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Blue Fish
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Sushi Bars Japanese, Sushi Bars [Edit]
58 E Colorado BlvdPasadena, CA 91105
Neighborhood: Pasadena
(626) 578-9493
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
160 reviews for Blue Fish
Review Highlights
"Try the Old Town Roll, its wonderful."
(in 21 reviews)
"Definitely check out Tani if you like sushi."
(in 31 reviews)
"I really can't get enough of their popcorn lobster."
(in 8 reviews)
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160 reviews in English
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Review from John H.
Altadena, CA
1/2/2012
Best Sushi Happy Hour in Pasadena.
I have come here multiple times for the happy hour specials during the week. We have sat on the patio with a large group of people during a busy evening. The wait staff was attentive, food was prompt, and the drinks were flowing.
I've also been fortunate enough to come here on a date night with the firme hina and they treated us like royalty.
If you get a chance, sit at the sushi bar and buy the sushi chefs drinks. They are awesome dudes, and will make your evening at Blue Fish one to remember. -
Review from Dmitry K.
Los Angeles, CA
1/5/2012
Blue Fish sushi is pretty good and overall I could not find anything in particular that was too vexing. With that said, there was nothing spectacular about this place either. At least from my experience.
Since there are so many sushi restaurants that serve excellent sushi at adequate prices, the challenge for most places like Blue Fish is to stand out from the innumerable sushi restaurants in LA.
I ordered the Alaskan Roll and Tiger Roll and both hit the spot like a sushi should. After washing it down with some warm sake I left the place full, energized and fully satiated.
If you're looking for good sushi at reasonable prices in the Pasadena area then Blue Fish will deliver on that promise. One minor blemish I noticed was that the service was rather slow, but nothing worth to dissuade one from coming here.
Thanks for a good time Blue Fish! -
Review from Brian W.
Los Angeles, CA
12/24/2011
I am a fan for the happy hour. Service was good and food was tasty.
It's a nice spot in old town that I wouldn't have tried if not for yelp.
Yay! -
Review from Nick G.
11/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
So I ordered the Chirashi, which I often find is a good thing to order for your first visit to a sushi restaurant. And I really enjoyed this place's. It was a pretty good sized portion, and it all tasted very fresh. The staff there was very lively and polite, and kept me entertained as I sat at the bar and got to watch the sushi chefs make all the dishes.
Oh, and I also had an order of Salmon and Tuna Nigiri, both were very fresh, and very good, with good sized cuts of fish.
Then to finish the meal, I had some mochi for desert, and I left happy. -
Review from Sean M.
Koreatown, Los Angeles, CA
12/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Walked in this joint last night with the sisters, from a night of Christmas shopping in Old Town. The place was pretty quaint, except for a couple having major PDA at the sushi bar, and we asked to be sat as far as we could from them. Service was prompt, and the waiter looked like he was kinda embarrassed about the couple.
We ordered: 3 uni, 3 tuna, 3 mackerel, a sweet shrimp, 3 spicy scallop hand rolls, 3 yellowtails, a yellowtail collar, a popcorn lobster roll, and a chirashi.
We got our food quickly, and there was nothing we could complain about. The uni was fresh, with that briny taste I love, and they were very generous with how much they gave, except they hid one of those mint(?) leaves in the middle, the sweet shrimp was amazing (well, it's my favorite, along with uni and toro). The yellowtail collar, meh. Slightly burned, and not that big. The chirashi was great, and had good fish, not the same with other places, who use lesser quality fish. Popcorn lobster was merely to fill us up, as we saw the Lobsta truck nearby and felt guilty for not visiting it. -
Review from Brett A.
San Diego, CA
9/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Overall a solid performance with pretty sushi. We had the albacore, salmon, ahi tuna sushi/sashimi lunch. Garnishments were great and fresh. The meal was supposed to come with miso soup, which we never got, and my colleague ordered a "Sprite" and was served 7-Up.
We only had about 25 minutes for lunch and I thought they handled our rushed situation very considerately and promptly. -
Review from Angela K.
Los Angeles, CA
8/26/2011
The sushi is pretty good with generous portions. Try the popcorn lobster and the Anoush Rolls. We went with a group of 7 and sat in the back patio. As a side note, the back patio is good for groups, I wouldn't dare to sit inside the actual restaurant.
