Noda Sushi

Noda Sushi Restaurant Review:

For years --- just before the emergence of L.A. as a major sushi capital --- San Gabriel Valley sushi enthusiasts waxed poetic about a Monrovia sushi bar called Noda. After a seven-year hiatus, affable chef-owner Kwang Kim opened Noda in Pasadena, taking over the digs of a neighborhood sushi bar that, unlike Noda, is already forgotten. Legions of loyal customers have rediscovered woodsy, cozy Noda. We find the place to be an agreeable Japanese neighborhood restaurant serving very respectable sushi, including toro, at relatively modest prices. Appetizers include oysters, agedashi tofu and octopus sansai. The more popular rolls are often drizzled with a cloyingly sweet sauce --- just the way the regulars like it --- but are generally tasty, and a selection of teriyaki and tempura is offered as well. For lunch, Lake Avenue shoppers and businesspeople receive good value with a bento box combination.