4. Restaurants

Tokyo Wako Restaurant

330 E Colorado Blvd,Ste 239, Pasadena, CA, 91101
  • (626) 440-0670
  • Store is closed

Tokyo Wako Restaurant Menu

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  • Andrew K.

    The place was packed and exciting. Food-wise, everything was average with some low-points (salad dressing/fried rice) except for the steak, which was good and tender.

    (3)

  • Aimee S.

    Eh. 'Sokay. I've been here twice and I must say that the one in Long Beach is way better. My scallops were blah as was my Philly Roll and Frank's Tuna Roll. But my water with lemon was exquisite!

    (2)

  • john j.

    Good food and good staff. We had the filet and shrimp and it was really good. A little pricey but overall it was good! Yummmmmy

    (4)

  • Nancy L.

    Not wanting to spoil our romantic get-away in Pasadena, we kind of rushed to choose a restaurant before my lover's hanger kicked in. I got a bad feeling as soon as we walked in - empty, whereas the Yard House around the corner had a 40 min. wait. I didn't even notice the teppan stations, so I don't think there was much food tossing or general revelry transpiring nearby. The food and service were fine - actually an interesting menu, but the udon pasta I ordered was way spicy. I complained, but the waitress relayed that the kitchen would not re-make or replace the entree because it was described as spicy. I think this a mistake on a restaurant's part. The Hostage Gastronome (copying Reluctant Gourmet in LA Time's reviews that always made me laugh) traded his ahi because he could tell I was suffering as I waited for refill after refill of water. The seafood that didn't touch the saucy noodles was fine. At least I didn't feel uncomfortably full strolling on Colorado Blvd., but we kept exclaiming, "We could have eaten there!"

    (2)

  • David K.

    Wasn't too impressed with this place. My ex took me here for a date. Its a tourist trap ... over priced ... greasy food. A bad kind of greasy, like they don't clean or change the oil much. But the hostess were nice. Cute girls, flirts with the guests ... well at least with me. Oh, that's why I have an ex now ... can't win them all.

    (2)

  • ericka L.

    UPDATE: 7/12/07 Okay, sit in the teppanyaki side of the restaurant and see the volcanic onion and flamey grill! That's cool. It's like the poor man's Benihana. ***************************************** I like this place; it's close to my office and gives me a chance to shop at the Paseo after I eat. I can't ask for much more than that. I confess that I am not a sushi eater, so my usual lunch order is green tea and the chicken teriyaki lunch special, which includes a "salad" (iceberg lettuce with a sweet dressing) and four California rolls that go uneaten. It's good food - nothing to write home about., but always consistent. The service is sweet, but slow, and it's a little pricier than most lunch spots. Parking is validated in the Paseo garage.

    (4)

  • Ari K.

    the first time i was here....we thoroughly enjoyed it and i would have given them 5 stars....we had dynamite, spicey tuna salad, and an assortment of sushi....everything we enjoyed and i was already telling everyone to go and had plans to go back to try other items on their extensive menu. the 2nd time was another story.....i had their clam soup and came back for their spicey tuna salad but was disappointed with both. the tuna wasnt spicey enough so you couldnt call it spicey and the clam soup had too much ginger for my taste.... dont plan on ever going back..... consistency is very important.

    (3)

  • Sung K.

    Food is good, but the service is TERRIBLE! I just got back from a dinner at TW. When I first entered, I was greeted with somber faces belonging to three young receptionists/hosts. I gave my name for reservation purposes and was told that my wait would be 20-25 minutes. After waiting 30 minutes, I asked what the status of my reservation was, I was told that I would be seated soon. After another 15 minutes (now 45 minutes), I asked again when I would be seated; I was told that I would be seated at the second upcoming table. Then, the first table was called; then, the second; next, the third. At this point, my wait was 1 hour, and I was completely misled by the incompetence of the hosts. I expectedly complained and then was guaranteed seating. The food is good. According to an F-A grading scale, I'd give it a B+. However, because the service was and is so terrible, I would give this restaurant a C+/B-. If you do not care about a happy staff and/or being seated at a reasonable time, then this is the restaurant for you. Otherwise, I highly recommend venturing to other asian cuisine restaurants located nearby and that offer a menu at 1/2 the price!

    (3)

  • Trevor G.

    Tokyo Wako in Pasadena is doing about the same thing Benihana was doing in the 70's in Encino. It's doing it better though. Much larger restaurant with the tables more spread out. No tight valet parking and they don't try to hustle you out of your seat after you're finished to bring in new diners. Menu is about the same with simple fare cooked simple just using butter, lemon juice salt and pepper with a decent show thrown in. The show is dependent on the skill of the individual and over the years I've seen drunk chefs and first day newbies. Hope you have a chef with a red hat as I think they are more experienced than the green hats. Had a good Filipino chef tonight and saw a new trick with an egg yolk. It's expensive with a decent entree running around $35 but we were introducing someone from overseas to Teppan style cooking and everyone enjoyed it.

    (4)

  • MacchiatO Z.

    overpriced, subpar service from the teppan chef, the only good thing about this place is the view....nothing else good there!

    (1)

  • Deborah K.

    My family by far prefers Toyko Wako to Benihanas, so we go there a lot. They have a much better menu selection for the same price. However, my husband and I decided to try their sushi bar one night when it was just the two of us and we were blown away. We weren't expecting a lot since the sushi is obviously not the main draw there, but this was amazing. I had a serious "food high" afterwards. The sushi chefs were friendly, amazing and skilled. The fish was amazingly fresh. They even have some types of sushi that are a bit less typical.

    (4)

  • Heather K.

    Went here for a birthday dinner with a group. I really enjoyed their food. It was very tasty and a lot of fun. Would recommend this place for large groups. Enjoyed their gingery and mayonnaisy sauces too.

    (5)

  • Csndra L.

    I can give a fuck about what other people says if MY experience was good. The times that I come here when I used to live in LA, there was a waiter that I frequently see and he's really nice. He takes our order and repeat what we order to make sure that it's right, bus boys know how to do their job too. Food came out pretty fast, and it wasn't all that but at least it satisfied my hunger. I think the hostess uniform is kinda funny, I thought kimono's were suppose to fit on tight, not loose....o,0

    (4)

  • andy s.

    I visited this place with my wife, the place wasn't busy so we're like okay that means we should get our food pretty fast. But boy were we wrong. We waited 30 minutes and we still didnt get our food. A party of four came in 10 minutes after us and they got their food way before we did. After 15 minutes a waiter assured us that our food will be ready soon. But after waiting 30 minutes we said efff it and left unhappily. Shouldnt take more than 30 minutes to make a damn sushi roll! Never going back to this horrible place!!!

    (1)

  • kyle d.

    Walked in at the dinner hour with no reservations and sat immediately. This worried me. Especially given that it's the beginning of the holiday shopping season and I figured the whole Paseo would be a zoo. Not so much. Anyway, my son loves any kind of Asian food, so we walked in here. The meal was great and Ben our teppan-master and entertainer was very good. The couple who shared a table with us were great dinner company and we had a great time. The portion size was huge. And the waitresses who supported Ben were attentive without being obtrusive. Also, the price was very reasonable. Obviously, the kids loved the show and it wasn't so overwhelming that you couldn't eat. I find the Benihana experience to be a little too much about the entertainment and not enough about the food. This is great place to take out of town guest.

    (3)

  • Dreamcast P.

    If I could put ZERO star - I would. Saturday lunch time and it was EMPTY. Should have walked away. 2 chicken entrees were DRY..and I mean SUN DRIED chicken pieces..inedible. Service was horrendous - impossible to get any attention. Stay away.

    (1)

  • Oliver M.

    Yea, 3 stars is about right. The food in the area where they cook in front of you is good and very fresh. There are a couple chef's that seem like they need to stay in the back of the kitchen though. One doesn't even talk when he does his "show"...probably because they seem short staffed. We thought the sushi bar was pretty pricey for a basic meal. Anyway, not a bad place to bring guests from out of town but not a place to eat at on a regular basis.

    (3)

  • SF Y.

    Ok food.. not really great Japanese food. Bad service. The waitresses take care several sections. If you need help, and the other section's waitress sees you.. they basically ignore you... you need to keep waving until your helper sees you.

    (1)

  • Linda T.

    This place is actually pretty good, but compared to the other Japanese restaurants at the same price range, it sadly does not outshine. Came here for lunch and had the teppanyaki filet mignon and scallops. I ordered the filet mignon medium rare, and it was perfect - juicy, tender, perfect with rice. The scallops were pretty chewy, almost to the brink of being rubbery. Instead of white rice, we got the fried rice so that we could see it being cooked. It had quite a lot of "stuff" in it and was really flavorful. If anything, the teppanyaki show is worth watching for anyone who hasn't seen it or is easily amused. Lastly, the assorted sashimi was really fresh. Overall, I wasn't blown away or wow'd by this place, but I still liked it. Service was courteous and attentive. The only thing I thought was weird was that the place was made up to look upscale, yet they have the restroom sign in neon lights like some tacky run-down Asian buffet place. The (women's) bathroom was not as well-kept as you'd think in comparison to the rest of the restaurant.

    (3)

  • Ai M.

    Aww, heart shaped fried rice. Beef was decent. I would recommend this place to kids who like fire. People who've had teppan before wouldn't have a new experience. The chicken is good.

    (3)

  • Linda L.

    We spent $80 for two ppl and it wasn't even satisfying. In fact, we couldn't even finish our plates because it was all too bland and flavorless. we ordered the fire cracker expecting it to live up to it's name but it didn't cut it. We also had the caterpillar roll and the eel was a bit spiky. The spicy scallops didn't have enough mayo or spice and the alaskan king crab was mediocre. The best item was the miso soup. There were lots of waiters but none of them were doing anything. Just hanging out by the bar and watching t.v. It took half an hour to get our check.

    (2)

  • Tristan C.

    Man, I love this place!!! I know some of the reviewer here are cheapskates and dont know how to order food, but if you follow the way I order, you'll do just fine. Sit in the bar while you wait for your table, get a nice martini, try "superfly martini". Then after you seated, relax, order some appetiser first, how bout deep fried squid, I always order this stuff. Then order the main course however you feel like eating that night, I usually order wahoo steak or teriyaki steak dinner. Then get a red bean mochi ice cream afterward. I usually sit in the dining room, only occassionally I went to the teppan, cos I usually need to go in and out rather quickly cos of the movie I supposed to watch. Anyway, if you are going to a high class resto like this, bring your wallet and stop complaining, if you cheap, you cheap.

    (5)

  • Jenna S.

    Consistently good service and food. The soup and salad are fresh, tasty, and good starters. The fried rice is also yummy, as is the shrimp, steak, and lobster. Cooked simply with a touch of butter, and lemon, but very good! This is a great place to take the kids watch their dinner cook in front of them, and a good place to celebrate with friends & family. Also, don't be scared to snatch up a deal and go here for lunch!

    (4)

  • Ida C.

    I'm a fan of tokyo wako I've been to this location a few times and I've been to the one in monrovia I'd rather dine at the Pasadena location though because the decor and atmosphere is better more updated and it's much bigger we usally sit at the grill well thats the only place we ever sit when we eat there. The food is always good the chefs kick butt they always do tricks which I think is expected. We order the fried chicken wings that comes with a white sauce there not buffalo wings but there really really good when you order dinner they bring out soup thats molstly broth and some small pieces of mushroom and green onion it's good I guess and salad but I'm not a fan, the bf and I always split our food we share the wako wako special and the santa anita derby, and we get fried rice which is the best fried rice you'll ever eat, so we end up getting grilled steak, shrimp, chicken, and mixed veggies but thats what we get cause we share. I've tried the raspberry sake which was pretty good in my opinion. I enjoy coming to here but it can get pricey so buyer beware.

    (4)

  • p m.

    I really liked the fried chicken wing appetizer, and the dipping sauce that came with it. The chicken teriyaki dinner was also pretty good. I opted for the traditional dining area, since I do not like sitting with people that I do not know. I think if I go in a large group and we can have the table to ourselves, that I might try the guy making the food in front of us. I am glad El Cholo was packed or I would have never tried this place

    (4)

  • Lori K.

    Definately blows Benihana out of the water. I always tend to leave Benihana still hungry and stinky. At Tokyo Wako we had a great time the Chef was hilarous and since it was my grandmother's b-day they put a wig and a wrap on her to make her look like a Geisha. We left stuffed with excess amounts of leftover food and the best part.... we didn't smell.

    (4)

  • Michelle T.

    Ok food. Nothing spectacular, nothing awful, just ok. However, I felt that the pricing was a bit high for our shrimp saute dish. $17 for a handful of shrimp and not much flavor (we walked in just past 3, which is the cutoff for lunch pricing; otherwise it would have been a lunch portion for 11.75). The veggies in the shrimp saute were a handful of snow peas, some canned baby corn, and a few slivers of red bell pepper. Sushi (salmon, yellowtail, and spider roll) was fine.

    (3)

  • Tina R.

    Ok Service, and Mediocre Food!

    (3)

  • Jemina O.

    Dinner & a show, no joke. Enjoy egg juggling, knife action and the HOT onion volcano. Ask for Kobe when dining a la teppan. He's fun and witty. When asked about his schedule at the grill, he replied "When I'm not in Colorado." I recommend the filet mignon and the scallops with a Shirley Temple. My husband likes the shrimp. They even have a kid's menu.

    (4)

  • Michelle C.

    It was just OK. We had regular dinner at the table (not the teppanyaki or sushi bar). We ordered the dynamite (small), spicy albacore roll (ok), beef udon soup (ok), fried chicken wings (small and no flavor, just fried). Overall, it was just very mediocre. None of the waitstaff were Japanese.

    (2)

  • Glenn M.

    This place is decent. I had a bowl of udon and the calamari appetizer... Both didn't impress me, but neither did the decor. Seeing the restaurant from the outside, you kind of get the impression you'll be dining in a benihana type setting, but walking in spoils the whole fantasy. The service was decent at best.

    (3)

  • G K.

    If a Ninja had to choose where to eat this is where they would go. I have created a Zen garden in my backyard surrounded by all the Samuri mugs I have collected from Wako. Tip: Don't waste your time at the regular tables, sit at the grill.

    (4)

  • Armen B.

    Expensive. Long wait (don't bother with reservations). Great food. Great Chef (ask for Frank). If it wasn't for my last visit there, I would have given this place 3-4 stars. Being a regular customer there, and a big tipper, I was very disappointed by the manner in which management (not so much the waitress) treated me. My daughter being 10 years old was questioned about her age and was un-politely forced (not asked) to order from the adults menu. She is not a big eater and she never finishes her plate. Anyways, their loss. Not going back. For the amount of money I've spent there and the number of visits I've made there, they should be happy and glad to see me there! Obviously their priorities are in making $ and being cheap, rather then providing customer service.

    (1)

  • julier r.

    its alright for a benihana and shogun rip off the rice is not the same as shoguns or benihana would go back if the wait is to long at shoguns

    (3)

  • Charles P.

    I always enjoy the shows, however the food is just ok. You just pay for the experience.

    (3)

  • Amanda H.

    Had a very poor expereince one evening. We were a party of three. They brought out one of the persons entrees before even serving the soup and salad that the whole table had ordered. By the time the other two came, their dish was very cold. WE asked them to reheat it, and they were not very kind. The reheating process took about 20mins. They take reservations, but unless your whole party is there, they won't sit you.

    (2)

  • pink b.

    I love this place..it's right on top at the Paseo mall ..you can see people window shopping...it's better than Benihanna's..you sit in a square table with a grilling bar in the middle with other people..yea how fun..the chef does crazy tricks..my favorite is when they pile layers of onions add oil and light it up..turns into a flaming volcano..very romantic place to have lunch or dinner..one time my uncle and aunt celebrated their anniversary here so they were dressed up with a wig and kimono and they take a polaroid picture for you as a souveneir...but you have to pay extra...nevertheless...a great experience..

    (4)

  • Alfred P.

    Good sushi AND good entrees? Usually it's one or the other. The last time I went the quality of the sushi was excellent, it was like biting into an orgasm. The filet mignon and miso marinated sea bass were wonderful(ly cheap for the quality I got, around 13 bucks for a lunch dish). Service is fast, friendly, and attentive. One time, though, our server had us wait up to 20 - 30 minutes before checking up on us, twice. I mean, we're making eye contact with you for a fucking reason. I'm not an intimidating guy, we're not staring you down, we're trying to get your godam attention! He was probably fired, he suxed. They have signed pictures of celebrities hanging on the left wall as you enter, a cheap ploy to heighten the status of the restaurant. On the contrary, I've always found this tacky. Anyway, I've a few cool things to say about my favorite part of any restaurant: the bar. I sat at the bar with a friend and got our usual back then, Sapphire tonics. Chatted with the bartender about a few things (he also bartends at Wokcano) and, after jokingly insinuating our drinks were weak, ordered another round. Sapphire tonics, but they were poured as a doubles at least. I looked down the bar and saw the other bartender pouring something into a shot glass. It was free and I heard the patron, "what are you trying to do, get me drunk?" Yup, apparently so cuz our bartender came to us and asked how the second drink was to which I replied, "there was gin in that?" So he takes our rocks glasses and pours gin over the remaining shards of ice, "here, I want to see you drink that." Challenge accepted. I chug what's in my glass, take my friend's drink and down that as well, and the bartender smiles and walks away. I WIN! Yup, this place is definitely worthwhile.

    (5)

  • Kim C.

    Eat at the grill! There's no point coming to this place and eating at a regular table. It's fun interacting with fellow dinners and it's cool watching the chef cook your order. Portions are huge though. My date and I made the mistake of ordering two things and we basically took the second order home. Food is not bad, could be better.

    (3)

  • justin d.

    This is my first review ever. I decided to write, because I just spent a lot of money on food I was never able to eat. This was my 4th time at Tokyo Wako, and each time, I hoped that my dining experience would get better. This time, I went in there on a Tuesday night, when it was not very crowded. My colleague and I were sat immediately at a Teppan table. We sat as they waited to fill up the table, and then they started to cook. I looked at my watch and realized that we were waiting for over an hour before the cook even came to our table. One and half hours later, my food was ready. By this time, I was already filled on rice and beer, and ready to go home. The waitress seemed very apologetic, and I could sense her empathy. But, her empathy meant nothing when I had to box up my expensive dinner to feed to my dog (Sulley). The food quality was average, the waitresses were nice, but the management was off, each of the four times I have been there. There are many places to eat in Pasadena, but learn from my four mistakes and don't eat here!

    (2)

  • David M.

    A friend and I went for the first time because it's within walking distance and another friend and his wife wanted to eat there. It was mediocre at best. The salmon for my miso salmon fillet was over the hill and definitely tasted fishy, not fresh. My friend said her udon with chicken was awful. We won't be going back. There are too many better choices in Pasadena. I noticed the place was nearly empty on a day Paseo Colorado was teeming with people, so I suppose that speaks for itself.

    (1)

  • j k.

    Food's adequate but pricey, ambience so-so, parking free but kind of bad. Didn't see any redeeming qualities....

    (2)

  • g m.

