Matsuri Restaurant

It feels as though this restaurant has been around for quite some time: the atmosphere, the kind and welcoming staff, the quality, and energy are all sweet! and having their own parking behind the restaurant is great. Wish the sashimi had ginger to refresh between the different fish and flavors, but a small note compared to the overall experience.

I had high hopes for Matsuri based on the ambiance and some early reviews, but unfortunately, the experience did not live up to expectations. First off, the service was unusually slow even though the restaurant was only half full. It took nearly 20 minutes just to get water, and even longer to place our order. When we finally did, the staff seemed rushed and inattentive, forgetting part of our order entirely. As for the food — it was underwhelming at best. The sushi rice was mushy and warm, and the fish didn’t taste particularly fresh. The “signature rolls” were drowning in sauces, likely to mask the lack of quality. We also ordered a hot dish that came out lukewarm and lacked seasoning. On top of that, the prices were way too high for the quality. I don’t mind paying premium for exceptional food, but this wasn’t it. The only saving grace was the interior — the space itself is beautifully designed, and the lighting gives it a nice vibe. But sadly, ambiance alone doesn’t justify a poor dining experience. I won’t be returning, and I wouldn’t recommend it unless the management makes serious improvements to food quality and staff training.

The quality of the sushi here is actually quite good. Personally not really a fan of chirashi bowls though, should have gotten something else. Update: I have gotten something else, and it was delicious. The lunch options are great and provide lots of variety for a fair price. Everything was delicious, nutritious, and filling.

Good service. Got parking is a plus. Sushi was ok. The chicken in the udon was dry and tough.

Unassuming from the outside, but a truly great Japanese restaurant. Great quality on the seafood. The basic chirashi was very good with a fantastic variety of sashimi. I will definitely go for the deluxe next time! Definitely a must order is the Matsuri Gozen. It’s a beautifully organized set meal and the flavors are spot on.

Delicious Sashimi, Teriyaki, and fried Cod Amazing service Phenomenal experience Would definitely come back

High-quality lunch bento box coming with crispy tempura, grilled fish, tuna sashimi, salad. Sushi ordered separately also came in high standard at this price point. The sushi rice is a little warm, which IMO is how high-quality sushi should be presented. Glad they did it this way. Last but not the least, the service is great and delightful.

Nice cosy family-owned Japanese spot with many delicious offerings! Their bentos and sushi are top notch in quality and their staff is all Japanese which adds to the authentic atmosphere. Finally the organic matcha hot tea is the best I've had in a restaurant which pairs nicely with the food.

I love this sushi bar. I love the family who owns it. I love the customers. This is my favorite restaurant in all of the greater Los Angeles area. Just such good vibes! Try the shiso hot -- ask for the upgraded fish. Omg. Amazing!

Matsuri I am surprised I only have tried you recently when you have been here for so long. I love when you walk in you feel like you are in a traditional Japanese style restaurant. The sushi tables are right in front and there are small tables scattered around with table seating of two and fours. It is located in the city of Pasadena and I came here for dinner with a girlfriend of mine. We picked it through Yelp and I am glad it was good. We both ordered the sashimi dinner with comes with miso soup and a hefty bowl of rice . Service was friendly and nice and I would totally come back to try more things! I think the freshness of this place will keep many people coming back and probably have long time customers. I am so glad I found this spot! Can't wait to tell all my friends about it too.

No nonsense authentic Japanese food in a family friendly environment. Big ups to the sushi chef bros for their expertise and great conversations. Good food all around and an awesome variety of fish for sushi/sashimi. Also great value for the quality. Japanese family owned for a long time, which is rare nowadays. Always looking forward to the next meal there. Easy parking is also a plus!

Stopped by for a quick lunch during the work day. Family-owned, cute place that is reflected by the welcoming atmosphere. Service was generally fast and certainly kind. I ordered the lunch combo with teriyaki rib eye beef and tempura combo. The dish came with miso soup and white rice. The soup was great, rice immaculately cooked. The beef was flavorful and was a perfect teriyaki in my view -- savory, umami-y with a perfectly balanced sweetness. The tempura was breaded and fried well, though the tempura sauce could have used a bit more radish. Also got iced matcha tea and that was great. I would definitely come back and recommend the place for quick Japanese fix.

