Pasadena: O2 Sushi

Whenever I hear about a new sushi place in Pasadena, I cautiously approach it. I have had my heart broken so many times in Pasadena. The closest I’ve come to decent sushi is not even a sushi place, but a shabu shabu place.

Enter O2.

We found it between Old Town and near Paseo Colorado. They give you a voucher for parking though we found this out belatedly after paying for parking. I tend to be shy the first time I’m at a new sushi place. I want a sampling but I don’t go omakase since I figure you have to establish that trust with a sushi master. So I went with the deluxe sushi combo. That’s 7 pieces of nigiri and your choice of spicy tuna or California rolls (I went with the spicy tuna, duh). I kept the sushi a la carte sheet just in case I wanted more.

We shared the 5-mushrooms appetizer to start. I was really excited about this since I love mushrooms but the dish was too buttery. I felt it clouded the taste of some of the more delicate mushrooms.

The sushi arrived looking very fresh. I thought the spicy tuna roll was not at all spicy. It was all fine. I did wish for warmer, slightly more vinegared rice (a la Sugarfish). My favorite was the unagi which wasn’t dripping with eel sauce which I was glad about since I hate oversauced fish.

Yet was O2 great in comparison to a lot of other sushi places in Pasadena? Was it the best? I’ll reserve that judgment after another visit or two.

O2 Sushi

245 East Colorado Boulevard Pasadena, CA 91101-1903 – (626) 844-0239