Even though we enjoyed the sushi, the service was horrendous. Apparently it was near closing time (9:00pm?). Our server kept hinting for us to leave, even bringing the check and sticking it in my brother's face (literally) and waiting with his arms crossed in front of him to sign it. It was probably one of the rudest things I had ever witnessed. After we signed the receipts, we sat for a few minutes and he came again asking which way we wanted to leave. I am not making this up.
Good sushi, horrible service. Kinda makes me not want to go back there again. -
Review from Chris n' gel S.
Monrovia, CA
9/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm not a sushi person so that's why my rating is low. I ordered chicken teriyaki which was a mistake because I literally got 10 pieces of chicken probably the same amount you would get at Yoshinoya. It was a little dry, but their sauce was good.
One thing that was awesome is their tempura banana and green tea ice cream dessert. That alone would make me come back to Blue Fish. We had a new waiter so he was a bit slow even though there were only 2 other people in the restaurant besides. -
Review from Natalie E.
Glendale, CA
8/15/2011 28 Check-ins Here
I have been to both Pasadena and Montrose. Pasadena during lunch hours and Montrose during dinner hours. Both have great SUSHI! DELICIOUS!
4 STARs for service. The men waiters are much nicer than the women. The women tend to ignore your request and simply forget what you asked for.
The sushi chefs are EXCELLENT! -
Review from Abby C.
10/17/2011 9 photos
Food/Cost: (4/5) I've only ever been here for the Happy Hour from 5-7pm on weekdays; as such this review is applicable only to Blue Fish's Happy Hour menu. When I'm in the mood for non-traditional sushi and appetizers, this is the place to go. On my most recent visit we got my favorites: Popcorn Lobster ($3.95), Sesame Chicken ($3.95), Marilyn Mon Roll ($5.95), and the Golden California Roll ($5.95). The lobster is a steal because they give you a freshly fried, relatively large portion with a drizzle of the awesome sauce. I like the specialty rolls here as they're flavorful and filling. I've also had the Seaweed Salad ($3.95), Heart Attack Roll ($4.95), and Cucumber Salad ($3.95). If you like spicy, the Heart Attack Roll is for you as it features a wrapped jalapeno. The one thing I've gotten off the regular dinner menu is the Eel Roll ($6.25), and it was a disappointment. As the sashimi is not the best quality here, I would actually recommend going elsewhere if you primarily crave sashimi or if you want the more simple, traditional sushi rolls with a higher fish to rice ratio.
Ambiance: (4/5) There aren't very many seats at Blue Fish, but my party of 2 had no trouble getting a seat in the 1/3 filled restaurant around 5:30 last Tuesday night. Even when I come here at 6:30pm seats are still easy to come by. The modern style establishment is very narrow and every inch is utilized. The sushi counter with about a dozen accompanying stool seats occupy the right side that features a bright red wall. Their are a few 2-seater tables along the left wall, and the space in between is just enough for waiters and servers to walk through. There are also about five 4-seater tables towards the front of the restaurant, and a couple outdoor tables as well. Everything seems clean and well-maintained, simple yet stylish. Pretty good.
Location: (5/5) Awesome location. Blue Fish is right on Colorado in the hub of Old Town Pasadena. Shops of all types, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and more are just steps away. Parking is plentiful as there are parking structures planted everywhere. If I know I'm coming here for food I usually park at the lot on the corner of Green and Raymond; they offer 90 minutes free, $2 thereafter, $6 maximum.
Service: (3.5/5) The food here comes out in a flash; I don't know how they do it. I usually come around 5:30pm or 6:00pm and we've gotten our appetizers and rolls within 5-10 minutes of ordering. The water refillers also do a great job of swinging by your table frequently to check on your glasses. One thing I don't appreciate is that I once came here during happy hour, but got the bill after 7pm and they didn't use the happy hour prices -- very annoying.
Overall: (4/5) I'd recommend coming for Happy Hour, but be aware of the time and get your check before 7pm. Other than that, just enjoy :) -
Review from Missy T.
North Hollywood, CA
Happy Hour was amazing! We ordered popcorn lobster, spicy tuna roll, philadelphia roll and sapphoro, all for $13 + tip.
