Oishi Grand Japanese Buffet in Bangkok

Oishi Grand Japanese Buffet (โออิชิแกรนด์)
Another addition to Bangkok’s crazed Japanese-Thai fusion obsession is Oishi Grand Japanese Buffet (โออิชิแกรนด์).
It’s similar to Oishi Shabu Shabu or Oishi Express, but Oishi Grand takes things a few steps higher in terms of quality, variety, and ambiance.

Starting things off with a few rounds of sushi
Like most Japanese buffets, I like to start things out by first hitting the sushi and sashimi section.
There were about 6 different kinds of sashimi and about 10 different hand rolls all freshly prepared.

Sashimi!
The sashimi was pretty high quality, comparable to the selection at Takumi Japanese buffet.
While normally I’m more of a fan of red flesh tuna sashimi, I actually enjoyed the salmon sashimi the best here.

Salmon roe rolls at Oishi Grand
Another attraction at Oishi Grand Buffet (โออิชิแกรนด์) is the orange pearl salmon roe, which aren’t particularly common in Thailand I’ve found, even at sushi restaurants.
I do like salmon roe, but actually prefer the smaller tobiko (flying fish roe), smaller eggs.

Seared tuna
The lightly seared tuna was alright, but kind of dried out compared to the sashimi, so I didn’t go back for more of that.

Hand rolls
Unfortunately the Thai California rolls didn’t include avocado (which would have made them much better), but they were generously topped with tobiko fish eggs.

Having a quick shot of espresso
One thing I did love about Oishi Grand Buffet is the full coffee bar.
After the first few rounds of sushi and sashimi, I was ready for a shot of espresso to recharge my eating battery and keep myself alert and focused on the food!

The grill station at Oishi Grand Buffet
After a good base of raw fish and a shot of espresso I was ready to tackle the grill station.
Choose whatever raw ingredients you like, and the chef will either grill or hot plate fry them, then deliver the cooked food to your table.

Steamed snow fish
The snow fish, steamed in soy sauce and topped with thin shreds of ginger was excellent. The flesh was soft yet firm, and not even slightly rubbery. It was so good I had back to back platters!

Grilled sticks of mushroom and garlic are a welcome addition to any meal!

Grilled Salmon at Oishi Grand Buffet in Bangkok, Thailand

More seafood off the grill at Oishi Grand
The mussels were probably my favorite thing off the grill. They were lightly salted and just pure delicious.

Spaghetti in cream sauce at Oishi Grand Buffet
In Thailand, a buffet would not be a buffet without a few random things like spaghetti or pizza.
In fact, at Oishi Grand, there was an entire little pasta station (resembling the pasta stand a ALoft Buffet) where you could order up a choice of combinations.
I only had one bite of this, and I’d have to say, it was decent.

Fried soft shell crab
The signature deep friend soft shell crab was alright, but I think I must have grabbed a plate that had sat out a little too long as it wasn’t overly crispy anymore. That being said, it was flavorful.

Cappuccino
A few more cups of coffee, this time in cappuccino form, and I was ready for dessert.

Chocolate mousse
While normally the fancy little desserts at buffets like this look much better than they taste, a few of the sweet treats were actually really well done.
The chocolate mousse (pictured in front), and the raspberry topped white pudding, were both excellent.

Top quality melon
While the Oishi Grand Buffet assortment included a few local fruits, the big hit was the honeydew sweet melon – and it was superbly sweet and juicy.

Does the Häagen-Dazs really need to be chef recommended?
One thing I found a little on the hilarious side was that the Häagen-Dazs ice cream was “chef recommended,” and a “signature dish.”
I don’t think we really needed the chefs approval of Häagen-Dazs ice cream (and somehow I don’t think they made it)!

Mango and strawberry sorbet
But nevertheless, the Häagen-Dazs ice cream, all-you-can-eat of it, was absolutely wonderful.
If you’re an ice cream lover, you could probably eat 700 THB worth in ice cream alone. I am not ashamed to admit, even though I’m not a sweets kind of guy, I downed about 4 bowls.

Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Ice Cream
All the ice cream was good, but the Häagen-Dazs chocolate took the crown. It honestly tasted like a shaved chocolate bar mixed with extra cream and then frozen.