    Always eat at the grill! This is the purpose of this restaurant. The sushi and kitchen items are just alternatives. If you want that type of food, there is a plethora of places around Pasadena for you to get that stuff. So eat at the grill. The food is great. It's fresh and served in a timely manner, considering the group dining atmosphere. Great place to start the old town Pasadena romp.

    (4)

  • Arn R.

    we love coming here.

    (4)

  • Rya L.

    beats benihana in quality. good teppanyaki place. steak is soft and savory. calamari is yummy too. sit at the grill...

    (4)

  • napha n.

    good food... very entertaining... and the prices are pretty good considering the entertainment and all =D

    (4)

  • Ashlyn N.

    DON'T EAT HERE UNLESS YOU WANT HORRIBLE SERVICE, COLD FOOD, ILL-PREPARED SUSHI -NOT TO MENTION FOOD THAT WAS LEFT BEHIND BY OTHER CUSTOMERS. I had been a loyal Tokyo Wako customer since it opened. Due to changes in restaurant management, I will not come back here EVER AGAIN-and I'm NOT a picky complainer when it comes to restaurants. I went there last night and the service was beyond horrible. We asked for sushi with wasabi and they informed us that none of their sushi came with wasabi. WHAT??!!! We then asked, "Oh, in that case, would you mind putting some on for us?" The waiter snapped "I have been working here for 2 years and we have never put wasabi on sushi." First, that is completely incorrect-I've been there multiple times in the last few years and sushi always came with wasabi. Second, why not just please the customer and add wasabi? Third, what kind of sushi place refuses to put wasabi on sushi? Then the sushi came-without wasabi. We asked for wasabi AGAIN and when the sushi was returned, it had these bizarre little pea-shaped lumps of wasabi placed ON TOP of the fish! Do these people know ANYTHING? Not only that, but our tea was cold, they got our orders incorrect (gave us the wrong roll), forgot some items from our order, and our food was completely late (some items came out more than 45 MINUTES after other people at our table was served). We asked to speak with the manager, who was extremely rude and didn't even credit us the COLD unagi brought to our table after an hour of waiting. When we asked to have a refund on the unagi because we had to leave to catch a flight, the waiter said, "Only if I can re-sell the fish." WHAT? And HOW DISGUSTING IS THAT? Everyone at our table let out an audible cry of disbelief. DO NOT GIVE THIS RESTAURANT YOUR BUSINESS.

    (1)

  • James C.

    this place is great. whats even better is that my freidns parents own it and i get free food!

    (4)

  • Dr. Terry R.

    We've been going here for 12 years now and it is still one of our favorite places to eat. We love taking our young son there as he gets a kick out of the whole cooking in front of you experience. Our favorite is the filet and shrimp combo. Our son likes the soup and fried rice so we order that and give him some of our food because there's usually plenty. We even took home some leftovers this last time we went. If you're stuck on a Saturday night and don't want to wait hours for a table at another restaurant, try this place. It's really big inside and they usually have extra tables available. I've tried Benihana and Kabuki and like this place by far the best.

    (5)

  • Marian L.

    I'm getting more and more disappointed with this place because they don't put on a show anymore. Either they're getting lazy or can't find someone with the skills. The older Asian guy thinks he's a comedian so he talks way more than he cooks. The Hispanic guy is slightly better but he's a lot more reserved and quiet. Prices remain to be the same, if not more due to inflation, but they try to entice you with their new Happy Hour menu from 5-7pm. It's cheap but the quality isn't the best. Very simple, typical, generic flavor. What you expect from a sushi-to-go menu. One thing I did notice about this place is that they love to put butter in everything. Lots and lots of butter, and salt. Don't let the small portions fool you. It'll fill you up real quick. And make you super, super thirsty.

    (2)

  • Luis D.

    Terrible Fathers Day dinner experience ever. Everyone orders appetizers, drinks, and meal and it was eh for the app and no comment for the drinks (they don't brew the beer or have the formula to make Coca Cola)... But the food?!?? It was Father's Day and he wasn't pleased with the food.. Gave it a 4 of 10 and that's just because the cook was trying. I was planning to give my opinion on the food but I NEVER GOT MY FOOD! How can they not make it and the cook clearly told me my order. I was hungry, everyone else ate and nothing on my plate. I had the easiest plate too... Noodles! They gave me an excuse the waitress didn't write it... When I saw her. Then the cook told me the order in the beginning but didn't know anything about it at the end? Hmmmm :/ the manager came and I just didn't want to hear it because I was hungry. Everyone was already finishing up but she told me they can make the noodles really quick in about 30mins. Does this make sense? I didn't want to talk to them.... Someone else did for me and I just walked out and bought something to eat across from them. Worst experience ever.

    (1)

  • E R.

    Super slow service! Ordered miso soup and it came room temperature. The cuts rolls are small. Truffle butter edemame was mediocre. Best thing was the ice water.

    (1)

  • Nancy C.

    I order the seafood Matsuri. Loster, shrimp and scallop cooked perfectly. Friendly service chef was nice and very entertaining.

    (4)

  • Tony S.

    Sleeping! Zzzzzzzzzz........ Sushi..... ugh. Yes I know it's a teppanyaki house, but then don't advertise your sushi prowess next to "steak house". It was miserably bland and over-tried. Don't even bother to sample it out of morbid curiosity. Teppanyaki flare was good. Entertaining for sure. Took some first-timers here who loved it. But once the show was over, the overall atmosphere of the whole restaurant was drearily depressing. I've been to funerals with more life. The elevator music in the background added to the under-budget 70's porn ambiance. They seriously need to step up and modernize the place. It's so depressing here I want to pull ingrown toenails just to liven up the place.

    (2)

  • Marissa B.

    Excellent Service! I ordered a Unagi Bowl with rice. The chef prepared it immediately and I ordered my hot tea as usual. It was very light so I ordered the Japanese Onion Mushroom soup. My friend had a coffee. It was a great light meal before seeing the movies!

    (4)

  • Rainy L.

    2 out of 4 meals were edible. Service was meh... The staff was nice enough but when we told or waitress my husband's food was terrible she didn't do anything about it. The manager didn't come to the table and no one cared until they saw us taking a picture of the plate of food. Then they offered free dessert. We declined because although some of our food was really good we didn't want to stay longer and try something else. I would have been happier if they took my husband's meal off the bill. He only had 2 bites. As we were leaving my husband sought out the manager and she apologized and offered a discount next time we come in. We probably won't go back. In my opinion, they missed an opportunity. No one wants to return to a restaurant with bad food and "so-so" service.

    (2)

  • Elvin W.

    Food: Very similar to Benihana, food was decent. I ordered the steak meal, which was good. My GF ordered the seafood plate, which was also decent. Food rating: 3/5 Service: The service from the waitress was okay. Service rating: 3/5 Show: Our chef/cook was pretty entertaining, even did an egg yolk trick I had not seen before. Show rating: 4.5/5 Overall: The food here is decent, not oily nor greasy. But you want to come here for the show.

    (3)

  • Cristina B.

    The service was wonderful and our chef, Louis, was incredible. There's a magnetism about people that thoroughly enjoy their work and he has it. He had his own unique twist to his presentation. The best part was, it wasn't just food for the eyes, it tasted delicious as well. I will definitely come back and make a request for the same chef. Great show, great service, great food!

    (5)

  • Sarah B.

    Disappointing. Sunday lunch. They were out of two of the three sushis we ordered, and had to come back and tell us separately for each one. The four star sashimi was swimming in some sort of sauce, and my boyfriend suggested that was to cover up for a lack of quality or freshness, and while most tasted fine, there was one piece that tasted rather fishy. Sad. The servers were nice, but I went into a mall sushi joint with low expectations and I still left feeling disappointed.

    (3)

  • Michael W.

    Tokyo Wako is a Japanese teppanyaki restaurant chain owned by Arcadua based real estate developer Ronnie Lam, started back in 2001 to compete with Benihana, it actually was rather successful and managed to spawn quite a few branches all over southern California. Besides teppanyaki, they also serve sushi and various other typical Japanese fare and a few izakaya style food. Why you would go to this place and NOT get teppanyaki but get sushi or udon or gyoza etc. etc. is beyond me, but there are also idiots who go to Matsuhisa or Nobu and get sushi... In general, this really isn't quite as Chinese as Kingswood (which sucks donkey balls unless you actually WANT Chinese style Japanese Teppanyaki...) and I prefer it slightly over Benihana. As with most teppanyaki place, the quality of your meal is highly dependent on the chef at your table, and I have been fairly lucky in that regard. I usually skip the fancy combo stuff (the ichi-ban, ni-ban, san-ban bullshit) and just get the Emporer steak, though sometimes I do get a craving for scallops, in which I would come for LUNCH and get the 2 item combo instead of dinner. The portions are smaller, but for $15.95 it is a fairly good deal. I honestly can not recommend getting the over priced sushi/sashimi or the expensive rolls, just drive your ass down Colorado and get some of that at YES Sushi! The Gyoza and chicken wings are cheaper, and when I am really hungry I actually would order one or the other in addition to the emperor steak plus fried rice... Yes, I'll admit that the dinner prices are not cheap, but sometimes after a free movie screening at the Arclight you'd just get the urge to splurge a little. Sometimes a burger at Islands just doesn't quite cut it and you feel like watching a chef throw shrimps all over the dining room.

    (3)

  • Sam S.

    Hibachi restaurant with delicious meals. You can not leave this place without feeling uncomfortably full. Very attentive and friendly wait staff make sure you are never without a full beverage in your hand. The chefs themselves are friendly and engaging. Fun spot for a special occasion .. Or if you are very hungry.

    (5)

  • Robert C.

    Great food! Great service! The Pasadena location is the best! The Arcadia needs some work, so will stay in Pasadena.

    (4)

  • Bernard V.

    They definitely let the ball drop here. Our group of four had to sit at the bar because they didn't want to fill up many tables. I counted 6 empty tables... Never again...

    (1)

  • T A.

    I'm not sure why all the bad reviews but we loved it here. Great service! Great food! I'm happy. It is similar to Benihana's and Shogun but just a few dollars cheaper. Not skimpy on food at all. I will definitely go back.

    (5)

  • Binh T.

    This place does still indeed have the happy hour from 5-7PM. They now also have happy hour all day Thursdays! Parking is underground of the Atalantic Time Square, can be hard to find at times as there are a lot of gym goers in this plaza. I love to get the spicy pork belly wrap. So good with the sauces and not so heavy on meat when it's wrapped in a lettuce and cucumber stick. The yakishabu beef is also pretty decent. But my must get here every single time is the garlic edamame!! Yummy in my tummy! For drinks, I go for the Green Apple Martini Slush. It's a weak enough drink for me to finish most of the time. AMEX accepted at this location. I would stick to coming here for happy hour only.

    (4)

  • Susie F.

    I'm giving 3 stars, this is because we waited 30-45 minutes for our name to be called and they called the name of the parties that came after us. They said they called our name but they clearly didnt because we sat near the podium and didn't hear anybody call our name. The food was excellent and delicious. I only went here cause my mom chose this place for her birthday. I wouldnt come back here if i had the chance to choose. There are other better places to go than here.

    (3)

  • Gary L.

    Honestly I grew up in the area, and Tokyo Wako was a great and elegant place to go to. Now its sub par, it's like going to applebees. The food still tastes great and the have an Amazing happy hour. but the place needs a complete remodel. I mean the Derby even remodeled. I am sure they have made enough money over the years to reinvest back into there restaurant. I don't blame the staff for the lack of enthusiasm.

    (3)

  • Jorge A.

    Disappointing, unimpressed, bad sushi, and bad service. Go here for the teppenyaki and nothing else. The sushi wasn't good and took too long, I waited 30 mins for a roll, AND THIS PLACE WASN'T EVEN BUSY!!! The sushi chef didn't have the personality, charisma, or enthusiasm as other sushi chefs have when interacting with customers who sit at the sushi bar. The waiter was no where to be found...My glass was left empty until I had to wave him down to get a refill. As for the sushi, it took too long and it wasn't good...there was a distinct taste to it that made it seem that it wasn't fresh. At any rate, disappointing and will only be doing the teppenyaki from now on.

    (1)

  • Lina C.

    This Tokyo Wako is better than the Arcadia branch; we had plastic texture chicken last time at the one on Huntington. The taste of food really depends on the chef, and you never know which chef you will get. We were lucky this Wednesday for lunch to have Chef Julio cook for us. The filet mignon is cooked to a perfect medium rare and the shrimps and scallops were succulent. The fried rice was also very tasty. Overall, if you get a good chef, the meal will be good as the meat/seafood quality is good.

    (4)

  • Melanie P.

    I eat the hibachi here regularly because the food is good and my toddlers love the show. The food is better than Benihana and the sushi was good too. The restaurant is huge and they will cook with incomplete tables. They serve quickly. I eat gluten free and they have gluten free soy sauce. The chefs are always accommodating either by cooking my food first or separate and cleaning the grill to avoid cross contamination. One time the chef was nearly done cooking my and accidentally sprayed the regular soy sauce. He and I realized instantly and had them recook my food in the kitchen. I was still able to eat with everyone at the table. Lunchtime is a much better bang for your buck. Parking is either street or garage in paseo. They validate and I think the parking with validation is $2 or $3

    (5)

  • Annie W.

    Their Happy Hour menu is great for $2 beers. The Happy Hour food items are a good price, but the food isn't great. The spicy tofu was actually quite bland under the spicy sauce and didn't actually mesh well with the sauce. The calamari was dripping oil, and the spicy tuna roll didn't taste very fresh. With so many other happy hour options around, and my general distrust of teppenyaki places (story for a different forum), I'm not sure I'd come back. Plus side - service was great and they validate parking.

    (2)

  • Karina Antoinette V.

    I'm still at the table as I write this. This review is solely based on my sushi order. Horrible experience. We were seated immediately at the dining table. Our waitress, although nice and sweet probably needs to be more familiar with the menu. When we asked her how big the bottle of sake, she said it's as big as the corona bottle. Then she brought out a wine bottle size sake. Also most of the sushi I wanted (I.e. mackerel, toro, uni) were out. Those are regular fish most sushi places serve. The salmon slices were piecey. Like falling apart piecey. The scallops were frozen in the middle. Not happy at all. Sushi places shouldn't serve frozen fish. I don't think we will come back.

    (1)

  • Diana S.

    All my friends love Benihana but I was never really in to it... then, Tokyo Wako happened... The food tasted better and not to mention I always got seated right away. The mushroom soup and salad was great. The chicken fried rice was delicious. Overall, the food is good and the vibe feels more laid back. Plus, afterward you can walk around and enjoy Paseo Colorado or watch a movie at the ArcLight.

    (4)

  • Dana S.

    First time here and I had a server name Melody who just took care of all of us and refilled our drinks without asking plus great service on everything else. I suggest everyone to come here and get her as a sever.

    (5)

  • Regilyn P.

    I love it here...great service, awesome food! We always do the tepan grill, and it's a great place to go with a big group of people.

    (4)

  • Nick A.

    Always good food at Tokyo wako! We had Jack as a cook. Super funny guy and made some of the best steak I've ever had there. Of course I'll be back. Fast and friendly service as well.

    (5)

  • Toni M.

    DO NOT GO HERE! The very first time in my life I walked out of A restaurant mid meal. Ordered 2 bowls of noodle soup. One arrived after 20 mins. The next one arrived 30 minutes after with no noodles. We still paid for our sake and beer and appetizer. But didn't touch the noodles so we didn't pay for those. For such service you would think they'd offer to cancel the tab. But they didn't. And worse, on our way out. Spoke to the manager. And the older Japanese woman was not even sorry and didn't even apologize for how they ruined our dinner.

    (1)

  • Eva H.

    Yum! I loved this place! Teppan is one of my favorite meals and this place did not disappoint! My fiance got the New Zealand Rack of Lamb and I got the Filet & Scallops. Everything was cooked great with good flavor and the chef was entertaining as always! We'll definitely be coming back here when we feel like splurging on a good meal...and GET THE FRIED RICE! ALWAYS GET THE FRIED RICE! IT COMES WITH CHICKEN!! Eeeeeek. hehee.

    (5)

  • Timothy C.

    Sushi is fine. I went for grill table. They shouldn't charge that much for fried rice. I think the food was too expensive. However, the grilled food was great.

    (4)

  • Danielle S.

    Big shout out to the bartenders who were awesome, Santiago and Ian. Otherwise, this would be a one star review. The bad: Had a reservation. Arrived on time. Waited 30 minutes to be sat after being forgotten about twice. We were only a party of two. Secondly, I saw a female employee leave the restroom without washing her hands. I should have just left then. I spoke to the manager, Annie who was very nice and comped a round of drinks (although the check came wrong and showed them but was corrected). Almost an hour after our reservation we finally saw food. Melody, our server was very sweet. No issues with her, she was very prompt. But now it's one in the morning and I'm sick as all heck. Not pretty sick, just gross food poisoning sick. I'm not sure if it was undercooked or just poorly prepared... But sick is sick none the less. Too many failures for me to ever return.

    (2)

  • Jerome A.

    Was not impressed at all. I'll give them 2 stars because the food was ok. My biggest gripe is that the chef didn't seem like he cared and wasn't even trying to put on a show while making the food. That's the reason why people go to places like this and so I was highly disappointed.

    (2)

  • Tiffany E.

    Better than O2 sushi, that's for sure. But is it authentic? No. Is it americanized? Rather than americanized I think it's more Chinese than Japanese. Miso soup tastes like water. It's worse than the fast food Their Tokyo Wako roll is decent, probably one of the better chinesified sushi. Filet Mignon - I cook it better. Not up to restaurant standards. Fried Rice: Inconsistent. Sometimes the rice is burnt, sometimes it's just right. I only come here when I'm too lazy to drive to get food.

    (3)

  • Harry D.

    Service is good, our tepanyaki chef was excellent and entertaining. The food however was pretty disappointing. Much better tepanyaki restaurants in the vicinity. Probably not worth going back to.

    (3)

  • Claudia S.

    FOOD IS GARBAGE. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT EVER. If you're considering eating at this establishment, do yourself a favor and go to P.F. Chang's instead. Hell, go to Yoshinoya for that matter!!!! Waiter had a runny nose and kept wiping away with his finger while taking our order. I came close to asking him to go wash his hands. $23 for the beef bento box (19 for chicken). We expected some great tasting food. Instead, we were served CUBED pieces of chicken and CUBED pcs of beef in some sort of marinade without any spices. IT RESEMBLED DOG FOOD. Bland and served at room temperature. The tempura is so greasy that you can barely tell what you're chewing on. The shrimp are smaller than your finger. Spent $97 on three bento boxes, 4 drinks and three sushi/tempura appetizers (thank God it was happy hour or I would've demanded the appetizers be replaced). Even at half price, they weren't worth this horrible indigestion. The dumplings were so over fried and so small that they just crumbled in your mouth. If they made the sushi any smaller I'd be able to pick it up with one chopstick. We asked for refill on our Cokes and the waiter took our glasses along with the straws inside and brought the same ones back (with same straws inside) and just placed them back on our table without knowing which belonged to whom. What restaurant does that??? They have some nerve to charge these prices for such low quality AND mediocre food and ingredients. They weren't busy at all at 6p. I'm guessing word is getting around on what a terrible place this is to eat. I'm on my way to CVS to buy some Alka Seltzer to help me with this terrible indigestion. I would have to be "Wako" to come back here again.

