonkotsu ramen. While the noodles themselves don't stand out compared to other ramen places, the broth is delicious. Love the smokiness with the black garlic and it's not too heavy. The pork was thick and had just enough fattiness to it, plus the addition of the bamboo and egg made it a nice dish. For the chicken teriyaki plate, the salad was basic lettuce and thousand island dressing. The miso soup had plenty of onions and tofu. The chicken I thought was well prepared, nice and crispy on the outside, without being burnt while being tender and moist on the inside. It's a great place for lunch. One of these days, I do want to come back and try their regular menu, especially the Pandora's box. read more

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What a surprise! We stopped by Mills Alley for lunch after meeting a few friends for drinks st Stone Brewing down the street. Mills Alley can easily be missed if you're not paying attention. It's a tiny store front. Once arrived we greeted and seated right away. Mills Alley is more of an Izakaya place. They have everything from your ramen, sushi, yakitoi and more. We order the following: Gyudon- Solid but pricey for the amount of food you get for $21. Chirashi- This is fantastic, nice assortment of fresh fish. The cuts was nice and thick. The rice was nice and seasoned as well. Negitoro HR- This was excellent. Overall, Mills Alley was solid. I wouldn't mind returning if I'm in the neighborhood. read more

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Food was PHENOMENAL! Service was TOP NOTCH! And the ambiance was nice and chill. 100/10! read more

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Came here for my birthday celebration. Public parkings are all over old town Pasadena, so parking is not difficult. The decoration was very trendy, and clean. We were seated soon after we arrived. Our server was friendly, and she seemed to be the only one working. Service was a little slow, but I do not blame her for it. At one point, we actually felt a little pressured on placing our order, which makes sense because she might not be able to attend to us later. We ordered some sushi, and it is one piece per order. We ordered salmon sushi, yellowtail sushi, yellowtail sashimi, uni sashimi, garlic yellowtail sushi, toro sushi, blue fin tuna sushi, real crab hand roll, yellowtail hand roll. The fish was very fresh. I highly recommended on the salmon sushi. It melted in my mouth! The toro sushi is $12 a piece, and the fish was a very thin slice, and it did not give me the texture of melted in my mouth. Not worth the price. We spent $200 here for 2 people, and we left feeling hungry. The quality of the sushi was good, but not good enough to be worth the price we paid for. I can probably get omakase, and be full else where with the price I paid for. read more

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Glad we found this hidden gem in Old Town Pasadena! We stopped by on a weekday for lunch and were immediately seated. Ordered the lunch specials-Tokyo set and Premium Sushi set. Both were aesthetically pleasing. The seared salmon on the Tokyo set is a must get and melts in your mouth. Nicely paired with the poke soba, miso soup and pickles. Sushi was high quality. Attentive staff. Open, clean and inviting space. Flavors here reminded us of our trips to Japan! Will be back! read more

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Absolutely amazing Japanese restaurant; the food was unbelievably fresh, ambiance was so nice and friendly. Staff were so kind, very clean restaurant. The menu was great. read more

Mills Alley - Garlic Seared Salmon Don - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Came to Mills Alley for dinner with my family today and ordered three dishes: the Hamachi Kama, katsudon, and gyudon. The katsudon here is always stellar, and the gyudon genuinely tastes homemade. The only issue tonight was that the Hamachi Kama was undercooked in the center. That said, our waiter handled it extremely well. He was professional and attentive, comped the kama, and offered me another dish of my choice on the house. Really appreciated how well the situation was handled. 9.6/10 -- will absolutely dine here again. read more

