Sushi Ya: Even Sushi Virgins Will Love It

 

Sushi Ya is an intimate neighborhood restaurant in northeast Pasadena, were the owner, Jason Kim is one of the sushi chefs and knows all his regulars by name and sushi order. It’s not unusual to hear Chef Kim greet a customer by name and ask “do you want the usual?”

I’m always a little apprehensive before I review a sushi restaurant. I’m just not very adventurous when it comes to raw fish. And my companion-forget about it-it’s a rare occasion when I can get him to try a California Roll. Of course that was before we ate at Sushi Ya.

First of all I want to point out that all the fish served at Sushi Ya is extremely fresh. There is absolutely no fishy smell when you walk into the restaurant and every bite of fish is firm with the taste of the ocean. 

 

In researching the restaurant I had read a quite a few favorable comments about the Jasmine Hand Roll so that is what I ordered first. Now it’s all I can think about when I’m hungry. Chef Kim takes a soy wrapper and fills it with a mixture of spicy tuna, crab, crunch and dynamite sauce and then adds a layer of avocado. The result is a bit spicy, a bit sweet, a little nutty and a lot of yum. Chef created this hand roll for his daughter Jasmine’s birthday so he named it after her.

If you like your sushi on fire this next roll is for you. A basic California Roll is layered with red snapper and dynamite sauce and then-here’s the good part-it’s set on fire! Chef adds a couple of capfuls of Bacardi 151 and sets the whole thing ablaze. The result is a sushi roll with a kick and a lot of fun! I love to play with my food.

 

My companion’s favorite was an appetizer called Volcano which is pieces of snapper surrounding crab, all baked and topped with salmon roe and a soy-based sauce. This is a great dish for people who aren’t too adventurous since it’s cooked and it’s really good.

If you like your sushi with a little tempura try the Golden Philly Roll. It’s your basic Philadelphia roll (salmon, avocado, cream cheese) dipped in tempura batter and fried to a golden brown. The tempura adds just a bit of complexity to an old standard.

For all you raw fish lovers give Chef Kim’s Sushi Burrito a try. This is where all that fresh fish shines. A soy wrapper is filled with tuna, salmon, yellowtail, crab, shrimp tempura, and some creamy avocado. The fish is plentiful, firm and fresh with a spicy dipping sauce made from a thick soy-based sauced with tendrils of sriracha and dynamite sauce. It packs quite a kick and really enhances the flavors in the burrito. This dish is really substantial and enough for two with a couple of other rolls or a meal for one.

 

Prices at this neighborhood treasure don’t pack a punch, however. The more ordinary dishes start at $2.50 and go up to $13.00 for the more exotic dishes. If you’ve got an appetite try the all you can eat special for around $25.00. The caveat is that you have an hour to eat the sushi in.

Sushi Ya is located at 2525 E. Foothill Boulevard, Suite 2 which is in a small mall at the corner of Foothill and Altadena Drive. Their hours for Lunch are: Sunday – Friday: 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and for Dinner: Sunday – Thursday: 5:00 – 10:00 p.m. Call (626) 795-1311 for more information.