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I have been seriously sushi deprived of late. This is completely unacceptable. So, after asking around a bit, I heard about Japon Bistro. I definitely had my doubts, as I want good sushi, which is not easy to find at most fusion restaurants. There was one other thing I really wanted to check out. I heard this place was affordable from some and really expensive from others. I decided to take the risk and check this place out. Okay, I have to admit, since I wasn’t the one paying for lunch (thanks, again, Mom!), it wasn’t that much of a risk for me.

I understood right away why this place is considered affordable and expensive at the same time. The lunch specials are very cheap, and the portions are big. I looked around the restaurant, and it seemed almost every table had huge plates, and most people had difficulties finishing their meals. Even if you don’t order the specials and just pick something from the lunch menu, you still will find something affordable, and did I mention the big portions? For instance, there is a lunch combo - you pick two of the following: Teriyaki (Beef, Chicken, Salmon), Tempura, California Roll, Vegetable Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, or Sushi, and it’s served with rice, miso soup, and salad, all for $10. It seemed most people were ordering this.

I was there for the sushi/sashimi, however. There were a couple of items that looked good to me. I opted for something on the dinner menu, the seared albacore with ponzu sauce ($12). There were five thinly sliced pieces. Behind the decorations in the photo, there were several additional pieces of the seared albacore. While the ponzu sauce was a bit too much, I did enjoy this dish. When I ordered this, I wasn’t sure if it would be enough food, so I also ordered unagi and a spicy tuna hand roll ($5.50 each). The unagi was good, though the spicy tuna did not live up to its name. In other words, it wasn’t spicy at all.

My mother opted for the tuna and seared albacore sashimi salad ($9). Quite surprisingly, it was a huge plate. There were 7 slices of sashimi. I did try a few bites of this, and I must say the tuna was wonderful. There was only problem with this dish. The salad was drenched in dressing, just as my albacore was soaking in ponzu. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable, and I would recommend this dish to anyone who enjoys sashimi. My mother was forewarned that this would be a big plate, but she had ordered a salmon skin handroll ($5.50) just in case, which I pretty much took care of for her. The salmon skin handroll was quite good. One of the reasons why I typically don’t order this is because so many sushi joints don’t make it crispy enough. The one at Japon Bistro is the way salmon skin handrolls should be - good flavor and texture.

Miscellaneous Notes:

Service was not attentive to say the least, but the staff was constantly courteous and friendly. For instance, my mother’s miso soup was served lukewarm. I mentioned it to our waiter, and he immediately took care of it, bringing back a piping hot bowl. He did it all with a positive attitude. The other thing that irritated me was I had to ask for a refill for my tea every single time. Not once did the staff offer me refills. Again, every time I asked for more tea, they reacted immediately and with a smile.

We were advised to make reservations, but the staff seated us without ever checking our names. It turns out that Japon Bistro gets very busy sometimes, and the reservation basically guarantees you a private table seating. When they have the tables available, they don’t check the reservation book.

Parking is a bit of a pain. There are parking lots nearby, including the one located right on the cross street, Mentor Ave.

Japon Bistro
927 E Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 744-1751

By Pauline (see more of her posts).