Maikobe

Terrible. Not for me.
1. There’s a bouncer/​promoter at the door, like you’re going to a club.
2. Sushi is not really traditional or very good.
3. This place becomes a hot spot for late night hipsters like age 18 – 22?
Cheap Sushi = Cheap Sushi

I’m doing this to purge the experience from my mind — not to bad mouth a restaurant. I came on a Friday night for a UYE. I remember this place from many visits to Pasadena but I’ve never been here. Its in a great spot for a restaurant, so I was puzzled why the place was empty apart from our group. I can’t recall if the place is changing owners and concepts. If this is a new owner and concept — EGADS.
My drinking didn’t even start because I overheard a conversation with the bartender about cocktails and/​or well drinks. The look of puzzlement on the bartender was priceless. «We have beer and sake.» I can’t really comment on the fantastic HH selection because I did not participate. (Did I tell you I love beer?)
It did puzzle me that service seemed splotchy, considering we had a fixed group menu and that NO ONE ELSE was eating in the restaurant at the time. (Sure people straggled in for HH I think). The service should’ve been speedier, but at this point I give any restaurant the benefit of the doubt.
We got a choice of regular miso soup or spicy miso soup.
I love spicy food, especially if the spice and heat add to the dish. I didn’t understand the point of this spiciness. I think they were doing damage control for the line chef that spilled the pepper shaker into the stock pot.
The next little tidbit was something called a «Monkey Brain».
I fondly remember it as the «quartered fried testicle» It was basically a ball of surimi fish cake and avocado, breaded and fried, and then quartered. It was as good as I make it sound. It was clumsy and awkward to eat.
We next got a sashimi plate of salmon in a little rice vinegar and lemon (I think?) This was actually very enjoyable. Very tasty to eat. Hope is alive!!! I wanted to steal everyones’ plates. But it was short lived… because…
our main dish was… SURPRISE! More salmon!!! To make it worse, it was over cooked salmon! Why be redundant and give me another salmon helping? Are you clearing your inventory for us? The plate came with «lobster» and some rubbery scallops. A little sear would’ve been fantastic. I couldn’t finish this. However, this seafood plate looked better than the steak option, which looked like 2 brown pieces.
At least I get dessert. Or so I thought I would. YAY! I get mochi!
WTF… mochi? the kind you can get at any supermarket? alright alright. group party. blah blah. WTF. What supermarket did you get this mochi from? and when? It was the most stale piece fo rice cake I have ever eaten. I’m sure I tasted freezer burn. I literally peeled the rice cake (stale) off to get at least some green tea ice cream. Wow. Gritty. What a happy ending to a happy meal. Bleech.
I would hope the rest of the menu is better. I do hope they revamp. I can understand why a nice space like this is barren and empty on a weekend when the food is this bad. No thank you.

I’ve been here twice in 2 months and I can honestly say that I’m a fan.
For me and my friends, a group of 21-​somethings that are fresh into the «nightlife» scene, Maikobe was a fun place to hit at night.
Walking in, you’re kind of lost as the organization of the place is weird. The teppan tables (that I have yet to try) are all the way in the back.
We came both times for happy hour, and boy was the hour HAPPY. We ordered sake bombs w. Sapporo, Spicy Chicken Wings and a Baked Mussels dish. ALL were clearly delicious.
The only negative that I have from the 1^st of my 2 visits is that the mixed drinks aren’t that cheap for happy hour, ranging up to $ 9.
The servers are friendly and suggested us drinks one time. Definitely worth a visit!

On Sunday afternoon my bf and i were on a quest to find some meat. OMNOMNOMNOMN
the HUGE Maikobe happy hour (4−7PM) menu caught our eye. we walked in at about 4:10PM. the server stops us and says, «we’re not ready yet, could you come back in 15 minutes?»
I don’t know any restaurant that would turn their customers away. i’ve worked in the restaurant business before, and if the restaurant is not quite ready yet, i would always invite the customers to sit down and have a drink while the restaurant is done setting up.
but besides that, the happy hour menu clearly stated 4:00PM — 7:00PM.
turning me away is a BIG NO NO.

