Hibachi at Home in Pasadena
Pasadena's craftsman backyards and tree-lined patios are some of our favorite venues in Los Angeles County. A private hibachi chef sets up under the oaks, and suddenly your Bungalow Heaven backyard is the best teppanyaki room in town.
We cook across Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Altadena, and the rest of the San Gabriel Valley — birthdays, game days, lab celebrations, and everything between.
Simple Flat-Rate Pricing
$29.90 per child 5–12 · $5 for kids under 5 · $599 event minimum
Weekday Special: $45.90/adult for Mon–Thu parties with 15+ guests.
The first 50 miles from our base are free — most Pasadena addresses have no travel fee at all. Past that it is $1 for each mile beyond the free 50, calculated from your address and shown upfront in your quote.
Every Pasadena booking includes
- Professional hibachi chef & mobile teppanyaki grill
- 2 regular proteins per guest (chicken, steak, shrimp, salmon, or tofu)
- Garlic butter fried rice, fresh vegetables & house salad
- Live cooking show — fire tricks, egg toss, chef entertainment
- Complete setup and cleanup
What Your Pasadena Quote Actually Includes
Mobile hibachi pricing in Southern California clusters around the same headline number. The difference between services shows up in the line items underneath it, so here are ours.
A $19.90 deposit — not $150
That is all it takes to lock your date, and it is fully refundable with 72+ hours notice. Plenty of mobile hibachi services ask for $150 or more up front.
Setup and cleanup are in the price
No per-guest setup surcharge. Some services add $8–$10 per guest for table and chair setup, or leave the teardown to you.
The first 50 miles are free
No travel fee at all inside 50 miles of our base, which covers most of Los Angeles and Orange County. Beyond that it is $1 per additional mile, calculated from your address and shown in your quote before you pay. Other services in this market start charging at 20 miles, or add a flat fee around $75.
The price is on this page
$59.90 per adult, published, no form required. Several services in this market quote only after you hand over your contact details.
Popular in Pasadena
Rose Bowl Game Days
Skip the stadium lines — host the pre-game or watch party at home with a chef flipping shrimp during warmups.
Caltech & JPL Celebrations
Thesis defenses, mission milestones, and team dinners — we've cooked for more than a few rocket scientists.
Garden Party Birthdays
Pasadena backyards with mature trees and string lights make the hibachi show feel like dinner theater.
Family Holidays
Thanksgiving-adjacent gatherings and Lunar New Year parties where nobody has to spend the day in the kitchen.
Where We Cook in Pasadena
We have set the grill up in most kinds of Pasadena space there is. These are the three we see most.
Craftsman Backyards
Bungalow Heaven and Madison Heights yards with mature oaks and deep porches. Beautiful, and the reason we always ask about overhead clearance here.
San Marino & Linda Vista Estates
Large lots with lawn and hardscape both — usually the easiest setups in the San Gabriel Valley, and room for 30+ guests.
Rose Bowl-Adjacent Homes
Game-day parties in Linda Vista and Annandale where the whole block is hosting and street parking disappears by noon.
Parking, Space & Setup in Pasadena
Pasadena's tree canopy is the thing we plan around. Bungalow Heaven and Madison Heights yards have gorgeous mature oaks and pepper trees, and low branches over the intended grill spot are the most common reason we shift a setup a few feet. Send a photo of your yard when you book and we will pick the position before the chef arrives instead of on the day.
Street parking is easy most of the year and impossible on Rose Bowl event days — if your party lands on a game or flea-market Sunday, hold a driveway space for the chef. Several Pasadena and South Pasadena blocks are permit-only after 6pm; a guest permit or a driveway spot handles it. We need about a 6x8 ft flat area and roughly 10 ft of overhead clearance. Solid-roof patio covers are generally fine; a pergola with a low crossbeam usually is not.
Not sure your space works? Send a photo with your quote request and we will confirm the setup spot before your date.
Serving Pasadena & Nearby Areas
Our chefs cook throughout Pasadena and the surrounding Los Angeles County communities.
The Pasadena Hibachi Menu
Every guest picks two proteins, and everyone gets the full plate — garlic butter fried rice, grilled vegetables, house salad, and sauces. Guests can each choose differently; the chef cooks to order at your table.
Included proteins — pick 2 per guest
- Chicken
- Steak
- Shrimp
- Salmon
- Tofu
Premium upgrades
- Filet Mignon+$8
- Premium Sea Scallops+$6
- Spiny Lobster Tail+$12
Per guest, added to the flat rate. Entirely optional.
Extra sides
- Gyoza+$15
- Edamame+$10
- Noodles+$5
Ordered by the tray for the table, not per guest.
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free guests are served at the same per-person rate — just tell us when you book. Our standard soy sauce is not gluten free, so a gluten-free guest should have their own on hand and we'll cook their portion with it. We can't promise a nut- or sesame-free table: the sauces and gyoza are commercial products and both sauces contain egg, so tell us the allergy and we'll check the labels in use for your date. See the full menu for photos and details.
The Best Time of Year for a Party in Pasadena
This is a hibachi party in your own yard, so the weather decides more than the calendar does. The numbers below are six years of daily observations for Pasadena (2019–2024) — not a general Southern California average. Ten miles inland around here can mean fifteen degrees, so a July evening in Pasadena is its own question.
Best months for an evening party
May through November
Best months for a lunch party
May through June and October through November
July in Pasadena averages a high of 89°F, against 63°F in January. No month here averages above 93°F, which is why Pasadena takes daytime bookings comfortably across most of the year.
Rain is worth planning around in March, when about 34% of days see measurable precipitation. That is not a reason to avoid the month — it is a reason to have a plan: a 10'x10' pop-up tent over the chef's station, or seat your guests indoors and let the chef cook on the patio.
