SUGARFISH by sushi nozawa in Pasadena

Always a treat to go to Sugarfish. Great sushi and amazing service. Always get the Nowzawa Trust Me

Best Sushi in Town! Hands Down, it’s just amazing Quality & Freshness. The Staff are very friendly, Great Service! It’s a treat for me, Nice for a Business Lunch, or a great atmosphere for a Date Night! Compared to general sushi joints it’s more expensive, but for the Quality & Service it’s a Fair Value!

Sugarfish is always a masterpiece in my eyes. I’ll start by saying it’s simply the best sushi/sashimi I’ve ever had. This might change one day as I try more places.The wait: eh. It’s usually an hour or so. there’s a bit of stuff to walk around and see, and a nice Mexican restaurant with a bar.The food: 10/10. I get the “trust me” and it’s always amazing.The atmosphere: great. It’s a small restaurant. Cozy. Comfortable. I love it.The service: 10/10 as well.

The food is pretty good and so is the presentation. But, when it’s made to-go, the taste isn’t as good. You can’t call to order the food—you must use their website or Postmates. Mind you, there are A LOT of one-way streets near here, so be careful when you’re driving around the vicinity.Update: Recently we revisited the restaurant and got Don’t Think About It Just Eat. It was $59 each. I did not like the grilled eel. It had a lot of fine bones and wasn’t cooked right. It lacked the teriyaki flavor, too. The bill was steep, but the quality and service didn’t justify the price.

Its a dining experience beyond comparison. Upscale Japanese cuisine with a nod to the trendy and upscale.

Hot sushi alert !!! Yes, I said HOT sushi! Not spicy, literally hot in temperature. Antithetical to the concept of sushi!! Not just one experimental dish- it ALL came out hot, and then the server hat the NERVE to tell me it was the intention of the chef!!!!! Take the time to cool your rice!!! This placed is way too overhyped and overly expensive and seats way too many people at once. I don’t like eating in a stranger’s lap!!! QUALITY OVER QUANTITY COUNTS, GREEDY CORPORATE C$&*S!!!!! Don’t think, just eat x 3 hot sushi

Had alovely time when I was on me holidays, there was nothing realy on the menu that I fancied, so the helpfully staff done me some fish and chips. We had a lock in and watched big trouble in the China on the old blue Ray. Ten out 10

First time and last time.I had the Nozawa $39 set.The attached photo is what the rice looks like.Did the chef even took a formal training? This is totally unacceptable.Fish is so thin.You are just paying for their rent.

Great selection of fresh fish. Don’t expect larger portions unless you order the chef’s assortment option. A 16% gratuity is automatically incorporated into your parties final bill.

Horrible pricing for the quality and quantity of sushi. Nigiri’s rice was not packed at all, poor quality. Genuinely very dissatisfied, especially when I paid 60 dollars for cheap quality food.

I love these simple menu, no extra sauces type sushi spots. Quality fish & meats with excellent rice.Just be aware I don’t believe there are reservations. It’s first come first serve and seating can get mixed with other partiesThey start you off with some simple Edamame & I decided to order the “Trust me” with tuna sashimi, albacore sushi, salmon sushi, toro hand roll, Japanese yellowtail sushi, Hirami sushi & blue Dungeness crab hand roll.I also added the uni sushi, Lobster handroll, unagi sushi & bay scallops hand roll. I’m a big eater & every piece was on point. A very delicious selection and I didn’t really need to use the soy sauce as much because the taste was amazing.I got a ticket out in front for an expired meter. Sucks but at least the food was excellent! Will definitely come back again.

On their website, the menu showed the omasake we ordered was $39, where we were seated in the restaurant after 1 hour waiting, the menu showed it was $46. I cannot believe it! Also, hardly believe they used warm rice for Nigiri but not Sushi Rice, the rice could not stick together, I could not use the chopsticks to get the whole Nigiri, I got to use the spoon. Warm Rice with Raw Fish but not Sushi Rice....I cannot believe it!

Scallop, sweet shrimp, yellowtail, kampachi, and blue crab hand rolls are our fav! So yummy with reasonable price. Remember to redeem check-in points to receive free Trust Me set on your birthday :)

Consistently delivers great food and service. There is parking behind the building specifically for Sugar Fish, a parking lot that is reasonably priced and has always had open spots.

This is probably the most unadulterated sushi experience. They serve the sushi gradually and in "course style" which is elegant and sophisticated. Have never had anything bad here. Staff is also kind, attentive, and passionate about working here. They are knowledgeable and can guide

The food was great but the seating was a bit too crammed for the times of the covid.Update: went back a second time with friends since I had a great experience the first time. The fish was mostly still good but found a few bones to pick:1. the rice on the nigiri didnt stick together, half the rice fell when I tried to pick up a piece. rice seemed a bit too warm and didnt taste like sushi rice.2. the sashimi was drenched in this sour sauce. the sauce was too sour for me and covered any taste of the fish. the sashimi from the previous visit was not drowned in sauce and were thicker cuts.

