Oishii Boston

My friend and I headed to Boston to visit a good buddy, and we said ‘Pick the best sushi restaurant you can find’. We maybe should have said ‘but let us know what it costs’? Ending up at Oishii was the best outcome possible when it came to the food, the ambience, the service, and just overall experience. I kid about the price - yes, it’s expensive - but I don’t know that you’ll find a cooler sushi spot anywhere in New England. The restaurant was busy on a Saturday night, and every table was packed with people having a great time. Date nights, large groups of friends - the energy was electric. The presentation of the dishes alone was worth the trip, and the food lived up to everything else going on around it. If you want to splurge with no regrets - get yourself a table at Oishii.

I had a mixed experience. The food was absolutely delicious, with each dish bursting with flavor and freshness. The presentation was also stunning, with beautifully crafted garnishes and artistic plating. However, the prices were steep, and I felt that the quality, while exceptional, didn't quite justify the cost. Unfortunately, the value for money wasn't there, making it a pricey indulgence rather than a regular dining option. Perhaps with more competitive pricing, Oishii Boston could truly shine as a top-tier Japanese restaurant.

The food we was phenomenal. One of the best Japanese restaurants we had for sure. We had Wagyu Beef Tartare, 20 pieces sashimi, and the coconut sphere for dessert. We started out with a "sphere" in appetizer and ended up with a "sphere" in the desert. Everything was so tasty and "oishi" 😉. The coco sphere was out of this world and yumy (never had anything like that before), just right, not too sweet. Still wondering how they made it. The waiter was nice and fun but the 2 bus persons were a bit odd, in a hurry to take the plates from us. Their restroom door male and female label cracked me up and got me confused for a bit.

Okay, this was entirely my fault. I got a little carried away by what I “thought” was the newly improved restaurant scene in Boston after having a few excellent meals at Japanese Spots here. This was not one of those meals. In my defense: I scoped Oishii out extensively online. Looked at many pics, read through multiple online versions of their menu (which were very misleading…). Here’s the problem at Oishii: I’m going to go out on a limb and say that at least 90% of the menu items are deep fried/tempura. Not kidding. There is this huge, long sushi bar fully staffed with chefs and they’re deep frying every, damn thing. I’m sure that sells. It’s probably not a problem for them. Deep Fried sushi is not my thing and not why I came. So….my bad. I had actually planned what I was going to order/eat from reading thoseonline menus. Pretty much none of the items I was planning to order actually appeared on the menu last night. I’m assuming they serve what sells for them: Tempura Everything. #eyeroll The spot itself is very beautiful. Multiple levels, multiple bars and dining areas. Really lovely furnishings and serving plates, etc. Also? EXCELLENT Sake List. One of the best, most extensive I’ve ever seen. Super impressive. If they had had even just a “basic” sushi section on that menu Oishii might have worked for me. As in you can’t just order some ala carte pieces of sushi and/or some simple rolls. (I was not given a menu including that. I can see one online. Maybe I should have asked. I just assumed the fancy, bound menu they gave me was the entire menu??) You must choose from a large page of very elaborate rolls. I managed to find two that did not contain deep fried ingredients. And one of those was a California Roll. Oishii is A Lot of Show and very little substance. Looks good. Decent vibe. Underwhelming food. What they’re serving is trying too hard. Everything is muddled. Too much tempura. Flavors and ingredients are not able to stand on their own. On the upside: Portion size is ginormous. One roll will likely do you. So you could have a wonderful bottle of Sake and eat one giant Tempura something and be good! What I had: Cucumber Salad: EXCELLENT. Best thing I had. Led me to have irrationally high expectations. Fried Vegetable Dumplings: really disappointing. Fast food type dumpling that was overcooked. Spicy Salmon Crispy Rice: Very meh. I have no idea what was mixed in with the spicy salmon. But it was A LOT of stuff which made the entire piece too large. Almost impossible to eat. Which is a clear failure in the world of sushi. You must actually be able to get the piece into your mouth… Scallop Crispy Shiso (I think this was on the appetizer menu): Okay, this was DELICIOUS. But this is also an entire meal. Tempura shiso leaf with a scallop on top and then piled high with shredded, fried Taro. This is one of dishes you can order with your excellent Sake and be one and done! Mixed Green Salad: I needed to cleanse my palate from all the fried…basic salad. It was fine. “Real” California Roll with King Crab. It was good. Basic. Fine. For the Love of Salmon Roll: Tobiko, Avocado, Cucumber, Seared King Salmon, Ikura, Shiso, Spicy Mayo. Really good, gigantic roll. Very “busy.” Lots of things going on. Not usually my thing. But again, order one of these and you’re good! I tried their “signature dessert” which is the definition of trying too hard. Hahahahahaha. So much going on. Presentation over substance. Cannot recommend. It’s something like a big, frozen coconut egg with some espresso mousse inside sitting in a little base of yuzu with some berries. #eyeroll Nice Date Spot. If you live in the area also nice spot. Not worth making the effort to travel to.

