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  • Maison Akira

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Maison Akira
Maison Akira

Maison Akira Details

  • Dining Style: Fine Dining
  • Website: http://www.maisonakira.net
  • Phone: (626) 796-9501
  • Hours of Operation: Lunch:Friday: 11:30am - 2:00pm; Dinner: Tuesday - Thursday: 5:30pm - 9:00pm, Friday - Saturday: 5:30pm - 9:30pm, Sunday: 5:00pm - 8:00pm; Brunch: Sunday: 11:00am - 2:00pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: French, Japanese
  • Executive Chef: Akira Hirose
  • Dress Code: Business Casual
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Fireplace, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wine
  • Catering: Chef Hirose will come and cater an elegant meal in your home. Please see http://www.maisonakira.com for contact information and pricing.
  • Private Party Facilities: We can accommodate parties from 20-50 people with advanced booking arrangements. Please call the restaurant for more information and availability.

Getting there

  • Cross Street: El Molino
  • Parking: Public Lot
  • Parking Details: We validate for 1 hour free with dinner in the Arcade Lane Parking lot adjacent to our restaurant.
A word from Maison Akira
Owner and Chef, Akira Hirose, has created an exquisite menu featuring French cuisine with a Japanese flair.…
In this casual, but elegant atmosphere, one can experience fine dining with an international flair. Akira takes personal interest in preparing each selection with the freshest ingredients for a culinary delight. Entrees include, Miso Marinated Grilled Chilean Sea Bass and Roasted Rack of Lamp in a Rosemary Sauce.Continued
Foodspotting photos
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Overall
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Food
  • Diners' Choice WinnerFrench
Diner Reviews
  • "The food was exceptional as it always is. I truly enjoy the details even during restaurant week. My sashimi appetizer with the sweetened black beans, a two layer 1/2 inch cube of greenish gelee (I think flavored from seaweed) and topped with two sauces was a culinary treat! However, this time I felt like the service was not particularly friendly. I was appalled at the $9 per bottle cost of sparkling water and we had 3 bottles between 6 people. The restaurant has a strict corkage fee/rule and makes it difficult for wine enthusiasts, like us, to bring and enjoy several bottles of wine. I hope they will reconsider and allow for exceptions from time to time as we have no problems spending our money on food!"
    Dined on 7/26/2014
  • "Dinner was great but I felt the service was rushed. They opened our wine and less than a minute later, they brought out the appetizer. We were still enjoying our appetizer and they brought out th entree. I just wished service of the courses were timed a bit longer..."
    Dined on 7/24/2014
  • "I like old school restaurants that have an elegant ambience about them. This was one. It has history, there are photos of the Emperor of Japan visiting amongst others. The food was very good but not outrageously amazing as I was expecting. The service was good, if a little pushy. Refilling water when a mouthful is gone from the glass, taking plates one second after only one of the diners is finished eating, bringing the cheque before we have asked for it. Please quit these habits America. It is rude and makes one feel unwelcome. A dine and dash experience is not why we came. When you bring the cheque we don't order more wine, dessert or tea. When you take one plate away the other diner feels like they are being watched while they eat."
    Dined on 7/24/2014
  • "Ww used to like Maison Akira for fish, but the sea bass was disappointing in preparation and the plate as a whole. Definitely not up to the past."
    Dined on 7/22/2014
  • "This restaurant has the best and most innovative food of all the restaurants in the Pasadena, CA area."
    Dined on 7/22/2014
  • "The side vegetables that came with the Kobe were ok. The mash potatoes were very boring. Scallops and eggplant were delicious. The interior dining area could use a make over."
    Dined on 7/19/2014
  • "Thanks for participating in DinrLA. What a great way to experience a skillfully prepared meal."
    Dined on 7/19/2014
  • "I have dined at several Michelin restaurants in the US as well as Paris and Rome. The food for the Dine LA event was a three course tasting menu for $45/person. The starter, tuna sashimi was average, as was the chilean seabass entree. The desert tiramisu was good, but the quality and presentation of the food was almost the level of a diner than a michelin restaurant. The sommelier was the star of the night as she was very friendly and helped us select a great bottle of wine. Too bad the food did not live up to the par in any way imaginable."
    Dined on 7/18/2014
  • " I had ate here before for lunch and brunch, and both times were good. So I decided to try the Dine LA Dinner menu, and it did not disappoint. The soft shell Crab Tempura was good, and the Chilean Sea Bass was excellent, cooked to perfection. It truly stands as a signature dish worth trying. Dessert of chocolate Creme Brulee and Matcha Macaron was a great finisher. Service was excellent and attentive. Overall, a great dining experience that I would highly recommend."