My favorite sushi restaurant. Lots of friendly good service. Enjoy eating here. We were very lucky and were seated immediately. Its annoying when we have to wait for an hour or more sometimes, but we keep coming back and taking the chance of being seated quickly.

Very delicately prepared take out and very IG worthy. It is a bit pricey and I was still left hungry even when I ordered some extra rolls to share. It was worth a try though! I went to pick it up on a Friday night around 9pm and the restaurant was so crowded! Excellent service and friendly hostess.

Went here for a birthday with a party of 6 mid afternoon on a Saturday. We were seated immediately. Only two single use bathrooms in the restaurant and one was broken so there was a line to just even wash hands. I had high hopes for this place because it came highly recommended. However the menu was small but pricey and when the food came out it wasn’t anything remarkable. I hate paying good money for mediocre food. Not a bad place but not anywhere I’d go back to nor recommend in the future. Couldn’t figure out why this place was popular.

Scallop was delicious and I have nothing but the utmost respect for the manager . I was disrespectful at the end of my experience and made a mistake and the guy manager handled it with the utmost grace and professionalism. I had an issue with our original server and she didnt even come back to our table after initial seating bc I asked questions about menu. I will admit I didnt handle the end of our visit the best, but manager was professional and polite and listened and quality of fish was superb. Appreciate the manager accepting my apology and hope it was taken genuinely but aside from initial interaction, was surpised with quality and service.

SO overrated… can’t understand the hypeFood- It tastes like any other average sushi restaurant but with less option. So bland and basic. It’s like a quick grab and go sushi but they try to make it sound fancy by calling it a omakase (or a La carte as another optionexperience. For those that had true quality omakase, sugarfish is like a cheaper, low quality version. Some fish served smelled and with quality omakase, fish just melts in the mouth and isn’t fishy.Price - overpriced. Small portions with the most basic fish type. But cheaper omakase option. It won’t make you full.Ambience - decent but so many people crammed into a tiny space. Hard to have private conversationService - decent but no substitutions allowedCleanliness - decent. Did not use the restroom or sit in the bar so cannot tell.

So. Do not come here after 7 pm. The options start to diminish. Second, there is toro here that is decent, but what if someone only wants to get toro??? That option is often hard for Sugarfish to fulfill and limits my review. I think the edamame are great. The atmosphere is loud. The food often good but just limited in type and quantity.

Not impressed. Place is tiny, seating too close. Not into hearing everyones conversations. Selection of sushi limited, but fresh. This place is nothing like a real Japanese dinning experience. Also, never had a restaurant add the tip automatically into the bill, insulting. Will not be going back to this place. Go to Little Tokyo, Los Angeles.

I came here with my mom for her birthday, she had never had sushi before and I’m so happy this was her first experience. The fish was so good and the service was even better. I loved our waiter he was so kind, I wish I got his name. I would definitely come again!

Long overdue review of sugarfish.Small restaurant inside an outlet with others. Didnt think too much about street parking, since the garage is just right next to it.Service: ok service, typical American style service. They gonna check back to you once in awhile. But I wish they would have done more to space out the seatings when they are not full. (For covid reason)Food: ordered the trust me menu so I can focus on the eating part. Their fishes are fresh, yet the Nigri is smaller than typical sushi places. Not really a lot of varieties but good portion size. 14 pieces and a handroll and a sashimi appetizer is a lot of food.Critical: the rice fell apart when I was trying to pick up the pieces, all of them. My thought is that since they are serving so many pieces, so they wanted to have less rice for customers are not over fill themselves. However, I do value the rice part of sushi a lot, and this is the saddest part of the meal.Overall: the price is not bad for what you getting. But the rice is unacceptable for myself. Easily a 4* place if they can figure out between their rice and portion size issues

We used to live in LA and the one spot we had to go back within the 2 days visiting was sugarfish! The most clutch and affordable sushi place you will ever find. Consistency wise you cant beat them! Try kazu nori as well if you have not already. Same owner, just as delicious but a different experience. The fish melts in your mouth along with the perfectly temperatured rice.

The fish quality was very good, but I was very disappointed by the rice, it was not properly formed and kept falling apart when ever we picked it up with chopsticks and was even worse when dipped in soy sauce.

