If the sushi rice was better seasoned I might have given this place four stars. The service was attentive and friendly. The fish was fresh and well-portioned in the nigiri. But oh the bland rice! So bland I ate the fish off the sushi. This could be a great neighborhood sushi spot but please season the rice! read more

The hibachi shrimp was alright. I thought it would be fried rice and it was white. The shrimp was overall really good, however. Though, for $23, you don't get a fair amount of food. Places like Miyabi and Kanki will give you double that amount for the same price. read more

The food is mediocre. We had a takeout order and got home to discover we did not get an entree we ordered but a vegetarian soup. We called the restaurant and The restaurant offered to remake our order but at that point at home and everyone ready for dinner we asked for a refund on the missing entree. The restaurant said they had no way of crediting a credit card over the phone and we would have to go back to the restaurant to get the credit. Finally they offered to remember our name and give us a credit next time we ordered. When do you think we will be going back?! read more

Best sushi I've had in Chapel Hill. Plus, the chef is extremely friendly and accommodating. He'll get you what you ask for! read more

It took awhile to find a good sushi place... but I finally found it. I ate at the sushi bar on a Saturday night. Bar was unoccupied... the tables were filled, so it was busy. I chatted a bit with the waitress and chef to get a bigger picture of what I was getting. The sushi chef was hired from the DC area months ago... since DC and the surrounding parts are very culturally diverse (and have one of the highest Asian populations on the East Coast), this guy clearly knew what he was doing. The server was also very pleasant and made sure I was well taken care of. The sushi is VERY good here and for a reasonable price. The miso and green tea were perfect. The service is prompt and outstanding. What makes this place a major plush for me is that the Japanese beer is on TAP. I have never been to a Japanese restaurant where they served Japanese beer as drafts; they're mostly bottled. I had the freshest Kirin ever. This will be my sushi hangout spot for sure. read more

Pricier and not as tasty as Akai Hana in Carrboro. Atmosphere not as nice, either. That's really all you need to know.

Ok sushi. Bento box was a bit disappointing, service was average. Overall experience was ok. A lot of Korean dishes on the menu. Some good, some bad. read more

Food was delicious. Dining room is clean and the service was quick. The menu has something for everyone at the table of all ages. It's definitely worth coming to. read more

Pssst. I'll let you in on a little secret - there are a plethora of sushi places in the US that are *not* owned/run by Japanese. My parents grew up speaking Japanese under Japan's WWII occupation of Taiwan and we still have family ties to Japan on my dad's side. As a Taiwanese-American raised in the limelight of my parent's Japanese-influenced culture, I grew up in Houston knowing where to go and where not to go for good authentic Japanese food. That being said, two well-known cultures that were historically (and heavily) influenced by Japan were Korea and Taiwan during that time. Why do I bring this up? Well, one of the best places we used to go to for sushi and sashimi back in Houston was owned by one of our family friends and he was Taiwanese. We always had some of the freshest fish served up to us and the authenticity (at least according to my parents) was spot on. Oiishi reminds me of that place. I can't say for certain, but I suspect the owners are Korean. Why? B/c they serve a small smattering of Korean dishes on their menu. FWIW, I only bring this up b/c it's a good thing in Oiishi's case. We ventured out here the other day for lunch and I was quite impressed. While we didn't order any rolls, sashimi or nigiri, we stuck to the lunch menu instead since someone had a craving for a brothy soup. Looking over the lunch menu, I was impressed at the authenticity and variety of some unexpected lunch menu items here - In particular, the chirashi (sashimi over a bowl of rice) looked appealing to me. Perusing further, my eyes strayed to the handful of Korean items in the lower right hand corner of the menu. With surgeon-like precision, my eyes immediately honed in on the bibimbop. At $7.95...I *had* to try this out for the sake of Yelp, of course. My wife ordered the large serving of tempura udon for a measly $8.95. The verdict? While not the absolute best bibimbop, I've ever had...at this price point, it was elevated to legendary status - esp. for the area. Good flavours w/out the MSG and the egg on top was done perfectly (for me that means having the egg yolk runny - perfect for adding that bit of "fat" into the rice and different components of the dish). The beef was seasoned well and the veggies were done equally well with carrots, and sauteed soy sprouts and zucchinis on top. The one complaint was that they didn't serve it with any of the usual pickled dishes. In fact, I had to specifically request kimchee from them (def. out of a jar). The rice was warm and had just the right amount of sweetness in it. I should also note that they do substitutions of tofu instead of beef if you're vegetarian. Overall a great bargain at less than $8 for lunch. As for the tempura udon, the tempura was a bit doughy, but tasted good with the exception of the shrimp which seemed a bit old based on the mealy texture (possibly frozen?). The broth itself was actually quite good, but the noodles seemed to be a bit of the packaged variety. Again, not the best udon I've ever had, but respectable. I know, I know....what the hell am I doing ordering bibimbop from a sushi restaurant? Well, I guess the moral to this story is context. Knowing the history of Japan and Korea helps understand the close ties between these 2 cultures much like Taiwan and Japan. To that end, it's worth knowing b/c if I hadn't known....I never would've tried that delicious bowl of rice in the first place. Word to the wise, don't overlook this place if you've got a craving for some cheap Korean food *as well* as Japanese....in Chapel Hill, this is definitely one place not to be missed - esp. when that craving hits. Now, if only I had remembered to see if they served ramen. I guess I'll have to return back for some more helpings! read more

