Area Favorite Oishi Sushi & Izakaya Celebrates 10 Years in South Norwalk (sponsored post)

Photography by MaxEx Public Relations and Andrew Dominick

Sushi lovers and locals know, if you want rolls and sashimi, Oishi Sushi & Izakaya is always at the top of their list of recommendations in Norwalk.

Oishi, which opened in 2014 under owner Chris Chen, is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary as a top sushi spot and as a SoNo mainstay, this coming October under the new ownership of partners Vicky Gao, Hui Lin, and Peter Hu.

Gao (left) and Hu pose in their “new to them” restaurant

Gao, who’s the owner of Osaka Restaurant in Queens, along with Lin and Hu, who together own two restaurants across the bridge in Nanuet, Chochosan Sushi and Hibachi and Chochosan Noodle House, all bring a wealth of knowledge with them as it pertains to operating Japanese restaurants.

Hu says that Oishi came to the trio via an ad on social media back in December 2022.

Angus beef wontons

Chicken yakatori with a draft pour of Sapporo

“They posted an ad, so we called Chris,” he says. “We signed a new lease for Oishi, and we didn’t change the staff, including the chef, who has been in the industry for 20 years.”

Now ready to take Oishi past the decade mark and beyond, Hu also notes that the menu is largely what Oishi’s fans keep coming back for, a focal point being the restaurant’s extensive selection of sushi rolls and sashimi, with crowd favorites being the yellowtail sashimi (jalapeño and yuzu ponzu), the Incredible Roll (tuna and avocado topped with tuna, salmon, eel, tempura crunch, tobiko, and eel sauce), and their namesake in the Oishi Roll, consisting of tuna, yellowtail, salmon, avocado, and asparagus, topped with seared tuna, salmon, scallion, tobiko, spicy mayo, and eel sauce.

Psst! At Oishi, when ordering sushi, ask for their fresh wasabi for an extra kick.

Hot & spicy ramen

“We get all the fish from a Japanese company,” Hu says. “Fresh daily. High grade. We have a really nice bluefin tuna (sashimi) and we use the belly.”

And one way to immerse yourself in a full, proper Oishi experience according to Hu, is to indulge in one of three omakase tastings, one focuses on sushi ($48 for one person, 10 pieces of assorted sushi and chef special roll), another is strictly sashimi (20 pieces of assorted sashimi for $45/person), and the final one is a mix of sushi and sashimi ($68/person, includes 12 pieces of assorted sashimi, eight pieces of assorted sushi, and chef special roll).

For a precursor to all the fresh, raw bites, Oishi’s small plates menu of crowd-pleasing fare like spicy Sichuan dumplings, Angus beef wontons, yakitori chicken skewers, duck spring rolls, and more are still one of the restaurant’s highlights going forward.

If there is one new addition to Oishi, it’s at the bar. A year ago, they added a happy hour deal, every day (except Mondays when they’re closed), where from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m., if you buy one drink you get your second one for a penny! And yes, that does include Oishi’s famous Blue Ocean Bowl drink with light rum, passion fruit vodka, peach schnapps, blue curacao, and pineapple juice that you’ve clearly seen on social media and have always been curious to try.

124 Washington Street, Norwalk
203.957.3888, oishisono.com