    Dined on 7/17/2014
  • "I took my boyfriend out to Maison Akira for a romantic dinner during Dine LA on July 16. We have both driven by the restaurant many times but had never gone there. The food and service were excellent. He opted for the Sautéed Hokkaido Scallops while I had the Seared Tuna Sashimi for our appetizers. The scallops were cooked just right and the tuna melted like butter in my mouth. For the entrée I had the Grilled Miso Marinated Chilean Sea Bass which was delectable. My bf opted for the Angus Chateau Beef Steak. We both enjoyed the Crème Brûlêe for dessert. We took our own wine with us and paid just $15 for a corkage fee. One thing we particularly liked is that our waitress gave us breathing room between courses. Wonderful ambience."
    Dined on 7/16/2014
  • "Well done - excellent food, presented nicely. Good service. Will be there again soon"
    Dined on 7/13/2014
  • "Service was lovely as well as food. However, it should be noted that the clientele is decidedly older. Not one review I've read ever mentioned how conservative this restaurant was. In our mid thirties, we were the youngest by a long shot. It was a primarily 50+ crowd. Not an issue for us, but just want to be up front for folks. I think this is more of a "nice place for dinner with your parents" vs. night out with gals or date night."
    Dined on 6/29/2014
  • "Great location, easy parking, good service - staff very attentive (they love to fill those water glasses) and tremendous food. Special touches makes this restaurant a no brainer for a special occasion night out."
    Dined on 6/28/2014
  • "I Say this is more of a Romantic place, above anything else, because your focus needs to be on your wife in order to overlook the horrible food. We have been to places that, no matter what you order, you are instantly wowed. We enjoy exploring places we've never been to, but after this place we will stop."
    Dined on 6/22/2014
  • "Foodies, you will not be disappointed! We ate here before a show at the Pasadena Playhouse, which is only a block away. Our food arrived very timely. The wait staff was attentive without being disruptive, very professional! Everything we ordered was excellent. I took a chance on the Baked Alaska, having never had one before, and was extremely pleased with it! I ordered the 4 course meal with matched wine selections; good job me for ordering it but better job Maison Akira! We will be back!"
    Dined on 6/20/2014
  • "I found it on yelps。And this place is really nice and quiet。 The service is very good。 They will tell u about the food made with something。I was full when I finish dinner。The price is ok。Almost 60dollars per one。"
    Dined on 6/15/2014
  • "Lovely restaurant, walking distance to the Playhouse, and the food is outstanding."
    Dined on 6/15/2014
  • "Enjoyed the Father's Day buffet. Food is definitely better when ordered off the menu but still great quality buffet."
    Dined on 6/15/2014
  • "Our meal was wonderful! We especially liked the soft shell crab, duck and rib eye. Our only complaint was the very long wait between the first course and main course. It was well over 30 minutes with no apology or update on where our food was. (This is why I only gave service 3 stars. It would have been 5 had we not had the long wait)"
    Dined on 6/14/2014
  • "We were there on 06/13/2014. The restaurant is situated at a very quiet part of Pasadena. Green Street is my favorite. The atmosphere and background music is romantic. We sat at the window as we requested. And what a moment we had! The wine guy is French and extremely knowledgeable and friendly. And that was only lunch! What I like about this restaurant is the wine pairing. I have never seen another restaurant within the continental U.S. that pairs wine to its food so meticulously close! Amazing! For all the above reasons, I come back again and again!"
    Dined on 6/13/2014
  • "Went with 3 people, did the chef choice 7 course person, appearance of food looks great, but the taste is not so good actually the taste was not even good. Only the main dish was really good, but 5 out of 7 dishes, the food was not good. All of us agreed and the waiter tried to help us and is very nice and see if we wanted to change to other things, but after the 4th dish, we don't believe the chef can do anything to make up in a bad tasting experience. Was very expensive too, over $80 a person. I would not recommend Chefs choice, may want to stick with the classic dishes."
    Dined on 6/12/2014
  • "Love that they give you the option of a regular portion or a smaller portion for the entree. The rack of lamb was excellent. I had the duck breast with a scrumptious sauce. Excellent. The veggies and potato were not as good. Couldn't decide between three wines so the waiter (at his suggestion) brought three glasses with a taste of each. I was very impressed by that! We had a very enjoyable meal!"
    Dined on 6/11/2014
  • "The environment was great. Our server, Sergio was awesome. The food was good. The dessert, Alaskan is a little bit too sweet and the flame added was burning the cake which affect the look a lot. I have had Alaskan at a seafood restaurant in San Diego, it was not like that. The flame will die itself and it just added a glaze outside the meringue. Overall, the dessert part is little bit disappointed."
    Dined on 6/7/2014
