I've now been to this place four or five times and it's just awesome. Every single person who works there is extremely friendly and helpful. We always come in with our twin 3-year olds and the staff always makes it a great experience for them. Most important: the sushi is fantastic and not expensive at all. I've never had a bad experience with any of the rolls, sushi or sashimi. And the house sake is not bad, but the next one down on the list of cold sake is really great. read more

We've been going to Oba's for years. The staff have always been friendly, gracious and efficient. The food we order - fish, tempura, teriyaki, vegetables, sake, wine and beer - has always been fresh, well prepared and delicious. This is a wonderful restaurant for a comfortable, informal and taste meal. It is family-friendly and the tables are far enough apart that you can have a good conversation. read more

This place is so so good! We love it and love the staff there. Everyone is friendly, sushi/sashimi is great, environment is clean and bright and food arrives pretty quickly. They do something special to their shrimp tempura - it's the best we've ever had! This is our go-to for Sushi - we know we can rely on the experience to be good! read more

Liked the food. Fish was fish was fresh, Noah did a great job of taking care of us and they have a full bar. Thumbs up!

I ordered take out sushi, yakitori and a roll. Everything was delicious and well prepared. I really appreciate their system for safe, no contact pick up during these times. The staff was very pleasant. I would order again...very soon! read more

My husband and I were looking forward to having sushi on a date night since our little kids don't eat it. Unfortunately it was a bust. The fish tasted rotten. We tried to like it but couldn't finish our combo sushi/roll plates. I had to spit it out. Sorry, we're sticking with Sugarfish. read more

When Oba first opened, the service was attentive and the sushi was good. I don't come here often, but the times that I have, the service has definitely gone down and the food has been average at best. The owner seems like she doesn't care too much and you're just another customer. I've come here several times since their opening, and have been irked about the owner and the wait staff as a whole. I really don't get upset often and I've worked in the restaurant industry for several years, so I can understand how busy and hectic it can get. However, it's never a good idea to not acknowledge your patrons and leave them in the way side (despite the restaurant not being crowded). It's even a worse idea to ignore them even further after asking to place a to-go order instead. A simple "I'll be right with you" would have sufficed. The food, again, is mediocre, as you can definitely get better sushi elsewhere in the surrounding area. I don't think I'll be going back here. read more

Mediocre sushi at best. Blue fin tuna sashimi was awful. Avoid Dynamite Roll. It is "soupy" and has "fish oil" flavor. Best dish was yellow tail Kama. It is hard to mess up broiled collar. read more

Best place for sushi and rolls in Pasadena. Sushi is very good and very reasonably priced. But, the specialty rolls are what sets this place apart. All the rolls are creative, absolutely delicious, clean sauces.... just amazing sushi roll experience. I can't name a favorite as I love them all. But, if I had to name one must have, Oba Roll. An added bonus is location. Away from the hectic, pay to park, Old Town area, Oba is tucked away just off the 110. Its in a small strip mall and I've never had any issues with parking. Oba has a more neighborhood and welcoming feel. Staff is very attentive, friendly, and personable. Dining in, you will notice there are many regular patrons, as the staff genuinely greets familiar faces. read more

Aghhhh! My pet peeve is terrible service and the service here was the WORST. Ambiance was nice, but sitting at the counter we waited 15 minutes for our first course, another 20 for the next batch of stuff and then 30 minutes for a roll they forgot about. The food was mediocre and they didn't apologize or comp anything. Won't be back. read more

This is a total Carina restaurant. I found it sort of by accident. I was talking to someone about all of the great Pasadena restaurants and they mentioned Derek's which I had never heard of. They described the location and I said, "Oh by the sushi restaurant?" this sushi restaurant is one that I never stopped by at but have driven by often. On my way home while starving I decided to pull into the parking lot and see what this Derek's place was. Of course, Derek's was closed but I figured I would grab a menu from the sushi place. When I walked in, I was in love. I adored the shrimp and mango salsa on the specials chalkboard. I loved the cement floor and the fat wood chairs. I knew that I had to order something. The waiter was ridiculously sweet. I told him I wanted a menu and to get something to go. He asked me if I wanted anything while I waited, I declined, but he brought me water anyway. I ordered the sunshine roll, cucumber salad, and the special salsa. While I was waiting for my food and simultaneously watching Wolf Blitzer I sent a text message to a fellow foodie and said, "I haven't tasted a bite of food yet but i think I found a new favorite restaurant, Oba." That was a tall order to fill. I was excited when I got home to dig in. First of all, there packaging was adorable. The sushi itself was delicious. The salad and salsa were very small portions but delicious nevertheless. This is the kind of restaurant that I can't wait to return to and try the entire menu. read more

Best sushi in Pasadena. Super fresh fish, amazing flavor and the nicest people ever. Such a treat to dine here.

