389 MAIN STREET, WORCESTER
(508) 752-1688
WWW.YUMMY-OISHI.COM/

BERNIE WHITMORE

On my daily walking commute through downtown Worcester, I took particular interest in the opening of Oishi restaurant. Because the building is clad in dark reflective glass, I couldn’t determine if it was simply a takeout operation or if dine-in service was offered. Despite this, even the faint lure of sushi beckoned.

An assignment to dine at Oishi was the perfect opportunity to satisfy my curiosity; a glance at their website’s extensive menu and pledge; “[to] serve delicious Asian cuisine in a convenient location at an affordable price—all without sacrificing quality” combined to further heighten my expectations.

When my friend and I passed through Oishi’s black mirror portal, we found ourselves in a spacious dining room with fresh and restrained décor, and, surprisingly, several groups of diners seated at tables and engaged in lively conversation. I was happily surprised to see customers because, as evening approaches, Main Street Worcester often becomes a ghost town. Something about Oishi is getting people’s attention.

Oishi’s menu features several pages of nigiri sushi and sashimi; as well as maki cooked and raw; rice bowls and ramen combinations. We decided to keep things relatively basic; but first we started with the Gyoza appetizer. Steamed gyoza resemble Chinese cuisine’s pot stickers but with much thinner, almost translucent wrappers that reveal their cache of finely minced meat. Oishi’s crimping was elaborate; each dumpling was a masterwork of ripples and folds. Their subtle flavor was enhanced by a mild dipping sauce.

I’ll note here that Oishi doesn’t serve beer or wine. Instead, they feature ‘mocktails’, hot tea and a refrigerator stocked with soft drinks. We enjoyed our meal with glasses of cold water. 

When it comes to sashimi, I like to let the sushi chef make the decisions; who knows better what’s going to please?  The closest to omakase that we could find in Oishi’s menu was Sashimi Deluxe; twelve assorted sashimi served with a small bowl of rice. Presentation was simple refinement; four groupings of sashimi with a large dab of wasabi all served on a white bowl of shaved ice. 

Slices of salmon; as well as Maguro and Hamachi tuna, were firm and evenly textured; flavors were pristine-fresh and delicate. The fourth sashimi in the presentation, three thick slices of white tuna, was delightfully dense and buttery. Multiple slices of each fish offered opportunities for dipping in a breath catching soy-wasabi mixture or ‘straight up’ for a pure seafood experience.

Our cooked maki roll, Oishi’s Sea Monster, stood in sharp contrast to the simplicity of sashimi. Presented on a long rectangular dish it arced gently around a flowering ‘tree’. Jumbo shrimp tails at each of the roll fostered an illusion of sea monster, I guess. With ten large slices, this maki was a monster portion. Inside were shrimp and crab tempura wrapped in sticky rice and topped with lobster salad, drizzled with Oishi’s eel sauce, and garnished with bright green seaweed salad. That’s a lot of ingredients, but the flavors merged into a warm delicious unity.

We skipped dessert, but at an adjacent table a couple were happily digging into scoops of green tea ice cream and fried vanilla ice cream. Perhaps as a nod to another world cuisine, Oishi also offers tiramisu.

Experience has taught me to avoid mentioning the lack of excitement on Main Street. So often it precipitates a dreary litany of all the businesses Worcester once loved. In the age of big box stores and next-day shipping, main streets have become frontier land; restaurants such as Oishi are modern-day pioneers.

High quality Asian cuisine at very fair prices, great service, and easy access. That’s plenty of reason to dine at Oishi Japanese Restaurant.