We read some of the reviews and decided to eat there.

We ordered the $70 Menu Rabelais with wine pairings. My wife started with the Chilled “Momotaro” Japanese Tomato with Sautéed Hokkaido Scallops - excellent. I started with the House Smoked Salmon & Mozuku Aspic with Wasabi Caviar -- two cubes of salmon topped with a tiny bit of caviar and two cubes of gelled seaweed -- very disappointing. Next came the escargot -- very good but not great. Then the main course was the chef's specialty --Grilled Miso Marinated Chilean Sea Bass with Grilled Ratatouille. I was quite disappointed. It was quite ordinary and the last couple of bites had a fishy taste, so I didn't finish it. I told the waitress, who did nothing about it. My wife enjoyed it much more than I did. In the meantime, the first wine ( a fairly small glass) was a German white that was quite good. The second glass of wine was a French Vouvray that was too sweet and neither I nor my wife liked it. My dessert was the apple tart with ice cream -- quite good with a flaky dough. My wife had one of the special desserts with fruit, ice cream and a hard sugared dome. She liked it and said it was light and just what she wanted.

Our French waitress was delightful, but the food was generally disappointing and at $181, including tax and tip, it should have been great.

The dinning area is beautiful, great for romantic dining. Service is good, well please note half of the tables are empty. Menu is very expensive, and personally I don't think it's worth the price.

Now the food:
Appetizer: C+, very small portion, taste average.
Lobster Bisque: F, taste like Campbell's soup plus Pepto-Bismol, seriously it taste like medicine.
Lamb Chop: A+, cook just right, taste great.

So, for the price I think it's overpriced.

this is a test review for listing id 235416 or maison akira....looks like very expensive but very popular restaurant in pasadena and one should try it out !!!

This is my first review and I wanted to write about this place- it's amazing! The food is outstanding as well as the interior and service. We had a romantic dinner and I enjoyed every minute of the evening. By far, one of the best places to go with a special someone or a group of friends who can appreciate good food and wine.

the best French Restaurant in Pasadena the food and services amazing the perfect place to be with your love one I highly recomended.