I hate giving ones.
But this place slid downhill faster than if they were in a bobsled and someone pushed them. When they first opened, the sushi was great, the atmosphere was upbeat but now… there were bones in my sushi, too! (WTF?)
And the service? Our waiter acted like he was stoned. He couldn’t remember anything. Then we would try to be all passive-​aggressive and nicely remind him «Hey…when you get a chance, could we get that edamame?» and he’d act like we bothered him in some way.
Ack. I’m so sad. I really liked this place.

Service really needs to step up. I got overcharged $ 16. As in, I got charged my appropriate amount, but randomly they added an additional $ 16 charge. I have no idea where it came from. I tried calling them several times, but it either doesn’t pick up or goes straight to voicemail — which is not even a greeting of «Hi you’ve tried to reach Maikobe…» but instead the manager’s phone?
Luckily this is why I try to pay things with my AmEx as much as possible, as a simple call to their support line and they gave me credit back. Now *that* is service.
Maikobe, your food is alright, but I really hope you can amp up your service. I know you are a «newer» restaurant, but you got some stiff competition in the heart of Old Town.

Back down to 3. Unfortunately the sashimi dinner last night was not as fresh as usual. I found scales and bones in some pieces.
Service was inattentive. Like REALLY BAD. Having one bartender for what grew to be a large crowd running the show is bad scheduling. When the other servers eventually arrived, they ignored our table. We sat approximately 45 minutes without service before deciding to go elsewhere for dessert.
Happy Hour isn’t worth it. $ 3 beers, sure but so what? However, I did introduce a friend to it and she arranged a huge set price dinner and apparently they treated them well. So, maybe it depends on who’s helping you but shame on them last night.
I feel bad for the place because they’re doing really bad business but maybe if they hire some servers who you know, serve, they’d improve.

Wow why does the service suck so bad??? I usually give some area for error with Asian Restaurants but not at their prices.
We had five people here at happy hour and ordered various appetizers some from the HH menu and some main dishes from the regular menu. In the end we had each ordered two beers and a little bit of this and that for food which came out to $ 130 total. I don’t think this is super reasonable and again other than the monkey brain, tuna crunch roll, and Asahi Black I have no love for the rest of their food.
The thing that really makes me knock them back is their blatant bad service. I could have or would have ordered more drinks and I may have ordered more food had someone actually checked on our table of five in the last 45 minutes we were there.
On first arrival, I had sat down and of the two ladies there already only one had got here beer, when I got there they brought me one but still forgot to bring her one, why??? When I wanted another I had to flag down someone to get one, they were not busy and had a few people there working. I think there may have been about 12 people in the place when we had these service problems. I just wish they would check in with us from time to time and not ignore us, or when you remove a bottle from the table maybe ask if we want another???

Maikobe has a pretty extensive HH and appetizer menu… as well as a full bar, sushi, and teppan-​yaki.
THE ORDER:
Various sushi
Tuna Pizza
Salmon Pizza
all really yummy… the food here is good, unique, and full of flavor.
THE SERVICE…
not that amazing… just becasue a server is new, doesnt mean they shouldn’t be fully familiar with the menu… that’s what training is for!
but, the service is always pleasant… nice people with a fun attitude.
I would definitely check this place out if ur looking for $ 2 japanese beer and sushi HH.
enjoy!
xo–
andrea

So I’ve reviewed happy hour (4 stars) lunch (5 stars) and now it’s time for dinner review.
I’ve been here 3 times now for teppanyaki, the last being Saturday. We decided to cancel our reservations at Cheval Blanc for this. You know it must be good when someone cancels on french cuisine!
Unlike some other teppan places that have cheesy sound effects, the chefs here opt for a little less cheesy but are still interactive and funny. Where else can you have a chef peg someone in the forehead with a shrimp? (That was due to the customer’s lack of trying to catch it-​but funny nonetheless).
I highly recommend the shrimp and scallop combo, it’s my favorite, and it’s so good, that I actually finish it all. Other places I wind up not finishing (even though it’s the same portion) because after a few bites, the flavor isn’t keeping me hooked. Completely different here at Maikobe!
As for a happy hour update — they still have $ 2 beers — Asahi, Asahi Select, Sapporo… and sometimes Asahi Black.
I recommend coming by, having a couple of $ 2 Asahi Selects, and sticking around for teppanyaki dinner!
Oh, and like most places — fried rice is an extra $ 1 – 2 — I can’t remember which, but I’m a big fan of good old fashion white rice!

