Blue Fin Sushi Roll

Blue Fin is our local go-​to sushi satisfying spot. It’s a tiny place that hugely satisfies. Directly across from the South Pasadena gold line stop, with 4 tables, a kind wait staff of 1 and a happy sushi chef in full view, this place doesn’t disappoint.
The menu is simple, like the environment, but big on freshness and taste. There’s a slight twist on some of the rolls with a nice ponzu (citrus-​based) sauce. Overall, you have a classy basic menu.
But keep in mind, it’s closed on Sundays and Mondays and between 3 and 5 PM Tues-​Sat. So control your cravings to open hours, lest you’ll miss out (as I have.)
There’s easy parking right in the front, further east on Mission St., or around the corner on either Prospect or Meridian Ave.
Enjoy some take out and call to order ahead for a speedier on-​the-​go snack!

Tried this place for the first time and the rolls are very good. We had the rainbow rolls and the tiger rolls. Very fresh and the rice is superb; I’m picky when it comes to rice it has to be just right and this is just right. Will be coming for more

I had this place bookmarked for a while now but just had an opportunity to stop by and experience it for myself. The place is pretty small with maybe 5 – 6 tables plus some seats at the bar. At the time that I went there were only two employees working with one taking the orders and the chef making the sushi. i ordered a salmon roll as well as a spicy tuna roll which came up to $ 11. Both rolls were delicious and the rice used was not stale as other places. My only gripe is that it took about 20 minutes to get my food to go which was a bit problematic since I was on a limited lunch break. Unfortunately someone order right before I did so they were making all their rolls first and it does take time to put together fresh food. I will definitely go again when I am not in a rush.

My favorite lunch spot. Fresh clean simple just like I like it. The prices are beyond reasonable. They know my voice over the phone. Great spot so glad Blue Fin joined the neighborhood. Writing this review is making me Hungry right now. SPICY TUNA w/​Avocado =P

This is the best sushi I have ever had. I love sushi and, budget willing, I try sushi whenever I find it on the menu. The rolls and sashimi here are perfection– beautifully prepared, freshest fish, not too much rice. Even the pickled ginger is the best I’ve had. The chef is so attentive and caring, and the staff are friendly. They raised the bar for me and I’m very pleased to try new menu items very soon.

Wow!!! This place is small and not in a intimately cute way. The quality of fish was pretty low the service was decent but how can you go wrong with 4 tables. Great location can’t wait to see what comes next. Good luck blue fin and sayonara

Really good prices and unassuming. They only have just the basics and that’s all you need if it’s done well. Great for a quick bite, lunch and dinner.

Small (VERY small) sushi place by Mission and Meridian. Japanese chef and, as others have pointed out, basically zero ambiance. But the sushi is good and reasonably priced. The menu seems to hedge a little towards a non-​Japanese audience, though it’s bigger than it was when it first opened, which is a huge relief. I’ve ended up here several times when my parents were visiting and we didn’t feel like spending an arm and a leg at one of the other South Pas restaurants but wanted something good and fresh.
Parking on the street (just watch the signs) or in the metro parking lot depending on the time.

My bf threw me a birthday dinner here because I am a huge sushi fan. When we got here, the place was empty but they had reserved the place for mine and also another person’s birthday party. I guess the place was booked but they may have taken some to go orders?
I ordered:
1. Salmon belly sashimi
2. Hamachi yellowtail belly sashimi
3. Avocado roll
Overall, the sashimi tasted great because it had the «melt in your mouth» softness. However, the price is just a bit expensive. The avocado rolls were delicious and definitely filling.
The place is pretty cozy so even if you were to come here for a meal, seating is kind of limited. The service was really nice since they kept my birthday cake for the afternoon before we got there. It was a really nice evening for dinner with my friends. They accept credit cards and parking is along the street.

