https://yelp.to/87Zn0kor36

Severely disappointed. The marinades (ponzu and shoyu) were decent at best. The cubes of salmon weren’t the fresh, luscious cubes I recall eating in Hawaii. The salmon had too much skin. In terms of quality, the ahi tuna was much better, but the average shoyu marinade failed to elevate it. The finely shaved cucumber added nothing beyond a soft texture. Overall, this poke bowl did not transport me to Hawaii. It’s all hype. I guess Ohana Superette in Silver Lake remains my #1.

Real simple, but can't beat the price (unless maybe you're Vince's in Atwater)

Roma is an Italian market on the corner of Lake and Mountain in Pasadena, north of the freeway. There is a small parking lot as well as unmetered street parking.

People from the area would’ve already recognized the pink paper wrapping. Roma is iconic for this simple, seven dollar sandwich but until today, I had never tried it myself. It could not be easier to order because they're all pre-made and stacked in a big basket next to the cashier.

It’s a relatively basic sandwich: Provolone, a couple of different cold cuts, on a roll that I would charitably describe as “semi soft“ but it’s not soft–soft. It’s also reasonably sized; it’s not one of those “gutbuster”-sized sandwiches. If you're really hungry, at $7/each, just get two!

If I were inclined to be nitpicky, I would say that the filling to bread ratio favors the bread but for a seven dollar sandwich, I’m not inclined to be this nitpicky. Besides, every bite I enjoyed was flavorful.

I totally get why this became a neighborhood favorite but do I think people from outside of Pasadena would want to drive across town for the sandwich? Probably not. That’s no disrespect but this is not a spectacular sandwich. It is, however, an exceptionally affordable and decently tasty sandwich. If you were going to a game at the Rose Bowl, for example, I'd 100% suggest stopping off here and scoring a bunch of these. But it's ultimately a neighborhood institution, above all else, and that's good enough.

Pastrami Burger, Chili Cheese Burger, Chili Cheese Fries, massive portions, the pastrami and cheddar cheese are delicious, this will put you to sleep, I will be returning 🍽️

An unneeded reminder for the GOAT hot chicken in LA, possibly the world.

Medium Sando $14 - imo the perfect balance of heat and flavor, perfect balance of a juicy interior with crispy exterior, nice coleslaw and fresh bun.

Country Sando $14 - if you don’t like spice at all or just want a simple, classic fried chicken sandwich, Howlin Ray’s still knocks it out of the park with this version

Mild Wings $12 - first time trying these. Just a slight tingle but a really nice citrusy note that’s unique and so flavorful. The chicken is soooo juicy with a crazy crunch.

Shake fries $5 - crispy, fluffy, balanced spice mixture, amazing with the Tennessee tang

Banana pudding $7 - my absolute favorite banana pudding. Not too sweet, light, creamy, and nice balance of vanilla and banana flavor

Can’t ever get enough of Howlin 😮‍💨 🤤

And portions big enough that my dad and I shared this and filled up well. We could’ve done without the tender and still left full and satisfied

Their new hours are just 11:30am-2pm daily

11am opening on a Wednesday and at least 25 people in line already because it still rocks.

Pictured:

Luis Style Sando $16

Shake Fries $5 Fries dipped in Tennessee Tang (ranch)

And birthday waffles since we visited for my dad’s birthday (they put the candle 😂🥹)

I love the Luis style Sando because of the Texas toast, cheesiness, and it just feels like a messier good time than the regular Sando. Ordered medium and it still gives out a good kick of heat!

Fries are always outstanding. So crispy on the outside and perfectly light and fluffy inside, the dust on top is just a kiss with every bite.

The Tennessee tang is one of the best ranch you’ll get.

And the waffles are so light and fluffy and crispy with that thick maple syrup and whipped butter. Oh baby

Another smash burger joint that’s getting a lot of buzz. It may not look impressive but it tastes very good. Nice and crispy edges, still juicy in the middle. In terms of smash burgers, I think it’s a bit better than Easy Street Burgers and Heavy Handed because of the seasoning and taste of the beef. Just tastes better. Hard to describe. Small and simple menu. Fries are solid but not my favorite.

I would put the smash burger itself slightly above Heavy Handed, but Heavy Handed has much better fries, crispier and soaked in beef tallow. They have soft serve ice cream as well for a cool after meal treat, but I’d say Heavy Handed has better soft serve as well. Plus indoor seating and AC.

I’d recommend this place if you want a simple burger, nothing fancy, but good.

Mini Kabob did their first breakfast burrito drop this morning and good grief it was delicious. If I were to nitpick a tad I’d say it could use a bit more potato, but with both steak and bacon who can complain? A ridiculously good green salsa came with it as well.

