Japon Bistro

This place is awesome. I've been there a couple of times and the one thing that stands out is the friendly atmosphere and service. The sushi is always fresh and tasty. I recommend the Salmon Carpachio and if you're not sure what to eat just ask for a DNA roll. The service is customer friendly and very knowledgeable on the dishes they serve. It's a great experience and everyone should try it. They have a huge selection of sake. Call ahead of time to reserve a table because it's always busy. Pros: Great food, service, and owner. Cons: nothing more

Extremely overrated, less than average sushi that is overpriced for both the quality and portion size at $50 per person. I really do not understand how this restaurant got decent reviews, unless it was from friends and relatives. The yellowtail and salmon were grainy and tough. The hot appetizers flavorless. The seaweed soft and chewy. Service was o.k. The restaurant has decent ambience, but would never go back as both the quality and quantity are better at Gin Sushi, a dive restaurant 2 miles East. Pros: nothing Cons: bad fish, overpriced more

After reading all the reviews on City Search, my husband and I decided to try it. We were very disappointed in the whole experience. The food was mediocre and over-priced. Service was okay--the chefs at the bar were much more attentive than the waiter I kept trying to flag down to get a glass of water. Pros: Parking lot around the corner... Cons: Food; price more

The taro sushi (fatty tuna) was $15.00 for each order ($7.50 each piece) & it was big and nasty! Katsuya in Studio City has a waayy better taro for $8.00 an order. Everything else was ok. Not a big sake drinker, so the place did not appeal to me. Pros: Fresh oysters Cons: overprices taro ($15 for 2 pieces) more

I love this place. Having gone there frequently over the past 3 years I can say the food and service are consistently great. Koji is extremely friendly and willing to give you loads of info on sake and will sit with you and enjoy it as well. The sushi chefs are always smiling, will make fantastic suggestions when asked and the presentation is always perfect. The Toro is to die for and all the fish is extremely fresh. Pros: fresh fish, great service, ample parking more

I brought a good friend to Japon Bistro to celebrate her birthday. Our experience, in every aspect, was excellent. Koji, the manager, greeted us cheerfully and spent a good amount of time with us providing his recommendations for dinner. My friend loved the ""museum roll"" with an amazing smoked salmon (Koji explained the salmon is smoked in Japon Bistro's own kitchen, and boy, you could really taste the difference!) The sake selection was impressive and fun to choose from. Our waiter was friendly, personable, and always smiling. What made our experience stand out (aside from the awesome food) was the customer service. Koji and our waiter (sorry, didn't get his name) stopped by our table constantly and gave us plenty of attention. We were made to feel like special customers. Dinner was capped off with a tasty dessert of fried bananas with several delicate scoops of sesame seed, lychee, and mango ice creams. Yummy! The staff sang ""Happy Birthday"", much to the delight of my friend. I was so happy and satisfied with my experience at Japon Bistro, and my friend couldn't stop raving about what a great place it was. Thank you, Japon Bistro, for an extremely positive and memorable evening! more

While visiting Pasadena from the East Coast a few weeks ago, several people highly recommended Japon Bistro as the best restaurant offerring sushi in the area. Much to my surprise not only was the Japanese cuisine exquisite but the extensive sake list was ""over the top."" Pros: EXCELLENT VARIETY OF AUTHENTIC CUISINE more

this sort-a obscure spot is a diamond in the rough. with many pasadena sushi resturants having the 1/2 price tag after their names, this ONE is the real deal. after reading the #1 rating, i decided to try this sushi bar thinking CS was ""bought"". I am very happy to say I was absolutely wrong...sorry CS. the owner was walking around last night talking to customers and really enjoying his sushi audience. I believe his name was clarence. every item was fresh and very well ppresented. known for it's saki's, however i had beer. service was prompt, and no ""attitude"" from anyone. this restaurant is literally right around the corner from the famous IceHouse, which was our final destination. If you are a serious sushi eater, this is a great spot. Pros: Absolutely the freshest sushi in the city of Pasadena Cons: parking in Pasadena is a pain, but be patient more

I love coming to the Japon Bistro. They have the best sushi ever and excellent service in Los Angeles. more

I was not a great fan of raw fish but Japon Bistro made me crazy for sushi. Its sea bream, spanish mackerel, tuna, salmon, toro, bluefin tuna...you name it...everything is great AND FRESH. The special rolls, appetizers and rare and unique tasting sakes...can't leave out anything. I loved this place and now it becomes my family's favourite. My daughter loves egg sushi (tamago), my wife is crazy about toro sushi and sashimi roll. My son can't say no to Nabeyaki udon. Service? I've never had such attentive and friendly servers in anywhere else. They take good care of the customers. It seems like servers know all the customers, asking about the family and work etc. Incredible thing is, when I came back with my co-workers, she still remembers my family and asked about them...I was amazed. Definitely our favourite!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! Pros: freshness of food, friendliness of servers and chefs Cons: tricky to find coz it has small sign outside... more

