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A'Float Sushi
Category: Restaurants Sushi Bars Sushi Bars [Edit]
87 E Colorado BlvdPasadena, CA 91105
Neighborhood: Pasadena
(626) 792-9779
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 10:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
376 reviews for A'Float Sushi
Review Highlights
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"I love the Japanese little river and boats concept." In 168 reviews -
"Working in Old Town definitely has it's perks." In 29 reviews -
"Also, get their fried green tea ice cream." In 5 reviews
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376 reviews in English
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Review from Sean C.
5/23/2012
Don't miss the boat, you don't know when it's gonna come back around! Five minutes maybe, or perhaps it will be taken by then!
The hilarious thing about this tasty and irresistibly novel steamboat sushi, is that you go in there with the intent to monitor your spending by watching the number of priced plates you're willing to eat, and then it's so good, you go PLOP! overboard! It's your fault for not curbing yourself!
Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Also sushi lover's must turn this into a group night out for s#*& and giggles! -
Review from Isabelle H.
Northridge, CA
I really... can't give this place a low rating because of the timing I came here.
Honestly, any sushi revolving conveyor ... is going to be some what empty
when it is not busy.
I really wanted to come here because of the sushi boats on water!
I mean, I got to see the boats even if I didn't choose them off the boats.
I ended up ordering 2PC White Fish, 2PC Albacore, and a
6PC Salmon & Green Onion Roll.
I LOVE white fish, IDK why, I just do.
I love halibut too! But they were out so Albacore is my 3rd favorite.
The fish was REALLY fresh and it was suitable to my tastebuds!
Minus the sushi boats being a bust, I would give it 5 stars but...
the waiter... was kind of ehh.. the chef was ehh...
NO one looked like they wanted to be there at all...
and seemed.... so pessimistic!
I know I want to come back here when it's busier for the
sushi boats! -
Review from Amanda M.
Pasadena, CA
5/14/2012
I don't understand why everyone has had such bad luck with the service. The service has always been excellent every time we've gone. The sushi is delicious and if you don't see what you want floating by, you can ask the chefs to make it for you. Yummy sushi, reasonably priced, and fun atmosphere. What more could you want?
PS. Parking here is no good but hey, it's Old Town. Parking for every place in Old Town sucks. A little walking will be good for your full belly after dinner anyway. -
Review from April B.
Beverly Hills, CA
5/7/2012
I give it 3 stars just because it's a cute idea and a fun experience.
The food quality however... def NOT Katsuya! lol... It's worth going once just for the experience though. It's also not a bad place to go for lunch with co-workers if you happen to be the area or something like that because it is super fast. You could be in and out in 15 minutes if you wanted to. Perfect if your lunch hour is short or you're in a hurry.
The sushi is on little boats that float around a smorgasbord with chairs pulled up to it and you can just grab what you want as it goes by or order from a waiter/waitress. I'd like to rate it higher, if the quality of the food was a bit better, I think it would be a total hit. However, it's a little "gimmicky" for my taste... and don't plan to go back anytime soon.
*On a side-note:
I have friends who love the place and go back all the time! They Love Love Love this place... Me? Not so much but I've been with them a couple of times... if not for them, I wouldn't have returned after the 1st visit even though, again, it was a good experience... just not the quality of food I prefer. -
Review from Rain H.
Altadena, CA
4/17/2012
Never, ever going back to A'Float.
Backstory. When we moved to Pasadena in 2007, this was a great little sushi bar. Good quality, tasty fish, often crowded but worth the wait. We would take our kids, who were charmed by the little boats, and it was a reasonably priced dinner option for our family.
Fast forward to 2011, had a few disappointing meals and then I got food poisoning after taking someone out to dinner there last fall. Total misery and yes, my doctor confirmed, it was the sushi that did it. Didn't go back to A'Float for a while.
Last night, April 2012, took the kids out and thought we'd give it a try again. Not so much. took a plate of albacore, one bite and the strong fishy taste indicated that this was not such fresh fish. Set that aside as inedible, and tried to enjoy something else. Tuna was obviously an inferior grade. Tempura rolls were cold. Everything tasted bad after that bad mouthful of fish. One sushi chef and one waitress on duty, during the dinner hour? Really? Couldn't get anyone's attention for water or to special order something that wasn't on the boats. Left without eating much more. Very disappointed.
Fast forward 5 hours or so after dinner and, you guessed it.