Evenings run longest in June, when the sun sets around 8:06pm. If you want the show finishing as the light goes — which is the version everyone photographs — start about ninety minutes before sunset for your month and work back from the table below.
Pasadena is 24.8 miles from our base by road. That is inside our free 50-mile radius, so your quote carries no travel fee at all.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rainy days | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63°F | 46°F | 20% | 6:07pm |
| Feb | 65°F | 45°F | 21% | 6:36pm |
| Mar | 65°F | 46°F | 34% | 7:01pm |
| Apr | 73°F | 50°F | 15% | 7:24pm |
| May | 75°F | 53°F | 10% | 7:48pm |
| Jun | 82°F | 58°F | 4% | 8:06pm |
| Jul | 89°F | 63°F | 1% | 8:04pm |
| Aug | 90°F | 65°F | 3% | 7:38pm |
| Sep | 88°F | 64°F | 8% | 6:58pm |
| Oct | 82°F | 58°F | 6% | 6:17pm |
| Nov | 73°F | 51°F | 12% | 5:48pm |
| Dec | 64°F | 47°F | 20% | 5:45pm |
Averages from the Open-Meteo historical archive, 2019–2024. “Rainy days” is the share of days with measurable rain. Driving distance via road routing from our base.
What We Actually Buy
Almost nobody in mobile hibachi will tell you the grade of what goes on the grill — you get “fresh ingredients” and a photo. Here is the actual spec for a Pasadena party, because at $59.90 a head you should be able to check.
- Beef
USDA Choice Angus top sirloin
Choice is the grade above Select. We buy Angus program beef rather than whatever is cheapest that week.
- Shrimp
BAP-certified
Best Aquaculture Practices — an independent certification covering the farm, the hatchery, the feed and the processing plant.
- Salmon
Atlantic salmon fillet, skinless
Portioned fillet, not trim or belly offcuts.
- Chicken
Boneless, skinless breast
Hatched, raised and harvested in the USA. Breast meat only — no thigh substitution.
- Lobster tail
Wild-caught Caribbean spiny lobster
Our premium upgrade. Wild-caught, not farmed.
- Sauces
Terry Ho’s yum yum sauce and Japanese ginger dressing
The ones you already recognise from the restaurant. Both contain egg.
Allergies: Our standard soy sauce is not gluten free, so a gluten-free guest should have their own gluten-free soy and teriyaki on hand and we'll cook their portion with it. We can't promise a nut- or sesame-free table — the sauces and gyoza are commercial products, the gyoza contain sesame, and one sauce is made in a plant that also handles peanuts. Tell us the allergy when you book and we'll check the labels in use for your date.
How It Works
Get an instant quote
Tell us your date, guest count, and address — pricing and any travel fee appear upfront.
Lock your date
A $19.90 deposit reserves your chef. Full refund with 72+ hours notice.
We bring the restaurant
The chef arrives ~10 minutes early, sets up, performs, feeds everyone, and cleans up.
Pasadena Hibachi FAQ
Can you cook under our patio cover or trees?
Yes, with adequate clearance — we need roughly 10 ft of overhead clearance above the grill for safe flame work. Solid-roof patios and mature trees usually work fine; we'll confirm from a photo before your event.
Do you serve the rest of the San Gabriel Valley?
Yes — South Pasadena, San Marino, Altadena, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, and neighboring cities are all regular service areas.
Can you handle mixed dietary needs for a faculty or team dinner?
Yes, with advance notice — vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free guests are served at the same per-person rate. Two things to know. Our standard soy sauce is not gluten free, so a coeliac or gluten-free guest should have their own gluten-free soy and teriyaki on hand and we will cook their portion with it. And we cannot promise a nut- or sesame-free table: our sauces and the gyoza are commercial products, some carry allergen advisories, and both sauces contain egg. Tell us the allergy when you book and we will check the labels in use for your date and tell you straight whether we can serve that guest safely.
What does hibachi at home cost in Pasadena?
$59.90 per adult, $29.90 per child 5–12, and a flat $5 for kids under 5, $599 event minimum — chef, grill, food, show, setup, and cleanup all included.
How much space do you need in Pasadena?
About a 6x8 ft flat area for the grill plus roughly 10 ft of overhead clearance, in open air — a patio, deck, driveway, or yard all work. Enclosed rooms and covered balconies do not. Send a photo when you book and we'll confirm the setup spot before your date.
Is this an indoor or outdoor party?
The cooking is outdoors; the eating does not have to be. A live teppanyaki grill throws real smoke and grease and will set off a smoke alarm indoors, so the grill always stays outside — on a patio, deck, driveway, yard, or roof terrace, with about 10 ft of overhead clearance. Your guests can absolutely sit and eat inside. Plenty of Pasadena parties run exactly that way: the chef cooks on the patio and plates come indoors, which is what we'd suggest on a hot afternoon or a cold night.
Can we book a lunch or daytime slot?
Yes. Because the party is outdoors, the right answer depends on your city and the season — midday stays comfortable near the coast for most of the year, while inland and Valley cities are best at lunch roughly October through May and better at sunset in high summer. Daytime slots are usually easier to get than weekend evenings. Tell us your date and preferred time and we'll tell you honestly whether it works.
What happens if we need to cancel or reschedule?
Cancel or reschedule at least 72 hours before your event and your $19.90 deposit is refunded in full. Inside 72 hours the deposit may become non-refundable. If rain is the problem, a 10'x10' pop-up tent over the chef's station usually saves the party — you provide the tent, we do not supply them — and guests can eat indoors while the chef cooks outside.
More questions? See the full FAQ
Ready to Book Hibachi at Home in Pasadena?
Get your instant quote — date, guest count, address, done. A $19.90 deposit locks your chef.