Zono Sushi

Anyone know where Ota-​san is now?

This Zono Sushi has closed for good. There was a sign out front thanking people for their patronage for the past 13 years. We will miss this place.

Oh nooooo
They’re closed for remodeling –_-’

The average rating for Zono Sushi is spot on. Nothing about the food really stood out, except for the variety and presentation. Service was also average, more on the verge of being poor actually, now that I think about it. A somewhat interesting place to try, but avoid this place if you have high standards for quality sashimi. From what I gather, this place is probably better suited for people who prefer fancy sushi rolls drowned with sauce.
At first glance, the sashimi combo looked terrific. Nice, fairly big pieces of sashimi, and a good amount was provided as well. As stated in the menu, the sashimi special comes with spicy tuna, miso soup, salad, steamed rice and assorted side dishes, all of which were neatly arranged on a large tray. They weren’t kidding about the side dishes – quite a few were in the mix. If I had to say what I liked best about my meal, it’d definitely be how the food was presented and the number of side dishes there were.
Of course, neither of those qualities really justify spending a chunk of money on a meal that was at best, merely mediocre. Though I was happy with the size and amount of sashimi, I wasn’t pleased with the anything else. Most of the fish was either tasteless or strange-​tasting and far too cold for my liking. The tuna was the worst of the bunch. Not only was it awfully chewy, making it a burden to finish, but it had a really weird taste to it as well, and left a strong aftertaste that I couldn’t completely get rid of, even with ginger and rice. The soy sauce didn’t do much to help its cause. Unsurprisingly, I left the rest of the tuna unfinished after just a few bites.
As for the other two fish, neither were as terrible as the tuna, but neither of them were really good. The albacore was mediocre. I wasn’t fond of the tough texture or iciness, but at the very least, it didn’t have a foul flavor. The salmon was the most tolerable out of the three, as for some reason, it was the only fish with the right consistency, texture, and taste. However, it was still not anything close to the greatest salmon I’ve had.
Regarding the side dishes, they were passable. The edamame was too cold and flavorless, and this is coming from a person who’s only had complimentary edamame. The scallop had way too much sauce on it, and both of the cooked fish side dishes were underwhelming. I really only enjoyed the spicy tuna, though compared to the rest of the side dishes, it came in the smallest amount. They definitely did a better job with the side dishes, than with the raw fish though.
The food was quickly brought out. That’s really the only positive thing I can say regarding the service. For the most part, I was ignored. No one came by to clear off the dishes or refill my water. During the few times I came in contact with a server (in this case: ordering, getting my food dropped off, and asking for the bill), I felt like I was talking to a zombie.
All in all, Zono was a disappointment. Thankfully, Pasadena has quite a few options for better sushi.

Sit at the sushi bar for fresh fish and entertainment by awesome chefs! I was almost fooled by the 3 stars on Unilocal but this place being one of the places my cousin and her husband goes to often I decided to give it a try.
I think the bad reviews may be from sitting down at tables instead of at the bar. As an avid sushi/​sashimi fan, I have eaten at many sushi places. When I say sushi I don’t mean rolls but sashimi and nigiri. For a place in Pasadena, I would give the freshness of the fish 4 stars. The freshest fish depends on each day. Be sure to ask one of the chefs (who are both Japanese) which fish is really fresh the day you go. My mother says you can tell the true quality of a sushi place by getting the unagi nigiri. Many people eat unagi and enjoy the taste of the sauce instead of the actual eel meat. When she tried the unagi, she approved and was also surprised at the quality of fish at Zono.
There are two sushi chef, one of whom is shorter and very funny. He is also very talented at carving hand figures out of carrots. Ask him about them and I am sure he will show you his art work!
I tried nigiris of:
unagi (eel)
hamachi (yellowtail)
shiro maguro (white tuna)
maguro (red tuna), sake (salmon)
a piece of spider piece roll
Hamachi was the fresh fish of the day and I give 4.5 stars and rest 4 stars. The chef and his entertainment was 5 stars. Definitely recommend to sit at the sushi bar!