What I like about this place is that it is not your average sushi place. I'd say it's more Japanese American fusion. The rolls are creative and different from the mundane rolls you see at typical sushi places. I love the sakana roll, the Cajun roll, crispy rice spicy tuna and the cucumber salad. read more

Oba Sushi Thai Tapas - Japanese Near Me - Pasadena, California

Very nice place! Driven And waked by this place for a few years and was always interested, but sushi is easy to find and we were looking for a San Gabriel version of our beloved Ryo Zan Paku izakaya yakitori place down in the South Bay. Eventually, last night, we decided to give it a try. We ate off of the izakaya menu, salmon skin salad, fried tofu, spinach, mussels, and okonomiyaki*. Service was pleasant, we had a generous sized bottle of house sake with our meal. The fried tofu was my fav. Diced green onions, shoyu based sauce and such a light crunch from the frying to give it a paper thin outer crisp. We were trying to eat healthy, so the okonomiyaki was a bit of an indulgence. Strangely, the waitress was confused when I asked for it and had some difficulty even pronouncing the dish...I swore she was Japanese, she spoke with an accent! She said she wasn't sure if "they had it." They did, it was delicious...thick chunks of bacon really added some character. Beer notes, Echigo, Orion, Hitachino White Nest and Hitachino XH available along with the typical mainstream Nippon brews. Good sized sake menu, though I'm no expert to comment on the quality of that. read more

I have driven past this place a number of times and have been meaning to stop by just hadn't until last week. I loved it! I have always picked other sushi places solely because the other places had a higher rating, and I am so glad I finally decided to try this. The prices felt reasonable, the service was solid and attentive. The sushi was great! My only minor unhappiness was with the salmon nigri...they put the wasabi on it for you and I'm not a fan of the wasabi at all. So I need to remember to ask them not to do that. Otherwise it was great! It is walking distance from my house and Oba is now my sushi place! read more

The first thing I will say is, the sushi IS good. It's actually quite delicious. It's a little pricey...but i will pay for good sushi, it's usually worth it. Unfortunately, the last time we ate there we were seated at the sushi bar and saw not one, but TWO cockroaches!!!! One was about as long as my finger. It was crawling over the sushi bar!!! I nearly threw up when I saw it and instantly lost my appetite. I'm not really one to complain at restaurants but I did let the waitress know about this. They gave us a 20% discount on top of the happy hour prices, but I would have rather paid full price and had that not happen. They said it was because they had just fumagated and that makes the bugs come out....but whatever. It was gross. read more

Oba has pretty good, overpriced sushi, and well priced appetizers. The bad thing about Oba is the hostess, who I believe is the owner. Each of the three times I have come, she has acted inconvenienced by having to seat us. The most recent time she was irritated that my friend and I didn't have reservations. She then managed to agree with us that we should go somewhere else. She didn't make any offers to move tables, or invite us to wait until she could accommodate us. I have never need to a restaurant with an owner who does not welcome customers and attempt to accommodate them. Definitely my last time at Oba. For amazing sushi, try Matsuri on Green. HEAVEN! read more

This place was awesome. Their menu is definitely not your standard kind of Japanese Restaurant. If your looking for something traditional you probably not going to enjoy this restaurant. With that said...if your looking for something different and exiting I find this restaurant to be a really cool Japanese fusion sort of place. Their sushi menu, which is pretty much all I eat in a Japanese restaurant, has all the trusty standards...but they incredible rolls that I couldn't pass up trying out of sheer interest. First off...the chimpanzee roll is a roll that literally has deep fried banana in it. I admit it doesn't taste like the usual roll you might get at a normal sushi bar...but I really enjoyed their creativity and ingenuity. If you are a fan of things being a little sweet I recommend the aforementioned dish. The other role I had was the RIchie Rich roll: Inside- spicy tuna, jalapeno, sweet sauce, yamagobo, Top - tuna, yellowtail, avocado, lemon rind, chili & ponzu. Our entire table agreed that this was the best dish on the table. I can't explain it's sinful goodness, you'll just have to try it! I can however say that the tuna and yellowtail gave it a sort of first, and then second taste...both equally delicious. Our table ordered the Jinyu 100 Poems Saki but forget to ask for it hot. When it came it was chilled in a cute dish with Ice. We were about to ask to have it heated...as none of us had drank cold Saki before, but we decided to wing it and give it a shot. I'm glad we did. I thought it would taste the same, just cold...but it had an entirely different quality when chilled and I discovered I enjoy Saki served both ways now. read more