Sick all night. As was my partner and one of the kids.
Never, ever, ever, ever going back to this restaurant. I don't know WHAT happened to this previously nifty little sushi bar, but the owners obviously don't care about quality or freshness and neither do the staff.
If you want to skip a night of wretchedness, skip A'Float. -
Review from Wendell A.
Torrance, Los Angeles, CA
5/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
So I'll start with my complaints and bad news about this place first; the parking, no matter what, you'll be stuck paying well over $2.00 for parking alone, then there's the food. Some of it tastes good and some of it has no flavor at all. Finally, was the food safety. I had noticed that on the bamboo boats they have floating around with sushi/desserts/etc, some of that food had been out for a while. You can notice because of the spoilage that was seen on a strawberry, and some of those foods had fruit flies crawling over them.
Good news is, service isn't bad at all. Their prices are fairly reasonable and cheap. They price the stuff off their boat by plate style. One is either $3-$6. Their menu has a wide variety, from Katsu, Teriyaki, and various other selections. I enjoyed my Chicken Katsu that I ordered, and had no problem with the place.
I would come back again, I would just be cautious of what I'm picking out of the boats, because you can get food poisoning from eating spoiled food, or stuff that has had bugs crawling over them.
Enjoy!
And please select your food carefully here. -
Review from Christine L.
Long Beach, CA
4/27/2012
Horrible service! I've always tipped, but this was my first time not tipping.
The male host/waiter said I could sit anywhere at the sushi bar, and when I got situated, he rudely told me to shift over so that a party of 4 could sit. It wasn't even crowded, and there was no party of four. I saw another guy sit in the middle of five empty seats and no one asked him to move.
I asked the waiter for water; it never came so I had to ask a different server. The original waiter never came back; I had to ask a different waitress for assistance. No one took my order for a long time until I asked for it, and they never came by to check up on food or water. -
Review from Kelley L.
Los Angeles, CA
Sunday afternoon did not have a big crowd, which was great for me since I was starving. I was immediately sat at the bar, and began the sushi boat adventures! I mainly ate nigiri and sashimi. The prices range depending on the plates that the pieces are on. Once you eat a plate, you can stack them, which saves space! You can watch the chefs prepare the sushi so you know the pieces are made fresh.
The quality of the fish is not the best, but for something convenient on a boat and at a decent price, it was not bad at all. The service was friendly as well as fast. The scary thing about the boats was that so much of the food looked good and I kept on wanting to get more though I felt my stomach full. (: I would come back again.Listed in: SoCal, the best place ever.
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Review from Joyce Y.
3/20/2012
Albacore was not fresh but really mushy and really lacked flavor! Salmon nigiri was good. Good concept with the floating sushi and you can grab whatever you like. You pay by the type of plate at the end. Each plate ranges from $3-$6? I forget since it's been awhile.
Service was slow. I was waiting to get my water for awhile. And...they kept my change assuming it was their tip! I was going to leave a tip in the first place but they just assumed ALL the change was their tip without returning the change first! -
Review from Lyn F.
Pasadena, CA
5/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
It was okay. The sushi was a little on the salty side. Not to my particular liking. I just like the concept of having the boats rotate the sushi.
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Review from Justine G.
Pasadena, CA
3/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
They have a cute and and convenient way of selling their sushi on these boats that float on a rotating river. This is located at the bar and the sushi chefs are in the middle making rolls. If you don't see something you want on the boats then just request from the chef.
Their prices start at $1.98 to $6.25. For $2 you get your typical CA roll (3 pieces). The plates have special designs on them to coordinate with the prices. For a first timer like myself, it's hard To enjoy your meal without calculating your bill as you eat. I got so paranoid that I would rack up a big bill! Because the sushi was good! And they're just floating right in front of you waiting for you to grab em.
They also have lunch box special starting at $6.95 if you want to opt out of the floating sushi.
I would come here again, during the week though because I heard it gets packed in the evenings.
Park on the street and pay at the meter or in the parking structure on Raymond just south of Colorado. First 90 min free -
Review from julia h.
Glendale, CA
5/12/2012
do not go here. horrible service and sushi.
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Review from Keith B.
Pasadena, CA
5/3/2012
the food was good, sat at the bar and picked up the sushi from the boats. We took our 5 year old daughter, so we ordered the udon noodles. The noodles took almost an hour to be delivered. It is pricey as well. $68 plus tip for the three of us!!! OMG!!! . This place would be awesome if it were cheaper and the staff had thier act together.
