Oishi Japanese Buffet at The Avenue Mall

[Evil Penevil]

 

Oishi is a Thai food and beverage group that operates several hundred restaurants under six different brands including Shabushi, Oishi Ramen and Oishi Japanese Buffet.  It also sells bottled teas and chilled and frozen food products through retail stores like 7-11.

 

 

This review covers the Oishi Japanese Buffet on the second floor of The Avenue Mall on 2nd Road. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet of mostly Japanese food where for a fixed price- 539 baht per person in Pattaya- you can glut yourself on sushi, sashimi, warm dishes, soups, salads, desserts, etc for 90 minutes.

 

 

 

Beverages (sodas, tea, fruit drinks from a dispenser) are also included in the price.

 

 

You have to be very hungry or an exceptionally slow eater if you need longer than 90 minutes to feel satisfied, but you can keep chomping away at a cost of 20 baht per 10 minutes after the first 90 minutes.

 

 

It's a brightly lit and spacious restaurant with the food set out at various stations in two rooms. It has a capacity of about 200 customers (I'm guessing).  

 

 

 

On Saturday at 4.30 pm, I counted roughly 50 guests, split evenly among Thais and Japanese.  On the many occasions I've eaten at Oishi, I've been the only farang.

 

 

The food at Oishi is good but falls short of excellence. Unlimited sushi and sashimi is the main attraction at Oishi,  but there a certainly better places in Pattaya to enjoy raw fish, namely Tsunami Sushi on 3rd Road; chain restaurants like Fuji and Zen at Central Festival; and stand-alone Japanese restaurants (Yamato, Chamiko). In terms of quality, Oishi is a notch below the others, but that's where the all-you-can-eat concept comes in.  Your 538 baht will go  further at Oishi than all the others except Tsunami. Oishi's advantages over Tsunami are only logistical: Oishi has a more convenient location and longer hours of operation; there's never any difficult getting a table at Oishi; and you can enjoy a more private dining experience.  Due to Tsunami's popularity, you may be forced to share a table with strangers.

 

 

It's largely for those reasons my most frequent dining companion favors Oishi over Tsunami.  Here's the result of her first run at the Oishi buffet tables.

 

 

She went very heavy on the salmon sashimi, a personal favorite of hers.  That's what she likes, eating as much raw salmon as she wants.

 

 

The salmon itself was OK, but as said, a notch below the best Pattaya has to offer.  Top salmon for sashimi has a buttery texture and flavor which is balanced nicely by the wasabi and soy dip. The salmon at Oishi is a bit lean. 

 

 

The food at Oishi is set out at four separate buffet stations, one of which is devoted to sushi, sashimi and various Japanese salads and pickles.

 

 

 

 

It's pretty standard stuff; no surprises on the sushi or sashimi front.

 

 

 

 

The sushi at Oishi is let down by the rice- it doesn't have the proper level of acidity.

 

 

 

 

 

The second buffet station features both hot and cold prepared dishes as well as a variety of steamed buns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fish simmered in miso soup

 

 

Steamed clams in sauce

 

 

Chicken with cashew, which is admittedly a Chinese dish.  One thing I liked about Oishi's buffet is that the trays on the chafing dishes are rather small, which means they are replenished often and the food is kept hot and fresh.

 

 

I haven't paid too much attention to the third and fourth buffet station, which are in a separate room.  they are devoted mostly to fruits and desserts.

 

 

The desserts at Oishi, which include ice cream, are skippable.  But really, who goes to a Japanese buffet for Western desserts?

 

 

Bottom line:  Oishi is not a bad option for people who want to stuff themselves on sushi, sashimi and a few warm dishes at a reasonable price, but better Japanese food is available elsewhere in Pattaya.

 

Evil

 

 

[Evil Penevil]

 I have to add an important point  I overlooked in the review:  Oishi has two open "kitchens" where food is cooked to order.  These dishes are included in the 539-baht price.

 

 

You can order tempura, grilled salmon and chicken and pork BBQ skewers, for example.  I'm normally happy to fill up on sushi and sashimi,  as well as the  soups,  small warm dishes and a dim sum bun or two, so I haven't paid too much attention to the cook-to-order stations.  However, it's a good option for those who want more choices beyond sushi and sashimi. 

 

The dim sum corner:

 

 

Evil

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[Dermestid]

Thanks for another great food review Evil.

Your pics are always great and your critique of food and restaurant always well said.

[Thai1onjohn]

As always a great review,myself for a sushi fix i go to shabu sushi buffet

[Saddic]

Oh Evil... ya missed much by not going to those stations at the end...  (and I was also going to say the same for the two cook to order stations, but you added that... although you don't do it justice...  ;)...

 

I generally give the prepared foods a miss (including the dim sum)... and head to the cook to order stations... They are one of the high points of the place...  At the first station, you pick your items and they stir fry it...  At the second station, it is more of a grill setup... Pick your meats, or skewers, or fish and they grill it...  They also have additional set items at those stations...