Mills Alley is an interesting name for a Japanese izakaya. It sounds more like a place where you'd buy lumber than toro, but here we are. Stopped in for lunch and skipped the lunch specials in favor of ordering from the regular menu. The nigiri was quite good overall. I tried the salmon, toro, A5 wagyu, gyoza, and sukiyaki. The fish was fresh and flavorful, although the cuts were a bit rough and not particularly polished. Several pieces fell apart before making it from plate to mouth. Fortunately, they were delicious enough that I was willing to chase them around with my chopsticks. The sukiyaki was tasty and well seasoned, but the portion felt surprisingly light for $35. My bowl contained roughly four small pieces of tofu, one mushroom, a modest amount of cabbage and yam noodles, very little onion, and what appeared to be about three small pieces of beef. Everything was cooked well and the broth had good flavor, but I found myself looking around the bowl wondering if the rest of the ingredients were still on their way. Overall, the food was enjoyable and the quality was there. A little more attention to the nigiri presentation and a little more generosity with the sukiyaki would have easily pushed this into 5-star territory. I'd happily return to try more of the menu. read more

Mills Alley - Art work on the walls for sale - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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High-end Japanese restaurant that has Sushi, Yakitori, Sashimi and cooked foods. Beautiful ambiance in a long, retrofitted, high-ceilinged, brick, building. When you're in old Pasadena, everything is a little pricier due to the higher overhead costs. We ordered a lot of food for the four of us - Pandora's Box with 6 compartments of sashimi, all the slices were nice and thick! A mixed Yakitori grill, an Uni Salmon Rice, a salad, Agedashi Tofu and a Pineapple Ice dessert. All were good. Service was also good. read more

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Hidden gem in Pasadena serving really great Japanese's food - you'd never know it based on the restaurant name! I went as part of a group of 7 which gave me the opportunity to try a couple of dishes. The highlights of the meal were the Agadashi Tofu which comes with veggies as well and the Chirashi Bowl which comes with a generous portion of fish. Definitely drop in if you're in the area and craving good Japanese food. read more

Mills Alley - Chirashi Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

We went here to try a new restaurant (although we have lived in the area for 3-5 decades). The process was a bit confusing because we were a group of five and the promo menu was for two, but after some back and forth, we were accommodated. There was a long wait before we ordered and another before we were served the very salty miso soup, which I didn't consume other than eating the tofu. The next course was a choice of skewers and we ordered shrimp and scallops, which were good but nothing special. The main course on the DineLA menu included a mini chirashi bowl and udon noodles (see photos and comments below). The dessert we ordered was a lemon thing, good but a few bites were all I needed. I would go back for the chirashi and the servers were very nice. A bit understaffed, but a nice experience nonetheless. read more

Mills Alley - Udon noodles, very rich but very good - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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$$ is very misleading. It's more like $$$. Came for the skewers, but would come back for the sashimi. Skewers didn't really stand out compared to ones I've had at other izakaya restaurants. They didn't taste very charred, but otherwise the quality of the pork belly, shrimp and scallop was substantial, and good value for the price. The sashimi really stood out because it's so thick and fatty. At $16 a plate for only 4 pieces, it might seem expensive for what it is, but it's some of the most tender sashimi I've ever had (I didn't even need to chew). We tried the don and thought these were pretty substantial for the price. The vegetables are so fresh and flavorful, and I liked the way they seasoned the spicy tuna. The gyudon was a little too salty. read more

Mills Alley - Salmon and albacore - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I've walked past this place a dozen times in Old Town but finally came in for a lunch with our friends. I got the hakata set which was a choice of ramen (I got tonkotsu), spicy tuna donburi, chicken karaage and a veggie. I also ordered a garlic seared salmon sushi which was delicious! I definitely wish I got more than one piece. The option of lunch sets was a really cool option, I love when you get a small taste of multiple items on the menu. The tonkotsu ramen was amazing, one of the best ramens I've ever had. The broth had great flavor and the pork belly was very tender. Highly recommend! The spicy tuna donburi was one of the best rice bowls I've ever had. I've never had a spicy tuna bowl similar to that and I loved it. Overall, was splendidly surprised with how much I loved this place and we will be back! read more

Mills Alley - Garlic Seared Salmon Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

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