Save for a few established names, when it comes to restaurants, it’s evolve or die. When Tenno Sushi & Seafood Grill first opened its doors, it began as your regular sushi place. But after a while, it evolved into something more.

As owner Peter Kim explains, “We heard customers telling us they want tacos and Chinese food, so we actually became a fusion restaurant. We sell Mexican tacos, sushi, and Chinese food like Kung Pao or yakisoba noodles.”

Tenno has something for everyone, says Kim. Even vegetarians. “We have tofu for vegetarians. We have vegetarian rolls. If you like fried rice, we have vegetarian fried rice.”

As for sushi, Tenno ensures that it gets its seafood fresh. Kim says, “We pick up our fish every morning which is basically our white raw fish, our salmons, our Alaska fish, or Scotland fish.” As for the rolls themselves, “We have two sushi chefs that make it every morning when the order comes,” says Kim. “So none of our food is pre-made, everything is fresh.”

Adding to the wide-ranging menu and quality of the food, Kim says that Tenno is still affordable. “Our prices are actually pretty low,” he says. “They all start at around $2.00. Our fried rice, we sell at $5. Chinese food, everything is $5.00. We sell our tacos at $2.00.”

Explaining the price of their food, Kim says, “People have this conception about how Japanese food is a little pricey around here. So our price starts really low and we shrunk our portions to four pieces so people could try out different types of rolls.

“Our local customers are looking for something really cheap and small and fast,” Kim continues. “They have a certain amount of money they want to spend for lunch, so instead of buying a big meal for $10.00 or $15.00, they could come here and try a $3.00 one and a couple of rolls [and] it will still be under $10.00.”

Some of the specialty rolls popular with customers include Rainbow, Dragon, Spicy Salmon Tempura, Mexican, Shrimp Tempura, Baked Salmon, and California Tempura. As with any successful restaurant, the customer is king, Kim emphasizes. “We have been changing the menus a little bit. We just ask customers, ‘What would you like? What would you like for this restaurant? They give us their suggestions.”

Most of Tenno’s customers are regulars and Kim says they have a good relationship with them. “They just want to eat really quickly, so you could phone in your order if you like and then if you want to dine in, we could have it ready for you.”

For those who want to unwind after a long day at work, Tenno is also the local watering hole for many regulars. “We have draft beers, we have bottled beers, we have fountain drinks, we have Perrier, and [for] people that want juice, we have orange juice and cranberry juice.”

Like its food, the drinks at Tenno are easy on the wallet. “We sell a Bud Light draft for $1.95 and all our draft beers are around $2.00 to $3.00,” says Kim. “We also sell red wine & white wine. The wine is from $3.00 to $4.00 per glass.”

Tenno Sushi and Seafood Grill is at 124 E. Colorado Blvd.  To learn more about Tenno and for updates, you may check:  http://pasadenanow.com/advertisements/seafoodgrillsplash.html

For reservations and more information, readers may call (626) 584-1120.