I often come to the United States for business trips, but usually there is not much good food. However, this time is different. I particularly like their sushi because it tastes fresh and the sushi rice is very soft. The texture of the sashimi is soft and delicate. The decoration of the restaurant is full of elements of Japanese culture, and I recommend everyone to come.

My wife and I chose this restaurant to celebrate our honeymoon, a momentous occasion for us, especially as avid restaurant-goers in the Boston area. Regrettably, our experience didn't quite match the specialness of the event. On the positive side, the food was decent. We indulged in some premium beef and sushi, which, while not extraordinary, held their ground in terms of taste and quality. The culinary experience, however, seemed somewhat subdued given the premium price point we were expecting something a bit more remarkable. My wife's drink was just okay, nothing that we would rave about. Unfortunately, our dining experience was marred slightly by the ambiance and service. We were seated downstairs, a notably dark space that made it challenging to fully appreciate our meal visually. Adding to the less-than-ideal setting was a noisy water fountain nearby, which somewhat hindered our conversation and didn't allow us to have a personal, intimate dining experience that we were looking forward to on our honeymoon. Furthermore, the service left something to be desired. Our waitress, although fulfilling her duties, seemed rushed and somewhat aloof. We missed that warm, welcoming attitude and personalized service that can turn a meal into an experience. Moreover, the lack of insightful recommendations for menu selections felt like a missed opportunity to elevate our dining experience. Overall, we would rate our experience at this restaurant as a 3-star visit. While the food was passable, the service and ambiance failed to meet our expectations for a restaurant at this price point, especially when compared to other establishments we frequent in the area. We had hoped for a more memorable and pleasant experience to commemorate our special occasion. We sincerely hope that our feedback will be taken as constructive criticism, with the aspiration that future patrons may enjoy a more enriched dining experience.

High-end sushi spot in South End with great vibes and solid food. Recently took a visit for my friend’s birthday. The restaurant's atmosphere exuded a high-end vibe, suitable for special occasions. We initially considered the omakase but opted for à la carte due to mixed reviews and a preference for more sushi-centric options. Our meal commenced with a complimentary cold porridge, an excellent amuse-bouche that set the tone. From the small plates, the Black Cod was a highlight, though it didn't quite reach the buttery heights that I experienced at Uni. The Rock Shrimp Tempura and Tartare Tower, despite their immaculate presentation, didn’t quite live up to their hefty price tags. The Salmon on Fire, with its dramatic 'flaming hot' presentation, was a letdown, offering little beyond regular salmon slices and barely noticeable fried shallots and raspberry gastrique. On the other hand, the B52 sushi roll was a pleasant surprise, and our selection of nigiri, including Botan Ebi, O-toro, and Hamachi, was generally of good quality. However, some pieces like Anago and Kin Medai were mediocre. We finished off the meal with their most popular Uni pasta. While it boasted a creamy and rich umami flavor, the absence of distinct Uni pieces was a letdown, especially given the dish's premium price. Overall, Oishii offers an experience suitable for special occasions with an ambiance to match. However, when it comes to the sushi's quality and overall execution, it falls short compared to other high-end sushi options in Boston. While some dishes were memorable, others were not compelling enough to make me return.

Pretty dissapointed by my experience here. I spent close to $2000 in a night and expected the service to be better based on the price point. When I initially asked what the omakase menu consistent of, I was surprised to have him say he didn’t want to ruin the surprise. I would like to know what I’m paying for and what exactly to expect or the general ballpark. It was a very interesting response but We ended up doing the omakase 9 course with the sake pairing for three people. It took a very long time for us to even get menus initially, the server kept bringing things in twos even though there were three people seated at the table. For example, he only brought to of the soy sauce trays and never brought a third - when I asked for one he never brought it until halfway through the omakase course. And I understand I tend to order more food than necessary but I didn’t appreciate the look of disdain and skepticism every time I asked if I could order something else or if I like take a look at the menu again. It really left a bad taste in my mouth and again, I feel like I came here more so for the experience and ambiance just as much as the food. At the end of the night, I honestly felt like it was such a waste coming here because whole party felt ignored, it was impossible to get the bill let alone order anything else. Our waiter disappeared constantly even though there was really not too many people that night. I don’t think i will be coming back or recommending this to anyone unfortunately. There are better, more attentive omakase and fine dining sushi restaurants in Boston that I frequent and I was hoping to make Oishii another restaurant on my list of go-to’s but after my lackluster and frankly rude experience with the waiter. I will not be back.