While the overall food was decent, I found the tuna to have an unpleasant fishy aftertaste that I didn't expect. The rest of the sashimi was acceptable. I was not fond of the thousand island dressing on my salad, as it contributed to the heaviness of the macaroni salad on the same plate. I believe a ginger dressing would have offered a better citrusy contrast. The ambiance and service at this sushi restaurant were commendable.

I enjoyed a lunch and a dinner at Matsuri recently. The staff is lovely and was accommodating/helpful as I brought a guest in a wheelchair with me. We enjoyed a variety of sushi and cooked dishes over the course of our meals. Lovely all around. Fresh fish that's cut well (not too thick or thin); a little generous on the wasabi accompanying the dishes, but it could be worse. Very darling space. A nice display of treasures from around Japan. Not so loud that you can't hear your table's conversation. Good all around.

A nice family style Japanese restaurant on Green Street away from the busy old town Pasadena. We came to celebrate a birthday and ordered a few appetizers and combo dinners. We enjoyed their fried oysters, baked mussels and soft shell crab appetizers. My combination dinner of teriyaki salmon and tempura was definitely a do over. Servers were very friendly and accommodating and we had a comfortable table in the corner for our group. I'm glad we had reservations since the restaurant filled up quickly on Saturday night. They offered free parking in a private lot adjacent to the restaurant. There was also a lot of street parking on Green Street as well. Definitely plan to return again.

This is our go-to Japanese restaurant in an area that has a ton of them. Matsuri stands out because they offer multiple types of Japanese food and do all of them well. The staff are all super friendly and speak Japanese. The ambiance is pretty simple but is clean and welcoming. The sushi is my favorite, but I also really enjoy their appetizers (especially the crab croquettes and salmon collar). Note that if you come during prime time on a weekend there may be a bit of a wait, and there is not really room to wait inside.

Food was amazing but I had to take a star away because service was extremely slow. I had to ask for check and for the empty dishes to be removed. I will definitely be back ...

What a great spot for lunch! Staff were kind and attentive. Bento box was delicious with a good portion, reasonable price. Serve beer too. Parking lot in the back. Spots are clearly marked. A little small inside with only one table that has room for more than 4. I can see this place filling up. Great spot!!!

Great service!!! The workers over there are actually nice and really friendly!! The whole area inside the restaurant is very clean too!! I definitely will be coming back over there again!! Five stars is exactly my total rating!!!! Thank you guys so much for everything!!!

They definitely go for natural flavors here. We ordered the special of fried rock cod and appetizer of veggie tempura. Tempura batter and batter for fish was a bit too heavy. I prefer lighter batter; the fish was very nicely cooked, light and flaky. Homemade tartar sauce was solid. For main course, I ordered Matsuri gozen. I would say the highlight of my meal was the clam miso. A bit heavy on the salt but delicious! The fish for the main dish was only ok. The skin was chewy and soft rather than crunchy; the seasoning was good. The sashimi was also only ok; some of the fish pieces were too thick for my preference. The boiled spinach was the least appetizing...cold and bland. Would I come here again? Probably not, but I'm glad I tried it.

Apparently the spot in Pasadena!! I was meeting up with some clients for work at Caltech, and they recommended this spot on the corner. It was just a few blocks away from campus, and seemed to be pretty popular with students on a given weekday. Inside, our server got us to our tables and welcomed us with water and miso soup. She was super friendly and gave us plenty of time to order :). I went with the katsu lunch combo, which also came with california rolls, and mac salad. It tasted great, with the katsu being very crunchy and the mac salad being the perfect complement to the meal. I thought the California rolls were great too!