Came here for a friend’s birthday, and Blue Fin graciously accommodated our party by sectioning half the place to us. Five stars for service, and solid three stars for food.
I tried the set menu ($ 13.50) which came with a small green salad, four chef’s choice nigiri, and eight pieces of spicy tuna roll. The green salad was simple and tasted very fresh. The dressing was light and very bright in flavor. The nigiri and rolls were standard.
The rainbow roll ($ 12.95) came in eight pieces with sashimi on top of california roll. If you love avocado like I do, you would love this roll since it was packed with avocado in each bite!
The food overall was fresh and tasty. However, i do feel that the price was a little steep.

The first time I got take-​out from Blue Fin, I was not expecting much. However, I was blown away to get such high quality sushi in South Pasadena. The hamachi was simply out of this world. The salmon wasn’t quite as good, but still fine sushi. Albacore was solid (as it usually is), the rolls were average.
The second time I got take-​out, the food simply blew. Okay to be fair, the salmon was outstanding — top notch. Nevertheless, everything else was mediocre at best. This time the hamachi was so bad we just threw it out. It smelled and tasted extremely fishy. It was clearly not fresh. The Albacore was edible, but not great. In short, we wound up throwing away 25% of our order, and feeding another 25% to the dog. That’s how bad it was. Thank goodness we ordered some veggie rolls, otherwise it would have been an almost total loss.
Seems to be hit or miss. One really good fresh fish each time, everything else average or below average. Not sure if I’ll have the courage to go back. I certainly wouldn’t trust getting take-​out again.

Very good. Tasty. Great location. Attentive service.
Only request — perhaps if they would consider adding some more variety in their specialty rolls as they seem too based on the California roll ingredients.

I’ve never eaten-​in, but have gotten takeout multiple times. As takeout they are great. Reasonably priced, orders come out very quickly, and they have yet to make a mistake (even though our orders are often large and require a bit of modification). The people who work here are always very nice and friendly.
The sushi itself is on the above-​average side. Nothing mind blowing, but great for what it is. The california rolls, which are often the lowlight (as that a term?) of most sushi meals, are actually really tasty and addicting. The salmon is also very fresh and good. The only thing I would recommend avoiding is the tuna. For some reason it is an overly vibrant (read: fake looking) red and it tastes just as fake as it looks.
So avoid the tuna, double down on the california rolls, and you’re solid.

The food was great, I really like how they sear the chunks of sashimi in the sashimi salad. Very quick and friendly staff, the only issue I had was with the what I thought was the owner. I was unaware this place doesn’t serve alcohol, I asked the sushi chef if I could run out and grab a beer, he said go ahead.
I came back, asked the waitress for a glass, she brought it to me and while I was enjoying my beer with my salad the owner told me I wasn’t allowed to drink the beer there and they did not have a permit for it. I was thrown off by this, he said I didn’t have to throw it out but I couldn’t pour anymore into my glass.
This whole occasion made me feel like I was a child or an alcoholic. Maybe it was just me but this whole situation rubbed me the wrong way and I won’t be coming back. There are many good sushi spots that are more straight forward that doesn’t belittle their customers, but good food! I don’t want that to be overshadowed by the beer drama!