This place was highly recommended when visiting the Pasadena area. I was pretty hesitant as Ive received many sushi recommendations, but have not been overly impressed. Growing up in Japan and going to Tsukiji many times for sushi straight off the boats, I am picky when it comes to sushi. However, SugarFish was very impressive.We came early land were prepared to wait as there is probably only enough room for 30 people at a time and its very popular. Luckily, we were seated within 30 minutes. I was told they used to have outside seating during the pandemic, but the tables are only inside now. We were immediately seated and Paul was our server. Paul did an amazing job as he was very attentive, polite, helpful, and friendly.Ordered Omakase style, so ordered the Nozawa Trust Me. It is about 10 different plates spaced out in courses. This allows you plenty of time to enjoy each plate and allow the chefs to freshly make each plate. The timing was just right of not ever feeling rushed or waiting too long between each plate. They also bring any a la carte requests last so you can eat the plates in the intended order. Each sushi was extremely fresh, well plated and presented, and had that smooth buttery texture. In addition to the Trust Me order, also ordered individual sushi of the Bay Scallops, Hokkaido Sea Scallops, Uni, and another order of the Daily Special since it was so good.This place is a no tipping restaurant, but there is a 16% service fee added to your bill. I didnt mind as I wouldve tipped more than the 16% and probably closer to 30% as Paul did an outstanding job. Great sushi and service, so will definitely make a return trip when back in the LA area.

Not sure if it’s just this location, but the thing bothered me the most was the quality of the sushi rice. Most of them were warm and dry. All of the rice for nigiri were falling apart. The part they use for salmon, hamachi, and o-toro were just acceptable. The interesting part is their temaki is a cylindrical roll instead of cone-shaped, not sure what they tried to do.

Amazing dining experience! 7 courses brought out at a perfect pace, each course better than the next. Rice is warm. Seaweed crisp. The fish literally melts in your mouth. Best sushi I have ever had hands down. Service and ambience impeccable. Highly recommend!

I love sugarfish for decent priced nigiri. First time since pandemic dining in person and I usually love sugarfish but knocking off a star because all the ponzu nigiri’s were completely dunked in ponzu or something and the rice falling apart, absolutely terrible!

Sushi goes down like butter, amazing quality and hospitality. Although be prepared to wait because they do not take reservations (at all locations). The "Trust Me" dish is always a home run!

Very long wait (we waited about 90 minutes for a tableand the food came slow. The fishes were very fresh. However, the rice was not up to the standard, falls apart when you try to pick it up with chopsticks. I dont thats acceptable for high-end sushi. Flavor was as good as expected with no surprise.

Restaurant environment and staff were great. Expect a 60-90 minutes wait time during the weekend. Food tasted amazing and was very fresh. I ordered 2 "The Nozawa Trust Me" ($43/person), it came with:EdamameTuna sashimi - ponzu and chivesAlbacore sushi - ponzu and chives, 2pcSalmon sushi - toasted sesame, 2pcNew Zealand Sea Bream Sushi - citrus salt, 2pcToro Hand RollJapanese Yellowtail Sushi - lemon, 2pcHirame Sushi - yuzu ponzu, 2pcBlue & Dungeness Crab Hand Roll"Daily Special"I also ordered Pink Lobster, 2pc($9and a sweet shrimp - lemon and yuzu koshu, 2pc ($7.50)In total I paid $141.32I had a bit of issue when I got back home and looked at the check but was too lazy to call and ask about it 😆Parking is a bit pricey but if you park in the parking lot across the road the first 90 minutes is free.

Getting the "Trust Me" omakase sushi choice is lazy but for the most part, the election of fish they choose, from their yellowtail to tuna to scallops and blue crab roll are always on point. The fresh fish practically melt in your mouth which is a plus for people who dont like the texture. Or maybe its worse. Youll always get hight quality fish here so no need to worry

Great food, delicious flavor. Love almost everything about it. The only thing that I would change is the sushi rice, it didn’t held together. Therefore, was slightly tough to eat. Other then that everything was great. Quality for value.

Outside dining in Pasadena was great and recommend reservations. The wait-list is fierce and the Togo crowd is constant. Great experience overall

The.best.sushi.Ive.ever.hadThe wait time was completely worth it. Very friendly staff and omg wow quality of ingredients. The sauce suggestions were a great experience and I will definitely be spending my money here. Forget any other sushi place in town. This is it.Parking can be a pain, so be ready for that! Still worth it.This place made my soul happy 😊

Foo was delicious. Staff was friendly and attentative. There are only 6 tables available for outside dining. Wait time can be anywhere from 60 minutes to maybe 120 minutes depending how quickly diners eat and go.