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Review from Morgan B.
Denver, CO
3/6/2012
Disgusting sushi, dirty outdated restaurant, the waiter had a major attitude. I had ice tea, never once was it refilled, he did not give a shi*.
Hands down the worst sushi Ive ever had. -
Review from hsanni h.
Los Angeles, CA
Very reasonable price. Sushi is good. But alil crowded like all good restaurants
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Review from Aaron S.
1/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
As bad as it gets. This place is to sushi as what the BP oil spill was to the Gulf Coast.
To make matters worse we sat next to a group of drunks that found their way in after the football game. The belching was an extra special touch classless behavior. One guy even passed out in his chair.
Sushi was bad and the Raman (how do you screw this up) was very oily. -
Review from Nicole M.
1/15/2012 4 Check-ins Here
Idk why this place has a bad rep. I love it! The chefs are super nice, they'll chat with us about Japan and sushi and they'll even give us tips on what to order for the price.
Sometimes the waiters are no where to be found, but it's not a problem for us since we only order from the chefs. I usually just eat california over and over so my bill comes out to like $6 for 6 pieces (3 plates).
Might want to come when the bar is crowded, there'll be more selection and the pieces will be fresher. It takes about 2 minutes to go around, and when it's just you in there, it's sketchy as to how long a piece has been on that boat. -
Review from Ronald H.
Los Angeles, CA
2/23/2012 1 photo
Been here many times so I have learned which dishes I enjoy eating. We always sit in the bar, where the boats are. Sometimes, there are dishes that's been sitting on the rotating boats.
Service is attentive to our drinks. The only problem I have is that they seat too many people around the bar so there's not much elbow space. -
Review from Laura T.
11/28/2011 6 photos
Tried A'Float Sushi and I love the idea of sushi pieces on tiny plates riding a boat on a revolving belt. Arrived at a bit of an odd time 3 pm-ish, way after lunch and way before dinner. It was fairly empty at that time.
I tried a few different dishes,really wish that they had more items to chose from. A friend suggested to try Spicy Salmon Sashimi (of the menu item). It was spicy indeed also yum.
There was a few other dishes I tried, I am not able to remember the name of it on the top of my head. What I could say is that, they pretty much serve the standard stuff at sushi places. Nothing too fancy.
Service was good, my soda was refilled even tho it was barely half way finished. Very attentive waitress. What I couldn't help but to noticed was that the chefs weren't Japanese? I could have swore they were speaking in Mandarin. But hey, I am not one to judge. Whatever flows their boats right? Get it, get it? Lame, I know.
Well, I will go back, if 1) I was in the area 2) it was at an actual meal time: Lunch or Dinner, where I can try out more stuff 3) if someone I know suggests to me to try something yummy off their menu 4) family or friends wants to come and try this place out.Listed in: Sushi Time!
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Review from Jenny M.
Huntington Beach, CA
3/28/2012
My husband and I really enjoyed ourselves on a Saturday evening. We wanted to try it for the novelty of floating boats. We liked that you could try a variety of items with small plates, not having to commit to a single dish. You could even shout out what you would like instead of waiting for items to come back around. I would definitely come back again.
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Review from Joyce S.
Pasadena, CA
2/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
Worst sushi I have ever had in my life. First they seated some drunk dudes who apparently had too much drinks next door on football Sunday. One guy eventually passed out at his seat. Hilarious. The floating sushi were not fresh at all. Since nothing floating interested me I decided to order some sashimi and noddles off the menu. Sashimi was okay. Ramen noodles were over cooked with tons of oil floating in the bowl. I will not go back.
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Review from Stephanie P.
Pomona, CA
12/18/2011
#404 After a disastrous day in traffic, my sister and I were heading back from downtown L.A. and decided that sushi would be the best comfort food at the time. So, we drove to Pasadena, found parking at the De Lacey parking structure and strolled around. I had heard of Gyu-Kaku before, so we made a beeline for the place. Unfortunately, it's more Japanese BBQ, so we had to keep searching. Eventually, we found ourselves at A'Float and decided that we might as well go for it.
