Tried the Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura Lunch combo(included miso soup, rice, and salad) and Vanilla Sesame Ice Cream. I was satisfied with both the food and service, no complaints in either area. Menu pricing seems to be within average range for this type of restaurant. The seats are reasonably comfortable, and parking availability in the area seems to be dicey. Upon entry into the restaurant, the staff will greet you by banging on a drum. That’s all I got for now. ‘Til next time …
Nicole F.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Arcadia, CA
Extra star because the waitress was really nice. Came in right before they closed on a Friday night and they still served us. Sushi was very mediocre. Nothing special.
Frank C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Long Beach, CA
Was in the Pasadena area and was craving some Japanese beer. And what better pairing with Japanese beer than Japanese appetizers? This restaurant is located in Pasadena south of Colorado Blvd and off of S. Lake Avenue on Green Street. This area has other fantastic restaurants such as Bistro 45 and Malbec’s. Matsuri’s is down the block from Malbec’s, I started off with Orion Brewing’s Limited Lager. Now, I am not a huge fan of lagers, but if I wanted an IPA, I wouldn’t have chosen Japanese! The beer poured golden in color with about a one-finger head that settled after a few minutes. The beer tasted super smooth with a slight hint of herbal bitterness. I wasn’t starving, so I ordered their Shishi-to Peppers and the Pork Berkshire Sausage. Both were great paired with the beer. The Shishi-to Peppers were nice and spicy, some more than others. The Sausage was grilled nicely, had a nice texture, and was accompanied with some spicy mustard. Staff is super friendly. Parking on the street is hit-or-miss, but I had no problems finding parking on the street. They do have a small parking lot behind the restaurant. Pricing was very reasonable for the area — its Pasadena. All in all, this family owned and operated restaurant has been in this location for almost 15-years and serves up some of the freshest sashimi — the sushi chef catches and prepares specials based on their catches. Enjoy.
Cathe d.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Walnut Creek, CA
I was staying at the nearby DusitD2 Hotel and, in the mood for Japanese food, happened to find my way into Matsuri. What a fortunate find. I ordered Chirashi which included their wonderful, spicy poke, and a wide variety of sashimi with shiso, daikon and tamago, over sushi rice. They used a furikake that I am not familiar with, but which added great flavor. The unagi was crispy crusted and still moist. I asked about the music and the host brought me the CD, purchased in Japan, for me to take notes. Service was warm and welcoming. The fish was immaculately prepared, and I only wish I travel more often to Pasadena
Amber H.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Pasadena, CA
The food here is ALWAYSDELICIOUS. The reason for the four stars is bc you usually have to wait, even for the sushi bar sometimes, but the restaurant is small. I ordered the sea bass special and it was wonderful and fresh. The chef caught it 2 days before on a fishing trip. The miso soup was flavorful and the rice was so good I kept eating it with no soy sauce and I was full. The hot sake was strong but I added it to my green tea. The service here is always outstanding, as well. All the servers are very attentive and help one another. FYI– an added + there are no microwaves at all(we asked for the sake to be reheated and he informed us of this fact because he was not sure if we wanted to wait, as we had already finished our meal) For a good variety try the lunches specials!!!
Marian L.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Pasadena, CA
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 (9FOODITEMSTOTAL) 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 $ 100TOPS 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.
Christy M.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Pasadena, CA
Best sushi in Pasadena, hands down.(Full disclosure: have not been to Sugarfish since it opened in Pasadena, which could compete for the title) I can’t think of a bad meal I’ve had here. I like to stop here after work and grab a bite. Get there before 7 and you can walk in and grab a table no problem. After 7, forget about it, you’re waiting for 45 minutes. The sushi is very fresh. I’ve never had bad sushi here, never had questionable sashimi, and never had a bad reaction to any of the food, including the raw fish. So what’s good? The chirashi is fantastic. The crab roll is delicious. The shiso hot, I think it is called, rice cake topped with spicy tuna, is wonderful. Seaweed salad is so big it’s like a full meal. Soba is yummy. Tempura is perfect. Etc. Everything is good. It’s difficult to find a spot in the area with sushi/sashimi you trust. This is the one in Pasadena.
Dorothy J.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Los Angeles, CA
It’s an OK place, but for Pasadena there are much better sushi places. Each sushi and sashimi piece was rather small, but at least they were fresh. Standard california rolls, spicy tuna rolls, and sashimi. Nothing special. Sushi bar might’ve been better for more variety in sashimi.
