Oishii Sushi Bar

I thought the food here was very, very good. The standard sushi offerings, such as hamachi sashimi were excellent, and their more creative dishes were top-rate. But geez, do they move you in and out! As you wait, they hand you menus, which they want you to quickly mark up with want you want. This way, by the time you sit down, your food is served. No wait, it's true, but they have you out of there in 45 minutes-- not my idea of a restaurant meal. Rushed would be too nice a way to put it. It's more like a well-oiled food machine, sort of like the one in Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times, where the tramp didn't even have to stop working to eat. more

There is a Sushi restaurant named Oishii. The original is a shoe box sized spot in Chestnut Hill off Route 9. For years people in the know have always told that Oishii is the place for the best Sushi period. I never eat Sushi until recently, but it begs the question: How can it be that much better? Its raw fish after all. So now I have decided to eat Sushi, and ventured to their new place in the South End on Washington st. The place is beautiful. The layout is interesting as well. But I do not get it. The sushi was good, but did not blow me away by any means. Maybe my Sushi palate is not yet developed. I also ordered the $20 ramen soup as well, and it tasted kind of like the instant Ramen soup that you just add water. I feel like the only one not laughing at a very good joke, but for $75 for 2 plus tip for a little food, I should be blown away more

Oishii does have a nice food menu, but it doesn't make up for the lack of seating, the not-so-nice wait staff, the long wait and the hurried atmosphere. None of this is even close to how the Japanese dining experience is meant to be. To me, enjoying a meal isn't just about good sushi. It's about presentation, atmosphere and being a guest. Dining at Oishii lacks all three in my book. I have no problem spending large amounts of money on a great dining experience, especially when they earn it by making my meal so enjoyable, I want to tip 30%. I'm a sushi snob, not just for the nigiri or the maki, but for the total taco(pun intended). One other thing that is crucial to the Japanese dining experience is a good sake menu, which Oishii does not have. I would only recommend this place for take out. more

Like most of the other reviewers have said, Oishii is a tiny cramped place where you will have to wait for a table or a seat, rather any time of the day. However, the food will make up for it. There is fresh fish and fresh rice plates served all day. I mean, the food is great but I'm not sure what you want in your dining experience. It is VERY cramped, and there are only three tables that are spaced close together. I would rather just call in and take out sushi rather than sit in the restaurant. more

Have been to both locations and can't say enough. more

I used to live above Fugakyu and I still traveled to Oishii when I wanted the best. Jeffrey's Maki is killer! The fish is extremely fresh as they are a high-turn, small place. The downside is that you usually have to wait in a line because they don't take reservations. more

Hands down the best sushi in Boston. This little (and I do mean little!) joint on route 9 is famous for it's creative but absolutely scrumptious sushi plates. Tip, if you want sake, you are more than welcome to bring it in yourself more

OISHII Chestnut Hill, MA There is something magical about sushi. Sushi has such rich and delicate flavors and when done right, can affect you like a great painting or song or movie. I don’t entirely understand how, but after leaving Oishii in Chestnut Hill, I was a little drunk. Maybe euphoric is a better word than drunk, but you've probably got my meaning. Oishii (there are two locations, the other is in Sudbury, MA) is tiny. A sushi counter that seats 12, at most, and just one single table. Zagat's Boston guide lists this as the ONLY 29 for food in Boston, but the décor gets a 13. On a Sunday afternoon, the place was pretty full. Three sushi chefs and two servers worked diligently and in perfect rhythm. Our seats at the end of the sushi bar afforded us an excellent view, and we sat like wide eyed children waiting to see what tempting creation would roll off the fingers of the sushi chef next. The menu is extensive, and I can barely remember what our ordering process consisted of but it involved lots of low moans and exhilarated readings. When we found a menu item that sounded good, its ingredients were read aloud as though we were reading to one another a nostalgic children's story. We were hooked before the first bite. App: It may not be fair to call our first two rolls appetizers, but this is how our meal progressed. We had a Shrimp Tempura Maki (rice on the outside) and an Unagi and Avocado maki. I have had the Tempura Maki before, but it usually seems excessive. By that I mean that it seems that good tempura, lightly battered and just the littlest bit of crunch, should stand on its own as a good dish. To me the tempura maki always seemed like a TurDucken…or as Moe says at a fancy Springfield Restaurant "Bring me the best dish you have stuffed with the second best dish you have." Consequently, they end up with lobster stuffed with tacos. Oishii changed my mind on this front (not about lobster stuffed with taco's though), and I loved the Shrimp Tempura Maki as much as any roll I have ever tasted. It was just the right amount of salty and crunchy, the shrimp was fresh and the tastes worked perfectly. The Unagi roll was very good, but overshadowed by the true greatness of the other roll. Unagi (Eel) is a wonderful thing, and I implore you to try it if you haven't taken the leap. Generally it is cooked in a sweet sauce and its tastes are really much different than other sushi. Dinner: For dinner we decided to get the most bang for our buck by getting the Regular Sushi Dinner for two. It gave us two pieces of 6 or 7 different kinds of Nigiri, and two rolls. The assortment of fish was excellent, and I didn't even make my normal request for no octopus. I have never gotten used to the toughness of octopus, but I figured I would take another shot since everything was so fresh here. Now, I am a sushi lover. I like to have it as often as I can afford it, and rarely does it surprise me. The Shrimp Tempura Maki was surprise number one, but the second surprise came in an unexpected form: Yellowtail. I like yellowtail a lot but if it sits around too long it gets too fishy. The yellowtail (my mouth actually is watering right now) melted in my mouth. I cant say for certain if I chewed at all, but I know it just melted away. Honestly, I felt privileged to have eaten it. I felt a better man for having experienced it. That’s how good this meal was. Price: Oishii was not that expensive for some of the best sushi I have had anywhere. 60 bucks fed two of us with drinks (non-alcoholic) and tip. I would say these prices were on par with any respectable sushi restaurant in Boston. Overall: This may be one of the best sushi meals I have ever eaten. If you enjoy sushi and live with an hour of Boston, make it you business to go to Oishii. more

If you have a big budget to spend on sushi, you should try this restaurant. They really have a great sushi but before that you have to pass the test (patient - long line and tiny place). You will spend up to $100/person to get you full. Very pricey ! more