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    Wa Izakaya - SGV

    4.6 (113 reviews)

    Wa Izakaya - SGV Photos

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    WA IZAKAYA - SGV ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Intimate
    Classy

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    Dragon Roll
    Randall M.

    Hit the spot for a random afternoon craving for sushi. Wait time was longer than usual. 30 minutes for 3 or 4 items which all arrived at the same time. Had to remind my server about my miso soup which should've come first... like in the first 10 minutes. A robot brings you your food - my food came from the server. Really nice guy -- English wasn't great so it was difficult to communicate but nice guy nonetheless. Ambiance on brand for chino, Rowland, west co restaurant.

    Salmon Ikura Bowl
    Vanessa L.

    The restaurant is located in the same plaza with CVS at the corner of Las Tunas and San Gabriel. Parking was easy to find. We arrived on a Sunday night and were seated immediately. A friend suggested that he wanted to try this place. Since I recently got back from Japan, I was definitely not ready to pay US prices so it was definitely $$$ to me. Love the salmon, ikura and uni, the food was super fresh and tasty. Love having the seaweed to make mini handrolls. My daughter got the kids teriyaki and only ate the gyoza and oranges. The chicken was on the dry end but it may have been better if it was eaten when it was still hot and fresh. This would not be our go to for any other apps, sushi, or yakitori. Would come back for the bowls.

    Yellowtail kama
    Assunta L.

    Wa Chirashi has the best presentation! Fresh seafood and yummy sushi rice. Udon is big portion and good deal. This restaurant also has a good selection of rolls. We tried their caterpillar roll and didn't disappoint. The yellowtail kama is huge! Service is friendly and attentive. Parking in a lot.

    Omakase moriawase 15 pieces
    Ashley L.

    This restaurant is underrated! Had lunch on a Saturday at 12pm and there was surprisingly no one there, but it was nice that we were seated right away. Service was great- very attentive and friendly, and frequently made sure we had everything we needed. We ordered the 15 piece sashimi for 2 people and the chef was kind enough to add a few extra pieces for us since we were sharing. - Omakase moriawase: 10/10 fish is very fresh with a nice selection. Came with a spoon of a green onion sauce which reminded me of the sauce that comes with hainan chicken, but with a kick of yuzu and wasabi. It was delicious! Also very pretty presentation! - Chicken karaage (not pictured): 10/10 very light, crispy and juicy. Came with a lemon-y aioli which was a perfect pairing. It's a little pricey, but I will definitely be back to try other options!

    Nelson H.

    Ordering a Toro Uni Bowl, good enough but could be better... given less than the pictures shown from Yelp. Could be costing increasing... Services were good enough and efficient, there's miso soup came with... The decor is very elegant for a modern Japanese sushi restaurant.... Hope they do well...

    Virginia T.

    Warning - service is slow. There's about 8 tables total tonight and only 1 server. She wasn't very efficient sadly. We ordered one of the Chirashi bowls to share and asked what fish was on the menu today. She said different everyday that it's the Chef's choice. We said.. well, what is todays's list and she said she didn't know. Disappointing. If she's new, that's fine, but they should at least have another sever help out. Our Chirashi bowls came with complimentary miso soup. Average soup, on the saltier side. Fish is not bad. Most of the fish tasted like quality. There was uni with caviar, salmon, toro, ebi with fried head, scallop, tamago, hibachi, salmon roe, and a couple others. A little pricey for the bowl compared to most other places I usually go to. $55 for the large bowl. Not sure if I'll come back. Maybe in the future if they work on the service as the fish was good.

    deep fried squid with a sweet and sour sauce.
    Kim J.

    This was my first time here and we went at a weird off hour time so that we didn't have a wait. I ordered a lot of the usual stuff I love at izakayas - grilled beef tongue, pork belly, the spicy tuna crispy rice, sausage. But I was intrigued by the yuzu salmon carpaccio, the deep fried squid and miso cod so we ordered that, too, with a Kirin beer and a rice based beer (I said "Ichiban" but maybe they mistook that for a different beer for my husband). The place is located in a mini-mall and had a grand opening not long ago (hence the sign outside). It's small-ish but they do have bar counter seating so if you're a party of one, you can probably succeed in getting a spot. I have to say that the star here is the spicy tuna crispy rice. I'm not into avocado on my crispy rice but the bottom rice ingredient is CRISPEH like the rice you find at the bottom of any rice cooker that families fight for. The spicy tuna is legit spicy with no mayo to ease it down. The yuzu salmon carpaccio was our fave because it did include a very fragrant olive oil drizzled on it to match with the acidity of the yuzu and the salmon was not cooked by the acid so it wasn't a ceviche. The cooked items were of note as well. I loved the way they did the beef tongue and flavored it with the yuzu kosho as they were grilling it so you didn't have to have the kosho tableside. It was already infused when you ate it off the skewer. The arabiki sausage was nicely sweet; alas no hot mustard. One of the cheffy standouts was the miso cod; both sweet and savory. It's a pricey item since it's $20 for a small portion but it pairs so nice with a shared bowl of rice. I like this place and I hope it sticks around. I think the owner speaks limited English but she does have waiters that help you out and the staff are all very attentive.

