New Pasadena Restaurants to Watch: Late October 2026

This edition of the dining roundup covers the Pasadena restaurants that are newest and most talked about as the month turns: the hand-roll bar from the Sugarfish family that critics keep calling a winner, the upscale Mexican room that opened One Colorado's year, the South Pasadena Thai street-food stall drawing its first reviews, and the original Panda Inn, refreshed after five decades on East Foothill. Every pick below was verified on September 25, 2026 against the restaurant's own site, a published opening announcement, or a recent review, and each entry names its neighborhood and what makes it worth your night out. Your host is Alejandro Espitia, Broker Associate and REALTOR with Apex Realty and Investments, California license 01213999, with 18+ years of experience across Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Riverside, in English and Spanish.

KazuNori: Sugarfish's hand-roll bar lands on East Colorado

KazuNori, the counter-only hand-roll bar from the Sushi Nozawa Group, the same family behind Sugarfish, opened its Pasadena room at 635 E. Colorado Boulevard in the Playhouse Village stretch, the group's eighth KazuNori and a short walk from the sister Sugarfish on the same street. Pasadena Star News critic Merrill Shindler called the room often busy, with good reason, and it holds a roughly 4.5-star crowd rating on Yelp, where reviewers call it one of the most reliable spots for high-quality hand rolls in town. Seating is counter-only and the room fills fast at opening; online takeout is available for cut rolls. Call (626) 657-4304.

Javier's: elevated Mexican arrives at One Colorado

Javier's, the upscale Mexican restaurant group from owners Mark Post and Javier Sosa, opened its Pasadena outpost in December 2025 at 24 W. Union Street in One Colorado, in the former Il Fornaio space. It is the group's eighth location and one of three in Los Angeles County, and Localemagazine covered the opening as a grand entrance pairing handcrafted cocktails, refined cuisine, and elegant design. Expect hand-shaken margaritas, a rare-tequila program, and a menu built around dishes like queso fundido, the Maine lobster enchilada, and skirt steak, with the room opening onto the One Colorado courtyard. Pasadena Now has also noted Javier's bar program hosting the district's concert series, which makes it a useful pre- or post-show stop.

Jay Ann Thai Street Food: real spice in South Pasadena

Jay Ann Thai Street Food at 711 Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite M in South Pasadena is the newest casual Thai room in the area, and The Infatuation flagged it in its Los Angeles new-openings guide for promising real street food with real spice. The dining room is dressed like a Thai hawker stall, with Thai flags and street-food touches, and the menu runs a wide span of Thai dishes. It is an easy pre-show stop before Sid The Cat, a short walk up the same street, and one more sign of the Fair Oaks corridor's momentum. Call (626) 441-5348.

The original Panda Inn, refreshed

Visit Pasadena's new-restaurants list reports that the original Panda Inn on East Foothill Boulevard, the room where the Panda family story began in 1973, has reopened with a revamped look: a new sushi bar, a garden patio, and private dining rooms. It is a piece of Pasadena food history, still pouring its classics in the room that launched one of the country's best-known restaurant families. Why it stays on this list: it is the rare refresh where the old neighborhood address gets a second act rather than a teardown.

Still on the list from earlier editions

For the record, the rooms from earlier editions keep their momentum: Cheesesteaks by Matu's elevated cheesesteak counter at 625B E. Colorado Boulevard, THAIM's Old Bangkok street food at One Colorado, Tosakko's tonkotsu ramen near the Civic Center, and Pez Coastal Kitchen's dry-aged fish at 61 N. Raymond Avenue are all still running strong, and Lodge Bread Company's fourth bakery lands on Lincoln Avenue in early November 2026. This edition focuses on what regular readers had not seen yet, so those rooms get a one-line recap rather than a re-review.

Where the picks are verified

• KazuNori Pasadena, official site
• Sugarfish group's KazuNori hand-roll bar opens in Pasadena, L.A. Business First
• Sushi hand rolls are all winners at this Pasadena restaurant, Pasadena Star News
• Javier's Pasadena, official site
• Javier's Makes Its Grand Entrance in Pasadena, Localemagazine
• Jay Ann Thai Street Food, The Infatuation review
• Visit Pasadena, new restaurants and food trends

What the new tables say about a neighborhood

New restaurants are the fastest pulse of a neighborhood. A hand-roll bar committing to the Playhouse Village blocks, an upscale Mexican room anchoring One Colorado's courtyard, and a Thai street-food stall finding its first audience on the Fair Oaks corridor all point to streets with foot traffic, patio weather, and the resale story that comes with it. When you tour Pasadena, eat your way through the town: Playhouse Village for the newest counters, Old Pasadena for the courtyard rooms, and South Pasadena for the spillover. Alejandro Espitia of Apex Realty and Investments brings 18+ years of local real estate and home financing experience to that decision, in English or Spanish, for buyers, sellers, and investors across Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Riverside.

Curious which Pasadena neighborhood fits your budget and your dining habits? Text Alejandro at 626-314-9170, or use the form below to leave your name, email, and optional phone number, and the Find Homes and Loans desk will reply personally.

Written by

Alejandro Espitia

Real Estate Professional · Apex Realty & Investments

Meet the author

This guide is for general information, and is not mortgage, legal, or tax advice. Loan products and rates vary by lender, and all terms come from the lender, never from this website.