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FOOD & DRINK

Mountain Views-News Saturday August 8, 2026 


Peter A. Dills

L.A.’s King of Cuisine

https://
podlink/1116885432


SHOGUN PASADENA STILL PUTS 
ON A SHOW

There are restaurants where the food is the star, and then there 
are restaurants where dinner comes with a performance. Sho 
Gun Japanese Restaurant in Pasadena has been entertaining 
diners for years with its classic teppanyaki-style cooking, and 
judging by the smiles around the room, the show hasn’t lost its 
appeal.

If you’ve never experienced teppanyaki dining, you’re in for 
more than just dinner. Your chef prepares the entire meal right 
in front of you, mixing knife skills, comedy, and a little audience 
participation. Before long, shrimp are flying through the air as 
diners try to catch them in their mouths, usually with plenty of 
laughter from everyone seated around the grill.

No teppanyaki meal would be complete without the famous onion volcano, complete with 
smoke and steam. Then came one of the evening’s signature moments as the stacked onion 
rings became a miniature choo-choo train, complete with sound effects from our chef. It may 
be a tradition that’s been around for decades, but judging by the smiles from both children 
and adults, it still works.

Our chef for the evening was David, who handled both the cooking and the entertainment 
with confidence and good humor. While keeping everyone engaged, he never lost sight of 
what mattered most—serving a perfectly prepared meal.

Taking care of our table was Lily, who struck the perfect balance every good server should 
aim for. She was friendly but never fawning, attentive without hovering, and always seemed 
to appear just when we needed something. Good service isn’t about being overbearing; it’s 
about making guests feel comfortable, and Lily did exactly that.

One thing you’ll never accuse Sho Gun of is serving small portions. Every teppanyaki dinner 
begins with soup and a fresh salad before the main event arrives.

I ordered the Seafood Triple, featuring scallops, lobster, and shrimp. The scallops were tender, 
the lobster sweet, and the shrimp cooked just right. By the end of the meal, I certainly wasn’t 
wondering where dinner was.

If you’re visiting as a couple, don’t be surprised if you’re seated with another small party 
around the grill. That’s part of the teppanyaki tradition, and honestly, it’s part of the fun. By 
the end of the evening you’ve shared a few laughs, applauded a few flying shrimp catches, and 
maybe even made a couple of new friends.

While the teppan grills receive most of the attention, Sho Gun also features a busy sushi bar 
that looked equally inviting. Watching the sushi chefs at work made me think that next time I 
may skip the grill altogether and explore that side of the menu. Any restaurant that gives you 
a reason to come back is doing something right.

Looking around the dining room, one thing stood out: happy people. Families celebrating 
birthdays, friends catching up after work, couples enjoying a night out, and children watching 
wide-eyed as dinner became part cooking lesson and part comedy show.

My only quibble? If the restaurant is busy, don’t expect a quick meal. Teppanyaki is meant to 
be enjoyed, not rushed. Every dish is cooked fresh before your eyes, and the entertainment 
is part of the experience.

In an era of takeout apps, delivery services, and people eating dinner in front of the television, 
Sho Gun reminds us that dining out can still be an event. It’s about conversation, laughter, 
and sharing a meal with family, friends, and sometimes even a few strangers who become 
part of the evening.

That’s something worth celebrating—and one of the reasons Sho Gun continues to earn its 
place as one of Pasadena’s favorite dining destinations.


A vintage advertisement for a restaurant in San Marino, California.
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