Food was delish! Can't wait to try the other specials. -
Review from Christine L.
Alhambra, CA
8/31/2011
I've been to many Japanese restaurants and this is definitely not one of my favorites. I did not, absolutely not, enjoy my time there, and here's why:
1) Blue Fish is overrated and overpriced for their sashimi quality.
2) I have no idea what the rave/hype about this place is all about aside from the attractive, trendy, icy-cool white interior and glassy exterior they have that seemed to define the look of what a trendy raw fish restaurant should look like.
3) Their sashimi was not too fresh and their cut rolls were uncreative aside from their glamorized and supposedly witty renames for each rainbow roll they had *note my sarcasm*. Apparently, I even remembered being served some sort of salmon salad that was definitely not what I had ordered, since much of what it entailed was seriously not a part of the order's description. Maybe I misinterpreted the order because the description was so dressed up, so much that it missed the point about what it simply was: a salmon salad. That would have been so much easier. I despise their confusing, yet supposedly trendy menu to this day.
4) Had I known what would be in store for me, I would have never bothered to order a dozen rocky, unclean and unpleasant, oysters served with ponzu sauce. I always enjoy ponzu sauce, but I despised spitting out giant and tiny chunks of oyster shells at every gulp. The last awaited dish to end the meal on a good note most definitely killed it *sarcasm*.
I seriously wonder if there were any serious sushi/sashimi consumers there or if most of the customers were there for the restaurant's trendy interior and the trendy menu, which seems to blind customers from a very tasteless experience. Because if they were sushi regulars, they should seriously get their tastebuds checked.
5) Also, my waiter was absentminded at best.
However, things change and this whole experience impacted me maybe two years ago. But after reading some other reviews for this restaurant, my experiences still prove to be pretty relevant. Service still sucks and the quality is still poor, but trendy as ever. I am definitely not going back. -
Review from Brooke I.
Monterey Park, CA
3/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
We honestly came into this place because the sign looked cool, and after checking out the menu it seemed like a place we'd enjoy. The interior was clean and decorated nicely, but the tables felt cramped and were kind of uncomfortable. The service was pretty much the same. It seemed like they were just going through the motions and rarely checked on us.
As for the food, I ordered brown rice and salmon sashimi. It was ok, but nothing special. I mean, it's kind of hard to mess up something you don't cook.. lol. The fish was kind of dull in color and didn't taste very fresh. The pieces were cut into chunks rather than slices and placed next to some daikon, shoga, and various pickled vegetables. We also orderd the sweet albacore. This conisisted of albacore, cherry tomato, sweet mango salsa, and fried jalapeno and onions. It wasn't bad and I really liked the sauce, but it wasn't mind blowing.
Overall, I left full but kind of disappointed. I felt like I could have gone to a fast food sushi place like san sai and left more satisfied for less that 1/4 the price. I probalbly wont come back here again. -
Review from Sarmen A.
Glendale, CA
10/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Huge portions. The rolls are average to good. Have not tried their sushi so I cannot comment on that. The wait staff was attentive and polite even though they were about to close. They did not rush us or pressure us to close the tab. Same level as the Montrose location.
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Review from Richard P.
Alhambra, CA
Blue Fish is an average sushi restaurant. I ate here last Friday with my family. They were in Old Town and wanted to meet up for dinner. The food was on par with most sushi restaurants. Nothing stood out especially well. I ordered sushi (Philly Roll, Albacore Sushi, Spicy Tuna Hand Roll, and a Red Sun Roll). They were good, but nothing special. The Red Sun Roll is interesting filled with tuna and wrapped in cucumber instead of seaweed. It was pretty good.
My mom order the Salmon Teriyaki and Tempura combination. It was also a decent dish.
Blue Fish is just your average sushi restaurant. Its not bad, but I actually like Japon Bistro (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) better. -
Review from Mimi C.
1/10/2011
Blue Fish fits right into the trendy yet expensive restaurant mold in Old Town Pasadena.
Food is priced the same high end sushi restaurants ($6/7 for 2 pieces) on the Westside. You're really paying for ambiance and location. Sushi rolls start at $11/$12, ouch!
That said, Blue Fish serves an amazing variety of Japanese-American food like their combination plates, sushi rolls, udon, soba, tempura, donburis and little appetizers.
