Musha Pasadena

I personally feel like I’ve wronged Musha. They’ve been in Old Town Pasadena for a few years now and it’s only now that I have bothered to pay them a visit. Their cheesy risotto and delicious bar food have been mostly ignored not just by me but it appears everyone in the area. The restaurant never looks at capacity. It seems that Musha will be gone soon.
I finally visited for lunch when I happened to walk by and realize they open for lunch. Musha!!! This is on you. Why did you not ensure that your Unilocal page accurately reflect lunch hours?
For my first farewell lunch, I ordered the chicken tonkatsu curry that comes with both a bowl of miso soup and a green salad. They salad has a mix of mesclun greens, one cherry tomato cut into four tiny segments, some crispy wonton strips and an Asian dressing. The miso soup was heated, to my dismay, with a microwave. The tonkatsu was respectable though, a good portion with crispy chicken and a plate flowing with Japanese curry with bits of beef strewn within it. Some pickles would have been nice but it was a comforting and delicious dish nonetheless.
For my second lunch, I had the yellowtail plate, which also came with miso soup and a green salad. The soup and salad were the same as before but I did receive quite a bit less salad. I received 7 nice slices of yellowtail and the fish was fresh and tender.
The lunch specials aren’t an accurate reflection of their usual izakaya menu. They offer a limited number of lunch specials ranging from $ 8 — $ 15 that are more run of the mill Japanese offerings like pork fried rice, yellowtail sushi plate, curry, tempura, and a bowl of noodles which makes it easier to understand why lunch has never been a huge draw. It’s sad and I’m sad that Musha is on its way out. Maybe you can stop by for a meal before it closes soon.

Interesting new find in Old Town Pasadena. My friend and I went thinking it was a sushi restaurant– it is not! Musha does have fresh sashimi though, as well as an assortment of other dishes. We wanted the lobster roll but they didn’t have it– we got an order of hot sake ($ 10), the crab salad, tuna sashimi, hot rock eel rice and green tea ice cream. Surprisingly, the hot rock eel rice stole the show. It was delicious, a good portion for two people, and was only $ 6.50! The tuna sashimi was a little fishy for me but it was still good. It was served on a bed of onions with lemon wedges and a ponzu sauce. The crab salad was mostly under-​dressed lettuce with crab mixed with mayonnaise on top. There could have been dressing on the salad or more of a crab presence over the lettuce. Overall, I wouldn’t get the salad again.
The green tea ice cream was really pretty. It comes with a dollop of whipped cream and a dollop of chocolate, two little cookie sticks AND a small tea that’s served with it.
Service was good and the place is clean. Lots of menu is hand written in both Japanese and English. I think I need to try the place again to make up my mind on it.

WTF? Why did I even come here…
It’s funny that we came here for lunch… when their lunch hours aren’t even listed on Unilocal!There wasn’t even anyone behind the sushi bar making the sushi! There was only the waiter and the chef… and halfway through, the waiter went behind the counter and started making our sushi. Nearly the entire time the two of them were not in direct contact with the customers… all I heard was a flurry of Spanish… not that great considering this is a Japanese restaurant. (No bias, just an observation)
I ordered their lobster roll, and my friend ordered some sort of garlic mushroom and clam dish. Both were HORRIBLE!
You know when you eat lobster, such as an actual lobster roll (encased in bread… not the sushi version) or lobster ceviche, you taste luscious pieces of lobster, lightly tossed in mayo or other goodies. Their lobster roll was just bad. I couldn’t help thinking I was eating imitation crab or something… and there was no rice. Just shredded lobster with stuff, and avocado, and a rice wrap. I hated it: P
The garlic mushroom and clam dish was also bad. For one, it was just a giant plate, with small clams and a few mushrooms. There was a lot of sauce — packed with butter, and tasted like nothing else. The problem with this dish was that you couldn’t even taste the clams… just the butter sauce.
I don’t know why people come here if the food is that bad. Well, if you care about your taste buds, and don’t want to offend them… don’t come here.

I have one word to describe the food here.
Interesting.
I must come back to try all.
Most food comes out a bit differently than I’ve imagined.
But do NOT order the lobster roll… it’s too small and not worth it.
Try their homemade tofu. it’s pretty interesting.
Will do an update review once I return.