    (1)

  • Joseph A.

    Food was delicious!!! I ordered the ichi ban and a few drinks. As well as my gf. The bill was pricey but wow was it amazing delicious. Our cook was funny and put on a good show as well!

    (4)

  • Andreas K.

    Solid even though not extremely creative sushi rolls. Very reliable place to go to. Porcelain rather than plastic would be welcome.

    (4)

  • Jose C.

    This is my first time here at Tokyo Wako... The prices don't match the quality of food, in fact the food is subpar. Beyond the food, let's talk about the service. It's Sunday afternoon and only 3 tables are seated. The service is slow, and the manager seems so overwhelmed she doesn't realize how rude she's acting towards her guest. And finally, the seared steak on our roll...was beyond RAW. Never coming back.

    (2)

  • Cesar S.

    WORST JAPANESE FOOD I HAD IN MY LIFE. Family and I went to visit Caltech and Pasadena , from Carlsbad, and ate at this Place. Terrible. I barely could eat my hard chicken, and my wife after 1st bite at her $24.99 sea bass, she decided to bring home and give to our cat. But our cat could NOT eat either. So we through in the Garbage. How a city like Pasadena can have a such low quality Japanese Restaurant. I want my $110.00 back. Place SUCKS!!!

    (1)

  • Linda T.

    service was no bueno. food was mehhh. drinks are ok. our waitress had some mia-we had to flag her down multiple times and she took our wrong order although she repeated what we ordered.... took forever for our check too-we had to get another server to help us with that.

    (2)

  • Sandra Dee U.

    First of all, I came here because I got a BOGO free deal via email, I didn't like that the waitress announced the coupon twice in front of everyone!! And she made sure everyone was looking!! She should've kept it on the DL!! lol! Anyways, aside of the embarrassment and the waitresses delay on side dishes and drinks, food was soooo good and we had a great time here otherwise :)

    (3)

  • Mia L.

    7.10.10: A day with the best friend, we were both hungry so we have decided to go eat near the Paseo Mall. Since the place we originally want to eat at was closed we had no choice but to choose Tokyo Wako. I have never been there and when we walked in I didn't realized that it was Teppan Style. The neat thing about this is that they had two sides to the restaurant, for sushi and for Teppan. I really liked the layout. I didn't feel like eating Teppan so instead I ordered the Sashimi Plate. It was okay. I did try my friend's dish. I really like their scallop and their steak was juicy. Surprisingly. So overall I enjoyed my meal. The restaurant was so huge, this place is really great for big parties!

    (3)

  • Michelle Y.

    came here before a movie since we only had like 45 minutes till it started. place was empty so we got seated pretty quickly. i ordered the shrimp tempura udon and my sister ordered the crunchy roll and miso soup. the shrimp tempura udon is hearty. it's pretty good and the portion is huge. my sister enjoyed her roll and soup. for the food we ordered we only had to pay like 30 bucks with tip. it's typical japanese food you can get anywhere but when you're limited with time it works.

    (3)

  • Michelle D.

    I attended a conference at the Sheraton for 2 days. This outdoor mall across the street looked so nice an inviting. We should have known that something was up when we saw how empty the restaurant was at lunch time. Server was friendly enough, while she was there... took our order and then disappeared. While we waited for our food, she didn't come back. We had empty waters sitting on our tables for quite a while, until a gentleman who accompanied us WALKED OVER to the server station and got the water pitcher himself. When they finally brought entrees out, they were missing that guy's food. Server said it was coming right out. 10 minutes later, as we are picking at a our food and trying to feed some of ours to our friend, I think the server had just realized that she forgot to put in his order or something. Another 10 minutes later and his food came out. The other 3 of were finished, he had to inhale his food because we had to go back to thte conference. So of course the server disappeared again and we couldn't get our checks. Finally paid and got back to the conference late. Should have just gone to PF Chang's......

    (2)

  • Maricris D.

    One star for spicy mayo on the side. That's about it. My friend made reservations and when we got there, we were asked if we wanted a table or to sit at the grill. We asked to be seated at a table and we still had to wait for one to get cleared. What's the point of making reservations then, if you're going to treat it as a walk-in?? A half hour later someone finally managed to walk by and ask if we wanted to order....gr. Getting water took forever too (and refills!) We had the albacore with crispy onions - fail (Katsuya, you've spoiled me so). The Four Star sashimi was a bit disappointing too. The fish just didn't taste that fresh....boooo. Spicy tuna and Philadelphia rolls are staples, so those were okay (over priced though). Last thing we ordered was the Dynamite roll which was decent as well. Sad service, not that great quality food. Good think great company made up for a night to make it great! I give them one star because spicy mayo made up for the taste...even if we had to ask for it THREE times. I mean seriously? It wasn't even that busy....sigh.

    (1)

  • Sarah M.

    This place is only lovely for their Tuna Steak dinner. I've only eat at the tables for a Japanese sit down dinner. Try the Pocky Ball, Tuna Steak (medium rare), and get a drink in a novelty glass. Sometimes we don't even drink the cocktail and just love the Castle, Samurai, Geisha, or Buddha glass... yes, we've collected/seen them all... Sashimi and sushi is hit or miss, depends on when you go for freshness. This place is casual fun! Prices are ok, kind of on the expensive side.

    (4)

  • Talin A.

    The steak and shrimp are amazing. Food is extremely delicious! Love their house salad sesame dressing!

    (5)

  • Christine C.

    Expensive americanized sushi. Tried the beef rolls, and it was nothing like the picture on the menu. It only came with three pieces. When eaten along it was bland but eaten with the sauce it gave it more flavor. Yellow collar, decent size and was pretty good. Genko roll: had grilled onions on top with albacore. It was good but not a favorite. This place reminds me of katsua

    (2)

  • Margo K.

    It's great experience and grate beautiful food nice cooking show i love it

    (4)

  • Maggie T.

    Came here for sushi. Sorta pricey but still tolerable. Service was very attentive. A very bland experience, but it was satisfactory.

    (3)

  • Beverly C.

    This place was gross!!! The calamari was weird, i think it was tofu. I never seen calamari look that way! I ordered a baked lobster roll and it wasnt tightley rolled. It bareley had any baby lobsters in it. This place wasnt authentic at all.

    (1)

  • Emari H.

    Good steak! This is just like many Japanese teppanyaki restaurants you see nowdays. I had a steak & jumbo shrimp dinner and it was excellent. I think it's a bit pricey but I guess these things are not cheap. I LOVED their lycee martini! It's a little too small because you sip a few and *poof* it's gone...or maybe it was because it was so good I gulped it down...hmmm... It's a fun place to go as a group and/or for a celebration. We watched several people being serenaded by the staff with "happy birthday" song, Wako Wako style and it was hilarious! Definitely recommend it if you haven't done it for a bit.

    (4)

  • Jeanette V.

    I dont even get how people dont like it here. The best way to enjoy these types of restaurants are in the grill area and not the small dining area. At all of these types of teppan dinners, the food comes out in parts and yes they serve everyone at the same time because thats so everyone gets the "show" at the same time. I LOVE the quality of food here, that doesn't go for sushi tho, because I've never ordered sushi here. I love the show, the food and how the left overs ALWAYS taste great the next day. I would come back every week if I could afford it =) p.s. The Pasadena restaurant is thee nicest one out of them all. Very nice inside and outside view.

    (5)

  • Tina-Marie L.

    It was a cold, rainy night. Yardhouse had an hour wait. Tina-Marie was hungry. Enter Tokyo Wako. No wait and a happy husband who loves Teppan. From the outside it doesn't appear as huge as it actually is. You walk in and it reminds you of being in a fancy restaurant in a Las Vegas casino where you just keep walking, and walking, and walking until you get to your table. Now, the thing with teppan-style dining is you will get seated with strangers unless your party is big enough to cover an entire grill. In this case, the grills seat 8. Usually, the first few minutes are a bit awkward because you don't know whether you should attempt to talk to these other people or if you should just remain quiet and keep the conversation within your party. Enter the Samurai! static.px.yelp.com/bphot… My ordering of the Samurai drink immediately got EVERYONE to start talking. The Samurai says that it is a mix of vodka and sake with some fruit juice or something like that. I definitely tasted some Midori in there. And you can see the greenish tinge from my "reserve" glass to the right. Anyhow, once the drinks started flowing, our little group started chit chatting. Turns out the group opposite us: Mom, Dad, daughter and daughter's friend had a little six degrees with the couple to our left. One of the girls had made out with a guy that knew the couple and proceeded to rib said girl for that encounter. And even though it was only a kiss, she now felt compelled to stand up for her actions among random strangers. Ahhhh... Teppanyaki! I ordered the Hibachi Tuna Steak and it was fantastic! Hubby got the Ni Ban which was New York Steak with shrimp and scallops. He didn't want any scallops so they gave him more shrimp. He loved it. While sitting there, we noticed a churrascaria across the courtyard. That, is for another time. I can say that I left Tokyo Wako very content.

    (4)

  • J. T.

    Over priced! Worse udon ive had in my life! Service is slow and they gave me veggie udon instead of chicken. I was so annoyed! I would never come here again.

    (1)

  • Jon N.

    Pretty bad food, slow service, a real loser.

    (1)

  • Sharlene C.

    Nothing special.....the sashimi was but too thick!! The sushi roll recommended to us was not that impressive or good.

    (2)

  • Melissa S.

    I was here the Tuesday before Thanksgiving with my co-workers. We got there around 12:30, it wasn't very busy and we got seated right away. I got the lunch special (~$10), which came with soup (I chose sweet and sour), salad, rice, and your choice of meat (I got chicken). I enjoy the show at teppenyaki restaurants. The chef made a little volcano with the slices of onion and set it on fire, which was fun to watch. The service was ok. The food was ok but not outstanding. We didn't get drinks as we had to get back to work.

    (3)

  • Julianne V.

    Going to keep this short. Okay service, salty unmemorable food. I was here once before and I definitely don't recommend any cocktails and sushi. My mojito was remade 3x and it still didn't taste like a mojito. Sushi - eh, bland, fishy, and unmemorable. The place is clean, spacious and in a great area, I'll give them that!

    (2)

  • Kim H.

    This is a chain restaurant with sub par sushi. For the price you are paying research a little more and go to another place. I wasn't there for the steak so I am giving it a three overall. For sushi....this is a two. The place is huge....I mean huge....when we went in no one was in there and now I know why. How these people are giving this place a 5 star rating smacks of paid Yelpers for this establishment. But if you are stuck in the suburbs of Pasadena....then maybe you don't know any better.

    (3)

  • J C.

    This is my first review on yelp. Unfortunately I felt compelled to write this due to the horrible service my wife and I received here tonight. We were promptly seated in the general dining area near the bar. Our waiter was quick to come to our table to ask us for our drink order. We were immediately brought water. Then the service went down hill from here. For over 20 minutes we patiently sat with our menus closed ready to place our order. I tried to flag him down on numerous occasions but we were simply ignored. I finally had it when a party of four sitting right next to us were served drinks and were placing their order within 5 minutes after they arrived. My wife and I decided our business was better off somewhere else and left. It's unfortunate as we have ate here numerous times but I'll think twice before eating here again. One star service tonight for a typical three star experience.

    (2)

  • Alexa A.

    This was a fun experience! Cook was very fun and skillful! The food was tasty too. Had steak, shrimp, fried rice. Steak was flavorful. I loved the spicy chili sauce offered on the side too! Will be back again soon :-)

    (4)

  • Angela L.

    My parents treated me to Tokyo Wako for my birthday after hearing me whine about going to a hibachi restaurant for a month straight. Prices are up to par with Benihana. Came at 4:00 on a Sunday and it was pretty empty. -Soup was lukewarm. -Fried rice is an extra $2.50. My parents went with the fried rice but I tried some and felt like it needed more salt. I opted for the steamed rice. -I ordered the Chicken and Scallop. I loved the chicken but felt the scallops could've been cooked a little more. -Mother ordered lamp chops and Dad ordered New York Steak. His steak was AMAZING. -Our table's chef is Hispanic....which threw me off because I'm sorry, I'm paying (meaning my parents [it's my birthday, valid excuse]) twice the money for dinner for a show, which by the way, the chef was pretty lazy about, I expect an authentic experience. I caught myself looking at a chef at a different table pulling tricks and wishing I was at THAT table. Also, the family we were seated with was also Hispanic...so the chef pretty much had conversations in Spanish with them and neglected my parents and me almost completely. -Pretty sure on the menu, it said served with "soup and salad...blahblah blah....and ice cream". Ice cream never came for anyone at the table except for me because it was my birthday. And that was $4.50 extra to sing "Happy Birthday" to me unenthusiastically and get my picture taken. -Remember to get your parking validated. I left feeling like I ate my entire body weight. I think the experience is cool and I'd come back for special occasions. Other than that, I just don't see the hype.

    (3)

  • Grace F.

    My husband and I used to come here quite often but saw their food quality deteriorate. About a year ago, I found a short hair in my udon and swore I'd never come back. Today, we gave it another shot, but were very sorely disappointed. We ordered 6 dishes and everything was bland. From the shrimp tempura (fried in old oil that tasted stale) to the miso soup (served in a dirty bowl) to the chicken wings (just wtf?!), it was all bland. The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is because the spider roll was ok. Not great. Just ok. The mojito was made with old lines with a rotting peel. This review is just for the regular dining room as I haven't tried the grill yet. After dozens of mediocre experiences in the dining room, I have no wish to try the grill. This time will most certainly be my last.

    (2)

  • Serop B.

    Went here for a birthday party recently, can't tell you anything was good in fact, it was all bland, and the prices resembled those of Benihana. I found myself useing soy sauce on everything, even the meat! It was hard to eat but I guess you go here for the entertainment, still at Benihana you don't have to mess with soy sauce, everything tastes amazing and its not that much farther from Tokyo wako, so keep your girls entertained and your stomach happy and choose another spot.

    (2)

  • Nika C.

    The service was a little iffy, but I think it's a matter of personal taste. I like a friendly inviting atmosphere, I definitely did not get that here. THat staff was somewhat standoffish and cold. Nevertheless, i did enjoy my meal hence the stars.

    (3)

  • Miguel A.

    Tokyo Wako is one of my favorite Asian restaurants! First off, the sushi here is solid, but it's the steak dinner that I adore - the soup and salad are excellent and the quality of meat is terrific Some tips - 1. BENTO BOX - ask for a bento box when you order - that way, not everything is squished on one plate and you'll keep the different food items seperated, preserving their tastes, with no sauces dipping onto the other and diluting tastes (sorry to sound so technical, but I'm a purist) 2. FRIED RICE - order the fried rice - the fried rice at Tokyo Wako, honestly, is the best in the world 3. DESSERT - and lastly, order the tempura ice cream - you'll thank me later Lastly, as other reviews note, the cooking is done at a grill on the table, but it's far from cheesy - the emphasis, at all times, stays on making good food, so don't dismiss it because of the gimmicks - everything about this restaurant is about food and the proximity of the grill is primarily to ensure the freshness of taste Love and peace all!

    (5)

  • Kylie C.

    I do believe they have good teppanyaki, which is what they are known for. I went and got a chirashi bowl togo for lunch and was bit disappointed. I always love Chirashi Bowl at all Japanese places since it gives me variety of taste and have fab presentation. well, this Chirashi bowl was just rice, lemon, and some little too old salad on the side with 8 pieces for reg. sliced sashmi. There was no fish egg, no decor, nor my fav tamago.... It was a $17 lunch and i wanted to treat myself so i took it back and hostess asked what was wrong, and I explained, she commented that all Chirashi bowls are different and if I wanted her to sprinkle some smelt egg on it and they are cheap or replace the new salad. All i wanted was I'm sorry, we can remake for you... I guess they are not really a sushi place... I would just stick to teppanyaki...

    (2)

  • Henry V.

    Awesome place for Sushi... I was never really into sushi and the selection of food that is served here.. but now ia am a fan, its a must try..

    (5)

  • Jackie K.

    We ended up at Tokyo Wako on a Friday night before catching a movie. All the other restaurants in the Paseo were packed except this one. It should have been a red flag. Because we were in a hurry, we stuck with sushi. We ordered chirashi, spicy tuna roll, California roll, Philadelphia roll, and one of their specialty rolls that had shrimp tempura inside. The miso soup that came with the chirashi tasted like the msg-riddled broth you get in a cup-of-noodles. It also had mushrooms, hard dried onions, and, oh yeah, NO miso. The shrimp tempura roll tasted like it had been fried hours before, then quickly dunked in a vat of oil before serving it up on a plate. The service was ...meh. All in all, this restaurant might be good for people who have never eaten at another Japanese restaurant in their life. You can find WAAAAY better sushi for the price in LA, or probably anywhere.

    (2)

  • Rick S.

    Tokyo Wako is a higher-priced Japanese Steak House. Beni Hana used to be the only place of its kind to go but the chain has deteriorated in the last several years. Tokyo Wako picks up where Benin Hana left off and does so well. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful and spacious. You can sit at a regular table or by the grill, which was our choice. All of us enjoyed our food, mostly steak and chicken with fried rice. Some tasty shrimp and vegetables were served too. The chef did the usual show while cooking and did a great job; lots of fun to watch. At similar restaurants the chefs just sort of walk through the show. Service was good. Food and drinks were served promptly, although we were at the grill and didn't order any sushi.

    (4)

  • Kenneth Y.

    Terrible service. Under new management??? Made us wait almost half an hour at a grill with no chef. Waitress did not stop to offer drinks. Left without eating here. Will NOT come back again.

    (1)

  • Ari M.

    If you decide to eat at Tokyo Wako, you will have to decide between a traditional dining table meal, or a Benihana style dinner where the chef cooks right in front of you. Either way you will end up spending a bit more than you would expect. I visit Tokyo Wako once in a while for a bowl of Tempura Udon. If the price were a couple bucks cheaper, I would be there all the time but priced as it is, it's more of frill I treat myself to once in a while. As for the Benihana style dinner, it might as well be Benihana. Both are overpriced, but entertaining with decent--but not great--food. Go on a birthday and they will be sure to embarrass the birthday boy or girl by dressing them in a kimono and putting a balding hat on over their head. Bring a camera. Overall Tokyo Wako is a decent place to eat, but it never really feels like you get what you pay for.

    (3)

  • Tellis H.

    A great choice for Teppan steak, chicken and seafood. The service was attentive and friendly which I love at any restaurant. The atmosphere was also pleasant, traditional Japanese decor for the interior design, with Huge bay windows overlooking looking the courtyard and shopping centers below. I'd recommend Tokyo Wako for a group night out for sure. The teppan tables easily seat 8 and are arranged so 16 could sit in a double-group and face each other with two chefs between them as someone mention in previous threads. You may also share your dinner for the price/cost of one which usually doesn't happen in establishments like this. Overall experience 3.5 stars and the miso soup broth to die for!! Eric was our waiter and he gets 5 stars for the services. Enjoy!!

    (3)

  • Ella B.