We used to love to go there.
But today they refused to give us good service. I pointed out that my dish included a salad, but they adamantly refused to serve the salad to me, even though it was black on white on the menu. The eel was OK, had a good texture, but not much flavor.
The Sashimi plate is not as good as it used to be, either. No rice on the side anymore and the extra fish they used to serve is gone, too. It’s shrinking, but still has the same price.

The lunch time bento boxes are pretty good and they give you lots of food. During the week, you get a miso soup, steamed rice and side salad with 2 or 3 items of your choice. On the weekends, you get a miso soup, steamed rice, side salad, gyozas, california rolls AND crabmeat cheese puffs in addition to the 2 or 3 items you choose. The weekend is the time to go! The salad dressing is really creamy and I love it but for the life of me can’t figure out the ingredients. There has to be mayo in there and if I ever find it, I’m going to buy a gallon of it.
They are very busy on weekdays with the lunch crowd from all the workers at the nearby offices so patience will be necessary. They’re not the most efficient servers, but the food is good.

Business not as busy as before, but they improve the food, I love their quietness and good setting. Good pricing too, they have lots of Chef special and combinations (12.95 $ for dinner). Good deals. over 6 people they charge extra service/​tips, that’s the only down side I observed.
Been there twice this month, will go again.

Zono used to be such a treat when we visited friends who lived in Pasadena. After coming here for dinner last night, however, I realize how spoiled I am to live close to establishments like Maki & Sushi (
) and will never take them for granted again!
Why I am unimpressed by Zono:
1. Portions: My standard fare is the spicy tuna roll and they were tiny! Not to mention that instead of 8 pieces/​cut roll, they only give you 6. The same rule applies to all of the other rolls/​appetizers that my party got. Everything was small but yet the cost was the same.
2. Taste: The food was pretty bland and that’s after adding a ton of sauce (i.e. seafood soba). The worst was probably the house salad dressing which tasted like watered-​down thousand island.
3. Service: It was always very difficult to get a server’s attention. In honesty, they were probably understaffed. However, considering that the restaurant was only half-​full on a Tuesday night, they needed to pay better attention to the customers instead of looking straight ahead and walking at a lightning fast pace.
Step it up guys! We want to come back again the next time we visit Pasadena.

Uhhh not worth my monies :-(albacore sashimi tasted weird so I drenched it in soy sauce & it didnt come with rice so I had to pay 1.50 for a small @$$ bowl… And their dynamite wasn’t good :-(. My friends $ 6 special roll was better than all I had and she paid half of what I did… Never again unless IM super desperate. Sorrrrry zonoo.

In Houston, where I’m from, the area «Pasadena» evokes furrowed eyebrows, concerned looks, and hissing whispers along the lines of «isn’t that the ghetto side of town?» But in sunny Los Angeles, Pasadena is a bright and lively area, full of cute shoppes and boutiques, gorgeous patio-​side-​seating eateries, and enticing hole-​in-​the-​walls — like Zono Sushi.
* Ambiance: A lot of people bash on this place because of its tacky, outdated décor, but it sounds a lot worse than it looks. Personally, I wasn’t bothered by it. Zono is a fairly thin restaurant with tables on one side, the sushi bar on another, and a covered outdoor patio. Definitely on the casual side.
* Food: My party decided to stick with simple, wholesome tastes and ordered several nigiri (sake, maguro, hotate, escolar) and salmon HRs. Everything was fresh and my salmon was soft and buttery — just how I like it. My boyfriend and I went against our friends’ protests and ordered a specialty roll, but after realizing how incredibly lack-​luster it was, we stuck with the nigiri… which is something I suggest to you if coming here. We also received complimentary miso soup, cucumber sunomono, and a strange, yet appreciated Yan-​Yan stick + orange slice dessert from the chef.
* Service: Sushi Chef Ota San was a delight! This is a chef who enjoys what he does, wants to take care of his customers, and wants them to leave happy. Throughout our meal, he molded hand signs (like a thumbs-​up, fist, ‘loser’ sign, no middle finger though…) and would randomly place them near our plates. Weird, but cute; he really wanted to keep us entertained. Now, for the servers, I agree with Jon R.: we only needed them to refill our waters and clear our plates, and they got the job done just fine.
I’m sure LA natives can point you to better sushi joints, but Zono’s location here in Pasadena is a great spot. I recommend sitting at the bar and ordering nigiri and sashimi for the best experience.