I don't like to give low ratings especially for small restaurants- they have it hard enough. At the same time, folks should know what they're paying for. Service was excellent. I got nigiri and maki. The fish in both was fresh enough but it wasn't that smooth delicious texture that I expect in raw sushi. If you want to support a local small business, go here! Just know you're not getting very good quality fish. Maybe try the teriyaki or the ramen! I can't eat either unfortunately. read more

2.5 stars. So here's the deal, folks - the fish is pre-cut. The rice happens to be excellent, so it's a step up from your supermarket-bought sushi, but the fish is not great at all. This is disappointing, as the itame clearly has stellar knife skills and is able to work quite quickly. Given the low to moderate volume of sushi orders and the skill & speed of the chef, there's really no excuse for pre-slicing fish. If you're craving fresh sashimi and need anything other than a quick fix, look elsewhere. Some of the rolls looked appetizing, but I'm really a sashimi & nigiri type of guy, and always stick with these when trying out a sushi place for the first time. I feel bad giving only 2.5 stars because the itame was so nice. He offered us a free appetizer consisting of a roll of hollowed out cucumber filled with crab stick; unfortunately, what could have been a refreshing opener was ruined by the oily, cloying sauce that he proceeded to drown the roll in. Upon seeing that my lady friend was vegetarian, he was nice enough to give her some free seaweed salad as well. At the end of our meal, he served us an orange, the peel of which he used to cleverly carve out a very cute mouse. The kitchen didn't fare much better, unfortunately. Our miso soup was standard and thus delicious (pretty hard to screw up, although Akai Hana manages to), but my lady friend's vegetable yaki udon, although a huge portion, consisted of mostly cabbage, with the occasional piece of zucchini, broccoli, and shredded carrot thrown in. The noodles were cooked well, and the sauce was nice (not overly gloopy) but too sweet for my tastes. I saw some nice (and huge) looking entrees emerge from the kitchen, including some large noodle bowls and a ginormous serving of chicken katsu, but my impression leads me to believe that the focus is quantity rather than quality. Aside from the sushi chef, service was scattered and fairly disorganized, although not for lack of trying. Our waitress had the unfortunate skill of showing up exactly when we didn't need her, and disappearing when we did (after giving her our credit card, we waited for ten minutes to have it returned - by another server who noticed we were ready to leave). Probably won't be back. read more

