Osawa Shabu Shabu & Sushi

I am obsessed with Osawa. Joyce M. introduced me to this place and I’ve been back for lunch 2x and dinner 1x.
I have yet to try the shabu here but if you’re ordering non-​shabu, absolutely get the bento box! For $ 25, you get beef teriyaki, miso-​salmon, spicy tuna roll & 3pcs of sashimi as well as miso soup & some veggie sides. So tasty and the presentation is lovely.
I’d argue that Osawa is on-​par with Gen in J-​town, if not better. I do like that Osawa takes some risks and does some fusion dishes — e.g. on Father’s Day they had a surf & turf special. I think it keeps the menu interesting and that’s the beauty of a Los Angeles-​based Japanese restaurant –the chef clearly pulls from cultural and environmental influences!
Service has always been good here — Osawa is a small, family-​owned shop so I’m not expecting like Cut Steakhouse service.
Make a reservation via Opentable to avoid the wait.

Service is good. Food is fresh. Shabu bar was full so I didn’t get to try their shabu shabu. The price is $$$$. Came on a weekday for lunch and the house is full, but didn’t wait long to be seated. I will come back and give it a try again next time when I’m in the neighborhood.

Osawa is my favorite place in Pasadena. Every time I’ve go it’s fantastic! The food is always good and the service is great.
I’ve done the shabu shabu and had items off their menu but my go to is sushi.
I recommend Osawa to all my friends and they are never disappointed.

Came for a traditional bento box ($ 25) and ended up sharing it with hubby due to the massive size.
My Fave: Agedashi tofu.
His Fave: Cooked Eggplant
We came around 6:30ish on a Friday without a reservation and was seated at one of the last few tables. When we left we saw throngs of people rushing over to put their names on the waiting list.
I really liked our waitress and could see myself coming back to try some of the unique fusion items or shabu.

The apps and fish are great. The tsukune dish is delicious.
Surprisingly didn’t eat the shabu here, but will try that next time. It’s definitely great quality dishes and better than most japanese fusion /​app spots like hondaya, etc…
Great place to share dishes with groups.

Had such a great time at Osawa! Thanks to Mijo our server, she was attentive, funny and gave was the rundown on the specials. I wish I could have snap some food pictures, but unfortunately I did not… sigh.
We started our adventure with the crunchy Japanese cucumber, looked simple but had great flavor with a kick of spiciness. The chicken tsukune was AMAZING, that poached egg is what made it for me. I’ve never been a real big fan of clams and when my friend ordered the clam miso soup I was a bit skeptical if I was going to enjoy it… eerrrrr wrong! I LOVED it! The broth had such a savory delicious flavor a long with the clams, i’ll definitely be getting it again! My favorite sushi roll out of the two that we tried (we were kinda stuff by now), was the albacore roll, good flavor and hint of spicyness.
Overall, this place is great. My experience here with the food and our server Mijo makes me want to go back again and try more. Its a small little place but cute. I recommend you taking a journey into the Osawa Shabu Shabu & Sushi world, you wont regret it!

I’ve been here a few times, but we had the sushi this time. I have had the shabu shabu before which is good, and better than the sukiyaki.
Sushi tonight was good but not great. We ordered Seared O-​Toro Sashimi, Crispy Yuzu Pepper Duck Breast w/​Eggplant Miso, Live Scallop Sushi, Akayagara Sushi, Kawahagi Sushi, Ikura Sushi, Uni Sushi, Seared Black Cod Sushi, Kumamoto Oyster w/​Uni, Seared Salmon Spicy Sauce Oil/​Garlic, and to finish this meal with Black Sesame Panna Cotta.
Some negative notes from dinner tonight, didn’t know O’Toro Sashimi was 4 pieces. The specials menu didn’t disclose nor did the waitress. Wish the sushi rice was a little warmer. The Seared Black Cod was not seared on both sides, it was not my favorite, and the texture was a little off. Also the duck breast was not crispy at all. I love the Yuzu pepper flavor along with the green onion 2 ways. Another sad note was the Uni. The Uni was not Grade A, it was mediocre at best, even though it was from Santa Barbara it was not sweet at all. Lastly the Panna Cotta was recommended by a friend, and it was too sweet. The dessert was sweeter than expected, wished there was more strong black sesame taste.
Overall sushi was good but not great. I would love give this place another try, since my friends really like this place. Service overall was really good too!

