Sushi Roku — Restaurant in Pasadena

Meh, what a disappointment! I've been here a couple of times, but I've never been unsatisfied until a few days ago where I came on a Monday night for their Happy Hour.

Happy Hour All Night on Sunday and Monday, Tuesday-Saturday 5-7pm. Their Happy Hour includes Sushi Hand and cut rolls, skewers, a couple of things from 'The Kitchen' Menu, and drinks.

The atmosphere of this place is nice, but the lack of decent sushi brings the whole place down. We ordered a bunch of things from the Happy Hour menu that night and the only that I liked were their Yellow tail hand-roll and Hanabi (Spicy Tuna atop of Crispy Rice). The Yellow tail was okay compared to the Albacore I ordered from the two other dishes. The Yellow tail tasted a day old, while the Albacore tasted a week old...I know that the fishes are held for a long time, but I'm using this comparison to its quality.

I'm being harsh, so let me write something nice about Sushi Roku. Their Hanabi rocks and I can tell that I'm not the only one that thinks that because the table behind me ordered 10 of those things!!! The crispy rice (deep fried sushi rice in a square shape) is fried to perfection and atop of it has a good mix of the spicy tuna, which is a big surprise to me because Tuna is not one of my top five fish for Sushi.

Sushi Roku is a nice place to go on a date because it's a fancy 'safe' sushi restaurant. If your date doesn't eat raw fish, it's a good place to go because they have many alternative that are cooked. Unfortunately, this place is not a true Sushi bar where they only serve Sushi and Sashimi. It's a fancy Americanized Sushi chain.

Service: Our waitress was very nice and polite, but she didn't check our orders and charged us extras for dishes we didn't order. We had to constantly ask her to check our orders where my hand-roll came an hour after I ordered it, meh!

I gave one star for their fantastic atmosphere and one star for their Hanabi...other than that, MEH!!! Would I come back? I'll give them another chance, at least for...

My girlfriend and I went there twice and had two very different experiences. Let me start with the first. The restaurant is divided up into the bar, the sushi bar, the main seating area, a lounge, a patio and tables near the patio. Each section will lead to a difference experience at Sushi Roku. We sat down near the bar where there were two televisions playing sporting events. Both of us always get lost in conversation so it wasn't the ideal spot but we wanted to see how things would go. We first ordered Edamame and Vegetable Tumpura. Both were fantasic. We went to another sushi place later in the week and the Edamame couldn't compare to that of Sushi Roku. Our main courses were the shrimp tempura with asparagus roll for her and the spicy yellowtail roll for me. Let me just say that they were the best rolls we had ever eaten. The shrimp and asparagus went perfectly for her and each roll was an experience. The yellowtail I ate was tender as can be and perfectly spicy. We finished off with an amazing desert. Essentially, they brought out a plate with crushed graham crackers along with marshmellows, chocolate and green tea truffles. It was the most fun desert I've ever had. 10/10 for the food. The only thing that took away from the experience was the televisions. They are really unnecessary and take away from the focus which should be the food and the people you are with. Our second experience was at the sushi bar. We loved the place so much we returned and asked to be placed there. It was so different than the first time. We both ordered similar meals but being in front of all the food prep was thrilling and made it so much more fun. Sushi Roku, we love you, but please remove...

Have been to Sushi Roku many times and it’s always a solid experience. The restaurant has a great atmosphere, stylish yet comfortable, and their recent updates made the space even nicer. It’s so green and lush!

The food quality is consistently good, and the presentation is beautiful. As a vegan, my options are currently a bit limited, but what I have had has always been fresh and delicious. For anyone who eats fish or meat, the menu is much more extensive and creative.

Their wine list is strong, and even though wines by the glass run between $16 and $20, I’ve always found the selections to be excellent. The cocktails are also really well made.

The host stand is always welcoming, and the service overall has been consistently attentive and friendly. On a few occasions I’ve had a server who was truly fantastic, not only efficient but also genuinely warm and positive, which made the meal that much more enjoyable.

It is on the pricier side and the bill can add up quickly, but between the food, service, and overall ambience, Sushi Roku is one of my favorite spots in Old Pasadena for a special night out. The only reason I am giving four stars instead of five is because of the limited vegan options, but if you are a fish eater, this would very likely be a five star...