Came here for lunch… lunch was around $ 8.
The food: salmon dish. Came with rice, salad and soup. It was good… Kinda small but pretty good. Not superb but good enough.
Service: they were so fast. I didn’t even notice my drink being refilled… Ninjas.
Ambience: quiet Japanese joint. I didn’t even know this existed when walking by.
Parking: street (metered) or parking structures nearby
Overall: not bad for the price

Had dinner here a few nights ago with some friends. I’m a fan of the Santa Monica location, and was hoping this locale would be equally as good. It’s not as hip/​happenin as the SM one– kinda dead on a sunday evening. Nevertheless, the food was on par.
We ordered the cheese risotto, octopus omelette, crispy tofu, a fried tuna pancake thing, and few other plates. The restaurant is izakaya dining– small tapas plates meant to be shared family style. I recommend coming here with a large group so you can sample as many dishes as possible. The 6 of us all ordered 2 of each plate, and a perfect amount of food came out :) My faves were the cheese risotto and octopus omelette. Japanese comfort food at its best!

I always pass by Musha but was never really intrigued with their menu that they have outside. But this time we decided to check it out because we just really didn’t know what else to have for dinner in Old Town.
We ordered a pitcher of Sapporo ($ 12) and a large house hot sake ($ 9). I didn’t really know what to order at Musha. I actually wasn’t a big fan of the layout of their menu, everything seemed a bit hard to read. We did decide on the Japanese curry over rice and Tonkatsu combo and Musha’s Fried Chicken. I actually was surprised with the food, it was pretty good. I love Japanese style curry so I thought they actually did a pretty good job with that, it was pretty flavorful. I wish the portion of Tonkatsu was a little larger and the meat was less fatty. I like it when places use more white meat for their Tonkatsu rather than all dark meat.
The Musha Fried Chicken was also a small portion. My bf liked this and the dipping sauce it came with. I thought that it had too much batter and not enough meat. I actually preferred the Curry and Tonkatsu dish over this one.
I guess I could try to place again, but I’m not too crazy over it. The environment was nice but I wish they had a larger variety of dishes. This place is more tapas style so if you’re really hungry, I’d suggest a different place.

The Santa Monica Musha is better than the Pasadena one in my opinion. However, this Musha’s Yaki Udon is a pretty safe pick as it is tasty and fulfilling at the same time. Their mackerel needs some work as it is pretty hard to chew… (a bit too overcooked)? I love their dessert tea that they gave out for free at the end. It is hot and it cleans your palate. One last thing, the delicious «uni pudding» shown in many of the pictures is no longer being served.

I really like Musha because it breaks away from all the stuff every other Japanese restaurant has in the country (terriyaki, rolls, etc. — but not to say I don’t like those). It offers a bunch of other options not found in other Japanese restaurants. And they’re cheap! Had the takotama (which is like okonomiyaki — aka Japanese pancake with meat and stuff inside) which is so good. Boyfriend had the kakuni (braised pork). For dessert, we got the banana tempura ice cream which was super delicious.
I gave it 4 stars because the service is pretty slow, even with not a lot of customers. It took a while to get someone’s attention for a refill on our drinks, or even to get the bill. I would come back though for the food.

Mmmm. This one doesn’t seem to live up to the Torrance vibe, as others may have said. That might explain it being empty, dull, and eerily quiet on a Friday night.
A friend and I stumbled in, like a couple of confused morons, and ordered up a bottle of sake. We got a few food options to go with, though we’d eaten an entire village’s worth of french fries prior to arriving.
Maybe because it’s relatively new, but the server was confused as hell. I think she might have been scared off by my booming voice (any World of Warcraft players? Get it? Me neither, cool kids don’t play video games). Lots of nervous, Asian, we’re-on-the-barrier-of-not-understanding-each-others’-social-customs-so-let’s-be-awkward laughter, very little in the way of understanding my request for «something, anything delicious». At least she was friendly.
I get that it’s an izakaya, but the portions made me laugh a little bit. It’s like watching one of those Asian porns and — you know, nevermind. None of it was particularly tasty either. Sad.
Nice to see another option for drinks in Pasadena but I think this one’s a no-​go.

Very cool setup, and I like how they write out their menu items and post them on the walls. I also like that you can order as much or as little as you want — pretty much like a Japanese version of tapas.
Overall, the food was good. There was nothing that floored me, but nothing that I wouldn’t eat again. The prices were not terrible, but weren’t great, either — especially for the smaller portions that they tend to serve.
It was definitely a neat experience, but I’m ok with it just being a one-​time experience.