    Miso Soup
    Esther G.

    Fresh, high quality food and friendly service. Super clean and parking in lot available. Great value compared to Bay Area. Ever since baby came along, I appreciate even more restaurants with no wait! Food: Yuzu salmon-my favorite dish of the meal. Bright yuzu flavor and fresh salom. Wa Chirashi- all of the fish selection were fresh and delicious. I devoured this! Ika geso- at first bite I wasn't a fan but once the sauces were mixed together that changed everything. Unique yuzu flavor but I've had better elsewhere. Complementary miso soup pretty standard.

    Ellen H.

    Great service and small hidden gem Sushi was super fresh and delicious They have fresh wasabi that come with the premium chirashi bowl the blue and blue crab uni bowl was delicious as well good portion Ambiance was Asia fusion feel Would recommend for there sushi It's behind the CVS plaza kinda hidden Don't judge the outside the staff is super friendly and the seafood are fresh

    tempura ice cream
    Kristy O.

    The sushi here is solid. You get lots of pieces and thicker pieces of fish for a good price. My favorite roll was the sunset roll! My family and I also ordered the tempura ice cream for dessert. It wasn't the best tempura ice cream we've ever had. It could have had a crispier exterior and the ice cream didn't have a strong matcha flavor.

    Miso Soup
    Conway L.

    Came here on a weekend night and it was surprisingly quick to get seated. Parking wasn't too bad as the restaurant is located in the plaza on San Gabriel and Las Tunas. The restaurant is decorated in Japanese artwork that looked amazing! There was two large televisions which were showcasing sports which I appreciated! The noise level is quiet and very intimate. The waiter was ecstatic in greeting us and going over the menu options and specials. He explained all of the omakase options along with what were recommended and alcohol selection as well. We really appreciated that! I ended up getting the Toro Uni Bowl which was delicious and tasty! The uni was so fresh where as the toro and bowl itself had such a smooth and unique flavor profile. I would definitely order this again! I also cared to try their handrolls. I ordered the salmon handroll and the yellowtail handroll. The salmon handroll was good however, I was a bit surprised about the lettuce that was in it. I never have had lettuce in a handroll before and I ended up just taking it out. The yellowtail handroll was fantastic though and the portion of the fish was great. Overall, a wonderful and wholesome experience at Wa Izakaya, I'd recommend my friends and family members to come here if they wanted a nice dinner!

    BBQ beef skirt teriyaki
    Eric I.

    Excellent authentic Japanese izakaya restaurant. The biggest saba (grilled mackerel) I've ever seen! Huuuuge. I had the katsu - excellent. My daughter had the BBQ beef skirt teriyaki and I tried a piece and it was delicious. Service was awesome too. The couple who I believe own/run the place were super nice and gracious. A big TV with NBA basketball on - what more could you ask for?

    Wa Sushi Omakase
    Linda L.

    We were probably the last customer before the restaurant closed. We were so happy that they seated us. I was stabbing and ordered the sashimi late. My son ordered the California rolls. Our server was very nice. I'm sure she wanted to go home but still served us without trying to rush us to finish eating faster. We got the chicken skewers and those were tender, juicy, and tasty. My son and I had a great dining experience

    Comfy atmosphere

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    Wa Izakaya - SGV Reviews in Other Languages

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    Izakaya Tonchinkan

    Izakaya Tonchinkan

    4.4
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    o6.27.2o26 Amazing…read morefood, friendly staff, awesome vibes, great company! A colleague took a few of us to this restaurant. When I got to the lot, it took me a few minutes to locate the restaurant because the name sign was super low-key. The restaurant is pretty small but feels cozy. My colleague already ordered before I got there so I just ate whatever they put on the table! The only one I didn't like as much was the beef? It was too salty for my taste. The sashimi platter was the best! The corn tempura was new to me and it was so good! I think my kids would love it. The grilled whole seabass was amazing. I need to find time to take my family there kind of good!