I was pleasantly surprised with our experience here when my husband and I spontaneously popped in for lunch. Disclaimer: we did not try any sushi and thus cannot comment on its quality or freshness here. However, my husband's bibimbap was extremely flavourful and the rice was perfectly cooked. It was a big serving - especially for $8- but I probably could have eaten the entire bowl myself. The seafood udon with tempura wasn't bad and the broth was delicately flavoured. It contained several pieces of fried tofu 'pok', imitation crab, and veggies. It also came with a little side of tempura-fried 'nuggets' although the lone battered shrimp wasn't very fresh and the veggies were thinly grated and fried as 'clumps' (although still tasty). Service was really quick and complimentary miso soup arrived immediately. The rest of our food followed quickly afterwards. I'm certain I will be back again to enjoy more lunch offerings from this tucked-away restaurant. read more

Hidden away gem in the Timberlyne strip mall. Very friend staff and good service. The sushi is fresh and well made. Not as much value for your money as the '2-for-1' places in the area but the overall experience is good. Would like to see a wider variety of options on the sushi menu. read more

Oishii has been my go-to for sushi, but lately they have been slipping on my list of favorites. The decline is mainly due to the bill delivered at the end of the meal. Price is one of my three criteria for excellence, Oishii is by far the best sushi joint in Chapel Hill in terms of quality, but definitely falls short in the price department. Bo-go sushi is now the law of the land. On a positive note, the non-sushi menu offerings are fantastic. The crunch snapper is the business. read more

Based on Yelp recommendation, I came and tried out this place. First, the sushi was good. I tried 3 different sashimi (tuna, salmon, and yellow tail) and they were all good. The spicy tuna roll is pretty good as well. The soup was okie... I wouldn't go crazy about it... but it's okie. The atmosphere was nice although I think they might need to use the air filter to make the place a little bit less stuffy (it's a pretty enclosed area) but at least the kitchen smell didn't spread out all the way... so my clothes are still fine after having dinner there. (you know how it is when you go to restaurant where air circulation is not good). Also, the bathroom is nice and the service was really nice as well. This is becoming my favorite sushi place for sure. A little bit off from Franklin, so there is not much college crowd here. From what I've seen, it's either people who live close to the neighborhood or people who work nearby. The lunch option looks pretty good so I will probably come back for some lunch time :) It's not too pricey if you come in a group. The portion is good enough and I don't think it's more expensive than akai hana. I would have given this place a 5 star... if the air condition was a little bit better and they put in a little bit more light. :) Definitely recommended and definitely come back. read more

Fresh. Delicious. Sushi. This is some of the best sushi in the area. That, mind you, is a relative designation. Oishii is far from the best such I have had, but it may be the only quality sushi place in Chapel Hill. If you are craving fresh sushi take a drive up to Oishii, it's worth it. read more

Food is so so quality. My eel dish didn't taste super fresh, but on the plus side the portions are quite generous. If you frequent sushi spots you know that they can be a bit skimpy with the chow. Anyway we were seated right away and service wasn't too pokey, so if you're jonesing for sushi at a price that won't kill, this place will get the job done. read more

I haven't had the sushi yet, but the teriyaki beef and teriyaki chicken dishes are delicious. Call ahead for take-out, because it takes them about 20 minutes to prepare it, even with a mostly empty restaurant. Depending on your budget constraints, it can be a little pricey (the least expensive dinner entree I saw was about $14). However, you do get a ton of food. Like Kanki, they include a cup of miso soup and salad with ginger dressing with each entree, regardless of whether you dine-in or take-out. I concur with Christina that this place is rather small, although the night I visited there were only maybe 10 people there. read more

I eat here for lunch sometimes when I'm over at Timberlyne for work. Solid. I'm sure I'll be back. Never had anything but the sushi. Always fresh, well made. Standard choices. read more

The food and service are pretty good here. The location is strip shopping center in the suburbs. They have fixed up their store nicely inside to make it welcoming. I enjoyed the tea and the food. read more

