Located in downtown Powell, Oishii Japanese Bistro opened in the late fall of last year and has since been a popular spot for many Japanese cuisines. Though some believe the restaurant serves primarily sushi, they actually have an entire menu of soups, noodles, rice dishes, and desserts. I decided to try the place with my friend Avery Cook this past Sunday to get a good gauge of the menu and place as a whole. 

Walking in, the ambiance was great. They completely transformed the former Jeni’s ice cream into a classic Japanese-style restaurant. The floors, walls, and furniture matched with a light wash wood. Tapestries hung on the walls and the lights dangling from the ceiling were tastefully designed resembling weaved baskets. There is an outdoor seating area, booths, tables, and 2 bar areas, utilizing all the space they have without becoming crowded. 

Together we ordered one type of each dish available. I ordered the chicken dumplings, chicken yakisoba, and chicken katsu. I stayed safe by sticking with chicken which I knew I would like. The chicken katsu came with miso soup and rice while the yakisoba came with Oishii’s house salad. Avery went with the seaweed salad and cucumber avocado sushi roll, fulfilling her duty of trying the sushi since I don’t like the dish. 

I had never had miso soup before and was excited to try the classic appetizer. I had a good amount to give it a chance before the dumplings arrived but I think I’m just not an enjoyer of miso. The tofu in the soup however was tasty, I think I would try one of their fried and breaded tofu dishes on another visit. 

The 6 chicken dumplings came pan-fried with an orange sauce. Usually, I am not a big fan of dumplings but these were phenomenal. The sauce was delicious though I couldn’t place the flavor and the dumplings themselves were crispy and didn’t try to be overcomplicated with the filling.

The seaweed salad also arrived around this time and Avery, never having had one before, greatly enjoyed it. Mixed with the seaweed were strips of cucumber and sesame seeds. She would describe it as flavorful and say that the texture was surprisingly pleasant. 

Our entrees started arriving and came in huge portions that made the prices of $17 for the yakisoba and $12.99 for the chicken katsu with rice justifiable. I have never seen a bigger plate of noodles in my life. The chicken was also shocking, two large pieces of breaded chicken pre-cut into strips with a barbecue-style type sauce. 

Though the amount of food was daunting I gave each dish a chance by having multiple bites of each. Honestly, for me, I didn’t like the yakisoba. I’m naturally a picky eater and the cabbage flavor didn’t mix well with me. However, once I brought the leftovers home my father reported that he actually really liked the noodles, so don’t just take my opinion on it.

However, the chicken katsu was probably my favorite thing from the night. The chicken was crispy and the barbeque sauce was a great pairing. The next day I actually warmed up these leftovers and finished off both the chicken and rice, so none went to waste. I would highly recommend this to anyone visiting Oishii. Overall a great impression of chicken katsu since I’ve never had it before.

As for the cucumber avocado sushi roll, Avery has nothing but great things to say about it. She claimed that though she’s had this style of roll at many places Oishii’s is by far the best. The roll was also a good size, not too small or big, and was an adequate meal despite not having fish in it.

Finally, we both decided to finish strong by ordering dessert. I went with the mochi ice cream after our great waiter Collin steered me away from the fried cheesecake, I had had so much food at that point ordering it would have been absurd. I chose the 3 flavors salted caramel, cake batter, and vanilla. Avery ordered the fried ice cream which came beautifully plated with decorative leaves. Both of us ended up loving our desserts and finished our entire plates. Out of all 3 flavors, I would most recommend cake batter. 

Overall, the experience was a good one. There was great service, food, and prices. My total, for all the food I got, only came to $46 and I honestly think I got enough to feed at least 3 people. Avery would agree as her bill came to $28. I would say we were both beyond full and happy with our choice to get dinner at Oishii.