There were only several parties inside when we got in, but it wasn't prime time for sushi yet (2:45PM). We decided to sit at the conveyor belt, which was rather adorable. There were actual sushi boats, all chained together, floating in water, rotating around the bar. Most of them were empty, but once people started showing up, the chef churned out a number of dishes. First, we went for a spicy tuna roll and a salmon avocado roll because we were starved. Both were rather tasty, but the avocado had already starting browning from being out too long. The spicy tuna didn't taste absolutely fresh, but it was spicy enough to cover it up.
Afterward, we decided to go for a chirashi bowl because we were up for some sashimi. The chef put the order in for us and it came out within about 10 minutes - quick service! The bowl wasn't mind-blowingly amazing, but there was a little bit of everything - tuna, salmon, whitefish, red snapper, and the usual toppings. We split it down the middle and went at it and it was delicious! The sushi rice was actually really good and went well with the sashimi. The sashimi itself was cut a bit small, so I would suggest easing up on the knife a bit but it tasted fresh enough for a Saturday afternoon lunch.
At the end, my sister also went for a walnut shrimp tempura roll which was rather oily. So, our total bill came out to about $25. The service was definitely on point, so we left a $4 tip. Oh, FYI, the chef and waiters are Chinese. =) They were speaking in Mandarin quite a bit of the time. -
Review from Janet M.
Temple City, CA
1/3/2012
A Float sushi used to be my favorite place before. But if you go at lunch time, they really don't have many items on the boats, even there are, they aren't that fresh. So what you have to do it to order it from the waitress. They usually make fresh ones for you. (that's what I do!) But at night, it really depends, if they have items that you like still floating on the boats, they might not make fresh ones for you.
I like their Spicy Salmon sashimi ($5.95 I think), Mini dynamic (really yum $3.95), baked mussels (very good! a lot of dynamic sauce) and their ramen is really good.
Dessert: for sure you have to try their tempura ice cream, it's my must have at all time when i'm there. (Even I get so full!! )
The price is more expensive than other sushi places I would go. But since the location in Pasadena, I think everything else is more expensive than this place!
Take a chance and try my selections! -
Review from Tran L.
San Diego, CA
3/31/2012
This place is a rip off for sushi that float on boats round and round and round. Not fresh at all! Hahahahaha they don't make the desserts and they over price it at the same time! If you want to eat the desserts then just head to Porto's Bakery because that's where A'Float Sushi purchases it. There is nothing special and no wow factor to the food.
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Review from Christopher H.
Pasadena, Los Angeles, CA
3/5/2012
This is definitely a fun place to eat Sushi. I used to come here with my friends all the time and we would really enjoy the experience. When the plates are passing by and you see something you like make sure you grab it. Who knows it might not be there on the next pass. All the plates are color coded and each color corresponds to a price. It's simple math so you can easily estimate how much your bill will be. Overall, the sushi is pretty good and it's a really chill atmosphere.
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Review from Em L.
Monterey Park, CA
12/29/2011
12.26.11
Maybe I expected a lil bit too much.
Is it only the night I went to or always? Well, it's my first time visiting and a lil disappointed. The only thing I thought it was fresh was the salmon. The grilled salmon was also good. The tuna did not look good at all... There was this one plate being going around and around from the min I sat down 'til the min I'm leaving..still there! Hahaha, I guess everyone could tell it wasn't fresh, yes, it was that obvious!
Anyway, it's not bad to give it a try. I may be, might go back again sometimes when it pops up in my head. =) -
Review from Farah G.
Los Angeles, CA
1/30/2012
Sadly, this review is not about the food at Afloat Sushi, which is really quite good. Rather, it's about my very disappointing experience when I was a victim of theft at this restaurant, most likely (although not certainly) by one of the restaurant staff.
A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I ate dinner at Afloat Sushi. We were sitting not at the sushi bar, but at one of the tables in a quieter, less crowded corner of the restaurant, closer to the large glass window. Because it was relatively early in the evening (about 7pm), there was almost no one around us.
We had a wonderful, delicious meal, and left the restaurant at approximately 7:45 or 8 pm. About 5 minutes later, I realized I had left my iPhone on the table at the restaurant. We rushed back to the restaurant to see if the person who cleaned our table had found it, but the wait staff said they had not. They went back to the kitchen to ask the busboys who had cleaned our table, but came back claiming that no one had seen it.
