For around $20 per person, you can get dinner AND a show at the new Oishii Japanese Steakhouse.
The restaurant, at the corner of 27th Street and Cornhusker Highway, specializes in hibachi cooking, with patrons sitting around hot open grills while chefs prepare meals in an entertaining fashion.
The chef on our visit, for instance, juggled his utensils, built a flaming volcano with white onion slices and effectively used a rubber chicken to “squeeze out†eggs onto the grill for the fried rice.
He also used his spatula to toss broccoli toward my gaping open mouth. We went 0-for-3, but it wasn't for lack of effort on both our parts.
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Oishii, the Japanese word for tasty or delicious, opened Sept. 3 at 2949 N. 27th St., where Village Inn used to be. It’s owned by couple Jonathan and “Handy†Lighthall, with Handy handling the day-to-day operations. Handy used to simultaneously manage Lincoln sister restaurants Kasumi Sushi and Itsumo Ramen before starting Oishii, according to Jonathan.
“We didn’t want to open just a sushi place,†Jonathan said. “We wanted to offer something different and something more.â€
While hibachi cooking is Oishii’s emphasis, the restaurant also has sushi available as well as Japanese, Chinese and Thai entrees from the kitchen, including some curry dishes, for those not interested in the hibachi show.
The “chef special rolls†from the sushi menu are worth noting (and checking out). It’s an homage to Handy’s time spent in New York City, with rolls named for the city’s boroughs. We enjoyed “Yonkers†($15 for eight pieces), one of three rolls served on fire. It had shrimp tempura, cream cheese and avocado topped with eel and spicy crab.
Food
I visited Oishii with my wife, Rebecca, and friend Eric. We were “all in†on the hibachi experience, but also wanted to sample from the rest of the menu. So we ordered two appetizers, two sushi rolls and two hibachi meals: chicken and shrimp. Prices for hibachi meals range from $14 to $41, depending on what you order as a protein. Lobster and steak, of course, are the most expensive.
We started with Takoyaki ($8, squid balls in special sauce) and Yakitori ($10, skewers with chicken, shrimp and steak). We highly recommend the breaded squid balls, which were “something different.†The skewers were OK, a bit pricey for what was served.
Off the sushi menu, we ordered the aforementioned Yonkers and a West Village roll ($13 for eight pieces) that featured salmon, cucumber and avocado wrapped in rice. Both were delicious, but the Yonkers was a scene stealer, coming to the table ablaze.
The highlight, though, was the show to follow. Each hibachi meal starts with a simple lettuce salad with Russian dressing and a bowl of mild miso soup, with not much in the way of mushrooms or salt. Then the chef rolls his cart and begins.
We sat around a grill with six others and watched as our chef bantered, cooked, bantered and cooked some more. He started with the fried rice, followed by the veggies and then the meat. We suggest eating each as they are finished and served because if you wait your rice or veggies may grow cold.
Portions were hearty, and our chicken and shrimp, lightly seasoned, were grilled perfectly. Overall, it proved to be an enjoyable experience. Grade: B
Atmosphere
Those driving past Oishii know the Lighthalls spent a lot of time this summer getting the restaurant ready to open. With the burnt-orange and black color scheme, the hanging lanterns and its name in large lighted letters, it’s quite striking from the street.
Inside, patrons will find eight hibachi grills with booths surrounding the outside of them for those who don’t want to partake in the experience. The burnt orange and black colors also are used inside throughout the restaurant.
It can be a bit noisy when the chefs are at work – lots of banging utensils and customers laughing. Grade: B
Service
It appears Oishii has ironed out some of the service issues that plagued it when it opened – some of those early Google reviews were harsh. We had an extremely enjoyable experience. We were greeted at the front door and asked if we wanted to sit at one of the grills or opt for a booth and order from the kitchen menu. Once seated, a server took our drink orders, followed by our food orders.
In addition to the hibachi entrees, we ordered two appetizers and two sushi rolls, which arrived in a timely manner, just as our chef began preparing our meals. The chef double-checked with those who had ordered steak as to how they wanted their meat cooked.
Our chef was happy-go-lucky and boisterous, with a loud laugh that filled the room. He made sure he engaged with every person at the table. Grade: A
Specialty diets
The menu is filled with vegetarian options, ranging from a special veggie sushi section to several kitchen entrees, including a Thai Basil Fried Rice ($15), Thai Red Curry ($15) and Yaki Udon (stir-fried noodles, $15). Gluten-free dining is not noted in the menu, so check with servers about options. Grade: B+