I came here for Sunday lunch and was pleasantly surprised. Greeted by the friendly servers and sushi chef, I sat toward the front of the restaurant near the front entrance on the street side. Since I was with my mom, we decided to order the FAMILY BOAT!
Spicy tuna-​filled peppers, California rolls (which I don’t like much), beef & chicken teriyaki, cooked red snapper, cheese wontons, and katsuya-​style pork + salad + miso soup all for a great price! Additionally, our server was very attentive, prompt, and checked up on the quality of our dining experience just enough (wasn’t overbearing). Also, the unsweetened passion fruit iced tea is great on a hot afternoon.
Though it’s no Little Tokyo, I highly recommend this spot for a nice Sunday lunch. I will definitely come back here soon!

I’m gonna be blatantly honest here, since I’m a sushi snob and am pretty particular when it comes to it. I came here because the birthday girl said this place was «SUPER BOMB», and I’m always down to try something new. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t horrible or anything — but I’ve definitely had better. We ordered the zono roll, BSC, and Philadelphia roll. The zono had really mushy spicy tuna (yuck), BSC was not bad, and philly had 4 pieces and were like 1.5 inches wide! I really dislike such huge rolls cus you can’t even fit it into your mouth.
Other than that, our waitress was super sweet and brought an extra miso soup for me ^_​^ I might come back just to sit at the sushi bar and try their raw fish since I didn’t get a chance to this time, but judging solely on their specialty rolls, I won’t set my expectations too high.

If you’re NOT going to sit at the sushi bar and order real sushi (nigiri, sashimi, etc), don’t even consider coming here to eat, because you WILL be disappointed! So, why the sushi bar? It’s run by JAPANESE CHEFS! I repeat, JAPANESE CHEFS! One more time, JAPANESE CHEFS!!!
I don’t even walk into these non-​Japanese sushi joints, why? Cuz I’m racist, duh! haha. Nah, because to a Japanese guy, sushi is more than just rolling up a medley of ingredients with rice and nori, cutting it up, and plastering it with spicy mayo! It’s an ART!
Chef Ota San always takes care of me when my mercury levels dip too low and I don’t want to drive to LA! He’s super friendly, very knowledgable, and knows how to cut, prepare quality sushi!
I’m not saying this place is the pinacle of sushi! I’m saying it’s pretty good if you order certain things! Sake (salmon), Uni (sea urchin), Toro (fatty tuna), Hamachi (yellowtail), Hon-​maguro (bluefin tuna). All are consistently tasty in my experience. Ota prepares salmon sushi very well. Expertly sliced, buttery, melt in your mouth salmon, placed over sushi rice, topped with a paper-​thin slice of lemon and finished with a few drops of fresh lemon juice. Deeeeeeelissshhh!
Sushi bar: 3.5−4 stars
Restaurant: 1 star
Service: ???
Since I’m always at the sushi bar, I only rely on the servers for two things, drinks/​refills and the check. They are always able to do those two things for me! I’m pleased that they stay on top of my refills, unless it’s crazy busy.
Some other reviewers stated the servers here seemed «dull» and «emotionless.» Yes, they do seem devoid of souls at times, but you know what, YOU trying wearing that god awful faux-​Hawaiian shirt! It’s just awful!