VERDICT? ...
I tasted a few of my friends' dishes and wasn't impressed. The dynamite roll was charred at the edges, the charishi bowl had cold and hard rice, the udon was overly salty, the tempura was overfried. Portions were decently sized.
Groups get an automatic 18% gratuity added. Needless to say, it was quite an expensive meal ... and everyone had to fumble around for a few extra dollars to make up for the deficit in the bill.
OH! Their kitchen closes from 3-5pm, so we did see a few people get turned away. -
Review from mary s.
Pasadena, CA
11/30/2010
It takes a lot for me to write a bad review. We (my office) has been coming here since it opened a few years ago under the name "Tani." The original crew (sushi chefs/wait staff) were prompt, friendly and just all together nice people. The food was good and we ordered lunch every day for almost 2 months. My boss really likes the menu.
But things have changed. The wait staff is all different. When I call in an order it takes twice as long to get ready and then sometimes things are missing. WTF!?!? This has happened within the last month. I don't get it. I hate to say it but I know I will still have to order from them for my boss but the rest of us have been going elsewhere for lunch. We miss Mr. Lee, Tony, Crystal and Miguel. They knew what we wanted and acknowledged us when we walked in by our names. The people there now just greet you and that's it. I notice the sushi chefs are young and keep checking their cell phones behind the counter while working. Are you kidding me? I am hoping they will get better and would like to talk with the owner/manager since service has gotten pretty bad. -
Review from kelly t.
San Gabriel, CA
1/16/2011
I've been here many times w. My sister! She would take me here for lunch and then we'd go shopping in Old Town. I must say lunch here is a decent price. The place is a bit crampy, but its all good!
Now I've only came for lunch, so I order off the lunch special menu. I get miso soup, salad, and two items off the menu. Oh and the one thing you MUST get here is "popcorn lobster" that thing is deadly!!! It's like an orgasm explosion in your mouth!!! My "last meal on earth" would definitely have to be Blue Fish's popcorn lobster. -
Review from Tina R.
Pasadena, CA
4/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Food is good, service is polite, and tables are comfortable.
Add in the all-day, every-day 1.99 beer/sake and we're coming back frequently. -
Review from Luke L.
North Hollywood, CA
10/17/2010 1 Check-in Here
Ordered 3 items and it took over a hour to get them. Was told the chef was backed up.
No, the chef was having a beer with guys for a half hour at table next to ours.
Fish was rotten. Could smell it sitting on the table.
Waitress was nice, but couldn't make up for the worst sushi in town. -
Review from Jen A.
La Puente, CA
10/20/2010 6 photos
I've been here for a total of 4 times only. One being for my birthday dinner almost a year ago. (I know, kinda late on writing a review but oh well!)
Anyway, the first two time I came here, I went in for lunch with their specials. My favorite item to get is their popcorn lobster as an appetizer! Although it may seem to be a small portion, it's enough for me when I have other food there waiting to be eaten.
When I came here for my birthday, I reserved on http://OpenTable.com and I asked them if we could have the patio in the back (which is pretty!). We arrived on time and were seated right away (since the back was completely free). The waiter, Andrew, was polite and knew what he was doing. There were those huge heated lamps that kept everyone in my party warm and toasty since this was in November. Everyone got their food almost at the same time, everyone enjoyed their food & drinks, and I even got a free green tea ice cream with mochi as a birthday gift from Blue Fish! Of course it had a candle and my friends sang happy birthday to me. Overall, it was a good experience.
The last time I went here was with a few of my girlfriends. The waitress was nice and checked up on us. We all ordered our rolls, and everyone really enjoyed them! I forgot the name of the chef specialty roll I got, but I didn't like it because i've never had albacore in my life.. and that just proved I won't ever eat it again. But, if you do like albacore..go for it! People have different tastes.
The rolls that I would suggest on getting are the Shrimp tempura roll (always a plus), Spider roll, and the Popcorn Lobster roll! -
Review from Allys T.
San Gabriel, CA
I've been to Blue Fish twice and I've enjoyed both experiences. The waiters are attentive and the chefs are friendly. I've only ordered a couple things here, but they were all really good!