My friend and I decided to be adventurous and tried this place on a Wednesday evening after we decided on Japanese food. We were told that 4 – 6 dishes would be a good amount since they were more like tapas and we would be able to share all of them.
We ordered snow crab stuffed in eggplant, the lobster roll, beef tongue, pork belly, and some chicken leg entrée (it was not the fried one that I see in a lot of other reviews). The eggplant w/​snow crab was very light and decent. The lobster roll was probably my favorite, but be warned that it is very small, maybe not worth the price. The beef tongue was just okay as well. The sauce didn’t have as much taste as expected. The pork belly was another dish I was more pleased by. The meat was very tender, but it was a dish that I felt was moreso Chinese than Japanese. And the chicken leg dish was not good at all. There was absolutely no flavor. I probably gave this place two stars (and not one) because we added another order of the yellowtail sashimi and that was good. but then again how would you mess up sashimi?
Even though we went with many of the waitress’ recommendations, sadly none of the dishes stood out in my opinion. Don’t think I’ll ever be back.

I am giving this place 3 star because I have been to Musha in Torrance and Santa Monica. So this is more like a comparison review.
Came here last night with my buddy since it is the closest izakaya place in pasadena. The food is decent and deserve 4 stars if the other two Musha location don’t exist.
Parking: very easy since there’s free 90 min public parking. Short walk to the restaurant!
Restaurant: This place is close to Club Menage and across the street from Intellengencia Café. Very easy to find. The restaurant is clean but a bit too stuffy for me. I would suggest turning on the AC on a hot summer day like this. The restaurant itself is a bit smaller than the other two locations and has a small sushi bar.
Food: for 2 people
To start: Large cold sake: they serve the safe in a bamboo container which is quiet interesting.
This is japanese tapas style and meant to be shared. I like how this location offer «half» or «full» portion. For 2 I would recomend ordering more items and smaller in portion so you can try everything
Tofu salad: there’s not much to this tofu salad except tofu and lettuce. The dress was just ok, nothing special. I was just looking for a refreshing veggie dish since its been so hot.
Torched saba: this is one of their signature dish. Its raw, sashimi style saba that’s torched and served with mustard and ginger. For some reason I still like the one in Torrance. If you have never tried this dish, it is a MUST GET ITEM at musha
Cheese RisottoThis is my favorite dish in musha another MUST TRY ITEM. The cheese is so creamy and cooked in a block of cheese with ham and other secret ingredients.
Garlic somen: this noodle isn’t all that impressive. It is basically just boiled japanese thin noodle tossed with garlic sauce.
MFC: musha fried chicken: this os another MUST GET DISH, the ponzu sauce that came with the perfect fried chicken is so delicious. The fried chicken is cut in pieces, crispy and easy to eat.
unagi in stone pot: I forgot the exact name to this dish but its prob not worth remember since it was just A-​OK. If you like to eat rice cooked in stone pot and really craving for unagi rice you can try this dish, otherwise I would go with another dish.
Spicy Tuna served with krispy rice: This is one of their signature dish as well but I remember it being better last time I came here. The spicy tuna wasn’t spicy enough and was way too creamy. I wish they spice it up a bit.
Tofu Fries: this is pretty good actually since it is something that’s more unique. The tufu is cut into slices, fried and served in a stacked (Janga) manner and served with a asian chinese dressing (like sweet and sour).
Since I live in pasadena, this is prob the best izakaya out here, no complains. I just wish they can increase the number of items on their menu. Service overall was great.

I’ve been going to this Musha location since it had opened. There are some selections that are similar to the Torrance one. With regards to the ambiance, this branch has a more modern contemporary feel and also has a nice patio (a big plus!). They have bigger and nicer restrooms too with a cute guest books. :)
Just went here yesterday and was surprised that there were a few changes on their menu. Now, you have an option to order a smaller portion of some of the dishes. I think it’s a great idea because you can keep on trying out more food without spending too much. I guess it’s like having a sampler.
We had ordered the following:
Snow Crab Meat with Stuffed Japanese Eggplant — This was good! Very light & refreshing.
Yellow Tail Sashimi — My first time try it! Not as bad as I thought. I’m not really used to eating raw food, but was a start! :)
Kakuni (small) — This is my all-​time favorite & one of their signature dishes. As usual, the meat was very tender and the sauce was perfect.
Musha Fried Chicken (small) — This is also one of their signature dishes. It was cooked slightly differently yesterday. I think there wasn’t enough breading used. Maybe there was a new chef who made it. But it wasn’t bad at all.
Yakisoba — One of my favorites too. The pork used was yummy. It was good as usual.
I had these dishes before:
White Fish Spinach Cheese — This was good, but a little bit salty. I ate it with rice and I can say that it was a good combination.
Black Sesame Ice Cream — My favorite dessert! Served with chocolate sticks, cornflakes, whip cream & black honey. This was the best that I’ve tasted so far compared to other Japanese restaurants.
Green Tea Parfait — Love this too! Served with strawberries, whip cream and cornflakes. Who doesn’t love it?
Tiramisu — I like the restaurant’s version because the flavor it’s not too strong.
Itame Somen — My other favorite noodle dish made with garlic and sesame oil. Simple yet delicious.
Asari Tofu Cream — This was very creamy and tasty, but a little bit overwhelming. I think it would be awesome if this was served with spaghetti noodles! I’m sure it would be more popular! Just a thought. :)
I know people have been comparing this with its Torrance and Santa Monica locations. In my opinion, I think Pasadena is gradually improving and catching up with the other two. So, I hope it keeps up the good work! :)