    Probably the lamest shrimp tempura udon I've ever had. 4 pieces of tempura - 2 shrimp, 2 veggies that were tiny and like they were fried yesterday! No kidding!!! As an avid Japanese food eater, I've been to much better places but was staying at the Sheraton and needed dinner. I read the reviews and thought about going elsewhere because of the repeated knocks on this place re: freshness but wanted Japanese and this was closest. It didn't seem that any of the other places were rated much better...

    (2)

  • Maureen W.

    It's a fun place, especially for a big group. Benihana rip off...but all the teppan places are basically the same. We went on Sunday for my nephew's birthday and the kids had a great time. Our chef was fun, the food decent, the prices right. What more can you ask for. They have your basic steak/chicken/shrimp kind of stuff. Rice and veggies. There's a sushi bar up front but I'm not sure I'd get the sushi here...I leave that for the small intimate sushi bars. We enjoyed ourselves all around!

    (3)

  • Keycee D.

    I like this place, but I wish they could do more tricks. It's also a little pricey. All and all I'd go here when I have extra $$$.

    (3)

  • Claudia R.

    One of our (my daughter and I) favorite places to go eat. We always sit at the grill, and enjoy watching our dinner get cooked in front of us. Their dinners include salad with a delightful ginger dressing, and soup. We usually get the filet mignon with shrimp. The meat is always very tender and cooked to perfection. Overall the food portions are a good size, where me and Jazz can even share a plate.

    (5)

  • Siobain C.

    GO FOR LUNCH! It's way too expensive at dinner time. Lunch has the same menu as dinner but for about 1/2 the price! I have never had the sushi so can't speak to that...but the teppan grill is excellent at lunch time. The veggie plate is HUGE! Fresh zucchini, bell pepper, onion, mushroom, carrots, etc. so Delicious and so much food. It comes with soup, salad and be sure to order the fried rice. My fiance normally gets the 2 or 3 item combo (at dinner it would be about 30 dollars) at lunch its more like $20 and its a ridiculous amount of food. He normally gets steak, chicken and salmon. We went to the one in Arcadia recently and were totally disappointed. The one at Paseo is the best. We go about 1x a month and are always happy with the service & food. Make sure you go with a big appetite!

    (4)

  • Leah P.

    I have been going to this place for over 15 years now. We used to go almost every day but it is now pricy so we go once a month. We used to go to their Arcadia location and I'm glad they opened one close to LA. I think they are a lot better than the other Tepan Yaki places like Benihana because they give more food. Most of their cooks are not asian so it does ruin the ambiance. The food now is so and so, because it all depends on which cook u get. But we will most definitely go back.

    (4)

  • Joanna Y.

    not good at all. rolls are TINY. i could prob fit two in my mouth at the same time. Not worth the money, as they are all pretty expensive. I got the red dragon roll? something like that. It was not good and seriously the tiniest roll I have ever had. My boyfriend got the 9 piece sashimi. The fish were all thickly cut, but it was probably because they were trying to get rid of it. It didn't taste fresh at all! Service was lackluster. The server checked on us once, and took a while to refill my glass of water. Location is good, so all they need to improve on is their food quality.... and service.. and prices... We ate at the sushi bar, and not the teppan tables, so this review isn't based on their teppan tables. I would not come here ever again. TIP- be sure to get your parking ticket validated at the front! :D

    (2)

  • E H.

    Unimpressed is the best description for our visit. The food was OK but nothing special. We got sushi and the fish was fresh enough but didn't have the "spring" of really fresh fish. The tamago (egg sushi) was uninspired and bland and the soybeans came without salt and none was brought to the table. I don't expect real wasabi at a place like this, but even the horseraddish was dull and unflavorful. Don't think I will be coming back without a good reason.

    (2)

  • Andy O.

    This place is like a better, cleaner version of Benihana. There are standard seating arrangements, as well as group-seating Teppan grills. It's strange, because the "feel" of the restaurant is COMPLETELY different between the two. With the former, it feels like a wanna-be high-classed fusion restaurant; with the latter, it becomes a fun try-to-ignore-the-overly-talkative-and-friendly-­old-guy-at-your-table-while-eating experience. In either case, the food is good, though I'd say the Teppan chefs are more fun at Benihana.

    (4)

  • Starry J.

    The teppan-chef / performer really makes or breaks your teppanyaki restaurant experience. I went to Tokyo Wako on Saturday night and we had a good time. Our teppan chef was Kay and he was awesome! We really enjoyed his performance and the food he made was good. However, the soup and salad that came with our meal was too salty and I did not like it. If we did not get a good chef I think I would not be coming back because the food alone is not enough to recommend this place. So I say it's hit or miss.

    (3)

  • Gary L.

    This is such a fun place. You have to seat at "Teppanyaki" grill table, where the chef comes to entertain and prepare your meal, with some flair and flamboyance! It's usually quite a fire-show! And you get to mingle and make friends with your dinner mates (Unless you are a big group and take over the whole table) There's nothing like seeing your food grilled right before your eyes! Perfect for everyone!

    (4)

  • Jirier M.

    Want less attitude and healthier food than Benihana ...welcome to Tokyo Wako! Although Benihana tastes a bit better---I would sacrifice that small difference. The staff at Tokyo Wako definitely cares far more for the customer than their wallets. So accommodating---that they allowed us to have our own table to accommodate the two infants in our party. Try that at Benihana.....they'll tell you to go to yoshinoya.

    (5)

  • R S.

    On March 25th, 2012, two friends of mine ate at Tokyo Wako in Paseo Colorado for dinner with a friend of theirs. All three ended up in the Hospital Emergency Room suffering from extreme food poisoning. The couple are dear friends of mine from Germany. I know them really well. I am so appalled that they had to suffer this. Avoid this Franchise.

    (1)

  • Ellie K.

    Pretty good food here! We got the shrimp, filet mignon, and chicken. Delicious fried rice, good salad (tangy dressing), standard miso soup. The wait staff was attentive and polite. Overall, a good dining experience.

    (4)

  • Aaron M.

    Yelped in 30 Words: Small drinks; boring wines; bummer steak, sushi, and shrimp. Ginsu knifery mildly wacko, but we felt cheated: inferior ingredients. Floor mopping with pungent cleaner during entrees. Desultory service; expensive, too!

    (1)

  • Mable Y.

    Chef sucked, service sucked, food sucked. This is a shame because it isn't the first time i've been here but this time in particular was extremely bad. First off, a friend of mine ordered a daiquiri and of course i took some underaged sips. A person drinks more before they are legally able to than when they are legally able to imho, but moving on. She asks me for my ID and to which i am very surprised. Usually nicer places don't ask for ID because it isn't professional. They assume you use your best judgement to not do anything stupid and who the hell gets buzzed after ONE drink? Anyway, there was pubic looking hair in my sisters food. It was actually the piece of steak that i was going to eat and thankfully i didn't eat that one piece. The waitress only said they wouldn't charge for her one meal, however, finding curly black hair on a piece of steak would get anyone upset and what we should have done was say that hey, we aren't going to pay for any of this food cuz you know what, what if there was hair on another piece?! Unprofessional service, poor hygiene, and a chef that couldn't light the fire to get the flaming onion volcano going. Bill for 4 people: 100. Waste of money.

    (1)

  • Angelia M.

    Service was decent. The worst spicy tuna I ever taste. It's really fishy, no flavor!! Fried oyster and the misoyaki was excellent.

    (3)

  • Angela M.

    First off, you do not come here for regular Japanese food. You come here for Teppanyaki. I've been to Beni Hana (very pricey) and Shogun (which smells like alcohol and drunk people). I still think that Tokyo Wako is by far the best when it comes to Japanese Teppanyaki style food. The food is fresh, delicious, and excellent. The chefs are friendly and entertaining. If you don't mind the price, dinner here is worth every penny. I would say go spoil yourself and eat like an emperor for once. I love their soups with mushrooms and fried onions. I like how their dinner combination comes with soup, salad, and rice. I usually like to order shrimp as my entree, although I would recommend teriyaki beef/chicken or filet mignon if it's your first time here. I always love getting hot sake, Midori Sours, Shirley Temples, and Cosmopolitans here too. This restaurant is excellent for dates, families, and large parties. If you have a party larger than 10 people, then you can actually request a private room which gives you a nice view of the Pasadena Convention Center. The restaurant has the most beautiful facility ever! It's huge and spacious. It as a beautiful view from the second floor of the Paseo Colorado Mall. They have neat aquariums too. On your way out, look to your right and you will find a wall with pictures of celebrities who have eaten at Tokyo Wako.

    (5)

  • Greg F.

    Tokyo Wako is a nice place to go if you want fresh food prepared right in front of you. The chefs are usually pretty entertaining although I have had a few duds. The fried rice is good. I recommend the San Ban. I would have given it 5 stars but the sushi is not very good at all here. Stay away from the sushi and you will have an enjoyable dining experience. Enjoy...

    (4)

  • Jason S.

    WTF? Do these chefs know any other tricks? Does this sound familiar at all? 1. The chef introduces himself & double-checks your order 2. He throws down some sauce and makes a huge introductory flame 3. He cuts off shrimp tails and flips them into his giant chef hat. 4. He cracks open eggs and AGAIN flips them into his giant chef hat 5. He starts to fry some rice into a heart shape and makes it "beat" 6. He cuts up an onion, stacks it up and makes a Volcano (oooooooh!) 7. He serves us food and we enetertain him with claps! Same old... Same old... If you've been to Benihana once, then you've pretty much seen the exact same show and tasted the exact same food. The only positive thing I can say about this place is that they have a good drink on the menu: "Don Julio Cadillac Margarita". Now for the negative about this positive... it costs $9 and comes in a small glass. Boooooo!

    (2)

  • Valerie M.

    SMH. No-go for me. Tokyo wako was pretty whacko! 1 star just for the sushi rolls alone which were o.k. and not anything special. I tried the Philadelphia, Firecracker, and Dynamite rolls. Everything else was a major booboo. Let me say that it was a saturday afternoon and it wasn't busy at all. There were probably 3 or 4 other parties/couples in the entire restaurant... BUT -Service wasn't on point. The waiter couldn't answer simple questions based on the menu. He never checked up on us! -Food took forever to come out. Roll-sizes weren't accommodating and a bit overpriced. -Another customer next to us complained about the timing and service. Hm, maybe Tokyo Wako is more well-known for their teppan steak but it still.. it DOES say sushi bar. Comannnn, deliver better! I don't think I'm coming back.

    (1)

  • Art M.

    A decent choice for a Teppan dinner. I'd give 3.5 if i could. I treated a group of 7 out the other night and the total came to $250 with tax & tip. Great considering we had 5 main courses, appetizers, soups, salads, beer and hot sake for all, and we still had food and booze left over. I'd recommend Tokyo Wako for a group night out. The teppan tables easily seat 8 and are arranged so 16 could sit in a double-group and face each other with two chefs between them. Dinner details below if you care to read them ( I personally don't read 3 star reviews and feel rather hypocritical writing one). The service was attentive and friendly. The atmosphere was also decent, the interior colors of the dining area reminded me of a late 90's era convention hall, but the huge windows overlooking the Paseo below make up for the drab interior. That said, it's the flavor that earns the 3 stars. Nothing was bad but nothing was memorable, everything tasted pretty much the same. If it wasn't for the whole teppan experience seen through beer and sake goggles, the night would have been pretty blah. So yes, there's something to be said about the fire in your face, chop, slice, chop, serve thing.

    (3)

  • Antonio G.

    OK food , too little for too much and by little I dont mean quantity, I mean service, flavor and drinks, for that much you expect more... way more

    (3)

  • Polina T.

    This place was yummy! It wasn't anything fantastic however, just reminded me of Benihana's. My boyfriend and I ordered one meal to split for the two of us since we weren't extremely hungry. You get a show and then your meal. The steak tasted great and the scallops were freaking amazing. I'd recommend if you'd never been to this type of a place before.

    (3)

  • Ada F.

    Two words "FOOD POISON". I highly do NOT recommend you go to this place. I ordered the tuna tataki salad and that night I was not a happy camper. How can anyone mess up a tuna tataki salad? Well they can. The tuna was NOT fresh and I only had 2 pieces and couldn't eat it anymore. The salad dressing and the mixed greens were okay. Service was super slow and there was only one other table there for lunch. If I could I would give it half a star, for the salad dressing. The waitress was slow with ordering, slow with bringing out the items. The others in my party ordered rolls and they did not look appetizing. I thought Japanese food appealed to all senses. But just looking at it made you go BLAH. Definitely wasting $ if you go there.

    (1)

  • naysayer f.

    My friends and I always make a choice to celebrate our party at this place. The price is abit pricey but NOT CHEAP GOOD NO GOOD CHEAP... agree? you can check the price quality and portion you get with other same place... for the services, well, i always go there when they got pack!! I totally understand that. BUT wait a sec, they did not ignore their job plus a big smile came along too ^^ I would recommend this place 100 percent PS. I think writing in here is all about your personal opinion. I just try to be nice and honest to friends who is reading these comments.

    (5)

  • Eric B.

    Much like the Winter Olympics ... Tokyo Wako would best be described as: Not bad ... but not great either. A couple of friends decided to head to the Paseo location for some Japanese food on a Friday night. The place was packed and I would highly recommend in obtaining reservations in order to avoid the long wait you might expect on busy nights. Tokyo Wako is probably best known as a Teppanyaki restaurant, however, we opted to have a traditional Japanese meal instead. Like most yelpers, I was impressed with the cleanliness and spaciousness of the restaurant. We were promptly seated upon the arrival of our entire party and we ordered the following: red dragon roll, spider roll, eel bowl, and the miso salmon filet. The eel was nicely cooked and the rolls were decent (I was starving at the time ... so perhaps I'm being a bit lenient). Overall, the food was 'AIGHT ... not bad by any means .... but at the same time it failed to impress. What did leave as a lasting impression was that our food did not arrive at the same time. Our entire party were starving at the time (did I mention that?) ... and therefore it was way uncool for some peeps to get their food a good 10 minutes after the others were served. Luckily, mine came first ... hence the 3 stars and not 2 or 1. If you're in the area and in the mood for slightly better than mediocre Japanese food in an excellent setting ... I would not hesitate in recommending this place ... just don't expect to get blown away.

    (3)

  • Jason L.

    I have been coming here for years for the Teppan. When it's your birthday they take a nice picture for you wearing a robe and this hair thingy. The food is always good and the prices are fair. I would recommend if you are in the pasadena area and don't want to walk far like in old town.

    (4)

  • Douglas B.

    Terrible... Crappy service by "waitress'" with zero experience. didn't know the difference between or the price for the two types of melot that they sell. No child's menu other than verbal, and big surprise, didn't know the price. Meal came with salad and soup, which our waitress forgot the bring... after reminding her, she brought them. Both were bad. I had "steak" teriyaki which was dry, low quality sirloin which was cubed and fried on a grill. Presented with warm, but otherwise raw vegetables most of which appeared to come out of a bag. Really, really bad. Please avoid... don't reward such terribly restaurants only because they happen to be where you want to be at the time (The Paseo). Go to the Yard House, PF Changs, heck, even Islands would be a step up from this place.

    (1)

  • Angela O.

    Wanna see the epitome of mediocrity?

    (2)

  • Debbie P.

    Strictly Teppan side: service was as decent as the food. Definitely not as good as Benihanas though. I ordered the filet and shrimp combo with fried rice with the usual mushroom, onions and zucchini side. The fried rice lacks the buttery garlic goodness I'm use to and thus tasted a but bland. The filet and shrimp was cooked to perfect but once again lacked spices. That's the main theme here... Everything is cooked properly but it lacked flavor.

    (3)

  • Sun C.

    This restaurant is number one on my list of never go again. This restaurant was advertising buy one get one free grill and I took a big group for dinner. I told the waitress I was there for the buy one get one special. When I got the bill without any discount, i thought they charged for everyone by mistake. But the waitress explained that what we ordered wasn't part of the deal and that the deal only include chicken and fish. When I told the waitress I wanted to get the special, shouldn't I deserve to be told that steaks are not included? And the food is so not worth the full price. I wouldn't have gone there if it weren't for their deceiving advertisement. And the way the manager handled the situation, just the worst you can imagine a manager would handle such a situation.

    (1)

  • H N.

    Worst experience ever. We needed to ask for clean plates, and my husband's dinner arrived way after I finishedeating mine. My shrimp Udon was so so, nothing special. My husband's lamb was too raw to eat, and half of the side veggies was all garlic and too strong. The mushroom soup was tasty although it tasted more like European soup rather than Japanese. It seemed to be understaffed since we had hard time to get attention from servers.

    (1)

  • Victoria M.

    Had a late dinner at the Monterey Park location. It's perfect if you want to see a movie afterwards at the AMC theater. Everything was delicious. Prices were just right for what we ordered. They now have 2 Happy Hours, 12pm-2pm, and 5pm-7pm. Can't wait to go back!

    (5)

  • Ann R.

    I've been here once before and that was almost two years ago. The experience was pleasant and the drinks and sushi were good. I was in the area with my family to enjoy the chalk festival and car show so when my husband said he was in the mood for fish, I thought of this place for lunch. My husband was being nice and gracious since it was Father's Day so I'm unleashing all my criticism on Yelp. Ambiance needs some major work. The carpet is frayed everywhere and should be replaced ASAP. You have to walk to the other end of the restaurant to use the restroom that only provides one stall. Service is lacking. Our server and teppan chef were cordial and friendly but our orders were processed incorrectly. My son didn't get the steamed rice we ordered and there was no difference in the beef my husband and I ordered (his was teriyaki beef and mine was a mini steak; the cut and prep of the beef was the same). It took almost 15 minutes before we saw our server again because we needed water! Food was salty. Everything had a nice flavor but had an overwhelming amount of salt. The tab came out to be $60+ for our group of three (keep in mind, one of us is only 5!). Not worth the amount. They don't even bother to remember what drink you ordered. My only positive comment: seeing my food prepared in front of me gave me the confidence to eat. At least that was done to health and safety standards. I am not planning on coming back to this location again. This deserves only one star but got the second only because of a better experience my previous visit.

    (2)

  • sherri t.

    Have been coming here for years and the service just keeps getting worse! Such a shame.

    (2)

  • Steph I.

    It's our favorite place to eat with the kids for a decent dinner. I always get either the ni-ban (steak, shrimp, scallops) or shrimp and scallops only. Its worth the money to upgrade to filet mignon, so do it. They serve you veggies (mushrooms, onions, zucchini), your main entree meat, rice, soup, salad. I will admit its pricey but I really like the simple clean flavors. I can't comment on the other food but the grill stuff is great! Oh and you can substitute miso soup for the mushroom onion one dinner usually comes with, i prefer miso. service here is nice, always attentive. Because we come here so often most of the waitresses and cooks know our family. You can always ask the cook to add stuff by request like lemon or garlic to your entree.

    (4)

  • Al B.

    Benihana-like teppan place. Its hit and miss. Some of the chefs are not very personable. But its ok in a pinch. I usually get the steak and lobster combo

    (3)

  • Christina P.