Popcorn Lobster: Oh man, this thing is AMAZING. Baby lobster that's been deep fried and topped with this tangy sauce. It's $13, but for an appetizer, she'll fill you up. A MUST order! I've never seen this dish anywhere else.
Dragon Roll: No complaints. I was filled and it was tasty.
Popcorn Lobster Roll: Okay, okay.. I really can't get enough of their popcorn lobster. But this roll is pretty good. They top their California rolls with it and give you a little bit on the side to enjoy after you're done. -
Review from Raymond B.
Los Angeles, CA
7/6/2010
I am the type who sits at a sushi bar, talks with the chef and orders sushi & sashimi only - none of those novelty rolls. But I've been disappointed here one too many times. When you ask the chef what's good today or what's in season and he gives you seriously sub-standard salmon eggs that taste like they should be thrown away, there is a very serious problem.
If you go to a sushi place to order rolls or cooked food, Blue Fish will be adequate. For that, it's better than the other nearby cheap place, and less expensive than the other nearby better place. -
Review from danica c.
Pasadena, CA
4/28/2010 ROTD 6/23/2010
I like Blue Fish!
Came here yesterday and when I went in I went directly to the bathroom, it was very clean and there's no bad smell. I often review the bathrooms in the restaurant because I think it's one of the way to decide whether or not the management really cares about the customers.
The sushi chef helped me picked out a cold sake, I dont' know the name but the Chinese name is "Rice Shelf". This sake is sweet, only 8-9% alcohol unlike regular sake is 12-14% alcohol, so this sake is smooth, sweet, fruity, and easy to drink. The sushi chef asked me about 3 times when I was there about how I like the sake, he even gave me discount $30 for the 720ml.
All I can say is this place is wonderful! The food is not what I'd call perfection, but it's delicious. My favorite was the Marilyn-Mon-Roll. The waitress was super friendly, helpful and attentive, so is the sushi chef. We had a good time there! Expect to pay about $30 to $40 per person for a good time! They have outdoor seating, too, but doesn't look that nice. They have a lot of special rolls there, I will come back to try all of them. -
Review from Wenny K.
South Pasadena, CA
Updated - 6/11/2011
We used to go to Tani/Blue Fish almost every week, but there have been some big changes in chefs and also the food. The quality has come down and it's definitely not the same fun, tasty place we used to frequent since they changed out the chefs. It seems as though the owners decided they wanted to go for more trend and flash than quality and welcome. It's really too bad, as my husband and I used to have great experiences here.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/20/2009
My husband and I are huge fans of Blue Fish (formerly Tani), but mostly because of the great rapport… Read more »
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Review from Le d.
Rialto, CA
5/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
A friend and I ate here for dinner, ordering a few things that sounded good, as well as the Popcorn Lobster Roll (recommended by people on yelp). The roll was good and they were very generous with the lobster. When we ordered Agedashi Tofu, which was under the tempura section of appetizers, the tofu came out grilled. I don't know if it was bad, or if it was the expectation of having fried tofu, but I'm going to go ahead and say I didn't enjoy it. The other food was good, nothing worth mentioning, but the service was great. Would I come again? Ummm... Sure, if someone else wanted to go.
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Review from Lindsay S.
Pasadena, CA
Updated - 12/11/2010
First thing - the staff here is great! They are always an welcoming and make the experience better! Now on to the food.
Everything from sashimi to speciality rolls are always terriffic! Red Dragon is definitely our favorite - try it.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/2/2010
Really more like a 3.5. Not a 4 because they were not the best rolls I have ever had, but… Read more »
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Review from Jamie J.
La Crescenta-Montrose, CA
2/16/2011
The sushi is about par for the course. Not terrible, but not anything spectacular. The service on the other hand... was bad. To be fair, the waiter that helped us was very nice and friendly. However, the waitress... not so much. After we ordered, I asked the waitress if my meal came with a salad. Instead of coming back with a simple "no, I'm sorry," she made the effort to retrieve a menu, stick it under my nose and point out that my meal in fact did not come with a salad. Wow. Ok, sorry I tried to scam you out of that salad... You caught me! (insert sarcasm here)
At the end of the day, there are tons of sushi restaurants in Old Town you can choose from. If the food is just as good at one as it is at the others, the only thing that separates them is service. Bad service means I don't need to come back here. -
Review from Andrea K.