I have been to the Musha in Santa Monica and Torrance… did not know that there was a Pasadena location (that serves dinner only) at Old Town. This place is small but was not crowded when we went on a weekday (around 730PM). Service was very attentive and friendly! What made our dinner experience one to remember, is the fact that they prepared the uni pudding– a dish they took off the menu a few days before, just for us per our request! A friend of ours is moving out of state and really wanted to have it «one last time» before leaving and they agreed to prepare the delicious dish for us. It was heavenly! I would go back just for the uni pudding, which they said they’d make for us, again. I do not know why they took it off the menu to begin with!
Everything here is good and the menu is pretty similar to the SM and Torrance locations. If I had to pick one dish that you must get (other than the uni pudding) I’d say, the cheese risotto! Order it & you’ll know what I am talking about ;)

My bf and I went here on a Friday night. We ordered the avocado salad, typhoon chahan (not on the menu), Chilean sea bass ($ 14.99) and an okonomiyaki dish with tako. Everything was amazingly delicious and well executed.
Service was warm and welcoming. I really enjoyed being here.

Yo! You know that place from West LA
I took my wife, our second date
They’ve gone the Pasadena way
To serve their izakaya plates
I got a 50-​bill coupon
So let’s get the grubbin’ on
Wanna feel that Boom Boom Pow
Take me to Musha now
My heart goes Boom Boom Boom
Gotta get more Room Room Room (in my stomach now)
Room Room Room (in my stomach now)
Boom Boom Boom (pumps my heart now)
Boom Boom Boom (pumps my heart now)
Boom Boom Pow
Boom Boom Pow
I like them Mu-​sha food
Their chicken’s Japanese style
Kara-​age M-​F-​C
Each bite just makes me smile
Their yakiudon rocks
Fried in those special woks
Taste buds go Boom Boom Pow
Take me to Musha Now
My heart goes Boom Boom Boom
Gotta get more Room Room Room (in my stomach now)
Room Room Room (in my stomach now)
Boom Boom Boom (pumps my heart now)
Boom Boom Boom (pumps my heart now)
Boom Boom Pow
Boom Boom Pow
They got some bomb carpaccio
Raw salmon that’s creamy
Takotama so ono
black ice cream sesame
banana tempura
That makes me ooh and aah
Brain cells go Boom Boom Pow
Take me to Musha Now
My heart goes Boom Boom Boom
Gotta get more Room Room Room (in my stomach now)
Room Room Room (in my stomach now)
Boom Boom Boom (pumps my heart now)
Boom Boom Boom (pumps my heart now)
Boom Boom Pow
Boom Boom Pow

I loved the Musha in Santa Monica, so I was super excited that they opened one here in Pasadena.
The menu is almost the same as the other locations with some slight variations.
We pretty much ordered everything on the menu.
Tuna Tartare– Little disappointing. They served it with fried wonton strips instead of the crispy rice cracker.
Torched Mackerel– A must if you come here.
Uni Pudding– Unique, I like! Uni on top of steamed soft tofu.
Ebi Mayo– Ok
MFC (musha fried chicken) — Was expecting average fried chicken bites, but it was actually really good.
Cheese Risotto– Another must if you come here.
Service– Great
A little noisy and I’m sure there’s going to be a wait for dinner once people start discovering this location.
A bit on the pricey side because you’ll want to order everything.