I’m obsessed with shabu shabu so when my husband suggested Osawa, I was definitely on board. We both got the shabu shabu with Tonkatsu broth. I tried the beef and my husband ordered the pork. Both were extremely great quality and good. There is something very delicate about their preparation and presentation. It’s elegant, simple, and modest. The Tonkatsu broth is really light tasty, but it definitely got better at the end of the meal after all the veggies and meat went into it. Their ponzu and sesame sauce was also divine. The veggies were really fresh and crisp… no limp cabbage or spinach here. One criticism is that they don’t offer a large variety of vegetables compared to some other places I’ve been — no carrots, pumpkin, or broccoli. Not a huge deal though.
We also ordered a Blue Crab Hand Roll and their special Battera Sushi. Excellently prepared, so fresh, and authentic. Everything was spectacular — service, ambiance, food, and price.

I was pleasantly surprised by this Japanese establishment. It’s hard to find a restaurant that serves one type of food well but Osawa does exactly that with quality shabu, fusion, and sushi! Counter seating is a must for shabu but the seats are stools so leave the big purses at home. Ordered a bunch of dishes and shared with my 2 other girlfriends and thoroughly enjoyed the uni toast and the foie gras over radish. The sushi was surprisingly above average considering how fabulous the hot dishes taste. Overall the pricing is fair value considering taste, cleanliness, and service which was impeccable.

Disclosure: this review is for the ‘fake sushi lovers’ (for the peeps that dont know how to eat sashimi)
One liner review: Dinner — Expensive and legit sashimi i think
Food:
So this review is for the ‘fake sushi lovers’ like me… where we say we like sushi but we actually like fake rolls that have avocado, imitation crab, lots of saucy sauciness etc. hahhaa i thought i like sushi but i realize i like americanize fake sushi… thus i really did not know how to order since is all sushi/​sashimi/​charachi?
This place is LEGIT meaning true sashimi that is super fresh and whatnot but i didnt know how to eat sashimi… so I didnt know how to order… so i got the
Oyster Shooter — FISHAYYYYY (i dont recommend)
Salmon lovers roll — bomb diggity
Rainbow roll — same as other places… if anything smaller
see the pictures i uploaded!
We order sake and beer which they give you 5 sake cups to choose from to drink your sake! i dont know if that is traditional but that was super awesome!
Interior:
Super cute. one of the fancier affordable places in old town pas = super cute date night. impress your date!
Shabu shabu is at the counter/​bar only.
Service:
Great service! the waitress is super nice and attentive to our needs (which was more sake ;))
As a fake sushi lover, i probably wouldnt come back unlesss i try the shabu shabu but if youre a real sushi lover def should try. my date really was impress with the raw menu so i def suggest it on his behalf.
–1 star for it was unnecessary pricey (ouch for the date!) D:

I’ve come here for the shabu shabu as well as the sushi. Both are amazing! The shabu is definitely on the pricier side but I feel like the meat is top notch quality so it’s justified. Their ponzu sauce is sooooo yummy and the chef is very attentive.
Their sushi is out of this world, everything was so fresh and so tasty. I ordered the chirashi bowl in addition to sharing a spicy tuna roll, red snapper nigiri, uni, and yellowtail nigiri. My boyfriend got one of their dinner specials. I think it was the grilled garlic butter sea bass. Everything was so good and we were absolutely stuffed at the end. I’m very particular about spicy tuna and my favorite is from Hama Sushi in Little Tokyo and Osawa’s is definitely up to par. Their uni was also so delicious. It was one of the best uni I have ever had, melt in your mouth sweetness with that slightly sea-​salty aftertaste. I want more just thinking about it now. While they’re definitely not cheap, the quality of their food shines through and eases my mind about paying premium prices.