    Visited Izakaya Tonchinkan on a Saturday night, around 8:45 pm after a long day spent at the nearby…read moreSanta Anita Horse Track. Restaurant is located in a small strip mall, with a fair amount of parking. There isn't a flashy restaurant sign in front of the building, and once you step in, it truly feels like you are in a small, homey Izikaya in Japan. The restaurant only has a few booths, a few tables and bar seating inside, so reservations are highly recommended on a busy Saturday night. My boyfriend and I got lucky that they were able to accommodate us within 10 minutes, because there was seating available at the bar. There is a physical Drink menu (sake, beer, etc.) and the food menu can be viewed by scanning a QR code with your phone. The waitress made suggestions about which dishes she personally liked & we ordered whatever she suggested, along with some of the things we thought looked good. *7/10 Toro w/ seaweed *8/10 Moriwase (chef's selection of sashimi) 2 each of 5 different sashimi. There was one cut I did not particularly care for. *7/10 chicken wings *10/10 Beef tongue-- Tender, but firm. Delicious, a must try! *10/10 Ankimo-- creamy and paired well with the ponzu and fresh seaweed *10/10 Fried Seabass-- they served the entire fish, which is rare. *10/10 Sous-vide Duck breast-- must try! *10/10 Nikomi stew--simple, but delicious! *10/10 Matcha Oolong Panna Cotta-- subtly sweet with a smooth texture. It was so good, that we ordered two! The only reason that I only gave it a four out of five stars is because the service was slow. All of our dishes, came out in time, but no drink refills were given and the server never came back to collect our check for payment. So we had to walk it up to them ourselves. For a small space, with three servers, it shouldn't be hard to attend to all the customers. The menu can be pricey, but food is delicious! Along with exceptional service, eating here is worth it.

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    Icho Izakaya

    Icho Izakaya

    3.7
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    Second time dining here! I came for lunch on my first visit, and this time decided to try their…read moredinner set. The offerings felt pretty similar, though I'm not entirely sure if the pricing differs between lunch and dinner. The food arrived hot, fresh, and satisfying, just like I remembered. Service was decent overall, but we did have to flag someone down a couple of times for water and a missing item. Nothing major--just something to keep in mind. The restaurant tends to stay pretty busy, so a little patience goes a long way. Luckily, there are TVs to keep you entertained while you wait. The ambiance has a modern Chinese aesthetic with tasteful décor that gives the space a cozy, welcoming vibe. There's also plenty of parking, and it's conveniently located near other shops if you feel like strolling around after your meal. The dinner sets are reasonably priced for the average appetite. If you're a big eater, you may want to add a couple of extra dishes, but overall it's a solid value. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't been yet!

    Located in a plaza with plenty of free parking…read more Came for lunch on a weekday and surprised by how packed it was! Waited about 10 minutes for a table. Their lunch special is such a good deal. Came to try their $16.99 deal that comes with 2 items of choice and comes with soup and salad. The workers are very friendly and nice. The vibes are also very nice! It's also a lot bigger inside!

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    No 1 Kazoku

    No 1 Kazoku

    4.0
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    Amazing food with amazing service! The workers were very helpful and the food tastes great! This…read moreis a must go to place if you're in the area.

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    Mills Alley

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    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!

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    Akami Sushi

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    I love this place!! I've been here twice and the first time was sooo goood but the only downfall…read morewas we didn't have a reservation so we ended up waiting 45 minutes. This place can get PACKED during dinner and for good reason, the ambiance, vibes and fooood. I made a reservation for Friday night at 6 PM and was quickly seated. I love the Akami Don Set ($57) and it's so good and filling! I've also had the sushi deluxe before which is good as well :) My friends ordered the sashimi deluxe and they loved it! Each of our meal came on a tray with little dishes of veggies, tofu, sushi and the main course. My don set came with dashi soup after I was finished and my friends dishes came with miso soup. Service is always so friendly and kind! The first time I came, staff gave my friend and I a free dessert to try out which was super nice of them. There is a small lot out in the front for parking but I prefer parking in the back to avoid the dinner rush. I highly recommend making a reservation on Open Table.

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    Wa Izakaya - SGV - sushi - Updated August 2026

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