Helen Y.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Pasadena, CA
My husband and I stop by every time we are in Little Tokyo… breakfast, lunch, or dinner, always great food and reasonable prices.
Shannon N.
Rating des Ortes: 5 West Covina, CA
This place is super small. I stumbled upon it by accident. It’s very authentic and the fish is SUPERB. Fresh and buttery. With sushi all you need it quality, fresh fish and this place delivers. No frills, clean, delicious sushi. I’m in love! And a great price! I got a sashimi lunch for under $ 15!!!
Will R.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Pasadena, CA
Matsuri is one of my favorite Sushi spots. First tip, wait for the sushi bar! The sushi chefs are extremely nice and after going there only once or twice remembered our names and what we liked to do. Second tip, Ask the chefs for Omakase. They will give you an assortment of sushi that they recommend(typically fresh fish and exotic things). Final tip, save room for mochi!
Irene Y.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Orange County, CA
I came here recently to enjoy an authentic Japanese meal. I ordered the sashimi super dinner and thoroughly enjoyed it. They do have a small parking lot dedicated to their patrons, but if you come during peak hours plan to spend time finding street parking.
Jen L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Los Angeles, CA
I don’t know if it’s just luck but everytime I’ve been here the fish has always been very fresh! Nice neighborhood restaurant, I’ve been here for lunch and dinner and you can tell they have a lot of regulars. It’s not an upscale sushi restaurant and they don’t pretend to be. It’s a solid, mid range priced sushi/Japanese food restaurant and as long as you don’t have super high expectations you’ll leave satisfied.
Ardem A.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Santa Monica, CA
Very fresh and delicious Sashimi. The service is fast and sushi Chiefs are excellent. Be ready to wait a while for a table.
Pat C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Pasadena, Los Angeles, CA
Matsuri is my sushi bar home away from home. I don’t want to sound like every other review and say they have the freshest fish or the most authentic Japanese cuisine, but they do. What this place may lack in table service, they more than make up for at the sushi bar. The fishermen brothers, AG and Jun are at the heart of this family owned and run restaurant making every time a visit with old friends. And, the quality of food is tip top, wether you order off the menu or try something new like shisohot or salmon with lemon and sea salt or live uni(if John hasn’t gotten there first).
Kathleen N.
Rating des Ortes: 4 San Gabriel, CA
I would recommend the sashimi dinner, chirashi, and nabeyaki udon as entrees to order. Both the sashimi dinner and chirashi starts off with miso soup, and the sashimi dinner also comes with a side of rice. Yummy appetizers to split with friends includes the black cod or soft shell crab. Their tempura is also great because it’s nice and light and not caked on heavy like other places. On a cold night, the nabeyaki udon is my favorite, which comes in a stone pot and includes a variety of mushrooms, fish cake, greens, an egg, and shrimp tempura.
Jamie K.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Pasadena, CA
Awesome chirashi bowl and great prices. During Christmas eve and other special occasions, they give a little bit more fish. The best part of the chirashi bowl was the uni and the the Toro fish. Salmon skin salad was amazing. I would probably ask for less dressing or on the side it was a little salty for me. Toro sushi melted in my mouth. I wanted some more after we finished it. Parking on green street can get a little tricky at times, but still worth the hassle for this hidden gem.
Ivan I.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Pasadena, CA
Long story short… We aren’t gonna come back :( First time writing a negative review.
Benjamin U.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Chicago, IL
I’ve been here a few times. Food and service is generally ok. The most recent time, I tried to get an omakase but they lady told me it would probably take too long because they were so busy so she wouldn’t let me order it… Fish is relatively fresh. I ended up ordering a nigiri from the sushi bar(yellow tail, blue fin tuna, and red snapper) all were pretty fresh and enjoyable but a little pricey The chirashi was not the best both taste and price point. I know its chefs choice but what sushi restaurant that takes it self seriously would put SPICYTUNA in a chirachi bowl… seriously. Spicy tuna is usually a lower quality fish that is masked by the spice. In addition, the salmon roe was not fresh. The rest of the fish selection was OK. Matsuri serves up some fresh selections but I would’ve preferred to try the omakase. I may have to come back to see if it redeems itself.
Mitch W.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Los Angeles, CA
I’m not a big sushi fan but the food and service here were good. Good parking behind the building. We had reservations but they weren’t necessary for a Wednesday evening. It was quiet and the ambiance was cozy. Would definitely come back.