Tokoro Japanese

From South Pas Wiki

You know, I really, really want to like Tokoro. It's got a lot of things going for it. Nice and modern, sleek and clean, it's directly across from Wild Thyme on Fair Oaks, convenient and easy to get to, though parking can be a hassle.

Its food is certainly a notch up from its main competitor, Ai Japanese down by the Rialto Theater. But only a notch. It does have a good selection of cheap but tasty and fresh sushi, a larger selection than Ai. The other dishes (the standard teriyaki, etc.) are fine, no standouts, but they work.

You do have to contend with those damnable televisions mounted on the ceilings, that most modern Asian restaurants seem to love. Though the sound is down low enough to ignore, the stations they tune into use flashy graphics (mostly music videos, though some sports too), so the screens constantly clamor for your attention. This is not especially conducive to a nice romantic evening out.

One other thing, they keep changing owners. At least I think they do; they always have a "Under New Management" sign out every time I come by. And every time I go in there, it's not that busy, and perhaps that's because the parking isn't plentiful and easy, and perhaps it's just a bad location, so the owners tend to sell out after they try to give it a go and fail. Too bad, because this place has some potential. It just needs time and some fine tuning to get it right.

[edit] Address

Tokoro Japanese Restaurant
802 Fair Oaks Ave.
South Pasadena, CA 91030
(626) 403-2542
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