I woke up with an intense craving for raw fish. May it be poke, sashimi, sushi, etc. Whatever. I needed it. I try to eat at different places every Sunday as a reward for working my ass off at the office. Sushi always has a way of making things better. So sushi for lunch? I guess, why not? Deemed befitting for my efforts.
Instead of going to Little Tokyo, I felt it was necessary for me to find other restaurants outside of the city. I know that Little Tokyo is the place for anything Japanese related. The food is good, but it can get a little crazy with people flooding the storefront while they wait for their tables.
So, as an attempt to expand my repertoire in sushi tasting, I decided to make a trip to Blue Fin Sushi in South Pasadena. I’ve been to Pasadena plenty of times, but never really had the chance to explore South Pasadena until now. What an absolutely beautiful city. If you really want to understand how Los Angeles grew into the city it is now, then make a trip to South Pasadena. It carries such a has historical value to California.
Anyways, Blue Fin is located right next to the Metro tracks. Don’t be surprised if you pass the place while you search for it. The front for each store, along the street, is pretty much the same. There isn’t much to indicate its location besides the name written across the front of the awning, WHICH every store has, in white, in the same-​sized font, and on the same type of awning which all are the same color.
…(DA F*CK!?)
I don’t want to read every awning while I’m driving, that’s f*cking dangerous. It’ll increase your chances of hitting a parked car. So, instead of that, it’ll be a lot easier finding the place by foot. Just google/​yelp map dat bish and walk it out.
AMBIANCE
I walked into the restaurant slightly confused. I saw some table and chairs, but I wasn’t sure if I was in the right place. The interior is far beyond of what you would expect to find at a typical sushi spot, but that’s OK. It’s feels like an upbeat café, that serves sushi. Pretty cool. I honestly think this place is f*cking cute. I don’t usually use «cute «within the context of restaurants, only with babies and for the ladiesssss…
ANYWAYS, the place is tiny. It sits about 16 people. I know this because I was able to count how many seats they have from where I was sitting. The place was empty when I stepped in, so I sat myself next to the window. They had modern Jazz/​Japanese music playing in the background, which was also really nice. I enjoyed it.
The menu is small, so don’t except elaborate sushi rolls and all that colorful sh*t. If you want that trendy commercial sushi then go to Kabuki (Japanese CLOWN).
FOOD
Fresh water Eel (Unagi)
A little too much sauce on the eel, but the texture and subtle grilled/​smokiness was good. The rice was a bit warm, but understandable because the eel was place on top of the rice while it was still hot. They could have let the eel cool down a bit, slightly above room temp, then it would’ve been more magical than it already was.
Salmon Egg (Ikura)
The Salmon Egg was amazing. Such a beautiful bite. Eggs bursting with savory goodness. Always look/​feel the «snap» of the eggs when you bite into them. Then you’ll know they got some good sh*t.
Tuna (Maguro)
The tuna was very lean so I though it would be a little firm on the tongue, but wow. Awesome. The chef scores and splits the tuna in the center so it wraps/​envelopes the rice. It’s brushed with Shoyu, seasoning it ever so lightly.
Salmon (Sake)
Salmon was buttery. Like glistening buttery. A fattier cut towards the belly, with a pinch of green onion/​scallion relish on top to cut through the richness.
The owner or chef had rough hands, but still did a great job in making sushi. The rice held very well, but had a subtle bite. It was slightly under cooked by a smidge. Only an ass like me would point that out. Overall, it was beautifully presented. Am I a fan? I’d say so. But, After I finished my meal, I sat for a while and noted what I was going to try for my next visit. Usually the second or third visit I know for sure. So, with that said…
DON’T
The basic rolls, like California roll, spicy tuna/​tuna roll, and sh*t like that aren’t spectacular, but to be honest I never found a place to have an amazing California roll, spicy tuna/​tuna roll, etc. If you order that basic s*it and rate the place just off of that, then you are a clown. I do not want to dine with you. EVER.
DO
Order the real sh*t. Stick with the nigiri-​sushi. That alone you’ll be able to understand the quality of, and how the chef treats his fish. Holla at dat UNI. Get dat IKURA. Smash dat HAMACHI. F*ck up dat EBI!
I’m coming back on Sunday. Holla if ya see me. Cheeyah
*Sorry, I got carried away. My apologies.

My favorite sushi spot. Ever. We get the set menu and it never disappoints. My husband loves the seared salmon or yellowtail BELLY. It may be a little too rich for some people, but we can’t get enough.
I’d knock off a star for no alcohol and the peculiar drink/​ice situation, but the flavor and quality of the fish, coupled with the incredibly caring customer service exceeds 5 stars anyway, so it makes up for all that. Besides, drinking hot green tea with our meal makes us feel way healthier (even IF it’s just regular olé Yamamotoyama teabags…).