Oishi Grand Japanese Buffet – Bangkok, Thailand
The Bottom Line
The sushi is fantastic, items from the grill were excellent, the pre-made and fried things were alright but not the best, and the desserts were fabulous. The addition of coffe was also a genius idea.
Oishi Grand Buffet (โออิชิแกรนด์) is right up there in my books along with Takumi buffet as being one of the top Japanese buffets in Bangkok (on the list of top things to do in Bangkok). Takumi is a bit more authentic (no lasagna or spaghetti on the menu) and relaxing (as you sit at your table and just continual order off the menu, instead of getting up and helping yourself), but both offer a similar level of sushi and sashimi.
Oishi Grand Buffet also does a great job with their desserts, and like I mentioned above, if you love ice cream, the Häagen-Dazs buffet is alone worth it!
Lastly, another big bonus is the 3 hour time limit (other places offer just 1.5 hours or so), which is quite a long time to thoroughly enjoy everything without being rushed.
Oishi Grand Buffet Bangkok (โออิชิแกรนด์)
Price: 699 THB per person
Location: One the 2nd floor of Siam Discovery shopping mall
Hours: 11 am – 10 pm daily
Reservations: Oishi Grand has received quite a lot of local hype and is continually busy but doesn’t accept reservations. We arrived at 10:30 am and there was already a line of about 15 people in front of us. So you may have to wait to be seated.
How to get there:
Take the BTS Skytrain to Siam station. Walk to Siam Discovery, go to the 2nd floor and located in the back is Oishi Grand Buffet – there will most likely be quite a few people hanging out at the entrance waiting to be seated.
View Bangkok Eating Thai Food Map in a larger map
Jettie_love
6 years ago
Many thanks for your info! I have to come next time! Please update if you have Instagram so I can follow up!
Alex
7 years ago
They’ve moved to Siam Paragon. I was there yesterday Wednesday with a friend and we both found it quite worth the 895 baht/pax. Did not feel rushed as 2.5 hrs is more than enough time for a leisurely lunch, especially since there was no crowd even at lunch time.
Sashimi was quite alright and I loved the sushi. What was amazing was the quality of their coffee…believe that it is imported and very nice with little sourness that is associated with those coffee machines you get at hotels and such. Using a little creativity, I merged the Hagen Daz vanilla ice cream with expresso to voila…have myself some affogato – 2 scoops with 4 shots of expresso to be exact!
Mark Wiens
7 years ago
Hey Alex, thank you for the update. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been here, but glad you enjoyed it. Nice, that affogato sounds delicious!
wk H
7 years ago
May I have reservation for 8 persons. How and where I can make reservation?
Alan Choy
8 years ago
Do you run 11 am – 10 pm daily without a break like normal Japanese restaurant?
While no reservation accepted, would 4pm a good time without waiting?
Mark Wiens
8 years ago
Hey Alan, I think 4 pm would be a good time. Just to let you know, the last time I went here the food quality wasn’t very good, but still if you want all you can eat sashimi, it’s a good deal.
Tara
9 years ago
Hi Mark,
We got there early on a week day, got a table straight away but it filled up pretty fast.
You can get these square serving trays that you fill perfectly with four square plates to make your life more efficient, saving multiple trips to the buffet stations. We saw a group of youngsters who were able to fill every square inch of their combined two tables with trays. I don’t know, it was a bit off-putting, this feeding trough-style of eating, maybe I’m missing the point of a buffet.
The cooked food, grill, icecream were fine, the decor is nice with wide windows and a view of trees, though the upholstery on the chairs were stained, but we were less than thrilled by the sushi/sashimi. The fish actually tasted of melted ice crystals, thawed. I would have gone for Takumi for my first Japanese buffet in Bangkok but I had to be in the city that day. Looks like we should have waited. Ah, well. We were unanimous on not going again.
Mark Wiens
9 years ago
Thanks for sharing Tara. I’ve been back recently and I think the quality has gone down as well. For quality you’re definitely better off at a non-buffet. I recently at here: https://www.eatingthaifood.com/2014/08/yuutaro-japanese-restaurant-central-embassy-bangkok/ and thought it was quite good for the value.
Vic
9 years ago
May I know is the restaurant still open?
xxx
10 years ago
Have you tried Tokiya near Oishi Grand?
Also maybe you should try Akiyoshi or Momo Paradise for Japanese Suki and Shabu. I would also mention Shibuya Shabu too although it’s well known for their Sushi than Shabu.
Mark Wiens
10 years ago
No, I have never been to Tokiya to eat, thank you for the suggestions!
Sasi
11 years ago
Is Oishi Grand still opening in Bangkok? As I heard it has already closed. Anyone please advise.
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Hi Sasi, yes it’s open. I went there just a few weeks ago.
Arek
11 years ago
I was there today, about 12.30 but one thousand of Japanese stay in line :(. Nice girl in a desk show me few sheets of paper with waiting list and said 3 hours :(.
Maybe tommorow when I will be back from Chatuchak Market I try in Takumi.
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Wow, sorry to hear that Arek! I went there a few weeks ago again, at about 3 pm, and I didn’t have to wait. Try to go at an off peak time, because it can definitely get busy.
Philip Parke
11 years ago
Hi Mark another great article id just like to say thanks i enjoy reading them, a few questions if you had to choose Takumi or Oishi which one would you return to? and what is the time limit on the table at Takumi and do you need to make a reservation? as im thinking of dining there soon.
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Hey Philip, thank you very much, I appreciate you reading. If I had to just choose 1, I would go with Takumi. That being said, they are both really good, but Takumi is more relaxing while Oishi is more of an all out fighting buffet experience (both all you can eat). Takumi has no time limit, but yes, if you go, you should definitely make reservations – because it’s not big and it’s quite popular too. Enjoy!
Philip Parke
11 years ago
Thanks
Petros Rigas
11 years ago
Love the review! Tried the food at Oishi Grand a few times in the last 6 years or so. Sometimes I thought they were great and other times the meal was quite mediocre. This is perhaps due to what time of day you actually go there. Also I did not think service was all that great specifically with the people at the reception counter.
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Hey Petros, glad to hear you enjoyed the food. There are actually a number of different levels of Oishi, like the shabu shabu and the Oishi Express. This one, Oishi Grand, just opened a few months ago I think, and it’s supposed to be kind of the highest level of Oishi. I’m not too sure about the service though, my girlfriend handled all the official stuff as I just ate! Thanks for reading this article!
Suthida
11 years ago
Hi Mark, just a clarification, Oishi Grand has been there for years. However, there was some amendments to the restaurant’s price a few years back. The initial price was at 2000B++ when I went there in 2008 but it went down to 699B when I visited the restaurant last year. Anyway, I really enjoy your articles and I’m glad that you like Thai food. Thank you for introducing my country to the world:)
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Hey Suthida, thanks a lot for the extra information. Glad they decided to reduce the price to make it more affordable for us!