    The price isn't too bad.... considering you get a good amount of food and a show. I ordered the filet mignon and chicken teppan style dinner. Our cook was very entertaining and gave everyone some shrimp because he cooked too many for some other people's orders. =) The only bad thing about this place is that you have to sit with strangers if you want teppan style food and there's not enough in your party to fill up a whole teppan grill area. Quick points: 1) The food was well seasoned and cooked exactly the way I like it. The filet mignon was tender and a perfect medium rare. The chicken was moist and flavorful. 2) Parking is okay since they validate. 3) Service was average. Wait staff comes around enough times to keep you happy but entirely satisfied.

    (4)

  • Mel D.

    Overall the restaurant is clean the hostess staff is friendly Food was ok. I ordered the following... Firecracker Roll: This roll and the dragon roll, I give points for creativity. I felt like these were the most two creative rolls on the menu. I appreciated the originality. Spider Roll: not the typical spider roll I remember, I usually love the spider roll but this was just weird. There was carrots in it which really threw off your eating experience, with a hard crunch recalling what you saw in the roll that would make such a sound. Rainbow Roll: Looked like any other Rainbow roll, it was fine but nothing special, the taste didn't give your typical wonderful taste of having a great roll of sushi. I liked that you had 3 different options for a dining experience. regular table table with the chef and grill in the middle the the sushi bar. They do validate for parking in the Paseo Colorado parking area which is much appreciated.

    (2)

  • Jason C.

    OMG nasty and over priced! We got the sea bass and wow it was disgusting. The sauce tasted awkward and it did not complement the fish at all. And they messed up the fish by charring the outside and under cook the inside... man, they must of had the "F" team in the kitchen that night... I felt like I threw my hard earned money away. I would go back for a glass of water and nothing else.

    (1)

  • Earl Y.

    I just had a newborn baby and I wanted to celebrate my birthday here. I called a week before and asked to set up a private room for a small party. I explained that i have a newborn. The person I spoke to told me that she was able to do so. Before I hung up, I repeated to her "so its a private room right?" so she said yes. On my birthday itself, I just called to see if I could change the time of my reservation and to my surprise no private room was booked. They said the minimum was 14, so if I had not called then we would have shown up there with an unpleasant surprise. We ended up eating elsewhere instead. Before this incident, I would rate them maybe 3-4 stars, because the food and values are decent. I am tempted to rate them 1 star, but to be fair I think 2 stars is fair.

    (2)

  • Emily S.

    It's always fun to have your food cooked in front of you while your chef performs circus acts. Chef was friendly, forgot his name. My boyfriend's beef was a little overcooked and wasn't quite as tasty as his bro's NY steak (awesome!). I had calamari/squid, which was a little overcooked too. I think if our food hadn't been overcooked (maybe our chef was having a little too much fun with us), it would've been a lot better. Taste was great; the fault was cooking time. At any rate, the dipping sauces were tasty! Overall, I think I could've had way better quality food for the same price elsewhere, but I still had a good time.

    (3)

  • M F.

    the usual sushi restaurant fare but nothing impressive. i think it is the same across the chain because i've also been to their restaurant in ontario and left feeling the same way. most likely won't be patronizing any of their establishments again.

    (2)

  • Lena S.

    Their name lives up to their business. Definitely was Tokyo WACK. This restaurant made such an impression on me that I had to go home and make a yelp account. Seriously, THAT BAD. Worst dining experience ever. And I'm a server at a restaurant, so trust me...I know what BAD DINING EXPERIENCE is. This review is for the Pasadea location by the way (inside the Paseo). Service was horrible. They should be lucky that we were nice enough to still tip them 15%. Server didn't come by our table very often. All the food came out at different times. By the time I got mine, my friend was already done with his. I've worked at a Japanese restaurant before. If a customer orders from the sushi bar and another customer orders from the kitchen menu, they must be timed properly so both arrive at the table at the same time. THIS was not the case. I understand restaurants can get busy, so sometimes food has to be sent out as whichever ticket comes first. But this restaurant was FAR FROM busy. They simply didn't give a shit about our table. Next, everything tasted bad. Seriously, how can everything taste bad??!!! Considering how hefty the price was, I assumed the food would be high in quality and delicious at the least. Every one of us were disappointed and disgusted. My girlfriend order the yaki soba. Just tasted like nothing but noodles and veggies drenched in oil. Had to ask for multiple condiments. My girlriend couldn't even eat it because it tasted so nasty and tasteless. None of the condiments helped, so we had to ask for it to be taken off the bill. Now I want you to understand one thing. I am a person that DOES NOT complain. I feel that it's rude and I don't want to be a difficult customer. This was in fact my first time EVER complaining. If it was 10 bucks for the yaki soba, that's fine. But the darn thing was like 20 bucks for some veggies and noodles. I ordered the steak and it was nothing but poor grade meat drenched in soy sauce.DRENCHED. Not to mention how small the portion was for the price. I can go on.. but I'll stop here. You get the picture.

    (1)

  • Steph G.

    Bad service don't sit @ the bar. I sat @ the bar thinking I'd get faster service what a mistake, I went w/6 other ppl & only 3 of us were served we all sat @ the bar for about an hour waiting & it wasen't even busy, we finally decided 2 leave after it was very apparent that we were not going 2 be helped. I am never going back 2 this location.

    (1)

  • JulieBean M.

    Big disappointment. I went with some girlfriends expecting some strong cocktails and a show and we were disappointed on both fronts. The waitress at the front bar got our drink orders (vodka sodas with a splash of cran) wrong and when we asked her about it, she said they didn't have soda water so she made it with ginger ale instead - um, eeeewwww and why didn't you say something?! When another bartender heard her say that he pointed to the dispenser and informed that they do have soda water (obviously, its a bar staple) and corrected our drinks. Get to know your bar, lady. Once at the table we placed our orders and awaited the show. Well, I think we looked up once. Our chef had no personality and did nothing to engage his audience. It basically felt like we were sitting in front of a grill while someone cooked - no shrimp tossing or steaming onion volcano. A friend ordered a drink to be made with mandarin vodka and they came back saying they didn't have it - yet we could see it through the glass wall separating us from the bar. The food was good enough, but for the price, it's not worth it. I recall Mori in Glendale being a much better experience.

    (2)

  • The D.

    I asked them if they would make me a vegetable tempura roll, a roll that other sushi chefs easily and without hesitation make for me. This rude old woman at the front, without even asking her chefs, tells me "it's very hard". Wtf? EVERYONE makes that roll. I would give the place 0 stars for her clear laziness, but apparently I have to give at least 1 star.

    (1)

  • Susan C.

    First of all, the designer of the parking structure must have thought it would be funny to build the crappiest parking strucutre ever. Ate here on a Saturday night and it took me 20 minutes to find a spot. I seriously didn't know which way to go up a floor. Who the heck creates dead ends in a parking structure? The food at Tokyo Wako is not spectacular. Our chef was not all that stellar either. He dropped his spatula a couple of times and didn't fully execute all of his tricks. Lame. The positive points of the night were that we got to use a coupon and they brought out an extra steak and shrimp order so everybody got to nibble on their mistake for free. The birthday dessert is whack too. They charged us $4.50 for a little scoop of green tea ice cream and a photo of you in that lice infested geisha wig. I wouldn't put that on my head, ick. Looking around I think the people that enjoyed the place the most were the kids. To them everything is amazing. But the place is catered to young adults. Hence their alcohol bar and sushi bar. I wouldn't go here again, even with another coupon.

    (2)

  • Lilani E.

    After a local qualifiers (for regionals) tourney in pool, Kieran and I jammed out of PJ's pub and headed straight for Paseo Pasadena to for the birthday dinner of my dad at Tokyo Wako's. Tokyo Wako's is a sushi/teppan grill restaurant. The venue is really nice and not crowded at all. I find a lot of teppan grill restaurants feel really crowded, seats knocking into each other when you get in and out of your seats, etc. My family is huge and we accommodated two sides of a "grilling station". I ordered the Imperial dinner which was filet mignon and jumbo shrimp...really good! One of the main points that Tokyo Wako's stands apart from all the other teppan grill restaurants... portions and quality of ingredients. Also, their chefs were still...Japanese. I like to try to keep things authentic. Their birthday cake ceremony is out of control (but not loud and tacky), they brought out a kimono robe for my dad along with a samurai wig. Great times for the whole clan. Only drawback, they did not have uni last night...tsk, tsk. FYI: Their lunch menu is about 45% less than their dinner menu.

    (5)

  • Edgie T.

    I know .. this review is long overdue but I feel like writing today! Went here for my post birthday a couple years, the in-laws we're visiting and it's their first time at a teppan yaki [ pls. don't ask why ] They were also staying at a nearby hotel, so we thought we'll just stay in the neighborhood. So here's what we ordered [ and yes I remember ] as Dr. Read from Criminal Minds would say "I have a pictoric memory." Sushi Platter (7 pieces of Sushi with your choice of California Roll or Tuna Roll) & Assorted Sashimi 9pcs **It wasn't the greatest, I've had better. It did hit the spot so I can't complain. I finished my food and was having a good time drowing myself with sake. Beef Yakisoba (Hibachi style noodles with mixed vegetables and beef or shrimp, prepared on the grill **There's something about seeing your food getting cooked in front of you, it's entertaining and it was hot of the grill. My husband remembers enjoying his meal and liking it. Chicken Yakisoba (Hibachi style noodles with mixed vegetables and chicken, prepared on the grill) **My in-laws enjoyed the Chef's tricks on the grill, and how they prepared the meal in front of them. They enjoyed it as well, how can you go wrong with chicken? Would I come back here, eh?

    (2)

  • Christina B.

    Good food & drinks. Great atmosphere. Subpar service.

    (4)

  • Sandra C.

    I need a variety in my life.....I've been going to Toyko Wako for some time now, and I am sorry to say but (truth be told,) I had to pretend to be entertained by the same exact teppan performance for the past 8 years.. If you are in the mood to be entertained while enjoying some healthy teppan, this ought to be the place. If however, you are dead freakin tired, the last thing you would want is to have the cook make an onion volcano & a choo choo train and expect you to respond back with such enthusiasm every time he tries to dazzle you with his same ol' same ol' performance........ so yeah, I don't think I'llbe going back any time soon because I am just sick of it.......

    (2)

  • Christian D.

    I went here for my gf's birthday with a ton of friends, it was really fun and we all sat in a big table surrounded by the chef and food preparation in the middle. everything was good, food was pretty tasty I got the highest priced meat forgot what it was called but it went for around $37 i think it was some kind of steak, very good, the only thing that i really did not like was the smell which stuck on you, I'm a very sensitive person when it comes to smells so maybe the 3 stars is a bit harsh but so be it, service wasn't great we were about 20 people but its understandable a lot of picky people means a lot of mistakes. I'm sure ill return sometime, definitely not in the near future though...wallet is a bit dented...loll TFR

    (3)

  • Thia G.

    Expensive non-authentic teppan-yaki that tastes pretty crappy. The cooking showmanship is "meh" and the actual food is not very flavorful, greasy, and so overpriced. Also, the seating sucks if you end up with an annoying group of people. My bf and I ended up sitting with a family with 2 not-well-behaved bratty kids who were loud, obnoxious, and rude the entire time. I'm never going to another teppan-yaki place in Pasadena again. As far as I can tell, there's only amazing teppan-yaki in Asia.

    (2)

  • Alejandro F.

    Dined at Tokyo Wako yesterday for my Girlfriend's brother's birthday. There were 10 of us and we all had the Teppan. The food was good, I had the NY steak Teppan which was prepared perfectly, medium rare and super tender. The price was also more than reasonable. The chef was a little lack-luster so we spent more time talking with one another (not a bad thing haha) than actually paying attention to him cooking which is usually half the fun of the Teppan. Overall it wasnt bad, but Shogun is still 2-3x better.

    (2)

  • Kyle T.

    Mediocre food. Too pricy.

    (2)

  • Dee C.

    While attending a show at the Pasadena Convention center we found this sushi restaurant across the street in an outdoor mall. This review isn't particularly about the food. I found the food ok although I've had better. My main complaint is being "$1 to death" . This place doesn't use alot of avocado in their sushi rolls that normally should have it and when you ask for it they charge you a dollar extra...even though in my opinion the rolls are already overpriced as it is. A dollar extra for a frigging sliver of avocado ???!!! ........50 cents would be more reasonable although I find this a cheap low class way of making extra profits. Then when you complain about this stupid extra charge they label you a "troublemaker" which is what I was called by someone who seemed to be the head sushi chef. A rather unpleasant fellow. Their lame retarded excuse for the charge?........"avocados are expensive"...gimme a break. I can buy avocados at most any supermarkets for an average cost of $1 each so they are telling me they pay more for these fruits at wholesale then I do at retail? Judging from the small amount they used in my rolls I'm sure on average they could make at least 6-8 rolls per avocado.....nice little profit huh? My bill came to $80 minus tip......which about $7 of it was for avocado. Next time I shall walk down a block to Old Town where I heard there are several little sushi bars more reasonable and never patronize this dump again.

    (2)

  • Chris L.

    This place is known for its teppanyaki style service and food (think Benihana). Yeah, there's a sushi bar, but you don't go to a steakhouse and order the shrimp do you? NO. I didn't think you'd do that either! Generally a great place for a large group dinner, and very ideal for birthday parties or celebrations (graduation, promotion, you name it!). It's got the typical teppan setup. Several tables (more like stations) feature the chef prep area with the teppan grill surrounded on all sides by eating surfaces in which diners pull up a seat and watch the specially trained teppan chef perform a bunch of entertaining cooking methods, such as the "onion volcano" and the "shrimp toss." From their menu, you can select a variation of their teppan dinners, which mainly just a certain type of protein like lobster, steak, shrimp, chicken, or scallops. You can also opt to mix and match. Once you select your protein from the menu set, regular steamed rice or fried rice and a bowl of soup are brought out as a starters. So you have your food cooked in front of you as a form of dinnertainment, and everything is scooped from the teppan grill to the empty plate in front of you, scorching hot. I personally recommend the lobster, steak, and scallops. This particular Tokyo Wako restaurant, nestled on a huge suite on the second story is very luxurious and high-end on the aesthetic side. It has a very spacious interior with soaring ceilings and giant window glass paneling with views of the plaza courtyard below. Definitely a huge step up from the original Tokyo Wako location in Monrovia's restaurant row district.

    (3)

  • Michelle R.

    This place is good, but Sho-gun is better. Went on a Sunday, not sure if they were short staffed but it took forever to get the food served and Teppan prepared especially considering there were only 2 parties for the Teppan.

    (2)

  • Dea D.

    Went here today after going to the movies at Pacific theatres. Hadn't tried it and so the b/f and i figured we'd check it out. For the sushi the prices were i guess pretty standard for the rolls we got. But the taste wasn't as good as i've had. I got and shared the shrimp tempura roll and the spider roll. Really nothing special at all. B/f got the the shrimp yakisoba. It was pretty good but once again nothing special. the main reason for the 2 stars is the service. It started okay, got our water pretty fast, but when we weren't ready to order and then finally were it took forever for them to get back to us. For lunch, when there was nobody else there it took us about an hour from start to finish. When we finally got our check, after asking for it, it took almost another 10 minutes to get our change. Basically, not sure if we'll be eating there again.

    (2)

  • Else L.

    WoW the BEST MEAT AND RICE UMMM EVERTHING the service love it.chek it out:)

    (5)

  • Patrick G.

    after 2 cocktails and splitting a soupy steak with salt flavor our bill was $95. you do the math!

    (1)

  • Mae T.

    Our chef gets a definite 5 stars, our server on the other hand should only have gotten 1 star, but sort of redeemed herself towards the end of the night, so we'll give her 2 stars. The only thing keeping this place from getting 5 stars is the fact that service was SLOW. When you're in a group of 15 people, I'm not so sure that the wait time for food should ever exceed 30 minutes, but in this case it did. Seated at 7:30, as per our reservations, but we didn't actually taste soup until 8:30. Our chef didn't show up until 9:30, by that time the restaurant was nearly empty. I had the Tepanyaki which was pretty good. The Lychee Martini was de-li-cious...fruity. Anyhow, come here for the experience. It's great when you have a big group of your friends come and sit around one big table and you can get a room to yourself. The amount of fun you have IS REALLY dependent on the chef you get for the night.

    (3)

  • Miguel Mickey A.

    Suchi rolls were good, but that was it. Service was slow and my entree sucked.

    (2)

  • Leah M.

    Definitely eat at the grill....but whether or not you enjoy your experience here is entirely dependent on the chef assigned to your table... My experience has been pretty mixed...Sometimes the food is great and others the food is just so so...Sometimes the chef at the grill is great...sometimes the chef forgets that he's supposed to be entertaining.................In fact, on my last visit, our chef caught me looking wide eyed and the stunts being pulled by a chef working some other table...in an effort to regain my attention, he pulled a...*drum roll* onion volcano!! OOOO AHHH..how original...lame as his effort was, he did cook us up a pretty damn good steak.

    (3)

  • John C.

    As other reviewers have mentioned, this place is like Benihana. Tokyo Wako is located right in the Paseo Colorado, the former Pasadena Mall. Is the place horrible? No, it's not. However, my take is that it really isn't worth your time or money. You pay a premium, which is fine if the restaurant is good. Tokyo Wako as the names suggests is wack. I agree with some others on this one. It's a Benihana wannabe -- And I don't even think Benihana is all that great to begin with. The straight story is that if you have money to spend, it's better to use it somewhere else for Japanese food.

    (1)

  • Wendy Y.

    Horrible place to eat, overprice food even for Americanized Japanese food standard. No wonder the place was as empty as it was, we should have recognized the warning sign.

    (1)

  • Miki N.

    Sorry excuse for a benihana wannabe... My recommendation is to spend the extra money and take yourself to a reputable teppan-yaki restaurant. I will never come here after what I've been through. I would rather not go into details- as that would be mean and really really bad for their business. I spoke my mind when I was at the restaurant and hopefully they get their act together for future patrons. not me!

    (1)

  • Bernard D.

    My fav place.........

    (5)

  • dan s.

    We didn't actually eat there, but I would give zero stars if I could. We were seated promptly, as the restaurant was far from crowded. That's where the good part of our experience ended, as we were then completely ignored by the servers busing the tables around us. After 10 minutes, when servers approached a table that had been seated for only about a minute before we had even been acknowledged, we left. Something is very wrong somewhere in the service chain. Either the host sat us in an unstaffed area, or servers simply don't know how to wait tables. Based on the many complaints about Tokyo Wako's service on this site, I would suspect they simply have an incompetent waitstaff. Bottom line: there are many other Japanese restaurants within a few blocks, with far better service.

    (1)

  • Scylis A.

    avoid the rush hours. the place is huge and the service isn't bad. last time i was here i was with some friends and it was a bit packed. we waited about 15 minutes after we were seated to even get our drinks ordered. that's the only reason why im giving it a 4 out of 5. the food is great and the show they put on while making it is even better. everything is reasonably priced and the portions aren't small at all. everything is cooked to the way you like and in front of you. you can always make requests as the chef is cooking for you. they definitely put on a great show and tell some cheesy jokes, but that's what makes it fun. i ordered the filet mignon and lobster tail dinner. it was EXTREMELY good. the meat was cooked to my request and the lobster was fantastic. they provide you with dipping sauces for both the meat and seafood, and it tastes way better than the ones served at other teppan grill.