Oba is my favorite sushi spot in Pasadena.. and I've been to most of them. The Richie Rich Roll is a consistent winner, but there are plenty of other palatable options to keep you coming back. Everything is reasonably-priced and the service is reliably affable and helpful. It stacks up well against pricier (e.g., Sugarfish) competition in the area. read more

received a gift card for this place last year do we decided to try this place out for lunch. i got the midori roll....spicy tuna wrapped in cucumber...NO RICE! this roll is perfect for none rice lovers like me...(i know right?? an asian girl that doesn't like rice? O_o lol) First time trying something like this and it wasn't bad at all...i also got the sashimi lunch box...5 pieces of sashimi, salad and miso soup... hunnie got something similar (forgot what the name was) sashimi, spicy tuna roll, rice and miso soup.... the decor was decent, tho the blanket on the wall was more Thai influenced rather than Japanese...i didn't get to see the other half of the restaurant but i'm sure it was nice service was great, very friendly and every time we asked for something we didn't have to wait more than a few mins over all we had a pretty good experience here =) read more

Pretty darn good Izakaya and sushi joint. Poke salad, Fatty Hamachi and Soft Shell crab are good. Short Ribs (kalbi) a bit too sweet. It's no Honda-ya when it comes to izakaya, but pretty good for Pasadena fare. read more

Avoid this place disguising as an authentic izakaya restaurant!!! I am a pretty good judge of sushi and Japanese food. In one dish, there were pieces of fish with the skin attached and scales visible!! The pieces were of horrible quality. Sushi is average at best. Service is okay. If you want real sushi, go down the 110 to Sushi Gen in Little Tokyo, which is 10-15 minutes away, for a similar price and much better food. Again, avoid!! read more

Great sushi. I'd been here many years ago but was amazed to see what an update to the place can do ... wonders for the overall business. I'm not sure if its under new ownership but all the players seems changed. Great for party gatherings! They used to have a Volcano roll here - glazed baby scallops that was off the hook. read more

The atmosphere is a little on the sparse side but the food is excellent! They have a huge menu of all things sushi and sashimi - fish is high quality. Lots of unique rolls - my wife's favorite is the Ritchie Rich roll. Overall, one of the better sushi bars in the area! read more

Best #sushi in #Pasadena!!! That's right I'm getting silly with the hashmarks because I just had a delicious meal! Went here for lunch today and I'll definitely be back again. Just a bit above my typical upper price limit for an everyday lunch, but it was worth it. Ordered short ribs and a spicy yellowtail roll, which came to $13 after tip. They have a variety of lunch options, all under $10, and that deal ends at 2:30pm, when they close until dinner. Only after I ate did I check Yelp and see that they also have happy hour drink specials starting at 5:30pm. Maybe I'll have to go back later today! read more

Meh. I really wanted to like this place a lot, and their menu sounded promising. But it's overpriced, and the sushi rolls were very disappointing. A few good dishes couldn't make up for the bad ones and the feeling that we got ripped off for a mediocre dinner. We ordered several rolls and appetizers, along with an entree, for delivery on a Saturday night. The woman I spoke with when I called to order was very nice and helpful, and the delivery came right on time (~45 minutes, as quoted). We ordered: -Oba fries: good and quite a kick with the seasoning -Seaweed salad: okay, hard to mess this up, but not quite as much flavor as usual -Richie Rich Roll: Weird flavor - tasted like the fish was old, and the lemon rind clashed instead of complemented it. Not a fan. -Chimpanzee Roll: Disgusting - I think the bananas were way overripe, and the tempura batter was super soggy by the time the food arrived. -Dragon Roll: good, your average dragon roll -Dynamite Appetizer: Too heavy on the butter that the seafood was evidently cooked in, but decent overall flavor -Sauteed mushrooms: Decent, with good texture and flavor -Spring Rolls: This was probably my favorite - very well made, perfectly crisp on the outside and soft inside with a great tangy dipping sauce -Coconut chicken: Rather misleading - I pictured these as flash fried with coconut flakes on the surface, but this was really basically chicken satay skewers a la Thai food. Delicious, though, with a tasty peanut/coconut sauce that seemed to be house-made -Teriyaki Salmon entree (came with miso soup and salad, along with two sides of mixed brown rice): Delicious, probably almost tied with the spring rolls as my favorite dishes. The salmon was perfectly cooked and tasty, and the teriyaki sauce was rich without overwhelming the salmon, rice, and vegetables and poured reasonably. The soup and salad were average. Total cost: about $130, including tip (!!!) Overall, not enough bang for the buck, especially since the sushi rolls were on the small side and not that great (mediocre quality fish plus some that were just gross). I may order teriyaki and appetizers again, but I'll go elsewhere for sushi. read more

Portions are small. Small side dish selection is rather grim. The service here was a little slow. Went with friends and tried most of their dishes. We were not pleased. The rolls are small. Even with happy hour the prices are steep for the portions and the quality that is served. I guess we had to try this place once. read more

