Oishi Sushi & Izakaya

We came here a lot when this place opened, and for a while after — loved it.
Above-​average décor, lounge/​downtempo music, friendly staff, outdoor seating. Many non-​sushi items were executed well: duck sliders, duck salad with mango, fried tempura desserts (banana was good, although sometimes the fried ice cream was rock solid).
The quality of the fish was a step above some of the other local sushi places, which became our fallbacks (Edo, Kazu). I’d say Little Tokyo was about on par comparing just the sashimi/​nigiri quality, but couldn’t compete in terms of variety, ambiance, or location. Oishi’s special rolls (esp. the eponymous — a favorite) weren’t just the same thing you see everywhere else.
Then, last summer, Oishi started getting… slow. We would be the only people in the restaurant throughout dinner at peak hours (not Mon./Tues.). Our sushi came out and wasn’t what we remembered. It smelled off. My dining partner feigned being full; I braved ahead, very much regretting my decision over that evening and for the day following. We wondered if the restaurant was struggling and had stretched out its fish deliveries — but allowing them an off night, returned some time later. That night the fish also smelled off, but I no longer braved ahead.
I haven’t been back since, and have instead resignedly accepted Kazu or Edo when wanting sushi in the area — each time wishing I could trust Oishi’s consistency. I’ve since moved away, but maybe I’ll try Oishi again someday.

My boyfriend and my favorite spot for sushi! The staff is amazing. We have never had to wait and are always greeted and seated. All of the sushi is GREAT. It comes out quickly and is fresh and delicious.

Awesome restaurant. NYC quality. Super friendly staff and everything we tried was a 5 star quality. Very impressed. I’ll definitely be back. If your in the area or work/​live in the area, try this place. You won’t regret it.

Best sushi I’ve had in Fairfield county! Great atmosphere and menu. Came here with a girlfriend on saturday night around 9. We split this lobster and tuna appetizer (lobster wrapped in tuna), the oishii roll and the vegetable sushi combo. Perfect amount of food for two women. And amazing. So fresh and tuna was like butter. Could have eaten two platters.
Great service too! Hope to be back!

The sushi is amazing so fresh. They also have fresh wasabi and the service is impeccable. I highly recommend this restaurants it’s very delicious.

Amazing food and service. The Oishi roll was perfect with the right amount of smoke, so was the scallop roll. Also, got some snow crab fried appetizers which was also good.

This place is the real deal. If you have had quality sushi and sashimi in your life, well this is the place where you will finally say «this is it.» This is that much better than every sushi place in the area. The sashimi melts in your mouth and has a fresh and delicate flavor. The rolls combinations are amazing, most of all their special oishi roll. Go, you will not regret it and you will want to come back.

First off the food is amazing. Whether it’s sushi or one of their amazing dishes like Lemon Grass Chicken or Seared Sesame Crusted Tuna Steak you’ll never be disappointed! Even their apps and desserts are really good!
The staff is so friendly and will make you feel so welcome you’ll want to keep coming back! I don’t think I’ve never come across such a welcoming staff!
The place is clean which to me is probably the most important! You won’t get a sticky menu here or a weird smell of mold or anything else. This place overall just has a great atmosphere.

Spoiled Squid! that’s what came in my Omakase the first and last time I went. Btw, no apology or offer to substitute.
Other than that, sushi itself is average to mediocre. Construction is uninspired, and the quality is … (read the first line of this review again). There are definitely better sushi places in Norwalk.

Came here around 8:30 on a Friday night. Every seat was filled but the wait was only 10 minutes. The vibe is trendy, a little dark but not bad.
The service was a bit slow at times but nothing egregious. Was checked on often.
Ordered the Jalapeño yellowtail, several rolls as well as the Sushi Omakase. Was also served a bowl of complimentary miso soup.
Overall it was mediocre. Server should introduce which rolls were created by the chef. Was shocked that the Omakase featured 2 salmon rolls (pictured) I don’t usually get redundant pieces in the chefs tasting so either they were lazy or didn’t have enough kinds of fresh fish. The fish itself was fresh but compared to other sushi joints, it didn’t come close in terms of texture and flavor. It was a good meal overall just not 5 star excellent.
Was only passing through Norwalk so don’t have a good sense of the sushi scene there but have had much, much better even at similar prices.

Favorite sushi in sono! Great happy hour and unique rolls. Plus the staff is super friendly :)

Okay, seriously… how have I not reviewed Oishi? This is my hands down, fave sushi place in the area! I’ve been going since they opened, a little over a year ago.
First off, the owner, Chris, is a fantastic guy. He truly cares about his customers and wants each and every one of them – whether a regular or a first timer – to have a great experience. He is happy to steer you in the right direction, if you have an idea of, but aren’t sure what you want-​and I can say, he’s never steered me wrong. The man also knows his sake. He has a fantastic selection of sake (including a bunch not on menu) and will also infuse sake for you.
Now, to the sushi – I only eat true sushi and sashimi, pretty much due to my Celiac… but, man, I have never had a bad piece (or even slightly off!) of fish here. Everything has always been fresh and cut perfectly. All my roll eating friends that I’ve taken here have raved-I’ve promised two out of town friends that this was some of the best sushi you will have and trust me – they were not disappointed. They often have live scallop, uni, etc… always ask, if you don’t see it. They do an omakase (still need to try that!) so you never know what they have.
To speak to my Celiac – gluten free soy sauce and a great knowledge of what is safe and not. I went to order sake sangria and Chris stopped me… because they used a rye whiskey in it (wasn’t listed on the menu.) This is one of the places I feel 110% safe eating.
The décor of the place is lovely, as well. It’s welcoming, but modern, with really cool wall lights that change color scattered through out.
Oh and happy hour is worth it – buy 1, get one 1 and 20% off food, at the bar, 7 days a week. Can’t beat that.

