It was our turn to drive over and visit our friends in Pasadena, and it had been since before the pandemic that we had seen them. They ended up recommending a new Sushi Bar that opened up nearby, Sushi Kisen.
It turns out Sushi Kisen is helmed by Sushi Chef Hiro Yamada, who previously worked at local spots Sushi Gen and Shiki (Beverly Hills). Walking in, it’s a massive Sushi Bar, powered by 4(!) Sushi Chefs, in addition to a large area for tables.
For Lunch, they offer a variety of Small Plates, Tempura, Lunch Specials, and Sushi by the piece, rolls, etc.
Nidako (Simmered, Seared Tender Octopus):
Wow. There’s a reason our waitress recommended this dish, saying it was it was a house specialty. Surprisingly tender, flavorful bites of Simmered Octopus, definitely a very good dish.
Sushi Lunch:
The Sushi Lunch Combo arrives with 3 small bites: Housemade Pickles, Ohitashi (Simmered Spinach) and Housemade Tofu. All 3 small bites were solid and well-made. No issues.
The Sushi Lunch Combo was… very reminiscent of Sushi Gen (the popular, mediocre Little Tokyo Sushi spot). At $19.50 it’s a huge value, but there are issues. The Fish was all generally fresh, but some pieces like the Tai (Red Snapper) and Hamachi (Yellowtail) were dryish. The Shari (Sushi Rice) tasted pre-made, it was dryish, clumpy, and not very good. 
But again, $19.50 for all this food? You can see why it was ordered a lot (many tables had this).
A La Carte Sushi:
Kohada (Gizzard Shad):
Piquant, overly vinegared, salty, the Kohada itself was poor compared to the best places around town, however the Sushi Rice was dramatically better on this special individual order (we ordered it after the Lunch Combo). You can taste that this was made-to-order, and the Rice tasted nothing like the Sushi Lunch Combo. It wasn’t top tier, but much better.
Sayori (Needle Fish):
The Sayori was fine, but again, the Sushi Rice was dramatically better in this special, one-off order, compared to what was in the Sushi Lunch Combo. This gave us hope that their Dinner Omakase might be worth trying.
Iwashi (Sardine):
Briny, but a bit flat. It lacked the unctuousness and greatness of the best versions around town.
2nd Visit:
We found ourselves needing to drop off stuff to some other friends in the SGV, so it was time for a 2nd visit during Lunch.
Tempura Moriawase (Assorted Tempura):
A decent fry. It arrived piping hot, but the actual batter was a bit too thick, and it was a bit oily after eating a few pieces.
Negitoro (Fatty Bluefin Tuna with Green Onion):
Their Negitoro Cut Roll had soft, soggy Seaweed wrappers. But the actual flavor of the Negitoro (Fatty Bluefin Tuna and Green Onions) was fine. Tasty.
Ohitashi (Simmered Spinach with Dashi):
Nicely executed version, no complaints. Good Spinach infused with a medium salinity Dashi. The Katsuobushi (Shaved Bonito Flakes) and Sesame Seeds are always a great pairing.
Salmon Saikyoyaki:
In a bit of a surprise, instead of the traditional Gindara Saikyoyaki (Black Cod with Saikyo Miso), they use Salmon. It still works, and the Saikyo Miso imparts a rich, fragrant, umami flavor in each bite.
A La Carte Sushi:
Wanting to see if the reason the Sushi Lunch Combo was so mediocre was due to pre-made Sushi Rice, or maybe pre-cut pieces(?), we decided to order a few pieces A La Carte to see if it made a difference and construct our own “Sushi Lunch Combo.”
Akami Bluefin Tuna:
First, the Sushi Rice was definitely better than ordering the Sushi Lunch Combo. You could taste some definition in the grains, it still wasn’t top tier, but adequate and much better than the Combo Rice. The Akami meat was balanced and vibrant.
Shima Aji (Jack Mackerel):
A nice combo of lean and fat here, decent for lunch, but the cut and overall Sushi Rice undermined greatness. Sourcing was also decent at best.
Saba (Mackerel):
Briny, overly vinegared like the Kohada we had previously, the Saba (Mackerel) was fine for a casual Sushi Lunch, but at least it was better ordering a la carte, compared to what we got previously in the Sushi Lunch Combo.