*** Monday Happy Hour Review Only ***
Met a dozen Unilocalers for Paul D’s 3^rd UYE.
I think our table paid their bills for Monday
b/​c otherwise, thus place was fairly empty.
Décor: spacious (loft-​like), accent lighting,
dimly lit, bar, teppan area, dining tables.
Actually a perfect layout for DJ parties.
Service: Cody was attentive and helpful
despite just starting last week, or so.
Food: I gotta give ‘em a big MEH here.
I was hungry so I ordered several dishes —
salmon pizza, salmon kama, 3pcs grilled
prawn, potato & veggie crochettes, and
sautéed asparagus. (I also tasted the
sautéed mushrooms too, btw.) None
were memorable … not one. (urgh)
Fyi, the kama and prawn are best.
Drink: $ 2 Bottled Sapporo or Asahi., but
they didn’t have the dark beer of either.
*** Asian fusion is a mine field here. ***

Came here last night after our movie. Paul D hyped the shit out of this, so I thought what the hell, right?
A bunch of other Unilocalers were to converge here and partake in the Japanese food goodness.
They have a special happy hour menu on Monday nights, but do not rival Gyu-​Kakus. FYI.
We partook in Gyoza, wasabi chips, and beef wataki (I think that’s what it’s called), and some beef skewers. The beef wataki was fucking beautiful. Keep in mind, these are all appetizers, I wasn’t feeling like actual courses… that, and I didn’t want to spend full price during happy hour.
Everyone was drinking, eating, and having fun. Lots of Unilocalers looking cool, and having a ball. We had a lot of fun. I’ll make sure to come to more UYE’s that Paul D. hosts. He’s not as dumb as he looks.
lol

We passed by this place on a Friday night and the guy by the door said we could get the «extended happy hour.» Inside, it was pretty empty, but then again, it’s a HUGE space. A bit cold inside — mood wise, though our waiter was friendly. Happy hour prices aren’t bad, I don’t think I’d come back here when happy hour wasn’t happening though.
There was only one couple at a Teppanyaki station, six more were empty. Plus, the chile sauce on the Chicken Satay made my stomach hurt! Ow. Strangest chicken satay I’ve ever had. I’m not sure exactly what chicken satay was doing on the menu, must have been part of that whole ‘fusion’ thing.
PS. Don’t know if they were having a bad night or what, but the girl’s bathrooms were extremely messy/​dirty. Blegh.

My friends and I came here one Sunday afternoon. We were walking around Old Town Pasadena and decided to drop by for a drink before heading out to dinner. We had seen this place before several times but we didn’t get a chance to stop by til now. We arrived just as they started happy hour. The deals are really good. We sat at the bar area and ordered some drinks and food to munch on. The food and service was good. We were looking at the menu and it looked pretty good. We plan to come back another time for dinner.

Been there a coupe times before.
I am going this Saturday to check it out again.
It has a little dance floor to get your boogie-​woogie on and a live DJ
The food is pretty expensive and small portions.
The drinks are average.
Last time it was so busy it took like 30mins to get a drink at the bar.
If is ever busy just ask a waiters to order a drink for you.

I’ve only been here for drinks but I can see why some people would like and it and some would hate it.
It’s loud at night… and the lights are nonstop flashing. I was really tempted to go and ask them to stop flashing the lights but I didn’t want to be a party pooper so I just downed my (super cheap 2 $) cranberry and vodka and chatted with my group.
Sometimes the place is super crowded and fun and other times… I feel like I walked into a bar on a Tuesday night. I’ve tried the happy hour food menu and it should be called «the menu for people whose stomach are the size of a penny.» NOT WORTH IT. but their flourless chocolate cake is sinfully good. I think we all know what that means… knees weak and goofy smile on face good… we clear on that? or should I go on…
Anyways…I gave the place a 3 but it’s more of a 3.5. I like the cheap drinks but i’m ehhh in terms of ambiance.
Final thought: If you’re in the area and you want to get some drinks for a really good price… stop in… but go in with good company because it’ll be boring and bored + alcohol = drunk.