Matsuri was a place we would go often since I use to live about a hundred feet from the establishment. Would it be my go-to for sushi? No. However, for convenience, it does the job. The service here is good. Everyone is super friendly and my experiences here were nothing but pleasant. I often order the sushi platter, which has a variety of different sushi. My only gripe is the rice - it just seemed a bit dry and they do give you a lot compared to other places. Each piece of fish is good but not the freshest. The eel bowl is good and filling. Nothing special and grilled eel is hard to mess up. My favorite item on the menu is the salmon collar. I love the fatness, which is reminiscent of bone marrow. Your hands will get sticky from the fish oil but well worth it. The spicy tuna hand rolls are good but I wish it had more spice to it.

I finally had a chance to eat here in person with my fam. We got the bluefin tuna toro sushi, ikura sushi, spicy yellowtail roll, the matsuri special. We also got the saba shio (mackerel) dinner entree and karaage chicken and yellowtail collar for appetizers. It was more than ample food for the three of us. We also had a green tea and beer and lemonade for beverages and the bill was slightly over $158 inc tip. great service no wait.

Matsuri is an amazing small mom and pop Japanese restaurant. As we walked in, we were greeted by all the workers. This is very traditional Japanese culture, to welcome guests. Our server checked on us if we had any questions while looking over the menu. I love that they had tasty selections other than sushi. Most of their combinations (bentos) include sushi! And not just a California roll, but a variety of sushi. The overall quality was really fresh. I loved the presentation of the food in the decorative cutlery and serving dishes/bowls. My ultimate surprise was how good the clam miso soup was. The clams were really fresh, juicy, and the amount of clams was generous. My favorite thing to eat was the tamago. Usually the tamago is bland, too sweet or too thick. Matsuri's tamago is fluffy and delicious. It's really close to the tamago at Tsukiji fish market. Keep in mind that this is a small business and they work hard to keep such good quality of their dishes. If you're not sure what to order, I recommend the Matsuri Gozen bento which includes a delicious black cod, sashimi, tamago sushi, deep fried spicy salmon, spinach, fish and cucumber salad. This is my favorite dish to order here. You get the best of both sushi and trade Japanese dishes. Street parking only on green street shouldn't be too difficult. Bon appetit yelpers!

I to-go'ed a tuna maki and a salmon maki, both no wasabi. Super basic. Came home to a correct tuna maki and salmon with mayo and cucumbers with rice outside. If one is different than another why call both a maki? If your "house salmon maki" is OBVIOUSLY different than a regular maki, why not say it? They are doubling down and saying this is how it is. Wtf. You guys really suck.

One of the few authentic Japanese restaurants around. Their food is always consistently good and the service warm and friendly. They work very hard, care about the customers experience and it shows! I'm so thankful they survived the pandemic. Whether eating there or picking up a To Go order, they serve fresh and delicious Japanese food made like I had growing up in a Japanese family.

Friendly staff, great environment and great food. Staff took amazing care of us and went above and beyond. I mentioned that one of their regulars recommended for me to come and they took very good care of me. There was a good amount of people even on a Monday night. I noticed that most of their customer base that day were regulars which was nice to see. Will visit again!

Wow, what a great experience tonight! We went there to celebrate my birthday. We ordered the sushi super deluxe and we were blown away by the quality of each piece. Everything was made with care. Not one of the sushi option tasted bizarre or left a weird taste in my mouth. Every single item that the chef prepared was meticulously made. We ordered the veggie/shrimp udon for our little kid who loved it and kept saying so yummy. The whole staff came and sang happy birthday to me which was so adorable. They also gave my toddler a little sushi pen that was super sweet of them. We will definitely come back. To all the haters, this is better than sushi enya. For us, it was a 10/10. Ambiance, food, service = excellent!

Matsuri is a great authentic Japanese restaurant. I love coming here with family. The staff are incredibly nice and helpful. The establishment is small, but very homey and intimate. The fish is fresh, tempura is nice and light. Would recommend the tempura, agedashi tofu, sashimi boat dinner, sushi regular/super deluxe, Matsuri Gozen, salmon collar, and unagi. Excited to continue coming back and trying new things on the menu!

Really liked this establishment. Service is perfect every time I went there. Food quality is great and they have some really special items on the menu.