    (4)

  • Vera Y.

    my sisters and i went there for only 3 reasons. 1. we were really really hungry. 2. the restaurant was right in front of us. 3. we wanted to eat asian food. BAD CHOICE! we ordered sea food trio ($18), chicken noddle (around $10), and another chicken dish (forgot the price). the sea food trio was nothing special, the chicken was so dry and no taste. service was ok. i expect more for the price we paid. i had much better japanese food in other restaurant for the same price.

    (2)

  • Philip L.

    good sushi good teppan good prices good staff 4 stars highly recommended

    (4)

  • Katie P.

    It was here that everything began... this was the first place I had ever tried sushi. I had been grossed out by it until I finally said, what the hell, and tried it. Turns out, I loved it. Even though it was just a simple spicy tuna roll, it was intriguing to me. But enough about the sushi. We all sat around watching the chefs make our food, and at the same time, also watching the people out the window walking around on the red carpet of the opera house down below. Its an interesting place. The teppan was good but the sushi as I remember was much better.

    (4)

  • Matthew D.

    This was an overall mediocre experience, which is unfortunate because the sushi itself was actually pretty good. I had the Four Star Sashimi (from their menu: Thin slices of yellow tail, salmon, tuna, and albacore laid on a plate and topped with chopped tomatoes, avocado, diced onions, cilantro, and served with house special jalapeno sauce) which was an unusual and very California preparation. It was really good. And the uni nigiri was fantastic as well. It was pricey but the food was very good. But it's a weird place. It has an overall feel of a resort restaurant in a strip mall. Tastelessly decorated and no character or personality. It is easily sized for 100+ people, but there were maybe a total of 15 at lunch time on a week day. Only two of us at the sushi bar. There was a family with small kids at the grill counter oohing and ahhing over the flames, and a couple of tables occupied out in the central dining room. And yet, with such a small crowd, there was an oversized team of servers standing around pocket-fisted and chatting rather than paying attention to the fact that my water glass was empty and I was trying to get my check. Not so great for service. I can't really recommend this place.

    (2)

  • Young R.

    Looking back at all of the prior ratings, I feel as if Tokyo Wako at Pasadena was totally undertaken for what it was. Basically, it is affordable only with the Buy 1 get 1 free promotion from Monday to Thursday. In my opinion it would be a 5 star with the bogo special but a four star without. There are three items to select from fillet mignon($24.50) chicken teriyaki, and an additional chicken dish. We came on a Tuesday night with a party of 6 and got our own private space. We each ordered the fillet mignon which came with mushroom soup, salad, shrimp, zucchini, onions, and we ordered a little bowl of chicken fried rice for an additional $3.50.

    (4)

  • Alex A. Alex L.

    This place was yummy! It wasn't anything fantastic...

    (3)

  • Anthony C.

    The only reason this place received so many stars is for the awesome bartender who served us our drinks and food tonight. He was very nice and very helpful. The atmosphere created by the old Asian lady owners made it feel uncomfortable. They were reprimanding the bartenders in front of myself and my girlfriend which should be a no no for any manager of any sort in front of customers. The food was ok, not very flavorful. I'll give it one more chance.

    (3)

  • Allys T.

    Allys: Do you wanna ice skate? Aaron: Not really. Allys: Good, cause I'm hungry. Lets get sushi. We came to ice skate and ended up getting sushi instead. It's upstairs, and there's a slight climb up the stairs. Nothing girls can't handle in a pair of heels. For me, I couldn't open the door of this place. Keep in mind that I can't open my fridge sometimes. It's pretty dark in here, a negative for me but plus for others. A friendly waitress asked how many and seated up the moment we came in. I waited a little bit until they came to take my order. Waiting for my Dragon Roll took a while, but Aaron's Miso Soup came quickly. On the bright side, they seated me near the window. The view of the Paseo wasn't bad and kept me occupied until my roll finally came. The roll wasn't bad, but nothing I can really say about it. It was average. The bill came quickly, which was good. I like having fast dinners. I have the worse patience in the world.

    (3)

  • stacy k.

    Hmmm, not sure why I even agreed to go into this restaurant even when my fiance was already apprehensive. I was just craving sushi. Not the cool kind of sushi, but the one alot of people hate and that is those with the mayo based sauces on top, deep fried tempura style. Yeah, those! Anyways, I was hoping that this place would settle my craving for those kinds of sushi. We entered the restaurant and unfortunately, I hate to say this, I was following a pack of white people inside the restaurant. Not a good sign when you are craving Japanese, but a good sign when you are craving those mayo based sushi's! LOL Anyways, in I went with my smile and my hunger. Disappointed to see that they didn't have a variety of sushi's to offer. I was at least expecting about a couple of pages chock full of sushi, but nope. It was just a half of a page. Anyways, I ordered the dynamite roll and spider roll. Can't ever go wrong with a spider roll, right? The dynamite roll was ehhh... alright. It was just mushrooms and teeny scallops baked on top of a california roll. Not too tasty at all. Hated it,actually. The spider roll was okay. But, like I said, you really can't go wrong with a spider roll. Never returning here. NEVER. Go somewhere else for those kinds of sushi rolls.

    (2)

  • Yuka M.

    We went to this place for friend's birthday. I wish the chef did more tricks. Food was OK. Fire trick was cool, but ketchup one had less surprise. If you order certain cocktail, you get to keep the glass. If you get grill seats, you may have to share the grill with other people. Luckily we had it all by ourselves. Overall we had a great time.

    (3)

  • Ross W.

    My Seabass Misoyaki was pretty good. Dynamite was good, but Hubby's Bento Box left much to be desired - the Chicken Teriyaki was dry, and the Tempura looked refried. Our server was polite and attentive. She refilled our water quickly. As we left the restaurant, the hostess was too busy chatting with presumably the owner, so we didn't get a Thank You or Goodbye. Regardless, as far as quality of food goes, Kabuki and Octopus are definitely better.

    (3)

  • Bryan C.

    This was probably the worst tasting food I have had in a very long time. Fried rice had chicken dust, shrimp was over cooked & steak was tasteless. The only positive thing I have to say is I liked being in a separate room since our party was 14 & the view was nice.

    (1)

  • Steve B.

    Fairly decent and what you might expect as far as taste goes for this kind of Benihana style eatery. The chicken was a little more flavorful than the beef. The soup was decent...salad unimpressive..but pretty standard for this kind of fair. Great view since it's on the upper deck, nice ambiance, attentive wait staff. The grillmaster/cook (show) was funny to an extent, seen better and worse. Prices are gonna set you back a minimum of $20 a person for the least expensive meal ...goes up to about $40 per person plus drinks. Like I said..all in all, what you would expect from this style of dining, our group of 5 got out of there for $200 (including tip)

    (3)

  • Roberto V.

    I like this place. Yeah, maybe it is a little overpriced, but since when was any teppanyaki place, including Benihana, ever cheap? I actually like the sauces better here than at Benihana, and I have no complaints about the food in general. The chefs can sometimes be a little hit-and-miss with the tricks, but at least they're all Asian. Yeah, I know, this is the 21st Century, it's supposed to be equal opportunity now ... so call me old-fashioned if you want, but when I'm at Benihana and my teppan chef is Mexican or a blonde white guy, it does take away a little of the ambiance. But maybe that's just me. I haven't tried the regular table or sushi bar side of the restaurant yet, though I know it exists. I figure the only real reason to come here is for teppan ... I've already got my favorite haunts for more standard Japanese fare anyway. I see it more as a special occasion place than somewhere you go every week. And if you're looking for a little bit more personalized service, with a less touristy atmosphere, the Arcadia location really isn't that far away.

    (4)

  • Jim T.

    The food was good and the cook entertaining. But there was nothing exceptional so only giving three stars.

    (3)

  • May M.

    I can always depend on this place to sate my sake (salmon) cravings - always so fresh and uber yummy, and always perfectly rolled (it's served Nigiri style thus I expect perfectly hand-shaped rice w/ amply-sliced FRESH raw salmon right on top). This restaurant is conveniently situated right above the Paseo mall; so I get to "people-watch" while enjoying my meal. =) Nonetheless, I can only give this place three stars, b/c it simply doesn't have the ambiance i expect in an ideal sushi joint. If on my next visit, their uni (sea urchin roe) is as fresh and mouthwatering as their sake, then it might just earn my four stars; but, till then, it's a three star.

    (3)

  • Stephen M.

    It's a marginal Japanese restaurant. I'd rather skip this joint next time and just go to the Korean AYCE.

    (3)

  • Lillian H.

    The first time I came here, I sat in the front. Next to the bar. With a group of guys who has never been here, we just order off the menu. Well, no, actually we just pointed to a bunch of stuff, and told the waiter to decided for us. (SOB probably picked all the expensive stuff) We ended up having a bunch of beer, and sushi. Sheez, I think my cholesterol level shoot off the roof. Second time I came here, was for a birthday; This time, I got to sit in the "actually" eating area. (grill table - main reason to coming here). It's basically, a big grill, and a table about 3 feet distance from you to the grill. Unless you come in a big group, most likely you'll end up sharing the table. But that's ok. No biggy. So, the food. Well, one word - "EXPENSIVE". For very small amount. You basically do the regular ordering to the waitress, waitress goes get the food (uncooked) out next to your table. Chef comes - cooks and divides the food into how ever many people order the same thing. So basically, you either get less or more. But it looked more like, everyone got very little. The meat portion isn't really all that big. Only big downside to this open cooking is, the chef can over cook you're food.

    (1)

  • Cinna M.

    Not worth it. Not many vegetarian options, only a cucumber roll for sushi options. We got there at 9:30 and they told us the kitchen closed at 10 (on Friday night) so we had to hurry up and order everything. Food was just ok, not great. The staff is nice enough, but when it was time for us to leave, you could tell we were not welcome. Two guys stood in a corner staring at us until we finished so that they could come clean up. It was really rude, unprofessional and very uncomfortable to be rushed so much. The food was nothing to rave about either. I wouldn't come here again.

    (2)

  • Clay W.

    Terrible bland food. Very expensive and food very bland. This is the worst teppanyaki place we have been to. Please stay away. Also the management kept the AC very weak so we saw the waitress using the menus to fan themselves. Not only was the food bad but the atmosphere was equally terrible.

    (1)

  • BustA G.

    We started with vegetable tempura; hubby and I had hibachi styled shrimp, salmon (he also had scallops). He thought the scallops were tasty. I don't like scallops because of it's piable consistency. It was rather enterting having our meal pepared before our eyes and I surprised that our hibachi chef wasn't Asian. We started our day with desserts from the LA Chocolate Expo across the street at the Pasadena Convention Center and cut her browsing because we needed some real food. Tokyo Wako's service was average/good and the wait time for our chef to begin preparing our meal while we were eating our soup and salad wasn't a problem. Usually, we end up with leftovers to take home, but this time we didn't.

    (3)

  • Connie C.

    I went to this place for a birthday dinner for my boyfriend with my family. The service was decent, the food was below expectation. The steak was on the poor quality side especially judging on what kind of restaurant we were at plus the price they were charging for it. Everything else is the same old same old teppanyaki stuff. I must say, I have had better and will probably not return here again for teppanyaki. Considering, I am pretty confident I can find many other teppanyaki place where they have juicier~better~more tender and tastier steak. Disappointed.

    (2)

  • Spencer J.

    Wanted to treat my grandmother and mother to something special for mother's day. Maybe I thought this place was so good because I was so young when I used to go here, but I was so disappointed. So I call at five and ask for a reservation at 7:30, they take it down no problem. Due to the holiday there was a lot of traffic, so I called up the restaurant and told them that we would probably be there at about 7:35, the hostess says that that is absolutely fine. We get there and the hostess tells us we're going to have to wait. Wait what? I just called 5 minutes ago and was told everything was fine. Her response was,"well.....you just have to wait". We ended up waiting for about 30 minutes in the bar until our Teppan table was ready. We get to the room and are ready to share the table with another family, and the hostess realizes she didn't count correctly and there are too many people. We end up standing there while she's trying to sort it out. Already frustrated, I tell her we'll just sit at the sushi bar. We ordered the spicy tofu which my grandma and mom enjoyed, and a couple of rolls. The spicy tuna hand roll was really yummy, but the other rolls tended to fall apart before they even reached your mouth. The sushi guy was so nice and talkative though that I completely forgot about about the reservation dilemma, and then we payed for the bill. It took 15 minutes for our waiter to give us back our change. Uhm, never again.

    (2)

  • Faye A.

    Hungry and did not want to cook, we decided to have a late dinner here. My son's idea. We loved the chef who was very entertaining to my 7 year old. =) The onion volcano and knife tricks were awesome. The food was ok. I guess I expected more flavor. We had everything on the menu, lobster, scallops, giant shrimps, steak, and chicken. It was a feast!! But just lacked flavor. The fried rice and salad was yummy. I guess for the price, i expected something to wow my pallet. We had the dynamite scallops and tuna tartar for appetizer. Tuna tartare was delicious while the dynamite did not impress me. The mango ice cream dessert was refreshing. For how much we spent ($125 for 2 and 1/2 ppl), I think I would of done better cooking my own feast at home... im just saying.... although i cant mess with the fancy tuna tartar, it was perfect ;) But I will eat here again because my son is teppanyaki junkie. sucka!!

    (4)

  • al l.

    Ten minutes into the performance, I started trippin'...am I at Shogun's, Benihana, or their love child? Onion volcanoes, big slabs of butter, Chinese cooks posing as "Japanese" in their grotesque outfits--surely I have seen all of this before. Yes, I have. Why are all these teppan places so similar? Instead of having different names for the same thing, why not just call all of them "Japanese restaurants that throw shit up in the air, light shit up, and toss shit into your plate and mouth." That would simplify things substantially. Food was mediocre. Then again, it was so-so at Shogun's too. And Benihana. There, you have a threesome of mediocrity.

    (2)

  • Thomas L.

    Tokyo Wako is whack indeed. I waited, waited forever for our orders, and there was 1 guy servicing 10-15 tables. Talk about short staffed for the weekend. You had to flag him down for extra water, plates, and you literally had to beg to pay. My mom says this place is better than Crane Sushi across from Paseo, and she loves her sushi (born and raised in Japan) We order the combination sushi and a yakitori. I would say they tasted like any other sushi spot, but my mom was raving about it. Also, they are pricey. Like Michelle C. says, the staff is not Japanese, so you know you are not getting the authentic Japanese food and service, unless the sushi chef is Jpn.. dont know because I didnt sit at the bar. Hopefully their teppanyaki service makes up for it. Avoid the regular seating area, and head straight to the bar or mini dining rooms.

    (2)

  • Michael T.

    I've always looked at this place but heard from some people its overpriced for the food...but I just came here cause I couldn't find a certain restaurant in Pasadena. I wasn't dissapointed. The service is pretty whack I give you that...the waitresses didn't seem to know what they were doing or what drinks are at the restaurant for that matter. The food came out and I was pretty amazed at the presentation of it, considering the entire restaurant was almost empty. The scallops were a bit rubbery...but the mango sauce was awesome. The end of the dinner when we gave the girl the bill, she didn't give us change...which confused me a bit because we didn't put at 5's or 1's in there what so ever, and it was about a 15-20$ tip...but it took too long and they really started acting weird so we left. The only reason why this place got a 3 star instead of 2 is because they charged us the lunch price instead of dinner, which saved my group and I about...28 dollars! :D

    (3)

  • r. f.

    Just ok. I thought our knife wielding chef was gonna something amazing. He didn't. So this place got a 2 star. Not spectacular. For these prices I wanna see something spectacular with the Knife.

    (2)

  • Steve R.

    The food is average, but way overpriced. We had hibachi and 1 beer each, and the bill was over $75 for two people! On top of that, my girlfriend had to walk out of the bathroom disguisted. The toilets had clearly not been cleaned recently, and I won't even mention what was all over the outside of the toilet. Unless you really want hibachi, I'd stay away. I have to imagine there's better somewhere nearby in Pasadena

    (2)

  • Alexis B.

    Family and I joined at this restaurant for a little sushi lunch. The space was wide open, I mean literally, very open space. We crossed the large foyer to the sushi bar, where two polite chefs greeted us. It wasn't busy for Saturday afternoon, but we ordered up quickly. Salmon, yellowtail, albacore nigiri sushi, a few fancy handrolls and cut rolls. One in particular with eel and the other spicy albacore and avocado. Made fresh to order, and the staff was attentive to our needs. The house salad was basic, a miso dressing poured over, fresh and crunchy greens. All in all, a decent meal and nice environment.

    (3)

  • Laura O.

    We always get fast seating! Their onion soup is SO AMAZINGLY GOOD. Love the tepanyaki (hope I spelled that right!) show. Their fried rice is great and Juicy steak and shrimp. It's just that they always get my drink order wrong.

    (4)

  • G I.

    First time I ordered the tuna tataki salad to go I was fully impressed with quality and portion size. Unfortunately the second time around I was not impressed. Tuna was fair but portion size was ridiculously small. They should categorize as an amuse-Bouche instead.

    (2)

  • Nicole O.

    We had over 45 min wait. The worst part was it was very slow. The eel was horrible. Super mushy. The rolls fell apart the minute you picked it up. The only saving grace was the himachi kama. I would not recommend this place.

    (1)

  • Steve I.

    The host seated us in the grill table or whatever then the waitress kicked us out lol..rudely. So we say where all those who don't eat at the grill sit and ordered a sushi and wow...if you sell sushi you have a responsibility to not disrespect the art of sushi and this place should be punished for even calling this sushi. Sorry

    (1)

  • Sandra L.

    I used to like this place a lot. But my recent experience was not great. It took about 40 minutes just to get some sushi and salad. The waiter was poorly trained-- nice, but didn't have the professional things to say when I asked "how much longer." Well, I sincerely hope that the management improves soon.

    (3)

  • Kevin J.

    I honestly love this place. I usually get a teriyaki chicken or shrimp. I love how we all get a sample of shrimp before our meal mmmm. The fried rice is reaaaaally goood but it's an extra cost. The white rice comes with the meal. The teriyaki chicken is a 7/10 Fried rice 9/10 Shrimp 8/10 Hibachi chicken 8/10 The dinner show with the cook is 9/10. I guess that's the real reason you should come really. They do some fun stuff with fire n some tricks. It's a cool date spot. The food is above average but the show makes it worth it to me. I would come back.

    (4)

  • Andrew G.

    First time at this restaurant and probably will not be returning unless I get invited for a wedding or funeral reception. We asked to sit at the grill tables (where they prepare the food before your eyes)...which by the way, the gentleman who prepared our food was great...funny, entertaining and a good cook...nevertheless, I was not mentally prepared for the family style seating...where our party of four was paired with another party of four...and it was very difficult to eat my food without noticing in my periphal...constant stares and grimaces...on how I liked to consume my edibles. Anyways, unless you have a party of 8...ask to sit in the "regular dining" area (unless of course you frequent Billy-Bob's BBQ and you enjoy family style seating). The food was ok...one person in our party ordered the seasame tartar...which tasted "fishy"....and included no sesame...and was finally asked, "would you like sesame with that"...that is like serving a cheese burger with no cheese and after the fact inquiring if the person would like cheese with their burger...hhhmmm. Anyways, nice.people...poor experience and poor food.