Okay!
My husband and I have lived in Pasadena for 7 years and have always wanted to try Zono Sushi on South Lake Avenue. Recently, we came across a coupon of «Buy One Entrée and Two Beverages and get the Second Entrée less or equal value free». So we got a reason to finally try it.
We left Zono Sushi angry and disappointed.
The miso soup was diluted and cold. We love miso soup but when it is cold, it tasted undescribably WEIRD. So the miso soup was not pleasant.
We ordered a Vegetable Tempura appetizer, Teppan Steak, and dinner combination of Teriyaki Chicken and Sesame Chicken, Hot Sake, and Green Tea. My Teppan Steak was tough and hard to chew on and the vegetables that came with it were very salty. The whole dinner was below average, REALLY. However, we dealt with it with our Christmas Spirit.
Anyways, we presented the coupon upon payment. Our server refused to honor the coupon. The dinner we ordered has one combination, therefore it was not eligible. WHAT THE F***! The dinner combination was listed on the Entrée page in the menu. On top of that, the coupon did not say it excludes dinner combination at all.
However, we did not bother argue about it so paid the full amount but felt extremely cheated.
Zono Sushi of South Lake Avenue, Pasadena, if you bother printing out coupons then honor them!!! If you don’t feel comfortable honoring them then don’t bother printing the coupons at all. If you do honor coupons, PLEASE INCLUDE THE FINE PRINT OF «DOES NOT INCLUDE DINNER COMBINATION»
The place is bullshit. Crappy food, crappy attitude. You can forget us as return customers and we will spread the words to all our friends and family to FORGET YOU! The food was so much worse than my cooking.

There are 2 places in Pasadena that I like for Japanese food. One is A’Float sushi and the other is Zono sushi. The biggest reason is the price.
Parking is great. Huge lot.
Food is above average. Sashimi could be thicker. Salmon could be more marbled. But it’s fresh. Shrimp and veggie tempura comes with a variety of vegetables including eggplants, yam, zucchini, bell pepper and green bean. The kastu is good too. I’m not a fan of chicken breast meat but it was done well in the katsu. Don’t like the sauce though. Too sour for my taste. I don’t understand why people insist on using teriyaki sauce. It’s so made-​for-​Americans.
For lunch I like to order the combo special. Reasonably priced. Under $ 10 for 3 items. My only complaint is that they took Chilean sea bass off the menu as one of the choices. PUT IT BACK!
Service is ok. Not great but not bad.
Overall if you want reasonably priced Japanese food, this would be the place. I look forward to trying more of their rolls and also sashimi.

Say no to zono!
First impression was the place needs to be cleaned! I probably shoulda bounced but hey, sometimes dirty places have amazing food.
So I got their lunch special to try. The cost is good but you do get what you pay for. :(The salad had a mayo dressing. No soup included for take-​out. Rice was good. Tempura included was 3 shrimps, 3 veggies. and the teriyaki beef, half of it had too much fat on it and couldn’t eat it. It was too salty but I downed it. I won’t be back, sorry.

A coworker of mine introduced me to this place. It has some great lunch hour specials which are too good to pass up. The food is pretty decent. I ordered their lunch combination with three items. I chose shrimp and vegetable tempura, chicken katsu, and their sashimi. They all ended up tasting great.
I was having a good experience when the waiter accidentally spills ponzu sauce on me. I was livid. What an idiot! All he could say was sorry but he stained my shirt and pants. If I ever come back here again, I would insist that they not take away my plates until I left to avoid this.

5 piece of fresh salmon sashimi for $ 6.95? And you get miso soup, rice, salad + another choice of meat/​item? I’ll be there over and over again.
The lunch specials here (Mon-​Fri) are amazingggggg! 2 item combo for $ 6.95; for the more hungry, 3 item combo for $ 9.95. And yep, a 5 piece sashimi mix is considered as one item. They have the usual staples in regards to their item choices (Salmon/​Chicken/​Beef teriyaki, chicken katsu, etc…) and portion size is decent. We also got an Alaskan Roll to share because I was craving more salmon! Without the additional roll, a relatively healthy lunch for under $ 10 w/tax+tip.
Will most definitely have to venture back for their happy/“power” hour! Easy parking in the back.

Screwball sushi chef, but definitely a decent sushi place.
I cruised in here on an awkward first date, of course. We needed sushi in walking distance from my house so we could do saki bombs and not have to worry about our liquor consumption. With dishes like the jalapeño rolls, you can’t go wrong. Although it’s not as spicy as it sounds or as your stomach may be fearing. They even give you extra jalapeño sauce on the side. Yummers.
Overall, I like zono sushi. The service is decent, they’re quite friendly and there are some creative dishes. The sushi chef should pack the rolls a little tighter but overall it’s a nice local spot I can pop into and have a meal without a wait. The sushi chef makes fun little carvings of stuff out of his food when he gets bored and will happily show you, too. It makes me laugh every time.