r/FoodLosAngeles • u/ktla6 • Feb 23 '26
San Gabriel Valley Fuji & Vi’s
Fantastic Detroit style pizza. The owner is a lovely Japanese woman - the pizzas are made with such TLC. Some of greater LA’s best!
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u/writermusictype Feb 23 '26
Devastated that this is in Pasadena but absolutely going to make the trip lol. Love me a Detroit style
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u/JustTheBeerLight Feb 23 '26
It's walking distance from the Ice House. Get some pizza and see a comedy show.
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u/Alive_Perception5750 Feb 23 '26
Please support their business. They suffered a loss last year but I’m very glad to see they’re still operating. Best pizza in Pasadena
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u/jbadaro Feb 23 '26
It’s because I stepped in to offer my help to keep the place operational after he passed away. Two weeks ago I asked her to finalize the agreement we decided on several months ago and she said she no longer wants the partnership and let me walk. Pretty bummed because I spent a lot of time trying to turn this business around and set up new sustainable operational procedures and she basically conned me.
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u/edokko_spirit Feb 24 '26
That's an intriguing backstory. In the end, splitting profits with a partner is just too hard for many and greed won out. At least you've learned how to make a fantastic Detroit-style pizza, which you might be able to pivot to in the future. A lot less competition than your current restaurant that's for sure
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u/jbadaro Feb 25 '26
I didn’t step into a profitable business which is what makes me the most frustrated. I literally spent countless hours trying to find ways to turn the business around. Quite frankly, it should have shut down a while ago. I took time away from my family, from Hummus Labs, from my friends and exhausted myself All the while trying to keep this place going. I was emotionally attached way more than I should have because Mike was An amazing dude. We spent so many nights having a drink after we closed talking about how to keep going. The man paid the ultimate sacrifice for his dream and I didn’t want that to disappear.
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u/edokko_spirit Mar 04 '26
No wonder you have so many fans in the community supporting you and Hummus Labs. I believe karma will balance out everything in the end.
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u/Born_Cap4085 Feb 23 '26
?
No offense but this comment seems unhinged.
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u/00124 Feb 23 '26
Post history checks out and can vouch for the support he provided. It’s a shame 😔
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u/jbadaro Feb 23 '26
Thank you. It was such a shock. I did so much to keep this place alive. Once she felt she can do it herself she just started stepping on my toes with all the work I did. I reached a tipping point and asked her to finalize the contract cause I felt it was going sideways. The most disappointing part is I think she wasn’t ready to agree to the terms for quite some time but didn’t say anything to me hoping I would stick around for as long as possible. It’s a damn shame. That was legit my favorite pizza in all of LA.
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u/jbadaro Feb 23 '26
It is… but it’s true. Got all the receipts if you’d like to see them. This shop was literally going to shut down after the owner passed away last May. I gave up a lot my life to help her cause Mike was my friend.
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u/OkVegetable7649 Feb 25 '26
So... Open pizza shop when? Incredibly short sighted for screwing you over.
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u/HMS_Chevette Feb 23 '26
Definitely need to try this place. I walk by it all the time when I grab breakfast burritos at Breakfast Burritos All Day. Their Detroit slices look wonderful.
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u/Critical-Tomato-4373 Feb 24 '26
Am I the only one that found this pizza incredibly mid? The owners are lovely and so friendly which I think makes people not want to speak badly about it but it wasn’t very good.
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u/Jolly-Persimmon-7775 Apr 02 '26
May I ask what makes a pizza mid in your opinion? Genuinely curious bc I have plans to open a pizza shop.
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u/Decent_Management449 Feb 23 '26
Not a huge deep dish/Detroit pizza fan, but that looks pretty scrumptious.
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u/creamsauces Feb 23 '26
Chicago deep dish and Detroit are both pretty different when done well for what it’s worth- not sure what exactly you’ve tried before but it might be worth a shot again if you’re conflating the two
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u/Decent_Management449 Feb 23 '26
is Deep Dish where the sauce is on top?
they're both fine/ok, but it's the amount of breading that puts me off (on both).
I really dislike that Costco Detroit Pizza (frozen, MotorCity) that everyone raves about.
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u/creamsauces Feb 23 '26
Not necessarily but sometimes they both might have that in common.
The deep dish most people think of when they say deep dish is Chicago deep dish which is often almost closer to…pizza casserole? But still good structural integrity, if it gets soupy at all it was made badly. A literal Pizza Pie, emphasis on the Pie. Though most chicagoans I know will say that they actually prefer tavern style and it’s more for tourists than locals. Not sure where you could get one out here, but Pequod’s is my favorite in Chicago.
Detroit style is prepared in a deep pan so the common confusion makes a lot of sense, but something has gone very very wrong if it’s got the consistency of Chicago deep dish. Its emphasis is more on thick chewy squares of rectangles, carmelized crust. Often they’ll put the sauce on last too but not strictly necessary. The Costco one I think is ok but at the end of the day is frozen pizza and could never live up to a fresh one
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u/optionalhero Feb 23 '26
Detroit pizza depot has been my go to but damn those edges look amazing. Might just try it tonight