Since they have opened I have eaten here many times. I don’t like to write reviews but I feel like Oishi needs one.
First off the staff… always pleasant and willing to do or make you whatever you ask for, even if it’s not on the menu.
The food… always delicious! Never had one thing there I wasn’t extremely pleased with.
Atmosphere… Really cool place to be in. Check out the Kanji wood walls as you enter, and the small color changing bricks spaced throughout the stone wall.
All in all great food, great staff, great sake!

Sushi is one of my favorite foods to enjoy and I can honestly say this place is my favorite.
The service is incredibly nice and they offer a great happy hour with good prices.
Both myself and girlfriend have had our birthday dinners here and its the first place we take friends out .
CT roll and Coconut Shrimp rolls are my favorites

We ended up here the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, so the city was pretty empty. Looking for a quick and casual bite, we sat at the bar.
The bartender was very friendly and we enjoyed chatting with him.
I had the butternut squash soup, the tuna love roll, and a peanut avocado roll. I love peanut avocado rolls and don’t see them on many menus, so I was thrilled.
My boyfriend had miso soup, the seaweed salad and the oishi roll.
He also had a pear saketini which was DELICIOUS! Those things go down too easily!
The food was very good and I look forward to returning.

We sat outside enjoying a bunch of their specialty rolls and regular rolls. All of them didn’t disappoint. Lunch special was a great deal as well (also on the weekend). We had Lobster California roll and Wasabi scallop roll from special roll sections. They were so good. Everything tasted fresh and flavorful, especially Lobster California. It’s deep fried! Who wouldn’t like that?
We each also ordered lunch special (2 regular rolls). Both of us ate 6 sets of rolls which were just the right amount. They offer many creative choices of rolls and they all sound delicious.
It is difficult to find a japanese restaurant that opens for lunch hours on the weekend in Stamford area for some reason. I’m glad I visited Oishi Sushi. Definitely will return.

Finally got to try this place yesterday for an early dinner with the bf. Apparently, the happy hour specials only applies to bar seating. That was a little disappointing since we wanted to get a couple of drinks–
Food was good. Not great, but good. We tried the fried calamari for appetizers. The price was a little steep for the amount you get. Bf tried their ramen bowl to see how they compare to a regular ramen place. It actually wasn’t bad. They just over cooked the egg. It’s suppose to be soft boiled, not hard boiled.
I got two specials rolls which were the coconut shrimp tempura and rock n roll. It would’ve been better if the roll lived up to its name. There were barely any coconut in my fried tempura which was what I was looking for.
We’ll definitely go back but we’ll do happy hour specials and sit at the bar. Prices were high for the amount and quality of food that you get. The good thing is, they don’t skimp on the alcohol.

After gallivanting around town with my sister all morning, we decided to check out one of the newer spots in SoNo for lunch. After about 30 seconds on Washington street, we couldn’t deny our sushi cravings and decided on Oishi. Between the two of us we ordered four rolls (peanut avocado, spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, and eel avocado) with miso soup and a glass of wine apiece. Since it was a bit of an off time (2 pm, although luckily the lunch special ran until 3), the restaurant was empty so service was extremely quick and couldn’t have been friendlier!
The interior is gorgeous… and versatile in the sense that it’s perfect for a casual midday lunch or late night cocktails with friends. Prices are reasonable, especially during lunch — we shelled out only $ 35 for four sushi rolls and two glasses of wine. Overall, a lovely addition to South Norwalk — I hope Oishi sticks around for a while!

I came here last weekend for a birthday dinner and everything was incredible. Our waitress was absolutely wonderful and made sure we were taken care of. We ordered the chicken teriyaki, the new york strip steak along with a dragonroll and shrimp tempura roll. I tend to stick to California rolls but the dragon roll was amazing! I definitely have to order that next time I come around. Food came out promptly and our drinks were never empty.
As a bonus, they brought out my desert and the staff came out to sing me happy birthday. :) as a greater bonus, they said my desert was on them! Couldn’t have asked for a greater time. Great food, excellent service; what more could you ask for?

Excellent food, phenomenal service! Highly recommend this awesome restaurant!
We ordered tuna rolls, shrimp tempura rolls. And the oishi roll. Additionally I ordered 4x toro sashimi and 1x mackerel sushi. The rolls were expertly made and all ingredients very fresh. Perfectly balanced and really wonderful tasting. The sushi/​sashimi was incredibly fresh and was a true delicacy. We really enjoyed our meal.
Additional info regarding kids:
We came into this place with three small children — an act we don’t take lightly and were very wary of. Our kids are well really behaved in restaurants, but nonetheless we were nervous. The waitstaff was very friendly and helpful — even offered that we should bring in our huge double stroller we left outside deliberately (we left it out). A gentlemen (maybe owner, maybe head chef) came over too just to say hi to the kids and offer some things that kids usually like. We were very surprised. We had actual ordered the kids some Gyoza and spring rolls which they enjoyed. I say all this not to point out that the restaurant is kid friendly — but rather to highlight the professionalism of the staff. Unless your kids are quiet/​low-​maintenance I wouldn’t bring them here or on any restaurant on Washington street for that matter.