Absolutely amazing sushi! The quality from everyone is amazing and the food is equally as great if not better. Best sushi Ive ever eaten. Would definitely recommend to anyone wanting some really good sushi. My favorite piece has to be the hand crab roll (picturedWould give 6 stars if I could

My wife has been wanting to try Sugarfish, and finally get the chance. Thinking it was Fathers day (it wasnt), she decided to order to go. The wait was very long, they opens at 11:30 am, she ordered the Nozawa Trust Me, estimated time for pick up, 12:37 pm. When she got there at 12:55 pm, it wasnt ready. The waitress didnt greet her and asked about her order. She was upset. Overall, the sashimi and sushi tasted awesome and fresh, it had great texture, no fishy after taste. Since my wife has a slight shellfish allergy, she knows immediately if a fish is not fresh or not. For the price, I think it is on the higher side, and I believe there are other places comparable to Sugarfish.

I heard this restaurant from the MukBanger Stephanie Soo, and WOW! I came here for Valentines Day with my boyfriend, ordered two Trust Mes, and every dish was served superbly. Every sashimi and roll had its own specified taste and texture, it was honestly a whole experience that everyone should try. I would highly reccomend this place for a romantic occasion or a celebratory dinner, the wait is long but its 100% worth every minute.

Definitely recommend the set menus for first timers here. Very intimate setting, not really the best place to for groups larger than 4 or with kids. Tables are very close together. The food is absolutely as fresh as it can get. Every serving is well prepared. The ones with the house ponzu sauce are my favorite. Thankfully they do offer take out for the busy nights and you dont feel like waiting.

So glad there’s a SUGARFISH location in Pasadena so I don’t have to drive all the way to Los Angeles. Went here on a Wednesday around 12pm to take advantage of the lunch set menu which is same as the dinner set menu but slightly cheaper. Staff was helpful and walked me through the process as it was my first time. I dined for one and there was no wait at the bar. Around 12:15, more customers started filling in. Fish was fresh, good variety.

Before coming to SugarFish, I thought it was going to be another chain with fast service for a fast table turnover and ok food. I was thus pleasantly surprised by every aspect that SugarFish proved me wrong about. Yes, we did have to wait 30 minutes for a table, but it was worth it! The staff were extremely friendly and accommodating. We ordered the « Trust Me » menu which was very reasonably priced for all the food we got. There was yellowtail, sea bass, and sea bream nigiri along with toro rolls and other good sashimi. They also took time between serving each dish to allow us to savor and enjoy our time unlike other chains. The taste of the fish was INCREDIBLE! Every bite just melted into our mouths. It was authentic Japanese sushi rather than American rolls, which was amazing. Loved that place and highly recommend it.

The wait at the Pasadena Sugarfish is usually over an hour in the evenings, however the prix fixe “Trust Me” dinner worth the wait.The menu is very simple. You won’t see fancy, over-the-top American style sushi like California, teriyaki or spicy tuna rolls. Instead you will taste the highest quality fish. Sushi here is a step-by-step, delicious and unique omakase-style service based on Chef Kazunori Nozawa’s early training with master chefs in Tokyo and 50 years of hospitality experience.Tired of waiting? Order a “Trust Me" or "Trust Me Lite” to-go. Each box had a silver fish etched on top and detailed photos, descriptions and instructions inside on how to eat each item.They are presented in different bento-like compartments. For the tuna sashimi, instructions were to “Coat with ponzu and then add scallion. No soy, please.” The largest section of the box held warm pillows of rice with fresh slices of salmon, yellowtail and Nozawa-style shrimp. There were even sliced handrolls, featuring toro and crab in our “sushi party in a box.”Sugarfish is a Zen-Like sushi experience that you can bring to the Hollywood Bowl, picnic at the beach or home at enjoy. There is a 16% service charge added to your bill, so there is no need for tipping.

Great sushi, good price. Be prepared for a wait, but service is fast.

The fish was very fresh and tasty. Seaweed on the rolls were crispy. The place is hype, I didnt think it was that special. I had the big combo, which includes everything.

Food is pretty, no doubt. But the sushi rice was hot, the blue crab hand roll was fishy and arrived already soggy (which is ironic considering they emphasize eating rolls immediately to enjoy the crisp seaweed), and the big scallop sushi was drowned in sauce. And I love yuzu, but you dont need to drown sweet shrimp in sauce.Service was decent, yet did not deserve anything more than the 16% service charge thats tacked onto the bill. This place is trendy and will help more people get introduced to sushi and enjoy. But it is not edomae by any means and will not satisfy the traditionalists. You get what you pay for (lunch specials are pretty cheap).If you cant hold on for the wait, here, Lemonade is a nearby alternative for a light, refreshing meal.

Greeters were on point- they really know their sushi! Was patiently helped by a girl at the door on a busy Sunday night (which I wasnt able to get seating). However I returned the next day and ordered a TRUST ME. The blue crab at the end of the dish was to die for!