Oshen — Restaurant in Charlotte

The Good:

The space is fresh, thoughtfully designed, and visually appealing. Service is attentive with plenty of staff on hand. The food is generally good—more on that below. I appreciate the elegant simplicity over forced sophistication. Having lived in Japan and studied Japanese cuisine for over three decades, I hold high standards when a restaurant claims Japanese influence. If you're going to make that claim, you need to truly understand the culture and cuisine.

Reservations & First Impressions: The reservation system is clunky. When I raised concerns, the response felt dismissive—“people are complaining, and we’ll look into it.” That’s not reassuring. Charging a $20 per person booking fee on a quiet Sunday is unjustifiable. Booking fees make sense only when demand is high and tables are scarce. When we arrived, there were just four people in the entire restaurant. Aggressive reminders and cancellation threats don’t match the relaxed vibe you’re trying to create.

Service: The staff is friendly and clearly aiming for an upscale experience, but the execution is awkward. Twice, someone grabbed the water bottle from my hands mid-pour. In Japanese culture, pouring for someone is a gesture of respect—but taking over while I’m pouring is intrusive. Wait until I’m done.

Presentation Missteps: Serving sake in a wine glass? That’s a hard no. Sake deserves a proper vessel—ideally a traditional sake glass or one with a wooden base, poured at the table. This is another example of trying too hard to be fancy and missing the mark on authenticity.

Food Highlights & Misses: Chicken Karaage: Flavor is solid, but the pieces are too small and dry. Either brine them or size them up. Japanese karaage should be juicy, not bite-sized and brittle.

Sushi: Excellent. A standout and well-executed.

Fried Rice: Overpowered by a smoky “campfire” flavor. It lacked fat and umami, making it dry and forgettable.

Soy Sauce: Using US-based Kikkoman is a letdown for an upscale Japanese concept. There are better, more balanced options available that would elevate the experience. Notice that I could taste that and never saw a bottle telling me that.

Atmosphere & Experience: Too many staff members were idle, and some were working on laptops in the dining area—this undermines the upscale image. There’s an office for that. Also, seating a noisy family with a fussy child right next to us—when the rest of the restaurant was empty—was a baffling choice. It disrupted our meal and could’ve easily been avoided.

Birthday Dessert Faux Pas: Offering a birthday dessert and then charging for it? That’s tacky. A small gesture like comping an $8 cake would’ve gone a long way. Instead, it left a sour note on an already uneven experience. I asked for no candle or sparkler and yet there it was. No one listened when I gave clear directions. We are adults. We don't need candles, songs or sparklers. Not sure how I could have been more clear by saying to keep it simple and nothing to do with fire please.

Final Thoughts: You’re off to a promising start, but there are key areas to improve. Drop the reservation fee—it’s alienating. Refine the service to be polished, not pushy. And if you’re going to lean into Japanese influence, do it with authenticity and respect. I won’t be returning unless the reservation policy changes, but I genuinely hope you take these notes to heart and...

I had lunch yesterday at Oshen with a friend, as we were both very excited to try it. We came later in the afternoon with no reservations, but we were fortunate enough to be seated right away. Our server Ivanna (I hope I spelled that correctly) was amazing. I have a crustacean allergy so sometimes sushi restaurants can be tricky, but before we even began our meal she asked about allergens so we got that out of the way quickly. Since we had never been before, we asked her to give us a few of her personal favorite items, as well as the most popular ones (I have learned to always ask this way specifically, because servers will often know “hidden gems” that get missed). She was spot on with everything, and we took her advice. We ordered quite a bit, but we could not have been happier with our choices: Shishito Peppers- Best shishitos I have ever had. They can be a bit bland at other places, but not here. The sweet miso sauce was perfect, and the bonito flakes (literally) danced in the bowl. Must see. Salmon Crudo- Salmon was super fresh, an amazing bite. Scallop Nigiri- Probably my favorite dish, melts in your mouth. Tuna Tartare- Perfect “old school” style tuna tartare. Definitely get the crispy rice crackers to give it that extra texture that brings it all together. Steakhouse Roll- This came personally recommended from the owner, so of course we had to try it. We had already given away our menus, so we didn’t know what to expect. We were unaware that this roll normally had shellfish on top, but without even asking our server had the chef leave it off the dish. Not sure what it would taste like as intended, but the roll was amazing without it. The beef was fire. Pork Belly Bao Buns- We had to at least try 1 hot dish, and I am so glad we chose this. The pork belly was the perfect balance of crispy and fatty, and everything was perfecty in balance. Steamed buns were perfectly executed. So after researching, the chef has previously worked at Nobu so it should come as no surprise the food would be spectacular. Sorry for such a long review, but Oshen deserves this and then some. Absolutely cannot...

Oshen (pronounced like “ocean”) is a new sushi spot tucked in a shopping plaza on Colony Road. Owned by the same family behind Yunta in South End, Oshen impresses right out of the gate. I visited on their third night, and you’d think they’d been open for years. Service, timing, and quality were all spot on—a rare find for an opening week.

The place itself is a beauty: bright whites, wood accents, and a comfortable mix of bar seating, high tops, and low tables. There’s even a patio for some fresh-air dining. The noise level is a little on the lively side so be prepared. Reservations are probably smart, but they’re fine with walk-ins too.

Oshen’s staff is great—attentive, friendly, and well-versed in the menu. They’ve got a full bar with cocktails, mocktails, beer, and sake. For lunch, there’s a bento box special at just $11, which feels like a steal.

Now for the food. I kicked off with the Tuna Tataki—seared tuna with a sweet sesame ponzu sauce that hit just right. Super fresh and perfectly seared. Next up was the Sanshu Sushi Roll, a light mix of tuna, salmon, hamachi, avocado, and cucumber wrapped in soy paper. It came with a wasabi soy sauce that even I could handle (not usually a wasabi fan), and the flavors were fresh and balanced.

Finally, the showstopper: Black Cod Misoyaki. While it’s not a carbon copy of Nobu’s famous black cod, it holds its own. The ume miso glaze is light and slightly sweet, perfect with the delicate, flaky cod. Served with a bowl of rice. This dish is a must-try!

I snapped a couple of photos of their two rotating desserts, which looked incredible. One was a rich chocolate cake, and the other was a light and fluffy Japanese cheesecake. I didn’t try them this time, but both looked like they’d be the perfect sweet finish to a meal here.

There are plenty more dishes I’m eyeing, so I’m already planning to come back soon. Anyone up for a lunch run? Oshen’s off to an incredible start, and it’s definitely...