This is a staple chirashi restaurant in Pasadena!!! The raw sushi fish comes with a rice base and is also topped with Japanese veggies. They were super generous with the portions of fish. Love that it comes with egg, yes so simple yet you need it to balance the texture of the raw fish. It's now my go to chirashi spot!!! Highly recommend!!!

Amazing food as usual. We have only been getting matsuri gozen for the past few visits, but it never disappoints!! We also ordered california roll and eel cucumber roll, and we were more than full by the end of our dinner. They always greet you with nice smiles, and the ambiance is amazing especially with the Japanese decors around the walls. Make sure to go early though, because the line gets long around 6pm. Your best bet would be to get there before 5 and get seated first when they open.

Very good, authentic Japanese food (which is very hard to find these days). Good service and ambiance. Menu has many selections of both food and beverages. Fish is very fresh. Definitely recommend.

I cannot express how happy we were to find Matsuri! There is a wide menu selection of appetizers, combos, sushi, and izakaya appetizers, and western style japanese dishes. The crab croquette was sooo good, fluffy and soft on the inside, but crispy on the outside. The Matsuri Gozen is also a great meal with nice variety of items to try. The tempura and sashimi combo I got had really great, well made tempura. The sashimi good too, but I could tell that the quality of sashimi in the Matsuri Gozen seemed somewhat higher quality. The same for the Sushi Super Deluxe, it seemed like the fish quality was not as high as the Gozen set. The price point on the a la carte sushi is kind of high, so I haven't compared the quality for that method of ordering. The service is very attentive and the atmosphere is very cozy. There's bar seating but also plenty of tables. There's so many great items on the menu to try, so I'm definitely going back. This is definitely becoming our regular Japanese spot.

Great service & considerably reasonable prices for this area in Pasadena. They have all the standard rolls, sushi, sashimi, lunch and dinner box sets, & rice bowls, but I suggest you try their udons & sobas especially in the winter. Came here because they have a less commonly found dish called: - kagiage soba/udon(kagiage is a mixed veggie tempura but they even have shrimp in theirs) 5/5 Love that the whole place speaks Japanese. You know the entire staff is legit.

Homely place, high prices, low quality fish, warm service. Really wanted to like this place. Ambiance Rating 5/5 - very friendly service and I'm getting a lot of Japanese vibes. The place is comfortable and decorated nicely. Food Rating 1/5 - Price is noticeably higher. Quality is below average. Details below: Chirashi bowl : the quality was lower than market bought sushi. Every piece of fish was terrible in quality; tasteless, cheap, low grade, fish cut razor thin. Also, they used so much filler in the chirashi bowl - less than 50% of it was actual fish. Absolutely unacceptable. No integrity. Negitoro roll : I have never paid remotely close to how much they charged here. Tastes decent. Not worth the price. Tempura soba : Overpriced. It's average. Noodles overdone. Tempura was very average, maybe below average. Overall, they really need to step it up here. Looks like they got comfortable with charging locals a high price while never improving their quality for a decade.

Wanted to get sushi before seeing a friend in a show nearby. I was alone, not really loving dining alone tonight but there we are. Lady told me to put my name down. Another couple came in, put name down. 2 boys came in, walked in front, lady sat them right away. Then she sat the couple after me. Completely ignored me. I felt awful. I stood up and walked to front. Completely ignored. Finally I went to her and she apologized and seated me. Then told me to hurry up and order because ( i wasn't sure what she said.. they had no time to make too many things for me?). She took away the menus. Set a bad tone. Unpleasant experience. Food was ok. I won't be back.

Parking is difficult but normal for the area. Service was ok and the food was on par with other sushi places. Would stop by again but probably not a good choice on a weekend due to crowds.