I found this to be rather implausible. The phone was left on a table in a quiet corner, with no other customers around us. It was there for hardly 5 or so minutes. The first--and most likely only--person to have seen the phone would have been the person who cleared our table as soon as we left. It was highly likely that this was the person who had our phone, whoever they were. We even tried calling the phone once or twice to see if it would ring (and we could thereby locate it), but whoever had taken it turned it off after a ring or two.
I spoke to two female waitresses who had waited on us during the course of the evening, and neither of them seemed inclined to be helpful in the least. I tried explaining to them that it was most likely that whoever bused our table must have at least seen the phone, but they insisted it was not possible, and refused to help. They insisted that perhaps a customer had taken it, but I kept trying to explain that the location of the table made it unlikely. I even asked if they had video cameras (which your restaurant does have), but they insisted that none were pointing in the direction of our table.
Can I be sure that it was an employee of Afloat sushi who took my phone? No, of course not. But given the circumstances and location of the table, it is about 95% likely. When customers leave, what is the first thing that happens? The table gets cleared. Therefore, whoever clears the table is going to see if anything is left there. My point is not to make accusations or to insist on any compensation. Rather, it is to point out that this is no way to handle a situation in which a customer has been robbed in your restaurant, and there is a high likelihood that one of the restaurant staff could have been involved.
I have left things at restaurants before. In every case, when I have come back for it, the staff have always found it and held on to it. This is the first time that I have had anything stolen because I left it at a restaurant (which, granted, is not a good thing to do, and entirely my fault). The waitstaff's job is not to stonewall the customer in such a situation, but to do whatever they can to help, including identifying whoever it was who might have bused that table, and seeing if they can further interview them. Instead, the waitstaff whom I spoke to were unhelpful, and clearly wanted to do absolutely nothing to assure me that none of the employees at Afloat had been involved.
It is with great regret that I have decided I will not be patronizing Afloat Sushi again, especially since their food is wonderful. Today, it is a phone I left accidentally on a table; tomorrow it could be a more daring theft of lifting things like wallets out of someone's purse. Beware Afloat Sushi, and if you still want to go there for the food, hold on tight to your belongings. -
Review from Natalie K.
Arcadia, CA
11/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
I used to love coming to this place years ago. I was excited to come back again for my belated dinner with one of my friends. I do have to say that I'm a little bit disappointed.
They had a wide variety of rolls and nigiri floating on the boats. Problem is they're all at room temperature. I don't want to eat cold deep-fried roll or baked dynamites and I don't want to eat warm salmon sashimi... I actually had salmon nigiri at room temperature and I'm pretty sure that's why I got sick afterwards. :(
The service is actually better than I remembered. It's nothing to write home about but at least now you can find someone when you need them.
Parking is a couple blocks down on Green. It's 90 minutes free unless you go really late. -
Review from Cristian H.
Los Angeles, CA
12/20/2011
If you're looking for a small place to have a quick dinner, this is the place to go.
The food isn't bad, but it's definitely not the best. The great thing about this place is the price and presentation. If you're sitting around the stream of the boats, you'll have a nice little time picking out your plates and tasting everything. As a plus, the chefs are making the plates in the middle of it all and putting them on the boats that are coming up to you. It's an enjoyable experience, at the sake of a little flavor. -
Review from marian z.
Los Angeles, CA
2/4/2012
Rotating sushi bars(in this case boats) are a cool gimmick but the fish do not taste fresh. The dishes that are supposed to be hot end up cold such as the scallop with dynamite, mushroom, and onion and it made it taste really weird. It also takes forever to find something you want. The spicy tuna tasted really weird and not like the usual spicy tuna, it was too fishy and too salty O.o
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Review from Lisa C.
8/12/2011
I started coming to A'Float Sushi ever since this place was featured on TV (was it Food Network or the Travel Channel?..). I've been coming to this place for at least four years now. Every time I come, the quality of the food seems to get worse *sigh* It's a cute concept, putting food on boats and have them go round and round. But it was obvious that some of the dishes have been riding the boats a bit too long. If what you want isn't available on the boat, you can ask one of the Chinese (yes, they're Chinese, not Japanese) chefs working in the center to make it for you.