Kinmedai (Golden Eye Snapper):
A bit soft, mushy, but still fresh. It just lacked the fat and lean balance and texture of the best versions around town.
Hotate (Scallops):
Silky and very fresh. Delicious. 
Yaki Shishamo (Grilled Smelt Fish with Eggs):
Oceanic (in a good way), crisped, smoky, and nicely grilled.
Deluxe Chirashi Lunch:
Seeing that they offered a Chirashi Bowl for Lunch, we were curious how this would turn out compared to all the wonderful Chirashi we’ve had during the last few years (from top Sushi-Yas doing Chirashi for Lunch). This was fine. It turns out Sushi Kisen is serving Sashimi slices over Rice as Chirashi, vs. some interpretations locally that have the smaller bites of Fish more mixed up.
It was basically a Sashimi Bowl, and you got some thick pieces of fresh Fish over warm Rice.
Chicken Karaage:
The positive: Their Japanese Fried Chicken (Boneless) arrived searing hot out of the fryer to our table. Unfortunately, the Chicken meat was a bit stringy(!), overly salted, and the batter was soft.
Negihama Roll (Yellowtail with Green Onion):
Their Nori (Seaweed) wrapper continues to be a weak spot, soft and chewy. The Yellowtail and Green Onion combo is normally a winning combination, but here it was lacking any pop, soft, mild and with clumpy rice.
3rd Visit (Dinner):
For our 3rd visit, we wanted to see how Dinner Omakase (Chef’s Choice) might turn out. We had asked to be seated in front of main Chef Hiro Yamada, but a mixup resulted in us being seated elsewhere, in front of a Taka-san, who was accommodating, but ended up being the 3rd Chef out of 4(!) in the massive Sushi Bar. It definitely felt like a factory at times, with all 4 Sushi Chefs making not only Omakase for the guests in front of themselves, but also churning out table orders for Dinner Sushi requests at the back tables.
Perusing their Sake List, and it was massively underwhelming. A bunch of mediocre offerings, and then 3 bottles at the end in the $900 range(!), clearly for ballers (with the usual suspect Dassai Beyond leading that section). We ended up trying:
Fukukomachi - Junmai Ginjo Sake (Akita, Japan):
A light fruitiness, decent mouthfeel, and an OK finish (somewhat dry) this was fine, but there weren’t that many choices.
Aji no Tataki - Horse Mackerel - Kyushu, Japan:
The opening bite of the Omakase Dinner started with cubed pieces of Aji (Horse Mackerel), which was inherently oily, full-flavored and fragrant from the Negi (Green Onions) and seasoning.
Tsubugai - Welk - Hokkaido, Japan:
This was a nice change of pace, delicate, lightly chewy, but tender pieces of Tsubugai (Welk) from Hokkaido, Japan. Simple, but satisfying.
Shirako - Cod Milt - Ehime, Japan:
Sushi Kisen’s Shirako (Cod Milt) was poached, and served with a house Dashi. Tender, supple and tasty. These opening dishes alone showed that Kisen was much better than their Lunch menu showed previously. We were hopeful.
Katsuo - Bonito - Chiba, Japan:
Their Katsuo was smoked in-house, before being served as Sashimi slices. This was genuinely excellent! Flavorful, lightly smoky, inherently briny-oily.
Time for Nigiri Sushi!
Sayori - Japanese Halfbeak - Aichi, Japan:
The Sayori meat itself was meaty, but sufficiently tender. However, the Nikiri Sauce is surprisingly underseasoned. It’s extremely light (and I like my food lightly salted as opposed to over-salted).
The Shari (Sushi Rice) is OK at best. Borderline clumpy, stodgy, and almost no detectable use of Vinegar.
Shima Aji - Striped Jack - Ehime, Japan:
Then the Shima Aji arrived. Tender, fatty, but still with enough leanness. Excellent! 
Kasugodai - Baby Snapper - Hyogo, Japan:
This was surprisingly super tender and almost pillowy(!). It was very strange, as we’ve never had Kasugodai with that texture before. Enjoyable. (@BradFord)
Kanpachi - Great Amberjack - Kagoshima, Japan:
Meaty, a touch leaner than we’re used to having for Kanpachi over the last few years.