    (2)

  • Lars C.

    Three major things that stick out about this location. First is how I really wanted to like it, but sadly that did not happen. Second it is a huge restaurant with too much dead space. Third would have to be the dreary demeanor of the employee staff and the dining area as a whole. The only signs of life were the teppenyaki chefs. I could hear them trying to pump up the would be audience like a Coney Island barker. This place feels so uninspired.

    (2)

  • MK A.

    Just left Tokyo Wako with an terrible taste in my mouth. Gagged on the "four star sashimi". The fish was NOT fresh and judging by the server's reaction -- she was not surprised! Never going here again!!

    (1)

  • Spencer A.

    I'm not a very tough sell on sushi spots. This is one of the least enjoyable experiences I've had. Staff is pleasant albeit prone to mistakes. Messed up orders, not very knowledgeable. The four star sashimi is pretty rough. Buried in tomatoes and unsubtle sauce. The wahoo steak was tender, but the sauce was way too salty and heavy. We stopped in before a movie in the mall. Next time I'll walk to one of the better establishments in pasadena.

    (3)

  • Austin M.

    I only made a yelp account so I can write this one review. I would rather eat out of a toilet then eat at Tokyo Wako a second time. Me and two friends chose to sit at the bar and eat here on a Saturday night. The TV's at the bar were playing CSI or some crime drama show. We asked if they could please change to a college football game, and the bartender told us that his manager won't let him change the channel because it would mess up their system. Who in their right mind wants to watch CSI with no volume at a bar? Then we opened the menu. The prices were insane. Their bento box was $20. I am a firm believer that quality Japanese food is worth every penny spent, so I ordered it. It was supposed to be teriyaki chicken, mixed tempura, rice, and salad. The meal that I received was cubed chicken without any spices or teriyaki sauce, 2 pieces of breaded shrimp, a breaded piece of zucchini, a breaded potato slice, and BROWN rice. What kind of authentic Japanese restaurant serves brown rice without at least warning you on the menu?You can honestly find more flavor in your food at your local jail. My buddy ordered salmon that looked like a soggy, orange-ish tube sock. It was a joke. We sat there at the bar and picked at the few edible-looking pieces of food on our plate as we watched CSI with no volume. Tokyo Wako should be reported to authorities for fraud and robbery. If you are in Pasadena and hungry, I recommend that you consider eating from the dumpster behind your hotel before eating here, you are guaranteed to have a much better dining experience. Ps. To "Melanie P" two posts below me who said that the food is better then Benihana, you should delete your yelp account.

    (1)

  • Courtney K.

    The food is okay - the service is terrible. For a place with $25 entrees, I expect much better service. My party of 4 chose to eat in the dining room. It was 10 minutes before a server stopped by our table, another 15 before she came back with our sodas and took our order. We all ordered entrees. It took a while for the first meal to come out and she said she'd be right back with the others...15 minutes later, she brought 2 more meals...20 minutes after that, the last meal came out... So some people were done eating before everyone even got their food! And 2 people ordered the same thing, but got them 20 minutes apart. The fried rice was top notch, but the rest of the food was just okay. We had the Wahoo Steak, Salmon Wrapped Scallops, and Udon Seafood Pasta. We were there 2 hours because of the poor service and will not be returning.

    (2)

  • Ayumi S.

    Bf took me here for our 2 year anni, and it was a pretty quiet Friday night. (Saving an awesome anniversary celebration in Japan later on this year! :D) Got seated right away. Ordered us some alch dranks, and they were strong as HELL. Nassssty. Lol. I was barely able to finish it for the most part. I ordered the Hibachi chicken with fried rice. Bf ordered the steak with fried rice. We got some appetizers as well. Lobster rolls-decent Shrimp tempura-decent. The cook was a cool guy, and did all his tricks and thangs. What I did like (knowingly knowing how it's pretty much the same as Benihana's), was that they had different tricks. I was finally able to see something different. The food was generally pretty good. I think Beni's has more flavor..BUT, Tokyo Wako's sauces are much tastier.

    (3)

  • Ramona B.

    Horrible service very rude, the server came back and asked for TIP!! that's ridiculous! she couldn't speak well English but she was showing that please tip! you must tip.

    (1)

  • Ivy W.

    I never want to visit this Tokyo Wako again. While our teppenyaki chef was very accommodating, straight-to-the-point without being rude, and generally likable (my parents even personally tipped him), the service here is wack. We were celebrating my sister's birthday so after our dinner-show, we attempted to order the Tempura green tea ice cream. However, our server claimed the restaurant didn't have the dessert with green tea ice cream, only vanilla ice cream. I didn't understand... Did that mean it was pre-made? No, she said, just that they don't have it with green tea. So they sold out of green tea ice cream then? No, they just won't make it with green tea. I told her I've had it it before at this location, as well as others, but she continued to say that they don't make it with green tea ice cream. We were going in circles. After frustratingly getting nowhere with our server, who was otherwise friendly (but missing most of the time), I asked for the menu and tried to speak with the manager. The manager was no help 'cause she was a huge b*tch! She told me I was wrong and that only vanilla ice cream was available "as written on the menu"; but I had the menu right in front of me and nowhere did it say that Tempura ice cream was served only with vanilla ice cream. While she explained to my parents why we couldn't order green tea ice cream, I interrupted and told her it didn't say that on the menu. She turned to look at me, ignored my remark, then turned back to my parents and continued with her stupid poor excuse of an explanation. My mom decided to order it anyway (with vanilla ice cream) since the manager spewed some baloney about how they don't serve it with green tea ice cream because it tastes better with vanilla ice cream (it doesn't). When it arrived, it was served with forks. Wut? Who eats ice cream with forks? I may be nitpicking here but the entire situation was just so annoying -- and I think our server and the manager could've handled it a lot better without being so rude. I'm already not a fan of Tokyo Wako, but I refuse to ever step foot into this one again.

    (1)

  • Robert C.

    Excellent food but I have a strong feeling that future visits may or may not be the same. The food really depends on the chef so it can be a hit or miss spot. I ordered the three item lunch special for just under $20. Salmon, shrimp, and steak. All so tasty but all served at different times as they are cooked individually. Veggies came last but wish they were first. All in all a great visit

    (3)

  • Sylvia K.

    Came here to dinner with the family for Father's Day... this place is much like Benihana with the Teppanyaki type grill & show.. But nothing special really.. It's in the mall and kinda hard to find.. They really should have better signage.. It's up stairs near the theater FYI Service was slow.. We asked for a regular table but they seated us at the Teppanyaki grill.. Ok I guess.. Show was nothing spectacular.. A lil fire, flip a few shrimps...really needs a lil spicing up if you ask me Overall mine and my parents food was ok.. but My sis's lamb was undercooked.. Probably pass on the next time around..

    (2)

  • Jenna C.

    I've been to many places similar to this, but in terms of food quality, this place is actually pretty good! I chose the salmon - the portions were generous, the vegetables were fresh and delicious, and the fish was great! I had leftovers to take home. I went here with a group of 8 for a celebration. Our teppenyaki guy was not very enthusiastic, but very sweet and let us take a picture of him and the birthday girls! Overall, this place is good for groups but not for convos.

    (4)

  • brad h.

    Great place to go after a movie. Sushi and salad was just fine. Nothing that knocked your socks off, but just fine...

    (3)

  • Ms R.

    Delicious. I do only the sushi, either the bar or table service by the bar. It's really fresh. I have found it so much more enticing when they have sushi happy hour. Their sashimi salad is divine but all the rolls and hand held pieces can be just as delicious.

    (5)

  • Stephanie L.

    Came here for dinner with my cousin & we just got Sushi. I loved it!!! The fish was sooo fresh! Our Culinary Steak was good. The service was great very attentive, friendly & my drink was always full. I'm defiantly going back. :)

    (4)

  • Lucy K.

    meh not bad. Its not that easy to find within the confines of the mall. You see a sign for it down below but when you go upstairs it easily gets lost in the background. Should have better signage around to direct people. Everyone in my party needed help finding the place. Came here for fathers day and it was empty - not a good sign. They have a regular seating area and teppan area. We asked for regular seating and we got teppan. The place was empty - this isn't rocket science lady. The teppan show is okay. There really isn't anything special to it besides setting the oil on the grill on fire a couple of times. Swear they almost burned my moms eye brows off. I ordered the rack of lamb. When the roll away tray came with all the food I can see that they had pounded and flattened out the rack of lamb - uhhh wtf. I had asked for it medium rare and definitely got it rare. The guy hardly cooked it. Nothing really special about the service or the food.

    (3)

  • Dari A.

    This Benihana look-alike is spacier than the latter. When it first opened at Paseo Colorado it was a sensation and my 3 star rating reflects some of the earlier enthusiasm. With age, prices have gone up and unless there is the occasional 2 for 1 special it is just not worth it anymore and deserves really a 2 and a half star rating based on ok service and a fun ambiance if you're at the right table. Good place to take kids on their birthday. The Monterey Park location runs more specials.

    (3)

  • D.a. J.

    My favorite is the pockey ball and beef sashimi. Also go see Ian at the bar. Great bartender!

    (5)

  • Sophia L.

    Hmmm we came in during slow hours on a Sunday. We had to wait 10-15 minutes to be seated. Our waitress visited us twice until we placed our order and then after that we didn't have anyone come by for 20 minutes. Our waitress was MIA, then my rolls come out 5 minutes apart and my friend hadn't even received one of hers. She had to ask a different waitress for her food & of course it comes out right away. (I think our original waitress had a stroke or something, she was near 60 years old) We had been forgotten. So rude! The spider roll was not that great but I loved the dynamite roll. Scallops are my favorite! Anyways, if I'm in the area again, I will avoid this place.

    (2)

  • Monica C.

    I went here with my boyfriend not too long ago to get some sushi and sake before we went to see a movie at the Arclight which is pretty much next door to this place. It was 6 PM and there was NO ONE in the restaurant. After we got seated in the main dining room, we saw a family waiting to be seated for 5 minutes at the front. For an empty restaurant, you'd think they'd do customer service a little better. The service was OK- not very friendly or warm- definitely more of a business transaction fell than a restaurant. Not very attentive either. It seemed like the staff kept disappearing into the void of the place. The sushi was OK. A little expensive for what we got. There are lots of other sushi restaurants in the area that are less expensive and serve higher quality fish. Overall, nothing terrible happened here, but we won't be going back.

    (2)

  • Jenelle B.

    Perfect tempura...melts in your mouth oh so gently like clouds!! Great lunch specials that change daily M-F Got the Thursday Teriyaki Salmon lunch special which came with rice, soup, salad, 4 pieces of California Rolls, and some teriyaki salmon. All delish!!

    (5)

  • Marie G.

    Totally a Fan of Tokyo Wako! I enjoy the grill and their Misou Soup. I love the steak and chicken my mouth waters love this place!

    (4)

  • Ryan D.

    Spent the day touring LA, and we found ourselves STARVING in Pasadena around 4 pm. Too hungry to travel back to Chinatown for lunch( as planned) we settled on sushi! The sushi was simple but delicious! The portions are generous! (8pcs rolls, quite large). Note: the crunchy rolls are not fried, but rather have like a fried tempura crumb sprinkled on top! Still delicious and satisfying! Maybe less calories? The spicy sauce is good and didnt look mayo based, which was nice!! Although we went at an awkward time (4pm Saturday) I was still surprised that we were THE ONLY ONES in the entire restaurant! Alot of the other places in the area were still bustling with people, and we had a 15 minute wait time at another sushi place before we found Tokyo Wako! Great for a light meal, to keep us going till a nice dinner!:) (Wait staff was great and very patient as we took forever to decide on what we wanted! Haha)

    (4)

  • Dave H.

    This has to be biggest Tokyo Wako out there....seems like its dining room stretches forever....which when it isn't busy makes if feel kinda deserted.... Its strange how small the sushi bar is compared to the rest of the restaurant. I guess it still makes a good place for a movie date. Service today was okay but not as friendly as the one in Arcadia. Servers didn't even smile. The teppanyaki chef was trying to do their best but lunch is definitely not as entertaining as dinner.. It was really weird to see the busboy vacuuming the teppanyaki floor area right next to the counter that we were sitting at. I understand trying to clean up the floor...but vacuuming next to guests? ...Really? The plus size is because of the size of this restaurant - it is probably great for large groups.

    (3)

  • Michael G.

    The only reason I give this restaurant two stars and not one is because the waitress was extremely nice and professional. The mushroom soup tasted like a dissolved dry soup thrown in hot water with mushrooms on top. Pieces of undissolved dry soup on the bottom. The main course dinner entree was something. Wahoo steak (which is beef) looks amazing on the picture with seasoning on the outside and red juicy meat inside, was a microwaved tv dinner. OMG I have never paid $20 for a TV dinner. Sushi were small and tasteless. This was probably the worse place in the fancy location I ever been too. Never coming back here.

    (2)

  • Christina H.

    Made dinner reservations for 7:00 o'clock. It's is 8:30 and still no food. Never coming here again.

    (1)

  • D. C.

    I signed up on Yelp just to be able to write this review... WORST SERVICE I HAVE EVER HAD... My waiter sat me down took my order brought my drink and did not come back... I Had to wave down waiters with my lit phone so they would pay attention, I get it, it's busy Friday dinner but really understaffed restaurant is not the concern of patrons plus all the frantic roaming waiters makes for a very unpleasant dining experience... The sushi is subpar... . I had given them a try once before but decided to try again, shame on me it's not worth it... Waste of money... The manager apologized but quickly blamed it on her staff..." They call out" she said... Not my 30dll problem... Don't dine there I live in the building and will continue to go elsewhere... I hope they close it.

    (1)

  • Joybella M.

    Great sushi and service. We stopped in for lunch and quickly got a table. Spicy tuna, firecracker roll, philly roll we're excellent. Fresh ingredients. Lunch bento box was shrimp tempura and was great too. Prices are reasonable for this region, and it can be as casual as you want with several options for seating. We came directly from hiking Mt Echo and were just fine.

    (4)

  • Clara Y.

    I think I prefer Benihana... Came here with coworkers. Sushi rolls weren't that great, the Hibachi steak was a little too dry, the fried rice tasted very bland, and the chefs weren't as entertaining as the ones in Benihana. Not enough tricks. Service was kinda slow, although staff was friendly. I don't think I'll go back again.

    (3)

  • Jose F.

    Well, well, well ... Tokyo Wacko. The night started off well enough, we were promptly seated and our drink orders taken quickly. But then our waitress dissappeared into the abyss. Another nearby waitress had to take our order about 15 mins after being seated. All the staff was polite but slow. Gyoza: B Firecracker Roll: C- Red Dragon Roll: B+

    (2)

  • Val P.

    Not impressed with the food. It wasn't fresh and it smelled really fishy. Instant headache and just a bad experience.

    (2)

  • Monica G.

    This place is as authentic to Japanese food as El Cholo is to Mexican. However their green iced tea is pretty darn good as is their Udon Seafood Soup. I wouldn't really venture towards the sushi because its probably not uber fresh.

    (3)

  • Odily F.

    It was a disaster my visit today to this place. I decided to bring my two girl friends to have dinner in here this evening. They both had never being here. Sadly we were seated next to a couple with two small children whom NEVER STOP CRYING THE WHOLE TIME! The cook tried to distract the crying babies unsuccessfully!! The parents never bother to carry the crying baby out! The waitress never acknowledge the situation! Too bad! We end up with headache and palpitations! We are parents and we understand kids cry, however no one should go an paid $100 for a dinner and be in a stressful environment! We spoke to the waitress but nothin was done! She said that the parents with the crying baby are "regulars" in the restaurant and saw how uncomfortable we were but didn't even accommodate us to be placed in another table. We complained but the manager didn't even bother to come to the table. No desire to come back here!

    (1)

  • Michael B.

    I'm very sad about the service. I'm from outta town and me and my friend just wanted so sushi. We were seated and it took awhile to get taken care of. When they took our order they said it would be 15 to 20 min to cook the salmon. Which I understand. I also ordered chicken teriyaki. 25 minutes later both dishes havnt come out and they says since it was busy they we're behind and it would be another 20 minutes. I notice other people that came after us were getting their food so I know it wasn't how busy it was. The manger apologizes and offered free ice cream. It was disappointing as we paid full price when we were there for two hours.

    (1)

  • Amado H.

    We have been here twice and both times we have not been disappointed with our experience at Tokyo Wako. The service was great, food good, and entertainment wasn't too corny. :-) Sushi Rolls are ok, but I don't come here for the sushi but rather the Teppanyaki which satisfies. Portions are good and wait time is quite short. Took my wife here for her birthday and they dressed her up in Japanese gear, sang to her, snapped a pic, and gave her some ice cream. Yay! My only reason for the 4/5 stars is that in life there is always room for improvement. ;-)

    (4)

  • Diana W.

    Yay!! Happy hour at paseo mall! M-Friday 5p-7p, order calamari $3, beer $2.50, spicy tuna roll $3.50, etc..nice atmosphere. Totally worth Happy Hour, super cheap..... Seems like theres alot of plain reviews for the benihanna grills, BUT I didn't touch that stuff....reviewing only the just discovered awesome HAPPY HOUR! #cheap #decent = #goodtimes #movie or #shopping + #happyhour #snacks = #happywallet Happy Hour Recommendations: 1. CHEAP DRINKS, beer, wine, hot sake, etc... 2. CALAMARI Bigger than alot of place's portion served with sauce that has hint of ginger in it 3. FRIED CHICKEN - Not American style drumsticks, different batter, plus juicy with fat in areas served with some type of mayo - They even give spicy mayo sauce, requested by my friend 4. SPICY TUNA ROLL - Actually has the taste of spiciness, small and good snack bites. Other recommended roll: Alaskan Roll (I took pictures) *Critics ~ Not for hardcore sushi goers, its a simple nice atmosphere eating place. Great for eating with bosses, colleagues, family, friends and dates. *Atmosphere ~ Probably like RA but bigger, more grand and nicer. This restaurant is pretty big. Private rooms for the people doing that benihanna style cook eating stuff. Lights above each table, lots of breathing room, med-high ceiling, good amount of windows. Modern Somewhat Hip Crisp Clean place, not a party joint but not a dull joint. Perfectly in the middle. Guess Original Tokyo Wako locations use to be celebrity hang out spots, reason these restaurants look and feel like the LA or the valley type of restaurants. *Service ~ Decent, I guess for happy hour they don't provide as much. But I was told to find a lady named JENNIFER, known to usually provided the best service there.... unfortunately I guess she doesn't work Thursday nights so we lucked out. *Location ~ At Paseo Mall (Outdoor Pasadena Mall off Colorado, near Old Town Pasadena). Walking distance to Old Town Pasadena 10min or less. *Parking ~ At Paseo Mall Parking Lot, validated parking. First time here, hidden happy hour place recommended by a friend....not hidden anymore since its advertised everywhere now. But yeah, read alot of reviews and seems like a simple place......although that benihana entertainment food style is similar to other places, this place is nicer setting. Lots of room here and prettier. What can you really expect for these prices? Happy hour quality, yum snacks after/before your movie or shopping! So yes COME FOR HAPPY HOUR!!! Awesome prices! =) Great place to snack, yes I said snack..... American style type of sushi but not fusion. SWEETpeas~! We got coupons for next time: Spend $10 next time and get $5 off coupons. I guess we spent over $25, so we get that coupon. Our group spent over $60 so we got two of them.