Shabu shabuuuu! First time eating here and I have to say I was very impressed. Don’t get me wrong. This was not my favorite place to go to for shabu shabu but it’s pretty close.
First parking is plentiful. We parked in a garage and it did cost money. I think it was like $ 4 or so.
The location is super nice. It’s Pasadena so everything is really clean.
The actual restaurant has table and bar seating which is nice. Bar seating was reserved for those who want shabu shabu while the tables were more for customers who want to eat sushi.
They had specials going on for sushi the day we went so definitely ask your server about it.
The shabu shabu itself was great! You can’t really complain and our server was constantly checking on us and asking if we needed anything so I really appreciated that.
Overall great experience.

We finally found a great local sushi place in Pasadena.
Hidden Gem of a place on Raymond and Holly.
Sushi was so fresh it melted in your mouth.
Oysters also very good and fresh.
Service was perfect and our waiter have good recommendations.
Waygu roll was a hit as was the shiitake mushroom and shrimp tempura roll.
We will be back!

Osawa is a sleek Japanese restaurant at the heart of Old Town Pasadena with an authentic feel from the décor to the service and a diverse enough menu to satiate whatever category of Japanese food your heart desires.
You will find fresh fish and uni at the sushi bar alongside the shabu shabu bar. There is limited sitting at the shabu shabu bar, so I’d suggest getting there early since you can only order the shabu at the bar. At the sushi bar, you can watch their sushi chefs prep before your eyes and asks for specials.
We came for lunch and ordered the chirashi bowl, the kurobuta pork ginger, and some sashimi. The chirashi came with a lot of sashimi, making it a pretty decent deal. The sashimi was tasty and substantial. The pork ginger was decent. You definitely know you’re not eating a yoshinoya bowl, but there are better items to order off the menu. Ambience is casual and would make for a decent date spot. Would definitely come back for the shabu!

OSAWA reminded me of the good old days when Japanese Sushi restaurants were ran by Japanese (instead of Chinese or Koreans) and I really enjoyed the attentive service given by the staff and our friendly sushi chef.
It was not my day when I visited, there were 3 items that I was craving: Shirako, Crab Cake and Oysters… and they were all out. *sigh* Perhaps they don’t get deliveries until Tuesday, because I noticed a lot of items listed on their Special to be «Sold Out», but they still have a large selection of fresh fish available.
I couldn’t decide on what I wanted so I started with the Osawa special Battera (very similar to mackerel sushi). There are 6 pieces to the order. I, personally, am not a fan of mackerel, so I only sampled one piece and left the remaining to my guests.
Sushi: There’s a ordering list showing items available and how much it is for 2 pieces.
Sashimi: Similar, prices listed on ordering sheet
If you are sitting at the sushi bar, you can always ask the chef if there are any other items available. I was unable to make up my mind and asked my sushi chef to give me a «5 fish Chef’s Sashimi Special» and told him that I do not like mackerel. My sushi chef selected the following for me: Bluefin Tuna, Snapper, Scallop, Shimaaji and something else (didn’t catch name). Wasn’t too excited over the selection of Shimaaji because it is a striped Horsemackerel and the overpowering pesto sauce on top of my scallop though.
Osawa a great place to take your friend even if they are not a sushi and sashimi person. They also offer Shabu Shabu and other hot dishes. A friend opted for the Katsudon and Bro decided to go with the Chirashi Bowl. The fish on the Chirashi Bowl was fresh, but nothing too spectacular. Overall, it was good value for the amount of food they piled on.
Overall, I had a good experience at Osawa. Not the best sushi/​sashimi experience I have had, but liked the quality and large selection of fish they serve here. Will definitely be coming back to try to 3 items that I wanted so badly.