  • "Ranks as my favorite for almost a decade. Always a great experience and food is to die for!"
    Dined on 6/6/2014
  • "What an excellent find! Very good ambiance and romantic for all of you planning to go here on a date! The building on the outside is made up of red bricks but I believe that the building itself has a lot of personality. The environement indoors is romantic, nice, and relaxing. The service was very good and waiters were quick to cater to your needs. Price is also very reasonable for a find dining restaurant. Actally in comparison with other fine dining places price actually is cheap. Food was excellent and different since it is French/Japanese fusion. 1 star was docked because food lacked an impact when you first bite into it. Also frech onion soup was ordinary and there was nothing that set it apart from any other restaurants."
    Dined on 5/21/2014
  • "First visit. Beautiful, elegant yet comfortable room. The brunch had good variety including a carving station of very good quality beef /lamb, nigiri sushi and everything was delicious. Will be back soon. BTW: the price of the brunch is VERY reasonable."
    Dined on 5/18/2014
  • "Dinner was overall excellent. We appreciated to lower noise level despite the restaurant's being full. We were able to converse in normal tones with our friends. Service and food were top notch. Good ingredients and careful presentation. Nothing cutting edge but that is not what this restaurant is about. We liked it for what it is, a classy, comfortable place."
    Dined on 5/17/2014
  • "This is our second time here. The first time the food and service was delightful. This time we felt neglected the whole time. The server was missing most of the time. I specified when I ordered how I wanted my meat cooked. When it was served it was so undercooked that it was still cold. I ask for it to be cooked longer. When it was returned less than a minute later it was obvious that it was just tossed back on the plate with no care for presentation. What a waste of time and money. Thy will not see us here again. "
    Dined on 5/17/2014
  • "We had the set menu on Mother's Day this year. In fact, set menu is the only thing available. Maison Akira has been around for many years, most patrons are return customers. My miso sea bass was delicious and we are quite happy with the meal. "
    Dined on 5/11/2014
  • "I wanted to celebrate my wife's first Mother's Day and I couldn't think of a better place than Maison Akira. We have dined here several times before already, so we are already familiar with the food - French with Japanese influences - and how great it is. Everything we ate here to date has been excellent and the service is outstanding. It's definitely a first-class restaurant. Since it was Mother's Day, they had a special 3-course menu. We ordered different items for each course, my wife had the braised pork appetizer and scallops entree and I had the duck/kale salad and steak/shrimp entree. They were all delicious. The dessert tray with a sampler of 4 items was very good as well. Overall, a very satisfying lunch and a very memorable day."
    Dined on 5/11/2014
  • "I tried to email before but your site somehow stopped working and my detailed email was lost. in short the service was not acceptable for the amount we paid for mother's day."
    Dined on 5/11/2014
  • "This place is fantastic! One of the best dining experienced I've had. Every bite was perfect, I will be returning to stis restaurant. "
    Dined on 5/10/2014
  • "We went them on Sat. before Mother's Day, so there's only one menu available for $70 per person. The so called signature dish, the Chilean Sea Bass, was too salty. My husband said his salad appetizer was just so-so. We had 4 adults and 1 kid ( my little 4-year-old had her salmon dish at $35 ), so the total came to $400. Totally not worth it. Please take your money somewhere else."
    Dined on 5/10/2014
  • "Good food-great service-time to refresh the interior"
    Dined on 5/8/2014
  • "this a special occasion place ,soft music restaurant for adullts."
    Dined on 5/6/2014
  • "The food is fantastic, the wine is mostly French, but prefer to have more international selection, like Chilean and New Zealand as an example. "
    Dined on 4/29/2014
  • "We dined at Akira for the first time on our wedding anniversary, and it was a great choice. Waitstaff were attentive and knowledgeable, the food was truly excellent, and the atmosphere quiet and old-fashioned. We'll be dining there again, often!"
    Dined on 4/27/2014
  • "I have been dining here for 20 years and noted the restaurant has maintained high food and service quality. Impressive wine list. For the bargain hunters, lunch and Sunday brunch are a steal. "
    Dined on 4/25/2014
  • "The food was unique and excellent, the service was attentive but not overbearing. But here's the kicker - you can hear yourself talk. It's quiet. I wasn't sure this still existed! But not cheap."
    Dined on 4/12/2014
  • "The ambience was very nice. The food interesting and tasty. But the service was slow and not as attentive as it should be."
    Dined on 4/9/2014
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Diners' Choice Awards
  • Los Angeles / Orange County Winners
  • French
  • Pasadena / San Gabriel Winners
  • Best Overall
  • Best Food
  • Romantic
Learn more ›