I’m a regular at Musha in Torrance so when I heard one opened up 5 minutes from my house, I HAD to go! Nestled in between Baskin Robbins and some piercing & tat shop on Colorado Blvd in Old Town Pasadena, you’ll find a sleeker, brighter, more modern Musha than their sister store in Torrance. Is that a good thing? Depends on who you ask! Do you like a more dimly lit moody izakaya (Torrance) or a brighter, more contemporary izakaya (Pasadena)? Anyway, on to the food!
ASAHI KURONAMA (BLACK)
–smooth, dark lager
–not too hoppy, not too malty
–nice intro/​outro beer
**pic:
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KAKUNI
–pork belly stew with potatos and egg
–slow cooked for hours so everything is tender
–pork melts in your mouth, very flavorful and juicy
–soup is savory, lightly salty, hint of ginger with subtle sweetness
**pic:
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ABURI SHIME SABA
–they SEAR it in front of you-​NICE PRESENTATION
–lightly salted mackerel seared medium rare
–tender, delicate, not fishy at all, overall very tasty
**pic:
**
GARLIC FRIES
–fresh potatos fried until crispy
–dusted with garlic powder not chunks of garlic
–crispy exterior, tender almost creamy potato interior
–goes perfectly with beer
**pic:
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ASKI
–asparagus & two kinds of mushrooms sauteed in garlic butter
–not too buttery, not too oily, which is nice
–not too garlicky either, very subtle garlic flavor
–veggies cooked just right, not soggy at all (bravo!)
*was eaten up before I could take pic (LOL)*
UNI PUDDING
–seasoned steamed egg soup topped with sea urchin
–it’s quite small but had nice presentation
–uni and cavier add subtleties to creamy flavor of dish
–overall very small dish, good for two people max.
–wait until it cools before eating or you won’t taste uni
**pic:
**
BLACK SESEAME ICE CREAM
–OUTSTANDING, not too sweet, great flavor
–love the black honey drizzled on top
–corn flakes add nice crunch to dish, yum!
–maybe more corn flakes next time?
**pic:
**
This is a VERY SMALL restaurant so if you’re going on a busy weekend night, either call ahead and make a reservation, or be prepared to wait. This Musha is NOT good for large parties (over 12) as there are only 4 tables which can accomodate 4 people. They can combine those tables but if you roll in on a busy night, haha. good luck! The rest of the tables are 2 tops and bar seating. The staff were really busy when I came in, but the manager was cool enough kept me updated on status of the seating situation and how much longer it would take. I liked that. Service-​wise, I thought the service was adequate, had to wait quite awhile for bill but again, it was very busy that night.
Price-​wise, hmmmmm. This place ain’t cheap. Each dish, on average, is about nine dollars, so if you come here starving, you’ll need to order quite a few (6+) dishes to fill you up, coupled with drinks, your bill might come out to about $ 70+ for 2 people.
If you REALLY want to try this place but don’t want to spend a LOT of money, I recommend eating a LIGHT meal BEFORE coming here. Then just get a pitcher of Sapporo or maybe a small bottle of sake, a few apps & zerts, and then see how you feel!
Ok, parking-​wise, If you don’t mind walking two blocks, you can usually find FREE STREET PARKING on Raymond north of Walnut (near church tower). There are parking structures with free 90 min. parking or a flat rate after 6pm one or two blocks from restaurant if you prefer that more.
Try Musha if you want to have a nice izakaya experience while in old town Pasadena.

One of my favorite restaurants ever is now open is Pasadena… but sadly, it’s not on par with the other locations. The Spicy tuna dip is a bit different in that they use fried wonton and some sweet and sour sauce, but its still tasty, even though I do really like the rice cakes from the SM location (make sure to ask for LESS sweet and sour sauce though or else the dip can become quite runny, or better yet, ask for it on the side).
Other dishes to try is the super delicious TakoTama (which is basically an omelette containing fried noodes and squid), the creamy risotto (cheese overload), braised pork belly (huge portion), crab meat salad (decent), saba (blow-​torched at your table! Note: it’s half the portion size of the SM location), tofu or seared albacore salad. Also, note that they don’t regularly have sashimi here, I guess it depends on what they have in stock… so it’s a hit or miss, kind of like your ex.
The food is pretty good, but I think their Santa Monica location has set the bar so high that its tough to compare. The one thing that they do well here is the execution of their tofu dishes. Try their cheese tofu with honey, or their tofu and uni (with sea water)…it’s pretty different… yet bomb. For every other dish, stick with the Musha’s in Santa Monica, especially since the sashimi is 100x better over there… also because items here are smaller and more expensive.