This is a review just for lunch. I thought the sashimi was on the low quality side. Fish should not be 'stiff" when you pick it up! The fish color was off , and my chirashi had average presentation. The service was very good for me, and the food came out quickly. They do have pluses of brown rice, nice sake selection, and a variety of Japanese seasonal fish. I can't say this place struck me as being very traditional, however I may give it another try. Izakaya dishes I hope are much better..... 2.5 stars read more

I've eaten here a couple times now and this place is A-OK. The food is just fine and there is a good variety of items on the menu. I haven't been blown away by anything I've eaten here but I haven't been disappointed either. The wait staff is decent and the place itself is cute. This isn't at the top of my list of Japanese restaurants I want to go to but when I end up here I'm not upset about it. read more

This place continues to deliver the goods. Reasonably priced and super convenient. Not the best sushi I've ever had but still really, really good and they have some great stuff if you want to expand your palate a bit. Nice Gyoza, and Gyu Age. Nice Sake selection and friendly service. There's a lot to like about this place. read more

A great Japanese owned spot with legit Japanese fare. Fresh, high quality, tasty and at a very reasonable price! Large selection of imported Japanese beer and sake too! read more

Delicious Sushi! Congrats OBA - you hit the spot! OK so here is what I tried: salmon skin salad - first time trying this and it was very tasty. I was a bit hesitant and didn't think I would like the taste of crunchy salmon skin but this salad was very good. The miso eggplant was really really good, very flavorful. The baked mussels were delightful. I also enjoyed the paradise roll - they serve it with a great tasting sauce, I think it was a bit spicy. There was no need for soy sauce with this sushi, all of the fish was super doooper fresh. Can't wait to go back! read more

The food is yummy but the service sucks!!! If you want to be ignored and not get your order right then this is the place to go to.

Oba is my favorite sushi spot in Pasadena. The sushi/sashimi is always fresh and delicious! I especially love the pompano (which I've only seen here), red snapper, jumbo scallop, shima aji, soft shell crab, and the spicy tuna crunch. The prices are reasonable, the ambiance is nice, and the staff is friendly and professional. This is a great neighborhood sushi gem and not a chain. Support our local neighborhood businesses and get your sushi on. Grab your chopsticks! read more

The food I order here is tasty. I usually order the teriyaki salmon and spicy tuna lunch special. I also like the okonomiyaki. Service is great. They're very attentive and my drink never stays empty. read more

The Red Sea roll was amazing!! The green sauce on top went really well with the tuna. The crispy spicy tuna was good also, really crunchy. Eggplant was phenomenal!! read more

This gem of a restaurant offers the best quality sushi in town! Friendly service and always the freshest fish available. We have been coming to Oba for over a decade now and despite being to sushi locations from West LA, to little Tokyo to Tokyo, Japan, we find the food at Oba superior to the rest! Just sit at the bar and ask Alfonso what's fresh and he will tailor make your experience for exquisite omakase. He personally hand picks all the fish fresh from the morning market and only brings back the best cuts available. Lillie is the sweetest host and her beverage and draft beer selection will leave you quite satisfied for a night out. We refer everyone we know to Oba and have nothing but the greatest confidence that you will enjoy it too. read more

We happen to drive by this place one night and decided that as part of our izakaya phase we would try it out. The location is not very impressive since it's in a questionable strip mall, but the great food and service surely make up for it! This was our second time back for dinner in a span of three weeks. I was oh so craving the spicy tuna on crispy rice! We coincidentally got the exact same table and same waitress who totally remembered us! The chicken izakaya dish is much better than the MSG-sprinkled chicken wings from Furaibo. I think the sizes of their portions are pretty good too, and their prices are very reasonable at $3 - $5 a plate for various items. This is definitely one of our local izakaya favorites, and we WILL be back :) read more

i just tried this place with my husband and he loves it. I thought its ok. If u like sushi then its great . They have unique beers and baby yellowtail. But for freaks like me who can't eat raw stuff i would pass. I tried the chicken teriyaki which was ok, a little bland. Then i ordered the cucumber salad which was gross, the vinegar tasted weird. but the oba wing was ok, it was crispy but i wish it had some spice or flavor. but one thing i did like was the cucumber roll, but its almost impossible to mess that up. read more

Clean, fresh, authentic Japanese cuisine. The Richie Rich roll is to die for! I would eat it everyday if I could. Spicy tuna roll topped with fresh salmon and yellowtail sashimi with avocado, thinly sliced lemon, jalapeno and drizzled with ponzu and chili oil. Soooo good I find myself looking for this type of roll at other sushi restaurants. Unfortunately, you have to be Richie Rich Richer to afford it. One roll is15.5 dollars! Excellent lunch specials, scrumptious small plates. All fresh, fresh, fresh and pleasant atmosphere. read more