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 539 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

Edited July 17, 2016 by Evil Penevil

[losgrad]

Evil,

 

Thanks for the pictures and review of my favorite Pattaya restaurant - the Oishi Buffet.

 

During my time in Pattaya, we dine weekly for the unlimited quantity of salmon and other sashimi, the limited sushi options, but more importantly the diversity of other foods not available in other Japanese style restaurants. At Oishi Restaurant in addition to the section of Japanese foods, there are also sections of Chinese Dim Sum, Korean BBQ foods and other cook to order Asian foods.

 

Yes, the desserts are 'western,' but very tasty even for the Asians tastes - banoffee, cakes, ice cream, jello and raspberry pana cotta (not all available every day). Drinks include hot coffee, hot tea and soft drinks.

 

Yes, Oishi Restaurant is a little more expensive than other local buffets. We have also noticed most diners appear to be Thai 'white collar' salaried workers and therefore the restaurant is especially busy at the beginning of each month. Yes, few foreigners patronize this restaurant and most of my local farang friends don't revisit, but we are not deterred :). We seem to enjoy a 'fusion' of foods and the combination available at Oishi fit us well.

Edited July 17, 2016 by losgrad

[Evil Penevil]

At Oishi Restaurant in addition to the section of Japanese foods, there are also sections of Chinese Dim Sum, Korean BBQ foods and other cook to order Asian foods.

 

 

Yes, that was something I missed in the review: Oishi has two open "kitchens" where food is cooked is cooked to order.

 

 

You can order tempura, 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 option.

 

The dim sum corner:

 

 

Evil

[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...

[cbrib]

Thanks for another great report Evil. I have had Oishi buffet a couple of times and personally prefer going to Fuji. More expensive but IHMO better quality

[JONPAT]

Thanks for another great report Evil. I have had Oishi buffet a couple of times and personally prefer going to Fuji. More expensive but IHMO better quality

Is Fuji an all you can eat buffet?

[Evil Penevil]

Is Fuji an all you can eat buffet?

 

No, it's not. You order dishes from the menu.

 

ShabuShi, which is an all-you-can-eat buffet that also belongs to the Oishi group, is located in Central Festival. It's a hot-pot style arrangement where you grab the ingredients off a conveyor belt, but it also has sushi and other dishes for a very reasonable 375 baht.

 

Both Fuji and ShabuShi are often rammed with customers. That's one advantage of Oishi at The Avenue, it gets busy but I've never seen it full.

 

Evil

Edited July 19, 2016 by Evil Penevil

[Irish boy]

Is this still open at the Avenue?

[wenzel]

yes

[Irish boy]

yes

 

Thanks, just wasn't sure as everytime I've been back in Pattaya and at the Avenue, something else has closed.

 

Go to it next week, I enjoy a Japanese buffet.

[Irish boy]

 

My new year meal was all you can eat sushi/sashimi. Oishi is more than just sushi. Have a look around. I've gone with a few TG and they were ordering up flaming soups that the staff prepared at our table, All included.

 

Image00014.JPG

 

Thanks, will do.

[Irish boy]

Just back from here, great selection,wfe was delighted they had hot pot as well lol.

 

Will be back, definitely good value, was busy, but not packed, never had to wait on anything.