Tucked on the corner of Green and Wilson, Matsuri has home-y vibes exuded by the warmth/greeting of the team members, soft lighting, and Japanese decor. We were seated immediately at 5:30 on a Saturday right before it got packed, and to accommodate everything we ordered, a server moved a potted tree in order to move another small table over to us. We ordered: Takoyaki - this came out last and was worth it! Fresh and piping hot and absolutely delicious. Matsuri Special Roll - shimp tempura, asparagus tempura, salmon, tuna, imitation crab, cucumber, sprouts. A treat to look at and a win if you like everything! Spider Roll - my favorite... soft shell crab, imitation crab, spicy tuna, sprouts, burdock, cucumber. Packed with flavor and does not need soy. Baked Crab Roll - I absolutely adore blue crab but this baked/roll form was a bit underwhelming. Maybe should have added the mayo and sriracha on the side. They didn't have my usual order of the blue crab hand roll which is why we tried this. Sushi - salmon (great balance of lean/fatty), tuna (buttery), scallop (mildly sweet and fresh), and uni (not for me in general but apparently delicious). Sake - Kikushi Junmai Ginjo is smooth, aromatic, and relatively mild. Came in an ice bucket that preserved its crispness. All in all, a heart- and belly-warming experience in a quiet, pleasant atmosphere especially while it's freezing/raining outside.

Best sushi in Pasadena! The business is family run and they are so friendly and kind. The fish is fresh and tasty and I spend way too much money when I go... :D In the appetizers, I love the Shisito Hot and Jalapeno Bombers but truth be told, I've never had anything here I didn't like. My friend ordered the Matsuri Special Cut Roll and my only complaint is that the pieces were a little unwieldy to eat. So good! I hope you're experience is as good as mine!

I didn't take a picture but my rice bowl was Excellent. He pork was really good. Service was lovely and I can't wait to go back. What a cute place. Feels like a real neighborhood gem. Going again this week.

The whole family loves this little place. It feels very homey the service is great and the food is fresh and tasty. We started puffy fried octopus and a pickle plate then we had two different chef selection sushi deluxe plates and a dinner combo of CHIRASHI and TEMPURA along with two delicious rolls one was an absolute favorite that I order every time I see it on a menu *ume and shiso the other delicious as well *Toro and jalapeño. We'll be back 100%

Food was amazing and staff was inviting and kind. Love to find these places, truly a diamond in the ruff. Highly recommend agadashi tofu.

My husband sent me this place to grab lunch after my massage since it was right next door. This place is pretty delicious. Food came out fast and it is decently price! You can tell they use quality fish and it is fresh. A lot of places mask their sushi with ponzu and chili oil. But it is simple here... You can taste the actual fish Tonkatsu set: Everything on that dish was simple. Nothing was overly seasoned, might have needed a touch of salt on the mac salad, but it worked well with the fried pork. Lunch Sushi Deluxe: Delicious! Spicy Tuna Salad: you get a decent amount of spicy tuna on this salad! Only con: they gave me only 1 pair of chopsticks.. so my husband and I had to take turns in eating. I would love to go back when they open up for dine in!

This place has a strong neighborhood hole-in-the-wall atmosphere, and like other reviewers, I wanted to like it. But everything was off. First, poor value. Quality 3/10, portion size 2/10. They're charging Enya prices for Sushi Stop quality. Thinking of ordering the octopus carpaccio? Don't. Baked salmon roll? Think twice. I don't often feel ripped-off, but I did walking out of this place. Avoid.

Delicious food and wonderful staff. This restaurant has a very cozy authentic feel. The sushi was fresh and plentiful.

The food was okay, the service was a bit slow even though it wasn't busy. Reason for the 2 star is the host ( older lady ) was a bit rude and intentionally made me wait for 15 minutes when they're available to help.

When a place has delicious uni & authentic Wasabi, I KNOW it's the real deal. My new favorite sushi place this side of town. No need for long lines, great quality sushi at a reasonable price, very good customer service, beautiful interior, street parking nearby, and a little off topic but even their bathrooms come installed with real Japanese toilets!! like what.... the staff are Japanese, love hearing the beautiful language... you really can't get more authentic than this.... A+ in my books...