Maguro - Bluefin Tuna - Spain:
Surprisingly lush, tender, flavorful. Quite good, but it should be noted, their Sushi Rice was still the weak spot, a bit clumpy still even with the best pieces of Fish throughout the meal.
Chu-Toro - Medium Fatty Tuna Belly - Spain:
Very good Chu-Toro in terms of cut, fatty and lean balance and flavor. Noteworthy. However, it was undermined by their mediocre Sushi Rice.
Aoyagi - Surf Clam - East Coast, U.S.A.:
Very good crisp chew. I love a good Aoyagi prep. (If they had great Rice this would’ve been a highlight.)
Miso Soup:
Their Housemade Miso Soup was flavorful, not overly salted. Simple, but nourishing.
Oh-Toro - Fattiest Tuna Belly - Spain:
Super unctuous, fatty, decadent. Sadly, with a large piece of gristle running through it.
Bafun Uni - Sea Urchin - Hokkaido, Japan:
The Bafun Uni from Hokkaido was fishy, but very creamy. The Nori (Seaweed) was soft and soggy.
Ikura - Salmon Roe - Alaska, U.S.A.:
Marinated Salmon Roe were plump and popping, but their marinade resulted in it being a touch too salty.
Shiro Ebi - Baby White Shrimp - Toyama, Japan:
Silky, slippery, tender morsels of Baby White Shrimp. Enjoyable!
Torotaku Temaki - Fatty Tuna Belly + Pickled Daikon Radish Handroll:
Always a great combo, the Fatty Tuna Belly finely minced with Takuan (Pickled Daikon Radish) resulted in this luscious, fatty, and crunchy bite. Unfortunately, the Nori (Seaweed) wrapper was still soft & soggy-ish.
Nodoguro - Blackthroat Sea Perch - Nagasaki, Japan:
This was a great example of how much Nodoguro can differ in the hands of someone less experienced or masterful in preparation. The Nodoguro here was soft, it looked delicious, but it was actually not that fatty and lacked that superb balance of fat & lean and flavor bomb that the best Nodoguro preparations have (e.g., from Maru-san at Mori Sushi).
Lychee Sorbet:
And the Omakase ended with Lychee Sorbet. This was tropical, light, refreshing and super concentrated in Lychee flavor.
In the end, it feels like Sushi Kisen is aiming to please a large volume of customers every day, for Lunch and Dinner. It’s apparent with their choice of the elongated Sushi Bar, with enough space for 4 Sushi Chefs to prepare Fish, as well as the numerous tables in the dining room. There’s nothing wrong with that choice, as given the pandemic, and just overall focus, it can be hard to decide to go for the ultra-high end style of Sushi Bar, where you only have 6 - 8 seats at the bar, and that’s it. How much would they have to charge to make money? Compared to the large volume format, with more turnover per night, in a more rushed capacity.
Sushi Kisen for Lunch and their cooked dishes is a place that offers affordable, if mediocre Lunch Specials. The Fish itself is fresh (mostly), and you get some nice small bites and Miso Soup and Rice with all Combos. Considering the amount of food for the Sushi Lunch Combo at $19.50, it’s extremely affordable for those on a budget. But their dishes are mostly average.
Their Dinner Omakase fairs better. There are some genuine standouts, so you can see there’s some skill here, but sadly, their Sushi Rice is disappointing. At Lunch, it tastes like it was pre-molded en masse, super clumpy, stodgy. For Dinner Omakase, even freshly formed for each bite, the Rice was borderline clumpy, but better than Lunch for sure. If they took the time to improve their Sushi Rice, it would actually be a decent spot to stop by if you were in the area. Here’s to hoping.
Sushi Kisen
1108 S. Baldwin Ave., # B6
Arcadia, CA 91007
Tel: (626) 623-6033
I would love a high quality Okonomi place as well. It is tiring and trying to have to pre-plan months in advance for a full Omakase Sushi experience, and that be your only option for high quality fish.
I think that’s more super high-end strict Kaiseki cuisine / experience (with only 1 seating per night). Thanks!