Glendale, CA
3/30/2010 1 Check-in Here
Went here after a night of heavy drinking....
Bluefish hit the spot....
I actually ordered things I normally would not order while at a sushi spot, but knew my stomach probably couldn't handle tons of sashimi and Sriracha....
THE ORDER:
Combo Lunch (Yakitori, Spicy Chx Bowl, and Unagi/Avo Roll.....came with miso soup and salad).....4 stars....for 11 bux, all that food? are you joking me? and its GOOD? yah, the chicken on both the yakitori and bowl was super moist and the sauces on both were yummy! The eel/avo roll was really good....and the salad was shockingly refreshing and delightful....the miso soup was....miso soup! GREAT VALUE!!!!
Chirashi Bowl: Jam-packed full of a myriad of sashimi...big slabs of raw meat...yum!
SERVICE:
Overall good! We came on a Monday right before the lunch rush....and we had excellent service.
I'll def be back!
xo-
andrea -
Review from Ned M.
Santa Monica, CA
8/9/2010
Blue Fish runs into trouble because by its menu and its prices, it declares that it can go toe to toe with Sushi Roku for sushi and tries to get a dig in at izakayas with their small dish menu, which puts them in competition to Musha or Sasaya.
If Blue Fish would declare itself on a cheap sushi level such going against Kabuki, they would be on par.
For hot dishes, I tried the hamachi collar and sesame chicken. Both fail miserably. The hamachi had little meat to it and the sesame chicken was panda express-esque.
Seaweed salad is standard Korean style. No minuses there.
$2.50 for a side a brown rice? This isn't a problem in it of itself, but you are declaring that your establishment is elite and the other dishes do not match up.
$30 sushi plate. 8 pieces of sushi and 8 of sashimi. Not a bad deal. Tuna, albacore, salmon and one more... I can't remember what it was. As a note, however, though I suppose you get more fish for you buck if the slices are thick, it actually is tastes better cut thin.
At least they have Echigo and Yebisu beer. That always takes the edge off a little. -
Review from Tanya S.
Glendale, CA
8/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
I almost forgot how wonderful Blue Fish is! I used to go to the Montrose location all the time, but I finally got to try the Pasadena spot and absolutely loved it! It may sound ridiculous but I felt like the sushi @ this location was wayyy more fresh and wayyy more tasty! We had a pretty big order but I will list the things I can remember (all which were fantastic and must haves)...
- Mixed Sashimi Salad
-Garlic Asparagus
-CALAMARI (my personal fave)
-Philly Roll
-Las Vegas Roll
-Sesame Chicken
-Tempura
My only complaint was that it was EXTREMELY cold in there. I tend to be cold all the time, but the men at our table were really cold too! Luckily our server was really sweet and changed the temperature! It is a little tight as well, but most of the sushi places I go to are! -
Review from Tara C.
2/15/2010 1 Check-in Here
"This ain't a race here people!" Those were my exact words, to express my irritation at the crazy service during my Valentine's day dinner. We decided to try Blue Fish for V-Day because of their advertised Valentine's prix fixe dinner. $80/couple bought edamame, miso soup, salad, a shared sushi platter, and a choice of either "filet mignon steak and stuffed lobster" or Chilean sea bass and salmon for each of you, plus a fresh fruit/ice cream dessert. You also got a couple bottles of hot sake included with the meal. Sounds pretty good right? And most of the food was pretty good, although whether that teriyaki beef was actually a filet mignon cut was questionable and the stuffed lobster tail was a tad too creamy and even a little too sweet for my taste.
My real issue was the poor service. I'm thinking they either had lots of later reservations, or because our meal was a set price, we did not seem profitable enough. Whatever the reason, they were seriously trying to set a record for "fastest multi-course meal" ever! We had barely started our soups, when they brought our salads. Barely touched the salads when they brought our large sushi platter. But when the guy suddenly showed up again SECONDS later with our HOT entrees, I was pissed and spoke up. I told him to take them back to the kitchen and either keep them warm or give us fresh ones later, because not only were they rushing us, but there was also no room on the tiny table anyway! Christ on a bike! And of course, when we finished the sushi, I had to actually ask for the freakin' entrees to be served!