Always fresh delicious sushi and Japanese combo dinners They have not sacrificed quality or quantity and they have an extensive sushi selection. I like their consistency with flavor and portions

I think I just found my new comfy dining place. I went over for Valentines Day dinner, expecting a bit of a wait. My partner actually got reservations for the place and were seated pretty quick. Since it was a special day and we wanted to get some mix of food. I ordered: Agedashi Tofu Matsuri roll sushi Dinner combo Salmon/sashimi My partner ordered: Beef Croquettes Crunchy Roll Katsudon We shared appetizers together and we enjoyed it! The Matsuri is too big for my mouth but was delicious. I thought I ordered too much by the time I got to the dinner combo, but it was so good! And they gave us miso before everything which warmed me up! My partner loved his food as well and loved their portions. I would love to come again with family and friends.

Good food and service is always excellent. Everyone is pleasant and friendly. Parking is also convenient and free.

Japanese food and restaurant with an old soul. I am so happy they are only a few streets away from us. Everything from the high-quality fish to the warm service makes Matsuri a hearty recommendation for me. I almost want to keep it a secret, but the world - especially now - needs more small and local businesses that keep our communities better connected. Whenever it is available, get the uni nigiri or sashimi. Super fresh and embodies the best flavors of the sea. Such a delight on a warm, summer day.

My first time to matsuri, I am immediately in love, this place reminds me of being in Japan! The sushi was so fresh, The service was so attentive and the space was nice and roomy. We ordered the Takoyaki, and an 11 pc sashimi dinner that came with albacore, tuna, yellow tail and salmon, a side of rice and a side of miso soup. The sashimi melts in your mouth like sugar fish and the takoyaki was perfectly crisp on the outside and freshly fried. Everything tasted amazingly fresh and I'm good quality! The service was very good makes you feel like you were taken away into a land where they care about your dining experience. I will definitely be going back to try other delish dishes - they have soba here too!

I love coming to Matsuri whether it's for lunch or dinner. This restaurant was introduced to me by my now husband, which was also introduced to him by his roommates parents! They are closed until lunch, and on Sundays. But before you reconsider coming by - they have these hours because the fish is caught by the sushi chefs themselves. They go fishing in the mornings and on Sundays, so the sushi they serve meets the five star reviews of their restaurant. 5/5 I highly recommend!

Went here for the first time with a childhood friend who has been going to Matsuri for over a decade. The staff and chefs are all incredibly kind (and creative!). We had a wonderful meal of sushi specials, cut rolls, hand rolls, and sashimi. I highly recommend the specials, but you can't go wrong with any of their selection. The restaurant is homey and reminds me of my favorite Japanese restaurants growing up. Since my first meal, I have gone back twice with my girlfriend and we both loved it each time. Our sushi chef was the best!!! After we were done with our meal the first time, he asked if we had a "little more room". We were stuffed but interested in what he had in mind. Next thing we know, he passes us a sushi dish of the worlds smallest yellowtail scallion cut roll. It was SOOOOOO CUTE (and tasty)!!!!!! After we finished eating at the next meal, he made us a beautiful Halloween themed platescape that was a little cottage made from an orange, complete with a smoke stack and little candle inside the cottage, the yard was thinly sliced cucumber and he used spicy sauce to create little cobble stone steps up to the orange hut. It came complete with little bats carved from seaweed wrap that were stuck to toothpicks with rice grains! 10/10 would eat here again.

Matsuri is a small business on Green Street. I've come twice now and have been so happy both times. The amount of food served was very reasonable for the price so my wallet and stomach left happy. The last time I went I ordered the Tempura Udon- I only wish I had the foresight to ask for the Tempura on the side so it didn't get soggy. Still- the first few bites of tempura were crispy with a light batter. That day it was raining and the udon just hit the spot! My husband ordered some sushi and I stole a bite of salmon nigiri from him- Delicious and buttery! They don't have a parking lot- at least not that I know of, but parking is usually not a problem on Green Street! Service is always great! They're very attentive and polite! I can't recommend it enough and will definitely be back!

Excellent food and service, great prices, reminds me of Japan definitely top 3 sushi in the area.