    (4)

  • Seth Y.

    Tokyo Wako is one in many teppanyaki Japanese restaurants around Los Angeles. Its got a very good atmosphere and the staff are friendly and courteous. I usually will get the Santa Anita Derby (Its a combo steak and chicken) or the Hibachi chicken. The ginger dressing is amazing so i usually will order a side... no charge. If you are a sushi fan try the Garko Roll. Its a California roll with white albacore with a topping of fried garlic. Tip: Try your fried rice with garlic. You will enjoy.

    (3)

  • Samrah K.

    This review is on the teppanki only. Came here for lunch on a Saturday and it was quite empty around 12PM. It's a huge restaurant with a lot of open space which was great for my kids. The lunch prices were great, would def recommend coming here for lunch.

    (3)

  • Patty A.

    I usually visit the Arcadia Tokyo Wako and this time we decided to go to the Pasadena location. I came here this past Monday night to begin the birthday celebrations for my boyfriend. We came with his family, total were 5 people. Upon arrival we were seated around the "teppan table" I believe it what they call it. They did take our drink orders immediately, I ordered the Samurai. It was pretty good and the best part is that they give it to you in a Samurai ceramic cup that you get to take home! I ordered the "Santa Anita Derby" which is steak and chicken and paired it with fried rice. Everyone does get salad and mushroom soup. Overall the food was good and our chef was able to entertain us with the volcano made out of onion rings as well as the fire on the grill. He even made a little choo choo train out of the onion, pretty entertaining. The servers there did sing happy birthday in japanese for my boyfriend and even dressed him up in a japanese kimono and a hat that resembled a samurai, it was pretty much. This was all paired at the end with a picture for us to take home. The service was good overall, nothing over the top. One thing I did realize though was how long it took for our chef to come out and begin cooking. It seemed that after we placed our order it took a long time for the chef to actually come out. Despite that, it was a good experience and I would come back anytime.

    (4)

  • Sarah K.

    Totally ashamed to say it but I like this place. It's best to go during lunch where teppan-yaki is $10 cheaper and you get to choose your own meats. Protein is always perfectly cooked, fried rice has a nice charred flavor and veggies are cooked last to soak up all the juices that collected on the flat top. They don't use much butter and oil so it's relatively healthy cooking. Add-ons can add up fast so watch out for the extras!

    (4)

  • J. S.

    Very disappointed with this place. Came here to celebrate some of our friends' birthdays. Service: Was okay, nothing special! The waitress always seemed to be a in a rush! The show: Not impressive at all. Food: Was lacking flavor. I ordered the Yakisoba with shrimp, but I had to put a lot of soy sauce to give it some flavor. Also the chef cooked my dinner first and then cooked everyone else's dinner, so my food was cold by the time he finished with everyone's food. I was not happy to eat cold noodles! I would recommend going to Shogun. It's cheaper, the show is a bit more entertaining and the service is better!

    (2)

  • Kathy C.

    After visiting the Arcadia Tokyo Wako, I vowed to never return to this chain sushi restaurant again. However, one day a friend convinced me to visit this Tokyo Wako located at the Paseo. We sat at the bar and the sushi chefs were friendly and attentive. I ordered the garco roll which includes albacore and deep fried bits of garlic. This roll was delicious. I wouldn't consider Tokyo Wako to be place for high grade sushi, but it gets the job done with some fairly delicious rolls.

    (3)

  • Lisa V.

    The service review is a bit of a wash because what I'm about to tell you is actually funny/entertaining/unbelievable, but on the other hand, since it was happening to us, equally annoying. Bonus daughter wanted this now fairly common experience for her bday dinner request. No prob. Reserved our spot and we're ready to be amazed balls by the onion volcano. As soon as we were seated, i noted one couple and one single woman sitting on the other side of our squared off table where they were smiling politely at the gastronomic theatrics already in session. Then in walks our personal chef for the next 20 minutes. He says a curt hello to us before I catch him taking immediate notice of the aforementioned single lady at the other table. What's transpires next is just totally a WTH?! moment...for the phase of time where he is essentially cooking our meals, the chef is blatantly flirting with the older single lady behind him!! I mean, like, only glancing in our general direction to prevent accidentally burning himself. By the time he is finished with our meals, there were digits exchanged. I swear I'm not making this up. Why on earth would I make up something so random?? The only reason why I wasn't complaining to management at that point...well, there are two reasons. One, the early volcano onion theatrics sent my little one into a tailspin of fear that had her clawing at the walls to get as far away as possible. So, my hands were a little full. Secondly, the girls who were serving the other items not being cooked by the chef (drinks, etc) were SO incredibly attentive--truly, just the opposite of Mr. Chef. As far as quality of food, pretty much what everyone else said. This is not an establishment I would ever come to on my own accord unless it were specifically requested by the kiddos and that rule of thumb won't likely ever change.

    (3)

  • Daoulat K.

    Very okay place. Nice decoration in the restaurant. Very fancy. The food was nothing special for the price. Sushi was less than good.

    (2)

  • Walter C.

    Poor management. Reservation was made and didn't get seated until 45 minutes after reserved time. Last time

    (1)

  • Lillian P.

    I went here for my anniversary with my husband. It was pretty empty maybe because it was about 3pm and not dinner time. The food was great I had the steak and shrimp ooh soo good. I also had a side of tempura. The show was fun to watch, but the chefs need to liven up. I plan to go back with my whole family.

    (5)

  • Mitch P.

    We went on a Saturday night around 8ish after seeing a movie at the Arclight and had no problem getting seated right away. Our 'test' for any sushi restaurant is the Rainbow Roll, kind of like testing the corned beef or pastrami at a Jewish deli, and the Rainbow Roll was delicious. We following up with a Lobster Roll which was also very good. Our waiter was attentive and friendly without going overboard. Pricing seemed average and they serve cocktails - the SuperFly martini was very tasty. We wouldn't drive out to Pasadena just for this restaurant, but if we're there for fun or pleasure we'd certainly eat here again.

    (4)

  • Joseph A.

    I came here again for business only and didn't have much choices in Paseo Colorado. The restaurant is well lit unlike the other restaurants and it's easier to talk and go over business items... Figure, I give them a second chance and we were looking for a place to work and have dinner at the same time. The food was just okay and nothing special, however again, definately not worth the price. Seared salmon with a small scope of rice and miso soup was $18. It would of been worth it it was double or 2.5 times the portion. I think I barely had 4 oz. of salmon. Green tea was bagged tea for a couple of bucks. Cheap! At least use some loose tea for better quality. Plus, the plastic pot was leaking. Looks like rent is high at Paseo Colorado. They sure do skip quality on the food but at least the restrooms are clean. Service was decent the second time around. Left this place hungry a second time. Hoping this is the last time I come here. If you're looking for unauthentic Japanese food and spend a fortune, come here.

    (2)

  • Dina A.

    I love it ...the food is amazing I never get enough of it... Amazing food even more better when u have friends , and I love the chafe and the waters so friendly ..

    (5)

  • Samuel A.

    A little on the pricey side, but very clean place I also noticed their stuff is a bit on the garlic side, compared to Benny Hannahs I still enjoyed it, we just got back from there a few hours ago I'd go again, very decent place, but they could improve on the food a bit for the price

    (4)

  • Chantel T.

    I came here with my boyfriend before watching a movie. It was empty (2pm). The restaurant is huge and has a cool view of the Paseo Colorado. We ordered a lunch combination plate with two choices. I chose the chicken and NY steak. It was a large amount of food. I took some home. I like how the chefs cook in front of us. Some of their jokes are pretty corny but thats okay. The food was good, I'd give it a 7 out of 10. There are sauces to dip your meat in but its not too tasty. The service was okay. We had about 3 different waitresses. (Maybe because it was empty and they had nothing else to do) It was a good experience but would I come back? Sure I would return for another trip to try another dish.

    (3)

  • Lilly P.

    If I'm giving this place 2 stars is only because I like the set up of the restaurant, if you have a big party celebration they give you a private room and you can reserve it the same day. But the food honestly is not good. They give you regular cheap steak and they charge you for filet mignon-if you know a good steak you will know the difference. They think people are idiots. We had a big party last night and everyone was complaining about the food being no good. The service is no good, we hardly saw our server ! My boyfriend had to get up to look for soy sauce and to get forks for the kids-i mean don't they know some people don't like using chop sticks ALL the time. We ordered sushi and it was not good quality. I ordered scallops and it had no flavor. The only thing I thought was decent was the tuna steak, everyone else who ordered didn't like it though. I do not recommend this restaurant.

    (2)

  • Karen H.

    I went here for lunch, by myself, today and ordered the Salmon Teriyaki lunch special. The special came with Miso Soup, Salad, Rice, Salmon Teriyaki and four pieces of California rolls for about ten dollars. I felt like it was a good value for mediocre food. I didn't really enjoy the salad dressing or the teriyaki sauce. It lacked flavor. I did really like the CA rolls. Many years ago, I used to dine here on a regular basis and I really enjoyed the Udon soup and sushi. I probably should have stuck with what I enjoyed in the past, rather than going for the special. The service was quick and friendly. I was one of the few people dining in the main dining room for a late lunch. The restaurant was extremely quiet. I would go back here, but I would order something different. .

    (3)

  • Elizabeth T.

    The tempura was deeeelicious! It has been the best thus far and I have had tempura in many places. Just like Jenelle B said "melts in your moth oh so gently like clouds"! I ordered the Teriyaki Salmon lunch special, which was very delicious as well. I wouldn't say it is the best I've ever had, but I didn't have anything to complain about it. I would certainly come back .

    (4)

  • Tiffany L.

    Came here with a friend for teppan/grill lunch - I prefer it because it's a wayyyyy better deal than dinner. There were only two pairs of us sitting at the grill, and since we were all engrossed in our own conversations, I don't know if we got much of a show this time, which I won't count against them. The chef was more informative than the one I had on my first visit. My friend and I both got yakisoba (I recommend any of the yakisobas over their rice counterparts), and while I previously thought it was bland, this chef told us to add the soy-ginger sauce to our noodles, and also a spicy sauce he dabbed on our plates (optional - and I think it was gochujang). That sauce was a total game changer, you guys; I left happy and full.

    (4)

  • Jason T.

    If I had expected a lot out of tokyo wako's, seeing as how it is in Paseo where there's an equinox and the rent here for a studio upstairs is $1700, i would have been disappointed. But, if you've ever expected Benihana to be more than it actually was, I believe this is the experience that Benihana was supposed to be. Great teppanyaki, great fried rice, great zuchinni, great onions, great beating heart, great shrimp-hat catch. steak is good, shrimp is good sometimes, chicken is predictably good... A good teppanyaki place. But if you're coming here to be wowed, yeah, you're not going to be. Good date place actually. It's always interesting to people watch the other diners at your hot plate. And, I hate to say this, but I feel the experience is more authentic when the guy coming out with the cart is asian. Btw, i rarely judge a restaurant by its service. I just want my stuff quickly, i'm here to eat, not to talk about my life.

    (4)

  • Trena M.

    Ate at Tokyo wacko Iin pasadena ca o. May 16, 2014 spent the entire next day at hospital with a bad case of food poising Eat here at your own risk

    (1)

  • Ivy W.

    I came with a friend on a Saturday night, and let me tell you - the place was packed. There were 3 groups ahead of us, and we ended up waiting about 20 minutes before we were seated. Because of the gorgeous decor and spacious area, we were determined to stay and give it a try. Our waitress was polite, but she had a soft voice so we had to ask her to repeat herself a few times. We ended up ordering 2 dinner plates, the terriyaki chicken platter ($14) and the terriyaki steak platter ($17). Both came with an ice cream scoop amount of rice and a few vegetables served off to the side. The vegetables tasted like they were just nuked in the microwave after being taken out of a frozen bag, and the meats of both were mediocre. We didn't have the stomach to finish it, but we walked out feeling unsatisfied. Also, the superfly martini was not that super fly. I'm a girl who enjoys her alcohol, but we had to down it holding our noses. For $8, I expected better. As for the selection, they offer jaggerbombs, sake bombs, a variety of martinis, mojitos, etc. At the end of our meal, our waitress couldn't wait for our departure. The second we set down one credit card to pay, she took away the bill before my friend could ask her to split the check. I suppose when we pay $50 for dinner here, we're paying for the atmosphere.

    (2)

  • Diane C.

    Wow! Where do I begin! It was my first time at this location and man it sucks. Service was no good. Food was bland. I got a stomach ache after I left the restaurant and trust me my stomach is a good judge of food lol. The only good part about this place was we had a good teppan grill chef and hostess.

    (2)

  • Alan M.

    I really like this place,i been here several times and never been dissapoited. I am a big fan on japanese cuisine and teppanyaki its something i really like. I have try other teppanyaki restaurants but this is my favorite.servers are always friendly and attentive.chefs seem like they enjoy what they are doing and they do a great show..food its always good,great combination to choose from.

    (5)

  • Richard B.

    Worst food I have ever eaten. The scallops were like gelatin, the steak was cold, the rice over cooked and the fish was pasty. Don't waste your time.

    (1)

  • Gissele N.

    I really enjoyed my dinner here last night I really enjoyed the show the chef made he was soo good! And for dessert I loved my mango mochi ;D

    (4)

  • Victor W.

    Don't expect anything healthy or cheap here, but if you're a fan of butter and a more playful dining environment then this place meets your needs. The sushi/sashimi is actually good (though nothing close to mind blowing or revelatory). The fried rice is delicious. I always go with the Wako Wako Special (NY strip and shrimp) which comes with veggies. Don't expect any new tricks if you've ever been to one of these teppenyaki grill houses but it's always still exciting to see everything prepared right in front of you.

    (4)

  • Jenny J.

    Worst place EvER!!!!!!!!! We were the first ones there and were promptly seated. We ordered: Beef Sashimi: very good and nicely seasoned. me and my cousin hands down loved this dish. but from our whole meal it's the only thing we enjoyed. Pocky Ball: VERY VERY BLAND. Its pretty much a bunch of muches up albacore (that was not fresh) rolled up in huge chunks of avocados (not that good and unseasoned). I think it was suppose to have smelt egg but didn't see any. FireCracker Roll: I didn't eat this. Actually we had sent this dish back due to the colors on the tuna and albacore. These had to either be VERY poorly refrigerated OR VERY old (please see picture). The tuna was at a dead dark red and the albacore had this weird slimy look on it that did not look appealing at all. my cousin was trying to convince me that they had slightly torched the sashimi's... unless the torched the bottom side of the meat as well and made it smell weird i think not. Now the cousin decided he wanted the Seared Miso Salmon... It looks very very appealing in the picture they have on their menu.. But honest to god it lied. Please see the actual picture that I took there. Flavorless bland and after the lemon it was just lemon. :( This was place was a horrible fail.. I came here to treat my cousin to a small lunch since he was going to be carrying my stuff from the groom expo.. and sigh... failed lunch.

    (1)

  • Genevieve B.

    I'm a frequent customer here since they opened up and also the one in Arcadia. Always loved the service and the food. Sushi is always fresh and the portion of the fish is generous compare to other sushi place I've been. This is a must place to go.

    (5)

  • Ally A.

    i love this place...hands down best fried rice EVER... no matter what u order here...u cant go wrong

    (5)

  • Jackie B.

    Came here for Sushi and had an okay experience, not the best. The fish didn't seem that fresh though we did send back our tough salmon sashimi for more and it was good. We unfortunately sat at the Sushi bar where you can hear a lot of noise from the grill (teppan tables). There is really no server here and the sushi chef can't put in drink orders. Took 3 times of asking to put in a cocktail order, and water was not refilled promptly. I'd pretty much finished all 3 courses before my cocktail arrived. Do come for the grill though, that was a much better experience.

    (2)

  • Jennifer O.

    decent Japanese food. good sushi for a mall restaurant. we got a couple sushi rolls to share for lunch, and i got the cold soba. the cold soba had lots of noodles and wasabi and dipping sauce. it wasn't crowded at all, but the service was slow. our waitress came to bring us our water, but never came back. we had to wave down another waitress to take our order 10 minutes later. the food came in a few minutes (with the original waitress). the food was fine and when we were done we waved another waitress down for the check. don't come here if you're in a rush, but it's good for groups, since they have a big seating area and decent food.

    (3)

  • Abionca J.

    I wanna start off by saying I wanted to go to PF Chang but the bar was full . . . . So I came here after hanging out with friends because I was waiting for a ride home. Asked for a beer, got that, asked for salmon sushi, didn't really get it at first. So I waited like 15mins and the bartender said he was going to check on it, he comes back and says "Oh, I'm sorry someone else took it. Don't worry I reordered it." Meh, it happens, I work in the food industry. Another 10 to 15mins pass and he hands me a plate . . .It was a tuna roll, not salmon sushi. So I point at the picture and say I ordered that, not a roll. He seemed confused and said okay. The boss came out and immediately looked at it and said "That is a TUNA ROLL, not salmon sushi!" So I had to wait a 3rd time! When I did get my order it was delish, no joke. To add to the story, the couple a seat over ordered food and waited a LONG time also. The same bartender, who must be new, told them he will check. When he came back he said they are working on it, the guy was mad! They got up and said they will not be back very loudly. Salmon sushi was awesome, service was very bad. Won't be back.

    (2)

  • Jason W.

    We came here for dinner before attending a Nutcracker performance at the Civic Center. We came here because Islands was packed. The restaurant is well hidden away, but once inside, I was pleasantly surprised by the decor. Looks really nice and upscale. I was skeptical because, I mean, what kind of serious restaurant would name themselves Tokyo Wako? But I was really surprised by the food. In particular, my son got the kid's meal with steak, and it came out with little steak cubes that were so soft and moist and totally delicious. This was probably THE best kid's meal I've ever tasted! (I only tasted because he had trouble finishing the huge portion... I'm not a food stealer. Honest.) My udon was pretty standard, nothing to write home about, but that kid's meal!!! Next time I'm making him eat my udon and I'll take his steak cubes.

    (4)

  • Arbi G.

    This was the first time we came to dine here. The portions are really big, food is great quality. Service was very good. Our party was 12 people and the servers handled it pretty nice. Everything got served quickly only thing I do not understand is why can't all the food be served and cooked together. My fried rice was ready but I had to wait 30 minutes for the steak and chicken. Overall it was an OK experience.

    (4)

  • Sheila S.

    I don't know why I bothered coming back here....last time I went was over a year ago, and I still remember the overpriced, low-quality meal I had. We spent about $50 for two sushi rolls and a bento box. This is definitely not the place to get sushi, or bento box, as the portions are tiny and saying the food was edible is already a praise. Chicken teriyaki was tough (way overcooked). I have to say they have pretty good service though. The waiters are attentive, coming by often to make sure your water glass is filled. I will probably come back to try their teppanyaki. I hope they don't let me down again.

    (2)

  • Michael M.

    Meat + butter = radical

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:30 am - 10

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Garage
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Tokyo Wako Restaurant

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