Last but not least, I was peeved when they "accidentally" tried to forget our desserts. We were pretty full by then, but if we're paying for the dessert, we damn well better be served our dessert! So annoying. My dinner date pointed out the only plus to this marathon-meal: we didn't have to pay for parking since we had 90 minutes free, and we were out in an HOUR.Listed in: No Bueno
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Review from Alfred P.
Los Angeles, CA
6/29/2007
Holy Jesus, their yellowtail is orgasmic. Women, forget vibrators! Men, put away that hooker cash! Alls you gotta do is visit Tani and have some yellowtail nigiri. Seriously, watch:
Boy: Holy Jesus, this yellowtail is orgasmic! Watch, try it!
Girl (trying yellowtail): I don't know how it's possible but I just had an orgasm.
Boy (calling server): Excuse me! Here, try this.
(Server tries yellowtail, becomes flustered and red and sweaty and runs off to the restroom panting in ecstasy.)
Girl: You son of a bitch, it's over between us!
Boy: But, baby, here, try some Yellowtail.
Girl: You're so good in bed! Let's cuddle.
(Begin cuddling.)
See? That's only half of the story, though. Check it:
Boy: Holy shit! Bottles of wine starting at 17 bucks!
Girl: Stop yelling.
But, really now, it wasn't just their yellowtail. They had excellent sushi. If anything, come for the raw fish. Actually, just come for the raw fish because I tried a salad and it was like sucking a lemon drizzled with sesame seed oil. Their rolls, like rolls anywhere else, destroyed the fresh flavor of the fish.
Not only that, this is also a nice place to get your romance on, especially with sushi. If ever you were going to let sushi grant you an orgasm, this is the place.
So, to sum up: orgasmic sushi, ridiculously inexpensive wine, sushi-sex friendly, and enthusiastic and proud servers. I love proud servers. I love sushi. -
Review from Jackie F.
Los Angeles, CA
7/27/2011
Not too bad, but definitely not somewhere I'd want to eat frequently.
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Review from CJ J.
9/22/2008
Won't be a very long or detailed review.
Key points:
- Sushi: MmmM Mmmm mMm. Good.
- Presentation: Very cute and pretty.
- Waitress: Didn't really pay attention. Boo.
Telling me that my meal doesn't come with salad and tempura when it CLEARLY says it does on the menu.
SUCKS.
I straight out asked her and she #1 didn't understand what I was saying initially. (NO I DO NOT WANT TEMPURA ON MY SALAD YOU IDIOT). #2 after she finally gets what I am saying she says no that's a different lunch special and it does not come with it.
Fine. I felt like an idiot. Whatever.
Of course what happens? I double check the menu and knew I remembered correctly! Yes. I got screwed. Paid hella money for a few pieces of sushi and did not receive the second half of my meal.
Whack.Listed in: Give it to me RAW baby!
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Review from Roger C.
Flagstaff, AZ
11/18/2010
Excellent place for lunch--
Try the chirashi! -
Review from Alvin V.
Pasadena, CA
8/31/2008
Want to start off a great Friday? Well have some sushi!
After running errands, we were in the area and spotted Tani, located in Old Town Pasadena. The outside was well decorated with design samples outside, nifty idea.
We were seated and the placed was very comfortable, felt like I was at home. I ordered the "Chirashi" (Assorted Sashimi Served over Rice) and the better half ordered "Sushi & Sashimi" (6pcs Nigiri Sushi & 6pcs Sashimi). The wait wasn't too bad but as soon as I got my order it put a smile to my face. The presentation is nice, cute even, the portion wasn't too large but it was well balanced due to its quality. VERY fresh sashimi and the eel was to die for (well cooked, with light eel sauce). The better half's order was good too. Not so much presentation but the quality was great.
Our Miso soup came during our entreés, however to our surprise the better half's side order of Salad and Tempura (suppose to be included) did not arrive.... We assumed it came with her order; we even asked the very non-fluent English speaking Japanese girl just to confirm but I don't think she really understood.... (dammit). *I just checked their website and the Sushi & Shashimi SHOULD'VE included a Salad and Tempura on the side, WTF!* Knowing that for a fact now just made me take out 1 star. Also we received no refills and service quality was lacking, I don't know why when there was only about 8-10 people in there including us (+2).