Everything we had was cooked or prepared exquisitely. I'm usually not a fan of large complex rolls, but their special rolls had such wonderful taste and texture. Highly recommended. more

I've been to Japon Bistro twice in about four years time and am often ambivalent about the experience. First, the menu is great and their selection is varied and interesting compared to what the local Japanese restaurants offer. However, the actual quality of the food is not as outstanding. The sushi is good but not of extreme quality and the cut rolls are not as crisp as they could be. The hot food items are decent though nothing to get excited about. On any given night, the restaurant is always almost only 50% full. I'm not sure if they really want to improve upon their business and marketing but first they need to get another sign made because you can barely see the restaurant from off the street. The Pita Pita restaurant next to them is more obvious! Also, the service is not extremely attentive and the overall atmosphere feels a bit detached. Pros: Nice little hole in the wall feel with decent sake selection Cons: Parking can be tricky as to even flnding the place... more

I highly recommend this sushi restaurant if you are looking for good food, good sushi, good sake choices, good atmosphere, and a great dining experience! The menu has something for everyone - and though the ambiance is incredible, quiet, and romantic - our kids love this restuarant too. This is not your average sushi restaurant, and the food preparations are beautiful as well as delicious. The staff is very firendly, and the owner should be commended on how well the restaurant is run - we have been dining here for two years without a flaw. If you had a bad experience at this fine establishment, you came in looking for fast food service sushi, and cheap prices. Pros: Ambiance, sake choices, interesting sushi choices more

We decided to try this place due to most of the responses below. We had to park on the street which, by the way, led to some damage to my car because of some angry man on a violent rampage pushing newspaper stands into Colorado blvd, but anyways... Pros: Great sushi! Good music (even though no one really pays attention) Cons: Parking ha ha. more

I don't even like sushi and this restaurant made me a fan. The food is delicious. The service is excellent. The prices aren't too bad. The atmosphere is very romantic and perfect for any date. Parking may be difficult on popular nights. Try to make a reservation but its not always necesary. Pros: delicious food! Cons: parking may be hard to find more

Before coming to this restaurant, I never ate any raw fish/foods. But then I was introduced to their Pasadena Roll, which has shrimp tempura, crab, avocado, cucumber, then topped with spicy tuna and tempura crumbs... It was fabulous! This is a must order every time. The restaurant also serves a huge selection of sake, I ordered a sampler and it was delicious... I definitely recommend this place. The small store front may be misleading but once you enter you are pleasantly surpised by the inviting atmosphere. Their service was spectacular... they treated us like we were the only customers in the restaurant and catored to our every need! more

Alright people quit writing your reviews while drunk on sake or beer. The ambiance is pleasant the staff is nice but not trained well (denny's level at best). Sushi about a C+, cooked food was awful. Even the manager came by and apologized for the food being unacceptable saying that he would look check his supplier. Pros: its in pasadena Cons: bad food more

Let's get one thing straight about Japon Bistro: This is *Fusion* Japanese food. If you're looking for authentic, ""OG"" Sushi, check out the best in town, IMHO, Sushi Sasabune. However, that being said, Japon Bistro is a Wonderfully Romantic Fusion Sushi Bar / Restaurant! And it's certainly THE best Japanese Fusion Sushi Bar in the San Gabriel Valley. Pros: Fusion Dishes; Fresh Fish; Cozy Atmosphere in a Modern Way Cons: Slightly pricey; Not as good as the top tier in So Cal more

You can get it clean and straight ahead, or you can get it with a southwest fusion flair. Either way, Japon Bistro won't disappoint. Not cheap, but worth the price. Lunch specials are a very good deal. Tempura is crispy and light. The Rib Eye lunch special gets you loads of meat for the price. When feeling more adventuresome, do dinner -- the specials and different versions of Japanese will have you ready to try more new things. Recommended: crispy rice, southwest roll (if you can handle spicy)... can't think of all the rest... but all good. more

I've been a Pasadena resident for 7 years and tried every sushi establishment in LA and this is absolutely one of the best. Friendly staff, fast service every time I've gone...which is about twice a month. Everything on the menu is unique, fresh and delicious. Nice portion sizes and always, always great quality food! Thanks Japon for being consistently great! Pros: Can always get a table, no wait. Consistently good. Easy parking on the street. more