Environment:
Yea I know it’s new but it could be better decorated and everything… Looks a bit too white and lacking a theme/​essence.
Service:
Waitress was nice and thorough with all the questions I asked her
Food:
Yes. I am picky about sushi after all my NYC sushi experience and also Sugar Fish. This place doesn’t disappoint, at all. For a relatively cheap price, the fish is really fresh and not «fishy». It’s Americanized with its «california roll top with fish» but it doesn’t taste bad at all. The sauce they put on top of the rainbow roll was really yumm had had seasame in it.
Down for $ 13 (include tips and tax) rainbow roll
Would come back for lunch Tue-​Fri (they don’t open on Mon)

Cute little new sushi shop in South Pas. Great food and great prices. They’re pretty small, so plan to come early if you plan to eat here. The only bummer is that they don’t have any beer or sake, but the food is still really good and fresh. We may have our new go-​to take out sushi place!
Service was great and staff was very pleasant.

We’ve been here at least three times since my first review and while it’s still just as good, a number of annoyances have popped up. Every visit now they’re out of at least 30% of the menu which is small to begin with. One time I’d be understanding but when it happens every visit there something wrong with the ordering or they’re not willing to buy enough, and it becomes a reason not to come as often. Then there’s the ordering system which is non existent. The previous waitress was pretty good at juggling everything but she’s apparently gone and the new girl is sweet but handcuffed by a lack of organization.
I’m rarely torn as to whether or not to review a restaurant, but Blue Fin has me waffling back and forth. It’s not as if Jiro decided to grace our little city with his presence, Blue Fin doesn’t strive for that pinnacle but it’s exactly what South Pasadena really needed. A good, better than average sushi restaurant in an Eastside severely lacking in choices. We need them to succeed and prosper, but the problem is that if they do we’ll never be able to get a seat. There are literally twelve seats.
The restaurant is small and pleasant. They have no beer or sake license which is a bummer (I brought my own sake and just opened it, but not sure if they minded). The menu is concise, and that’s a good thing. They don’t overreach here, just focusing on a few things and doing them well. And the prices are really cheap for above average sushi.
We started with the chef’s set menu, which is four pieces of sushi, a choice of rolls and either miso soup or salad for $ 12. It’s a good amount of food, but we’re sushi pigs so of course we added more. The two daily specials of seared albacore belly and seared salmon belly were really, really nicely prepared, and a bargain at $ 5 an order. Shrimp sushi and crab sushi were really nice too at under $ 4 each. Dragon Roll was the most expensive order, and it’s a nice version but at $ 12 we really didn’t probably need it.
For locals, Blue Fin is a godsend. While it’s not going to make anyone forget about Sushi Zo, you could also eat a perfectly good meal here about ten times for the same price you’d drop at Zo. Not saying they’re in the same league, they’re not even close but for the money Blue Fin is fantastic. I wouldn’t drive across town to eat here, I might not even drive from downtown but for those of us who live in the San Gabriel valley, Blue Fin is a absolute pleasure. So please keep them in business, but for crying out loud, leave us a seat.
Best Plates: Chef’s Set Menu, Daily Specials (seared albacore belly and seared salmon belly), shrimp, crab, dragon roll
Palate: mainstream
Food — A–
Ambience — B+
Service — A–
Value — A+

New business review.
THE AMBIANCE:
Cute venue, very small. Located on Mission Street right next to the train tracks. Max occupancy of about 15 people. The dish wear is cute and has an authentic feel. The furniture is IKEA-​like.
THE FOOD:
The menu is very limited. It might be because this restaurant has only been open for a little over a month.
They did not have beer and the waitress said the restaurant will not be securing an alcohol license … Ouch. Sapporo, etc. is a must. We asked for ice and they didn’t have that either.
We tried the Salmon Avocado roll, eel sushi, and the California Salmon roll. Too much rice. The fish quality was just okay. I did not like the eel. It was very mushy, which seemed to me like it wasn’t cooked long enough. The Salmon Avocado roll at Sushi Stop wins hands down because it has less rice, tastes more fresh, and it is $ 2.95 for 8 pieces.
This was our first visit and I love entrepreneurs but I have to write an honest review. The no alcohol license, at least for beer, is going to hurt the business. Sushi and beer is not divorce-​able. I am also not a fan of sushi rolls that are packed with rice and are hard to fit in my mouth.
THE TIPS:
If you are a Sriracha fan, ask for your Sriracha side straight from the bottle. Otherwise, you will get a tangy red sauce that is not Sriracha.