Sara Sarver

This past weekend, Brook & I were able to spend some time with fellow Indiana ex-pats and friends Jason & April Ruggles. While in their neck of the woods in Bangkok, they took us to a restaurant we’d only ever heard about, and had never visited – Oishi. We were told that the word Oishi actually means “delicious” in Japanese, so it only seemed fitting as the name of this unique restaurant. Wait, Sara, did you just say unique? Now you’re curious… What makes Oishi so unique is that they charge a flat rate for all-you-can-eat in 1 hour 15 minutes, as well as the manner in which you receive your food…

… it travels right past your table on a conveyor belt! Wait, what?!

Every table is outfitted with a recessed hot plate on which a split pot sits. You may choose from 3 different types of broth – clear, spicy, or whichever meat broth they have that night (chicken or pork). You then use this broth to cook whatever you would like to eat. As you sit at your table, there is a conveyor belt that passes by, filled with options for your meal. Some plates contain a portion of meat – chicken, pork, beef, bacon, liver, shrimp, squid, etc. Others have veggies like cabbage, leafy greens, or mushrooms. There’s even tofu, dumplings, fish patties, and eggs to poach. All you do is reach over, grab a dish, deposit its contents into the broth and wait. After a few minutes, you use your strainer to lift out the food, place it in your bowl, and enjoy! It really is quite fun!

Along with what is available right at your table, the restaurant also features a walk-up sushi bar, tempura station (with potstickers – my favorite!), fresh fruit, and hard-scoop ice cream for dessert. I know some of you may be thinking… sushi? Well, I personally can’t bring myself to eat anything that is raw, so I stick to the items that contain vegetables, cooked egg, and rice. I especially like the cucumber rolls – a paper-thin slice of cucumber, wrapped several times around a small bunch of rice, egg, vegetables, and topped with a mild horseradish cream. Yum! Oh, and of course, you can’t forget the dipping sauces. Each person receives a small bowl of darkly colored smoky-spicy sauce, and another containing a lighter sauce that tasted like toasted sesame. Every table also had the traditional soy sauce, lemon juice and my favorite bright green condiment – wasabi.

It really was quite an experience, and a meal filled with fun! And, of course, no matter what you’re eating, it’s always better shared with friends.

** BONUS ** Here’s proof that we do know how to use chopsticks!