So why do I keep coming back to this mediocre, at times not so fresh, sushi place? For two things: the Chawanmushi and the baked seafood served on a clam shell (I dont know the name, but you'll know it when you see it!). The Chawanmushi (also known as Japanese Steamed Egg Custard) has to be order. It takes 20 minutes and you have to order two servings. The eggs are fluffy, steamed with bits and pieces of seafood. YUM. The baked seafood served on clam shell is what I settle for when I'm having a craving for Sushi Mon's baked clam in Las Vegas. Be warned, this dish is super oily, but amazingly delicious! In my book, these 2 items are the only saving grace for this place once you get over the cute Asian style tugboats.
Parking: Aside from street parking, there is a parking garage available at 33 E. Green Street (corner of Green and Raymond). It's a brisk walk to the restaurant.
Parking Rates:
Daily 5:00am to 10:00pm
First 90 minutes free; $2 thereafter; $6 daily maximum
Nightly 10:00pm to 5:00am - $5 flat rate -
Review from Steez N.
Los Angeles, CA
12/16/2011
I've been coming here for a long time... the sushi is usually fresh and I've always found the floating boats filled with sushi idea to be cool.
The reason I'm giving it two stars is because there is this waitress with a bob cut that has been working there for awhile but she is HORRIBLE. . . always gets drink orders wrong and has attitude when you can here for something as simple as a napkin... but what topped it off for me? the bill cam and I was paying cash and she brought me back 2 dollars change. . . I put the 2 dollars in my pocket so I can be nice despite her bad service and give her 6 dollars tip. . . she had the nerve to tell me after I put the 2 dollars in my pocket " YOU KNOW YOU CAN LEAVE ME A TIP IF YOU LIKE" ... lmao I'm DONE. -
Review from Jerryleen W.
Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA
10/25/2011
This is cool. Sushi on a boat? That's new! It's more creative than the usual sushi on conveyor belts. This one at least had boats floating on water.
The wait wasn't that long. We got to our tables and were able to grab the plates right away! The prices here are affordable and each plate color is distinguished by $, which helps.
There were a couple of moments where I ate some sushi that has been going around for a long time. I like to have my sushi freshly made, so if you want to do that you just have to ask the chef! Not fresh sushi = a high risk of stomach problems later on
Overall, creativity is a plus here, wait is short, and it's cheap. However, if you want a better variety of sushi I would suggest going somewhere else in Pasadena. -
Review from Zelina M.
Los Angeles, CA
8/21/2011
I LOVE this place! my favorite sushi place of all time simply for the fact that if you don't want to, you don't have to WAIT for your food..instant gratification!
of course it doesn't hurt that their rolls are amazing...and so are their salads...their iced green teas...and their tempura ice cream...YUM!
their service is not the best, but I guess that's because its mostly self-serve...been going here for like 8 years or so...and it's still great
and the chefs are hilarious -
Review from justin c.
Pasadena, CA
4/15/2012
i guess i shouldn't have read some reviews before posting this but anyways.
so my friends and i were at this 626 night market and we left because the food took jesus long and the lines... and everywhere was just so focking crowded. so we stumbled upon this place... wait was about an hour or so... MOST LIKELY BECAUSE OF THE NIGHT MARKET. and the place was PACKED. i think we stopped at it a bit earlier and there was no line but we kept on walking. anyways
finally, we were seated.
first off, we were never offered any drinks. at all.... no water... we had to ask for it at about when the food came... okay i'm just gonna say here, the service was terrible... but i'm pretty sure it's just cause they werent used to such a packed... place.. but idk
anyways one look at the prices and i'm like DAFUUAAA? a plate of anywhere from 1-6 peices... $2? - $5? the average ammount on the menu was 2 peices for about $4 or maybe $3 for 4 / 2 ect.... i felt it was really expensive... but whatever i was so hungry i didn't care.
i ordered the sashimi ($10) comes with rice, miso soup, salad... salad was good... they put too much dressing but whatever. soup, rice, generic japanese restaurant quality... sashimi... there were two different types, salmon and tuna... i'm not a big fan of tuna so... obviously i didn't like it... but the salmon was great! i dont think the portions were that huge... but i mean, most japanese places dont give that much anyways. so i think it was pretty good... i didnt actually count but i think it was maybe 15 slices of fish total? also came with a little white shredded raddish or whatever it is, and a leaf of that lovely tasty green leaf... in chinese "jisou" which is typically expensive...
more about the bad service...
when we asked for water, it took forever to get it to us... i asked for a cup of tea and it never came... so i just drank my friend's.... my friend ordered two plates of sushi and it never came. so she talked about it to the waiter and it STILL didn't come... but the waiter came back and asked us if everything was okay and so we told them and she rushed back, grabbed them and got it right to us...