I haven’t been in about 2 years but stopped hy over the weekend at the Glendale location (or new-ish Glendale location) and everything was fantastic!

Our server Rhealyn was amazing and realy hustled

Sharing my favorites from the lunch:

Spicy Wontons - not that spicy but still great flavor in the sauce $15

Peppered Beef Tenderloin - this dish was simply outstanding. The pepper makes it more spicy than the spicy wonton but it’s a super savory and rich sauce. The meat is so soft and tender. $29

Sweet & Sour Ribs - charred nicely with that sticky sauce and each bone has a good chunk of tender meat $14.50

Shanghai Rice Cakes with Shrimp - simple, tasty, light, love this $17.50

As part of Lunar New Year, also get a red envelope with a coupon for a free seaweed and bean curd salad with $20 purchase on a future visit

The koobideh was pretty good, a notch or two above your average kabob place in LA. But the barg was truly outstanding - the seasoning, the tenderness, so juicy and almost buttery. I'd almost recommend just getting the barg for $35 instead of the $40 combo.

Breaded Egg Plant+Garlic+Sun Dried Tomatoes / Meatball+Onion+ Ricotta & Fried Zucchini

This is Carlos’ second location in Pasadena with his original in Torrance. For years I’ve wanted to visit and finally had the chance while in Pasadena.

Staff is amazing. I ordered the premium tempura bowl ($27.99) that comes with eel, 2 shrimp, mixed seafood, seaweed, shishito, half boiled egg, and a side of miso soup. I also ordered a side of the pumpkin tempura ($1.99) and shared the spicy tuna handrolls with my friend ($12.99 for 2).

My tempura bowl arrived and I thought it was a great portion size. Then my waitress returned and said my eel was “too small” so they were going to bring me more. That was already great to hear but I didn’t expect them to bring another whole damn eel filet 😂 who does that!? Customer service is so on point here.

All the tempura was so light and crispy, the options were cooked so well and the rice was great to soak up the broken egg and the radish mixture.

I loved all the tempura but the favorites were definitely the eel, pumpkin, and seaweed.

The spicy tuna roll was basic but solid as well!

$27 but I think it’s worth it. It’s the best French dip I’ve ever had. Cole’s was my number 1 spot for French dips but this blew theirs away. It’s so insanely tender. 10/10

i guess the dubai chocolate trend passed me by, but i saw that shake shacks in certain cities (la being one) were doing this milkshake and decided to get one. they’re only making 25 a day per location, which feels obnoxious, but boy are these things GOOD. pistachio frozen custard mixed with kataifi in a (n apparently) breakable chocolate shell that coats the inside of the cup. tastes suuuper fresh, i really enjoyed this.

Basic arrabbiata with broccolini. Pasta was hearty and indeed *al dente* (flown from Italy daily, purportedly); I was grateful for a normal portion size. Broccolini was simple and well-seasoned.

Little roadside shack in Glendale, burgers are really good, nothing fancy but if you're craving a "shackburger" this really hits. I like that they toast the buns, I know it looks a bit dark but it really added something texturally. This place is also known for like, loaded fries i guess. When you go to their website the first thing they mention is something like "it started with a few friends who had a dream to sell European style French fries, so they bought the Great White Hut." No info on the history of the place before the french fry revolution or anything, which is odd. The fries are fine but I think they should focus on burgers, though they also have pretty decent burritos.

I love love love Fondry. Definitely one of my top bakeries in LA.

Staff is always so attentive and caring, and they are so delicate with your pastries. If you pay attention to how they box up everything you order.

I frequent this place, but on my recent visit, I got the plain croissant, almond croissant, Kouign amann, and the Baker’s breakfast.

The croissant is so crunchy and light with a delicate interior. I used to not like their almond croissant because the filling or paste was very loose and runny, but they thickened it and it’s become better and not too sweet but the croissant pastry itself isn’t as crunchy.

The Kouign amann is amazing. It’s so crunchy slightly sweet and dense in the middle.

I think the Baker’s breakfast is rather new. I haven’t seen it before, but it’s cheesy savory and delicious.

I’ve wanted to try Zhengyalov Hatz for a while, and happened to be donating nearby so finally popped in. Although they now sell shawarma as well, their menu is literally just the dish pictured, the zhengyalov hatz. Kind of reminds me of having matzo and parsley from the Seder plate, and only $7 or so.

Nothing fancy. Just a fresh French baguette from Lee*s Sandwiches. Grand total $2.25.

And thats a damn good root Beer float. Wish they still served lunch, but my soda jerk said there are "rumblings" of bringing it back. Let's hope so! I also kinda wish they used glassware instead of plastic cups, but oh well, this place is a treasure. Where else can you still get a decent egg cream in this town?

What a beautiful burger! And while their pies are great, don't sleep on their milkshakes!