 

It should be noted your table has little clothes pins with numbers on them... You tag your plate with your number at The Grill, and they return the cooked item to your table...  In the case of a set item... you deposit your number into a corresponding bowl...

 

In the last station...

 

  There are cold soba noodles, and

   also a (sort of) Japanese hot pot setup... where you select the items, and they add the broth and bring it to your table with a candle to keep it warm...

   ... there is one more item, but I am drawing a blank at the moment...

 

Desserts are located in 3 places...

 

  There is an open display case (near the soup) with little parfaits... (the last pic)

  On the counter near the end, opposite the station on the end are cakes  (you 2nd from the end pic, where the little girl is helping herself to cake)

  On the 2nd from the end station, are fruits/salads...

 

When I was last there (about a month ago)... They also had a station across from the soups (against the seating area) where a guy would make to order sushi cones (and something else)...  Not sure if it is still there...

 

Lastly Drinks: sake & beer are available for purchase (over and above the set cost)..  Included with the price are soft drinks, tea, coffee...

 

Over all, I agree with the assessment... it is ok, but falls short of the mark for being exceptional...

 

In contrast, Singapore is littered with EXCEPTIONAL Japanese buffets of this style...

[KittenKong]

I went to this place once a few years ago but was never really tempted to go back. OK but too "samey" was my take on it, and that applies to most shabu/hotpot places too. I would rather go to a buffet that has sashimi/Japanese as part of a selection of many other types of food.

[Soda11111]

wondering if they have my favorite dish, tempura prawns?

[fatjack1]

Thanks for the very thorough review.  I live across the street and will have to give this place a go when I get back.  I sometimes need a protein binge and salmon and eel are my thing.  I love Fuji but it is a bit pricier and service is terrible.  So long as they got sashimi, soya and wasabi plus hot japanese food I'll get my money's worth.  

[chopper1]

wondering if they have my favorite dish, tempura prawns?

yes they have,i had 4 portions,overall this place is fantastic value for money !

[redfred]

Another great report EP 

[mr21]

Thank you for the effort you put into this...the narrative with the photos cannot be beat. My LLT in June loves Shabushi so ended up going there a few times. I thought it was a great value for 350 thb

[puduku]

more reviews like this please! I loved it

[JimmyJones]

If you like this concept, then I would recommend Oishi Grand if you are in the vicinity of Bangkok. A higher standard overall and they serve Haagen Daz ice cream instead of 'soft serve'.

[wogggy]

Bland & tasteless.

 

I'd rather stuff my face full at yamato

[just hanging]

A thai girl dragged me over there once, I dont eat sushi but found some stuff to eat.  Was okay and she seemed to like it

 

A hot waitress from there started as a coyote dancer a couple of weeks ago, said she made no money.  I was on her the first day.  Very shy but did my magic and took her home, fun girl. Only ever been with one thai boyfriend before.  Keeps calling, too shy to go with anyone else so only does drinks.  Told me she always wanted to do the buffet but even though working there could not, and could not afford to pay on day off.   I told her I will take her there tonight for dinner and then a movie. She was so excited about it, damn thats sad, they gotta dish it out but cannot eat it

 

should be a fun night

 

I will try to take some pics

[wogggy]

What a hero.

 

I hear most of those chain restaurants are slave driving factories.

 

I don't often see attractive waitresses in many of them though

[just hanging]

What a hero.

 

I hear most of those chain restaurants are slave driving factories.

 

I don't often see attractive waitresses in many of them though

I wasnt gonna go on but since someone asked.

 

she was, maybe and 8.5.   It gets way better.   So she says she wants to eat there becasue she could not afford to. I met her at starbucks and when we were going upstairs, she says why dont we go to the central one, I said you should have said that before but we are here not, eat then the movie.  She says okay, we go in and of course everyone knows her.  She is shy but all good.  When we sit they all come over to see her and look at me like whats up?  When I start joking with them in thai, it was all good and they all accepted me and they were all smiling, but like you said no other cute ones.  We eat, and damn she got everything, guess when you always want it and finally get it you go for it.  I asked why she went to a gogo and did her work friends know, she said no.  She went cause not money, 9000 a month + tips.  I asked how much tips she gets, 500 a month, pitiful.  We get out of there with time to spare for the movie so we go to Starbucks, where she has never been.  I ordered a Carmel frappicino and now she loves the place.  I asked why she didn't want to go to this osihi and she said her boyfriend of 6 years works there.  Huh!   I said was he there tonight, no, his day off.  I said does he know your working in a gogo, yes but not go with anyone....took a lot of skill to get her I will tell you. I said wont your friends tell him?  I hope not she says.  I said what will he do? She draws the knife across here throat.  Oh oh.   We did the movie than the house.   Not sure what happened when boyfriend found out but she didn't work for the next couple of days.

 

 

fun evening and another pattaya story

[Explorer8939]

Yummy, it is, and conveniently close to Dynasty Inn on Soi 13.

[just hanging]

if you like Japanese food this is a great deal