i mean all in all. the food was pretty good, they had a really interesting floating boat sushi thing bar (we weren't seated at the bar) but i THINK you're allowed to just take things from there... but anyways.. yeah... despite the bad service, the people WERE really nice... the seater dude was really nice, joking making people laugh... and i found out that my classmate's parents owned the place when i saw her helping serve people so... i guess that affects my rating abit but honestly, i'd give this place another go if i'm looking for sushi. oh and just to clarify, yes, the family that owns this place is chinese.... or it could be taiwanese... pretty sure chinese though -
Review from Joseph A.
Los Angeles, CA
2/29/2012 5 Check-ins Here
Uh-amazing food is great and so is the services !! Great prices on the sushi love the place !!
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Review from Donny E.
West Covina, CA
10/21/2011
Oh early beginnings of a n00b sushi eater. This is where I started my sushi conquest and everything since has caused me to almost lose interest at this place. While some fam & friends still dine regularly here, I do not believe I will anymore as the place has lost its quality or never had it to begin with.
The concept is awesome, dont get me wrong, but it would be nice to see a rise in quality selections. I would not mind stopping by again to relive my beginnings into my sushi madness. -
Review from Arpa S.
Burbank, CA
3/3/2012
The first time I came here was YEARS ago, and I still love it. The atmosphere is so fun, and it's a MUST to sit around the bar with the boats. I've sat at a table when the bar was full, but it's just not as great of an experience.
The sushi is delish! The great thing about the boats is that it's small portions. You pick something that looks good, if you like it, you can always get another one. If not, whatever, just leave it and move on.
I personally always gets the dragon roll (which you usually have to ask the chef to make separately) and I always always ALWAYS end with tempura green tea ice cream...the best!
Be careful about what tray you get though. Sometimes I end up overspending because I pick up something that looks great, but is super expensive!
Overall, really great place! -
Review from Emily C.
North Hollywood, CA
2/18/2012
For sushi non-snobs who want a fun atmosphere and some tasty food, this place is a solid choice. My boyfriend and I went last night (a Friday) for our anniversary at around 7:30 and while the place was definitely hoppin', we didn't wait for any more than 10 minutes to sit at the bar. We started with some miso soup, which came out piping hot like I like it, and water and drinks: wine for me, kirin for boyfriend. We mostly picked up our food off of the boats, but we got a good seat near one of the very friendly sushi chefs so we ordered a couple things directly from him. These dishes were always served to us promptly. To finish we had some mochi ice cream which is pretty standard but at $3 for 2 pieces i probably would have skipped it if it weren't such a special occasion. There are little fruit tarts and cakes that are served on the boat as well, if you're into those kinds of desserts. Our bill totaled to about $80 with tip for everything.
The boat thing seems a little gimmicky, sure, but you know what? It's fun as hell, and it's a neat way to get someone who isn't normally a sushi fan really excited! My boyfriend is more of a California/Philadelphia roll guy, while I'm gluten free* and prefer to stick to nigiri and sashimi; this place had plenty of options for the both of us and we both left extremely satisfied. I found the fish to be about the same quality as what i use to make sushi from time to time: decent, nothing out of the ordinary. Like others have said I would definitely recommend this place for dinner when it's busier because the food doesn't sit as long. If not, just talk to the chefs and order directly from them. Or get a table. You have options here.
In terms of service, I'm not sure why people seem to expect super attentive servers at a place where you mostly serve yourself but they were attentive enough. They don't stop all the time to ask if you need anything so you have to assert yourself when you want some non-boat item so I guess if you want your servers doting over you throughout your meal this place is probably not up to your finest standards or whatever. But I never had to ask for my water to be refilled, the servers were walking around enough where it was easy to get their attention, and they even stopped by once or twice to make sure everything was alright. Overall solid food and a fun experience, I would definitely come again.
*GF friends: I don't know if there is gluten free soy sauce here, I bring my own wherever I go, but if I had to guess I'd say probably not. -
Review from Jerome V.
7/28/2011
The only direction I want this food to float in is away from me.
The food is sub-par - even compared to other Americanized sushi joints - and my server gave me the stink eye when she handed me a Deep Fried Ice Cream I didn't order and then expected me to pay for it.
The single star it gets is for the pun. Bitches love the puns.