I would go back here but next time I'm making sure I get what I ordered.... dammit! -
Review from Rick K.
6/14/2007
My dad is a sushi chef, and believe me, I know good sushi when I see it. Tani is very good. They use incredibly fresh ingredients and the presentation is second to none. One way you can tell it's good sushi is if the rice melts in your mouth, but it's firm enough so you can grab with your chopsticks, then the chef is definitely on the right track. It's a pretty good place to take a date. If you are planning to take a native Japanese person to this restaurant should probably be aware that Tani Restaurant is a FUSION place. So yeah... be aware.
I enjoyed the Spicy Tuna appetizer (served with potato chips). It's so pretty, and you'll get to sample masago, caviar, and this green masago thingy that I don't know "whatchamacallit".
Definetely try the Lobster Explosion, and the Tani Salad. The Rainbow Roll is delicious, colorful (and get this.... they add mango pieces!). hahaha.
cheap this place isn't, but you are paying for freshness, presentation, hype, service, decoration, and the O-town factor.
PS: THEY HAVE A BEAUTIFUL BACK PATIO where you can enjoy a meal. My guess is that it's a smoking area. But for all I know, it could be a private party area.
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update: it's not Lobster Explosion... it's Lobster Dynamite. hahahaha. -
Review from Lyn P.
11/7/2008
Stopped here for lunch randomly (basically looked at the map of Old Pasadena and picked the Japanese place) and was not disappointed. You can approach from the alley or on the street - we came up through the alley so we actually came through the back of the restaurant and they seated us in the main part of it near the sushi bar.
I ordered the spicy ramen and my friend ordered the tempura udon. Both our meals came with miso and choice of sushi roll - we both picked spicy tuna. We also ordered edamame.
The miso came out first and it was good - they don't give you a spoon and not wanting to be high maintenance, we drank from the bowl. The miso was good - thick and not too salty. Then came the edamame and spicy tuna rolls. The edamame was fine, not sure how you can mess up edamame. The spicy tuna rolls were okay as well - just a little spicy.
My spicy ramen was excellent - it was spicy enough to clear my sinuses, but not so spicy that my mouth was on fire. This was a veggie ramen, so just shitakes, cauliflower and broccoli, which was fine by me. My friend enjoyed his udon as well - he gave me his fish cakes...score.
Service was fine and prices were reasonable (though dinner looked a bit expensive). I noticed that they had a "People Love Us on Yelp" sticker in the window, so that gets an extra half star from me. -
Review from Jessica Y.
Los Angeles, CA
7/6/2007
Special thanks to George M and Lali P for recommending this place to me. ;) At first I was afraid.. because i knew this place was fusion-y, and i'm not too crazy about.. fusion-y japanese food..(I'm a traditional Japanese food type of gal)
BUT it was surprisingly good.. even with their with funky named rolls.. they were.. surprisingly creative and yummy.. mm...
Walking in, I was impressed by how cute the place was.. esp the patio, i'd recommend sitting here. Here's what I ordered:
*Golden sea urchin (the best dish.. and to my surprise, a roll)
-lightly battered tempura wrapped around shiso leaf and uni, without overcooking the uni.. delicious!! it reminds me of a Nobu recipe which my talented friend, Tim L, made one time)
*Salmon sashimi - super fresh!!
*Dynamite: very good! They served it in a lobster shell.. best lobster dynamite I've ever had.
*Tako (octopus) and pickled cucumber (not bad, not a huge fan of tako)
*Love Dream: Salmon, spicy tuna... smothered in sauce. not so good, too rich.
*Trio Creme Brulee: Delicious! i finally satisfied my goma (black sesame) crave! served in sake cups, plus points for creativity!
*Salad: Forgot the name but it had cherry tomatos, avacado.. probably just the basic, but the dressing was good.. fusion but good.
*hot sake: it was on the house, so we got it. usually I'd go for cold sake. Go now before they start charging! ;)
The place is still relatively new, so the waitresses were pretty green, but they're sweet, so be patient with them.
If you're looking for something a little different from the traditional, I'd recommend this place.
Remember to get the golden uni... *droool*Listed in: Itadakimasu~!, Sake it to me!, Good o' Pasadena