I have eaten here several times and the food has been good. I usually order sushi which has always been good, sometimes great. The sushi is fresh, they have good selection, and it has always been consistantly at least good. the downside, a bit pricey, and small portions. The wife will usually order a noodle dish which has always been consistantly good. the service is always prompt. the restaurant is always clean. parking is plentiful (strip mall) The decor is standard strip mall restaurant atmosphere. Overall I continue to go here as it has been significantly better than the three other chapel hill sushi places i have tried. read more

So some reviews are good others not so much, pretty typical of Yelp reviews. I eat sushi a lot but don't consider myself an expert. My dear friend Fujiwara, Masaru sensei was here this year ( he is from Kanagawa, Japan) and a colleague Akiko-san went out to Oishii after our kendo practice ( I am sensei for the UNC kendo club). We ate about $100 worth of sushi, sashimi, and sake and enjoyed it very much. This was not the first time I had been to Oishii but I was interested to hear his opinion and he was very pleased. The fish was very fresh tasting with no undue 'fishy' flavor. Additionally the sake was decent. The wait staff was very attentive and we all had a nice time. read more

We each had the sashimi platter. The fish was okay, cut a little too thick, and we found the portion and the quality of the fish to be pricey for the money. However, Chapel Hill isn't really known for great sushi, so I suppose it's worth a visit if you aren't in the mood for Waraji in Raleigh or Sushi Love in Durham. read more

I got diagnosed with celiac disease a month ago. I was afraid that meant an end to the delightful sushi/sashimi dinners my husband and I enjoy almost every week...but CJ took the time to read up on the condition and keeps my stuff separate from anything with gluten in it. He even keeps a special wheat-free soy sauce in the refrigerator behind the counter. I cannot say enough nice things about Oishii...but particularly CJ. And I don't know why Dwight S thinks the fish is precut...we always sit at the bar and watch CJ cut it. That's part of the fun! read more

The sushi was good, not great. For what they charge (no BOGO, which is standard for sushi in the area), I expected more. My husband and I each ordered two mid-priced rolls, one glass of wine each, and we shared an app. The bill was almost $70!!!! For that price, we could have driven to Raleigh and eaten at Mura (where the quality of the sushi warrants such a price tag). We will not be returning. read more

Truly a phenomenal sushi restaurant. The staff are incredible, friendly, timely and polite which leads in to a wonderful experience of some of the freshest and most creative sushi I've experienced in North Carolina. The sushi chefs are very enthusiastic and produce a fresh and delightful product. I'm a fa of the Oishii Roll and the Miss Saigon personally. Two fantastic dishes among the many offered for a decent price! read more

Solid place for lunch. I don't know about dinner but the lunch special is a good deal - fast and fresh. I also like that it ISN'T like a place like Sushi Love. It's a lot more traditional and I prefer that. read more

I was talking to a friend about curry the other day and had a craving to come back to Oishii for their Chicken Katsu Curry - last time I was here was over a year ago. So I decided to bike the ~8 miles from Durham... and it was totally worth it! The chicken always tastes fresh, perfectly breaded, and fried and the curry had a nice consistency. And the service was frequent and super friendly - I never had to ask for water, and I was drinking down glasses like crazy after my ride. I highly recommend Oishii and I will definitely be back. :) read more

My families favorite sushi in the triangle. It's not the cheapest place on earth, but the sushi is always fresh tasting and very consistent. We've tried the bulkogi and while it was perfectly good, I've had better. Still our favorite sushi joint, we've found none better! read more

This place has an awesome lunch special if your into the whole Japanese thing. You get chicken, vegies, soup, and a salad if I'm not mistaken, and the place is overall just great. read more

Solid rolls! Reasonably priced and large portions! Try the gyoza miso and Chesapeake roll!

I went here for dinner with my mother some time ago. We were looking for a sushi place, and saw that Oishii had just opened so we decided to try it out. We walked away extremely disappointed. The food was mostly terrible, from the fried calamari appetizer to the rolls. There was one particular roll that was drenched in so much mayo I had to fight my gag reflex. To make matters worse, the bill ended up being about $80. It is entirely possible the food has improved, but based on my first impression I would avoid Oishii. read more

Always reliable. Prompt. Good service. Fantastic sushi. Fresh vegetables. I've been coming here for 10 years sometimes once a week.