My father recently stumbled on an ad advertising Maikobe’s Kobe beef in a newspaper and was instantaneously set on trying this hip and loungey restaurant. In celebration of my brother’s 21^st birthday (a.k.a. coming of age), my family and I decided to give this place a go. With empty stomachs and hungry eyes, we were ready to enjoy a feast.
The dimly lighted room paired with fluffy pillows that were reminiscent of those an Arabic princess would have adorning her room, I was quite impressed of my dad’s selection. Brownie points here!
Now, on to what matters most. The food.
Their Yellow tail Jalapeño appetizer was quite delightful. Buttery, soft, fresh fish topped with one small sliced circular jalapeño (which mind you, is not for consuming less your tongue is made of steel) was deliciousssssss.
Their Monkey Brain Sushi Roll was even more delightful! Don’t mind the name… a deep fried, panko crusted sushi filled w/​avocado, rice, crab meat and assorted pieces of a delicious filling concoction of *goodness* didn’t fail to blow my mind away.
The buttered lobster and scallop entrée and assorted sushi platter were also quite impressive. But WAIT. The main star of this dinner, aside from the bday boy of course, was… dun dun dun… THE KOBE BEEFFFFFF!!! Tender, buttery, melt in your mouth strips of beef accompanied with wasabi flavored, creamy mashed potatoes were ahhhh just sooo gooodddd. My only gripe about this dish is the price, but since I hear that Kobe beef is all around expensive, how can I pass up on such great quality tasting meats?
If not for the Kobe, I highly recommend the sushi. So fresh. You can almost taste the ocean breeze.

I went again this past Friday night and it was not crackin’. This time, my friend and I ordered the Tuna Pizza ($ 9), which was really good — just as good as the Monkey Brains. Maybe ’cause it was the day before 4^th of July but the place was pretty empty compared to the last time I went.
I think I’d come here early more for the food than to «club».

Maikobe is a nice new addition to Pasadena. I met others here this evening for a casual gathering and had a nice time. Unfortunately, I didn’t eat any of the entrees, as I only had juice and desserts. Oh my, the desserts were very good. I’m a fan of green tea and the green tea ice cream that Maikobe served was intense! Usually, I don’t eat ice cream, as I’m a sorbet fan, but after a taste of this green tea ice cream my palate wanted more.
This place is really decent. The big screen television, nice and attentive staff, and location will help Maikobe to be a popular restaurant in the not– too-​distant future. Though they recently opened, I see great potential for them and a return visit from me.

I work a few blocks from this place, and I’ve been trying to go there, but after reading some reviews about the place on here, I was a bit scared to, especially since it’s a new restaurant. But I just sucked it up and went there today for lunch.
my disclaimer: i went during lunch during the week. most places in old town Pasadena are half empty for lunch during the week except for cheesecake factory. So i wasn’t completely surprised that it was rather empty. And they just opened not too long ago.
I have to say, they are a new restaurant, I’m not expecting them to be perfect or established. They will need the time for growing pains. But I didn’t see much of the typical newbie mistakes. If I go back in a few months and it’s gotten worse/​not better, then I’ll revisit my review then.
I got the Hibachi Teriyaki Chicken. I chose to sit at a table and have them bring it out to me instead of sitting in front of the teppan grill. I felt kinda silly to have them do all of that for just me. I was dining alone and on my lunch break.
Honestly, the food wasn’t that bad, not like how some people have commented. I did not like the soup though. I don’t know what kind it was. They have four kinds of sauce for the hibachi food. They took the typical ginger and pink (seafood) sauce and added in the sauce they have at Benihanna that’s brown and one of their own, a spicy pink sauce. I usually judge a teppan place by how good their pink sauce is, and it was par.
And the service was fine. It wasn’t horrible. Granted, I did go during lunch and not at a crazy weekend dinner time. Maybe they were a bit more relaxed because it wasn’t as hectic. Who knows. I’ll have to come at dinner time to see how it is.
It was 8 bucks for my chicken hibachi dinner. I didn’t purchase a drink and I didn’t have any sushi, so obviously my bill isn’t going to be outrageous. For what I wanted and what I expected, it was good. Can’t complain. It might be my place to go during lunch when I want teppan food.
Price: par with other restaurants of this sort.
ambiance: it’s actually quite nice décor.
service: good. didn’t have any issues.
overall: I gave it 3 stars because it wasn’t spectacular and I don’t know if I would come here as often as some of the other places I give 4 stars to. But I think time will tell.