Make reservations or else it’ll be a long wait!
This is a small, but comfortable Japanese restaurant. The staff are friendly and attentive. My BF and I were on a double date with our friends, and this was the perfect restaurant to have dinner at!
We all shared the uni spaghetti which was on the specials board. The noodles were still chewy and the sauce was full of uni– yellow color versus the light yellow color you get somewhere else.
I ordered the Chirashi bowl. It also came with miso soup. The Chirashi bowl was okay… the rice had good flavor though! My BF ordered the Bento box which had everything from sushi to soft egg. Their egg was amazing! The texture was similar to soft tofu. The other couple also ordered Chirashi bowl and Bento box.
I highly recommend this place! $ 60/​couple plus orders of beer and green tea!

Found this tiny joint during dineLA earlier this year but had a mostly mediocre experience w the sushi and still found it pretty expensive for what came out (I’m also gonna note that we prob only saved a couple bucks off reg prices and had to eat off prefixe) so wasn’t really planning on coming back but I was asked to go to shabu for lunch one day and I immediately said yes — cause i just can’t resist a good soupy anything Hahaa — not realizing I’d be back here again.
Well, I didn’t regret it. The shabu is, comparably, much better than their other food items. An abundance of fresh veggies n protein n choice of their water, pork, or chicken broth to cook it all up in. Def left ya missing a non-​meat flavored option that most shabu places offer. Limited protein options n no brown rice. The noodles are decent tho. I’m not gonna go crazy and say it’s the best shabu place but it’s acceptable and is a nice mix-​up from the fifty neighboring burger n sandwich shops. Awkward seating for a group cause shabu set up is only at the counter/​bar thing though so I’d go elsewhere if you’re not a single or duo.
Parking in old town, even when it’s on the cusp of town, is a nightmare. Pull out those rolls of quarters if you’re lucky enough to get street parking cause they don’t accept credit cards. A small public lot is just down the street past holly though.

Came here on a Friday night, with same-​day reservation. The space is pretty small, so I highly recommend making reservations; otherwise, you will be waiting for a while. Tables are small and close to each other. It feels a little crowded in there.
We started with some alcoholic beverages. For food, we ordered the Spanish mackerel (yum), uni (NOM), and 2 chirashi bowls (1 for each of us). Everything was fresh and yummy. Sushi melted in my mouth. This was a good portion of food for the two of us. All the chirashi (assorted fish) was consistent in taste and quality.
I will definitely return. I’m a fan.

Good food kind of expensive.
We had reservations but you don’t need them if you come on a weekday. We sat at the shabu bar because we wanted to put in a order of shabu with some appetizers and sushi sprinkled in.
Bento Box ($ 25)
We saw tons of pictures on Unilocal for the Bento, so I felt obligated to get it. It comes with Salmon, spicy tuna sushi, salad, steamed egg, steak, and sashimi. It’s a really awesome bento, but $ 25? Yummy, but a little much.
Shabu Shabu ($ 21 — Ribeye)
High quality meat. This was the lowest-​tiered meat on the menu, but it was so tender. I would definitely get this again. Highly recommended.
Chicken Tsukune ($ 8 — Special)
The sushi chef said this is one of their most popular apps. It comes on two kabobs and tastes pretty good, especially for only $ 8! STEAL!
Black Sesame Panna Cotta ($ 4.75)
OKAY THIS IS WHERE THE REVIEW GETS GOOD! This panna cotta is a MUST. I’m usually not a big fan of black sesame, but this is a light treat after a good dinner. Highly recommended.
Keeper 2010 ($ 32 — bottle)
What’s date night without a bottle of red wine? I’m not a wine snob, but this bottle was really good. I liked the taste, and since you’re drinking red, you don’t need it chilled. I’m not a snob, but I know a little about wine ;P

Review in #Haiku:
Small, intimate place
Where it’s legit Japanese
Chirashi is dope! =D