We ate lunch today, and in all fairness, most of the food was decent. However, we had a BIG problem with the sushi, which is the reason for the two stars. My son ordered two maki rolls, the crunchy tuna and the spicy tuna. There was no description in the order form, and everyone knows that crunchy tuna is a fresh tuna roll made with panko crumbs to give it crunch. Well, the waitress took our order and never even warned us about the deep-fried roll. What they brought him was a deep-fried crunchy tuna roll, which was a disaster, as we were expecting a fresh tuna roll. Deep-fried tuna smells bad and has no taste. It's basically ruined sushi, and I have no idea why anyone would want it. We asked the waitress why they brought us deep-fried sushi, and she said 'That's the way we make it here.' OK, fair enough, but why didn't they tell us first? To add insult to injury, they would not refund the price, or bring us what we were expecting. The chef defended their deep-fried roll. We asked them to please add a description that it is a deep-fried roll, so unsuspecting customers will at least know what they're getting. read more

Food is not expensive and delicious; good quality of sushi. Easy to find parking..the owner Mr. Kim is generous..

Very quick service and reasonably priced. The sushi was fresh and lunch was good, but could have used a little more flavor. Overall we will come back and eat here again. read more

I just moved to the area from NYC so it's been hard to find decent sushi. I thought this place looked authentic and the reviews were all over the place so I figured I'd try it for myself. I arrived about 1:30 pm and it was just me in the entire restaurant for 90% of my meal. I sat at the bar and the chef was very nice. He gave me a complimentary fried chicken dish with some sort of egg salad on top. Unfortunately the chicken was so tough and stringy I couldn't bite into it. It had been microwaved. I got the chirashi korean bowl, it was just okay. The fish was cut so small it was hard to find in a bowl full of rice. For $14 you'd think it would be large, easily identifiable pieces of fish. Also sitting at the bar I noticed the avocado that they had prepped- sliced and wrapped in saran wrap was mostly brown slices. Like when it's starting to rot from the inside kind of brown... thats a turn off. Service was great, everyone was very attentive though I don't think I'll go back. Too bad because it's a 3 min drive from where I live! read more

Recently ate there and it was one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had in Chapel Hill. The food was terribly overpriced and of mediocre quality. The bathrooms were shabby and not clean--on the way to the bathroom I passed a pile of building supplies including a half open pile of grout powder (yum!). It was was family unfriendly as well. Although there were several families there, there were no children's portions, which meant that we paid $18 for our 3 year old son's simple entree of sauteed meat and veggies. Although this restaurant is very close to where we live, we will NEVER go back. If I could give it zero stars, I would. Save your money and dine at one of the many other great restaurants in the area. read more

This is a fairly average place. It's nothing spectacular by any means. The interior is fairly standard Japanese-esque, so the atmosphere isn't anything remarkable. Our server was nice enough, if a bit quiet that made it hard to understand what she was saying. I got a maki bento box, which was a decent amount of food for the price. This included a tuna roll, shrimp tempura roll, and a few side items. The salad they included was too wet for my taste; I think they added too much dressing. I also ordered a crunchy salmon roll to go with the bento. Overall, the sushi was well assembled, but presentation-wise was lacking. A few pieces of sushi appeared somewhat empty and light, and those pieces tasted more of rice than fish. Essentially, the sushi here isn't anything spectacular but also it's not expensive. The vegetable tempura my friend got was fried through and was at least reminiscent of authentic Japanese cuisine, but, like the sushi, was asking for more in terms of flavor. read more

Went for dinner and didn't stay. Sat at sushi bar bc no tables available. Too hot there and felt uncomfortable. Went to ask hostess for regular table but she was too busy. We sat at the bar seats for a good five minutes with no service and left. Also the man making sushi kept looking at me and it was weird. I've eaten here before and it was alright. But sushi ends up being expensive compared to other places that offer bogo. read more