Darian E.
Yelp
Kaviar Sushi Bar is a glitzy, expensive Japanese restaurant that presents itself as a trendy upscale restaurant with club vibes. Compared to other restaurants in its class, Kaviar offers average to slightly below average food, great service, good ambiance, and mediocre value.
On our birthday date we began with the Golden Hour ($15), a unique sake, grapefruit, lemon, and tea that was light and refreshing. This was followed by our sushi, Amberjack Bluefin ($29) and Rock Shrimp Tempura ($22) rolls. The Tempura shrimp sushi was fairly unremarkable with a serviceable sauce to stave off dryness. The Amberjack roll, recommended by our server, was spectacular, and the highlight of the evening. The delicate touch of the Amberjack and Bluefin was pierced by a striking, if highly unusual, stab of Yuzu lemon that was at first bite disarming, at second intriguing, and at third, addicting.
Resisting the urge to order one of several items featuring 24K gold leaf or served with a dry ice presentation, we splurged next with the A5 Wagyu Tartare topped with some caviar ($39). Perhaps my palate is unsophisticated, but I could not distinguish this from any other tartare I've had, with the seasoning lacking and the caviar adding little to the dish. We then had a selection of several tempura items ($14), which were excessively heavy with twice the tempura coating we're accustomed to. This was followed by the Miso Glazed Black Cod ($48), which was similar to other upscale black cod presentations I've seen elsewhere. We found it tasty, soft, fall-apart-in-your-fork consistency, as it should be, but relatively low in flavor (even for cod) with a somewhat stingy portion.
Our server Vanessa was kind, attentive, and helpful. We appreciated her Amberjack roll recommendation, her ability to identify cooked sushi items (which my date preferred), and a generous offer of a free dessert for my birthday. The hostess was similarly kind, calling to check in when we were running behind, and seating us despite a late arrival.
The restaurant has a trendy aesthetic which straddles between fine restaurant and upscale club. It is dark, the music at times a little loud, celebratory desserts come with sparklers instead of candles, and gold leaf or occasional fire (see our Cod) makes its way into the dishes. This is certainly a good place to bring a date or group who is into that type of thing. The suits of Sengoku Jidai armor were a nice touch.
Overall, the value was mediocre for downtown Pasadena, with prices better suited for West Hollywood or similar; I felt the Tartare and Black Cod were overpriced. Expect to pay around $100/person, not including tip, which I feel is somewhat unjustified for the food quality. Of note, we had a promotion from the inKind app ($50 off a check over $150), which you should look into on your visit. My scores below do not reflect this discount.
Is Kaviar kool? Definitely. Is the food as good as the vibes? No. Come to Kaviar if you or your date are looking for something trendy, hip, don't care too much for the details, and don't mind splurging a little.
Food: 3.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Ambiance/Facility: 4/5
Value: 3/5