Maison Akira Restaurant

Tried their Sunday brunch buffet. Good selection and more refine. Love their chawan mushing and desserts. more

We made reservations 4 weeks ahead of time, requested for the table to be located in the fireplace's room. Restaurant called us back the day before to confirm reservation and to let us know that they couldn't accomodate our request because they had a party on that room- no ""sorry"", no apology. I asked them to call me back and to let us know where they will be sitting us. They did and they assured me that it will not be in a traffic area (as time before) and it will be a corner table. Got there, our table was against a wall with a bench seat between two other tables which were very closed.\r A ""I could care less how disappointed you are"" staff attitude dealt with us. There was no sincere effort or apology in person about the fact that they dumped our table location twice: once at the last minute after 4 week noticed and second the same day after assuring us that we would get a corner table.\r Last time we went there we did talked about the snobish attitude of the staff, however my husband was unable to to go with us and I wanted him to experience the 9 course meal with wine pairing even though at the time we felt that food was minimal, too unique and specific tasting and that it was overpriced.\r Never would go again! \r We ended up at Roys (a block away) and we had the best service, time, food and reasonably price!\r Want to try something similar as Maison Akira prefixed meals with wine pairing? go to Palate in Glendale (further for us but it is worth it!).\r No wonder they haven't gotten any award! Check out who thinks is a great place to eat: the asian crowd.\r Don't waste your time and money there!\r their popularity has diminished the quality of their service and they've gotten pricey too!\r they seemed to cater to the asian patrons more more

It was a combination of French and Japanese food. I ordered the Chilean sea bass, as it is my favorite! My date ordered a steak. I loved my dish an... more

It was a combination of French and Japanese food. I ordered the Chilean sea bass, as it is my favorite! My... more

We read some of the reviews and decided to eat there. We ordered the $70 Menu Rabelais with wine pairings. My wife started with the Chilled “Momotaro” Japanese Tomato with Sautéed Hokkaido Scallops - excellent. I started with the House Smoked Salmon & Mozuku Aspic with Wasabi Caviar -- two cubes of salmon topped with a tiny bit of caviar and two cubes of gelled seaweed -- very disappointing. Next came the escargot -- very good but not great. Then the main course was the chef's specialty --Grilled Miso Marinated Chilean Sea Bass with Grilled Ratatouille. I was quite disappointed. It was quite ordinary and the last couple of bites had a fishy taste, so I didn't finish it. I told the waitress, who did nothing about it. My wife enjoyed it much more than I did. In the meantime, the first wine ( a fairly small glass) was a German white that was quite good. The second glass of wine was a French Vouvray that was too sweet and neither I nor my wife liked it. My dessert was the apple tart with ice cream -- quite good with a flaky dough. My wife had one of the special desserts with fruit, ice cream and a hard sugared dome. She liked it and said it was light and just what she wanted. Our French waitress was delightful, but the food was generally disappointing and at $181, including tax and tip, it should have been great. Pros: Excellent service Cons: Really average food at expensive prices more

First off, the food was good enough to very good. The service was terrible, so bad that I might spend the... more

First off, the food was good enough to very good. The service was terrible, so bad that I might spend the energy to call or write them. The space... more

The dinning area is beautiful, great for romantic dining. Service is good, well please note half of the tables are empty. Menu is very expensive, and personally I don't think it's worth the price.\r \r Now the food:\r Appetizer: C+, very small portion, taste average.\r Lobster Bisque: F, taste like Campbell's soup plus Pepto-Bismol, seriously it taste like medicine.\r Lamb Chop: A+, cook just right, taste great.\r \r So, for the price I think it's overpriced. more

this is a test review for listing id 235416 or maison akira....looks like very expensive but very popular restaurant in pasadena and one should try it out !!! more

This is my first review and I wanted to write about this place- it's amazing! The food is outstanding as well as the interior and service. We had a romantic dinner and I enjoyed every minute of the evening. By far, one of the best places to go with a special someone or a group of friends who can appreciate good food and wine. more

It's amazing to me how sometimes the restaurants closest to you are the ones you take the longest to try.... more

It's amazing to me how sometimes the restaurants closest to you are the ones you take the longest to try. In the past few months, I've driven into ... more

the best French Restaurant in Pasadena the food and services amazing the perfect place to be with your love one I highly recomended. more

The service is very very very very bad, if you like to finish your dinner and leave pissss of, then this is the right place for you.\r \r This will be my last time dininng at Maison Akira. You will have a better time eating at Pizza Hut. more

My husband and I went to Maison Akira for the first time. Food was excellent, service was excellent! I can't wait until we go back! Pros: Food, Service, Romantic Cons: They close early more

My husband took me here for my birthday. First off, the hostess was so sweet. She showed us to a really nice table. Next, our server came to our table and was very informative and helpful. We ordered both tasting menus, I had the Menu Rabelais and he had Menu Epicurean. We both had the wine pairing as well. The food that followed for both of us was exquiste. It was the best foi gras; it was nicely seared a bit for that excellent sweet toasted taste. The sashimi was sweet, succulent, and very fresh. Our main courses was equally impressive. I had bass and he had the kobe. Dessert was good, light. The wine pairings were exceptional, esp.for Epicurean. They had this wine for the sashimi, it tasted like oysters (the wine, not the fish!!); very interesting. Overall, the experience was wonderful. Pros: Food, wine, dessert, service more

Is on my top 10 restaurants I've ever been. The food is just fabulous! Very homey feeling. A must try! more

Been a few times now and I would say this is one of the best restaurants in Pasadena and anywhere. Everything is superb. Just look at Mr. Akira's credentials - wouldn't expect anything less then the best and he delivers. I'm a seafood eater and I've had the best sea bass of my life here. You're not just ordering food here, you're ordering art. The price can be high, but anything comparable will be even more (i.e., places in Beverly Hills and the west side). Pros: everything more

Maison Akira is our favorite restaurant in Pasadena -- we always order the Menu Epicurean with accompanying wines and it is always PHENOMENAL! Best tasting/prix fixe menu in Pasadena, hands down. They beat out The Raymond restaurant's tasting menu -- no contest. The food is artfully prepared with interesting and unique combinations of the freshest ingredients. Portions are not too big, not too small. The wines their sommelier pairs with the dishes are always a great match and often give us an opportunity to taste something new. Kudos to Maison Akira - please keep it up!!!! Also, since it has been suggested in other reviews, I would like to add that I have NO marketing or business affiliation with this restaurant. I don't have any self-serving reason to write this review other than the fact that I just love their food and want them to stick around! :) Pros: Best tasting menu in Pasadena Cons: Ambience is nice, but is not up to par with phenomenal food more

I have to give kudos to the marketing for the place. Great chef. Food is good but not phenomenal. For the price I paid, I expected more. Portions were a little small compared to the other fine restaurants in LA. Great menu items. It all sounds wonderful. Just no oommppph! This is not your every weekend stop for dinner destination. It's an OK place to go to have a romantic and quiet dinner and spec occasion spot. Service was good. How can it not be- the place was only half filled on a Sat night. You know how sometimes a restaurant just has it and you feel it! This place was so-so. Pros: Good menu items, great service Cons: OK food, too much $ more