Oishi Kitchen, which comes from the Japanese word oishii, meaning delicious or tasty, is a fusion Japanese and Korean restaurant on the iconic Chapel Street, located in the heart of Melbourne's Prahran.
The famous Chapel Street
Oishi
Side dishes & edamame
Usually when I go to a Korean or Japanese restaurant, one of the things I look forward to the most is their assortment of side dishes. Oishi Kitchen's offering was different from what I normally see, so I was quite excited, however the coating on the fried squid was cold and as a result was also mushy and soggy.
Mandoo $9.00
The mandoo at Oishi Kitchen were made the way I like them, with a crispy outside and a slightly softer filling than the traditional Chinese dumplings. Another plus was that the filling was seasoned well, which I find a lot of places seem to neglect.
Grilled pork belly $17.00
Creamy garlic prawn & kimchi fried rice $16.50
The two dishes we ordered as mains were the grilled pork belly and kimchi fried rice. The two main dishes were solid overall, however nothing really grabbed my attention. The kimchi fried rice was a bit on the wet side but was seasoned very well, the creamy garlic prawns had a strong black pepper flavour which I quite enjoyed.
As a standalone restaurant, Oishi Kitchen solid dishes and friendly service. The problem that arises is that they are located on Chapel Street, which is the home of many of Melbourne's culinary gems and to put it bluntly, Oishi Kitchen can't complete.
As a standalone restaurant, Oishi Kitchen solid dishes and friendly service. The problem that arises is that they are located on Chapel Street, which is the home of many of Melbourne's culinary gems and to put it bluntly, Oishi Kitchen can't complete.
Food Rating 7/10
Overall Rating 7/10