Oishii Asian Fusion Cuisine — Restaurant in Old Bridge Township

A year ago, i would tell people this was my favorite restaurant in NJ, and recommended it to everyone. Tonight, I was just left disappointed. I arrived at 7:45 on a Friday, no one at the door to greet me, verify my reservation, seat me, anything. I made my way to the bar. Took ten minutes to get service, because she was making drinks, waiting tables, bussing, and ringing out. I ordered my standard Rob Roy. She was honest and told me she didn't know how to make it, so I taught her, explaining what scotch to use as well. Kudos to her for being professional enough to admit that. My wife arrived a little later, and we were seated. It took about 10 minutes for her to get a drink. And another 10 to get bread, after we placed our order. The octopus was plated on much too big a platter..photo is uploaded...that they found a need to fill with an awful arugula salad that was smothered in a sour dressing to minimize the small portion.. Last time I had it, the portion was larger, the ends were not burned, and the Asian slaw was not so wet. For entrées.... She had the lobster ravioli. They gave you five ravioli that tasted like they were Josephs brand, some crustinis that were superfluous given how little sauce was present, and a small split tail that was left in the shell, requiring you to use your fingers in a creamy dish to remove it. Flavor was amazing. But falls short of the $40 price point. I had a ribeye. The server told me it came with broccoli, at which point I made it very clear about my food allergy.to it. It came out with a pile of broccoli up against it. The chef himself personally came out and apologized . They told me they would take it off the bill and remake it for me anyway. When it came out, I have to say, that this is the best steak I've had since I worked in Manhattan in the early 90s. Bravo! Worth T the $43. The mushroom risotto that came with it was prepared to absolute perfection. Although the truffle fries were very lacking in any kind of clean flavor. It was just a jumbled mess on the palette. The dessert menu was uninspiring. Most of it was from a vendor. The service.... They were frantic. Shorthanded. And disorganized. They tried, but you can only do so much. It left me feeling like I was in Applebee's. Bread came out with this wonderful whipped and softened mustard butter which went with the pretzel bread. But I had asked for regular as well, and got cold 1" slices off a stick. And that took ten minutes to get to us, long after the 2 rolls were finished. The ambience was awful. Loud. Bright. Blue lighting. Wrong choice of music (I was told they were trying to attract more people and made a Spotify playlist). It was pop...z100 type. When I first arrived, there was a man playing Muzak versions of 80s pop on a guitar. Not the type of music you expect at a place like this, and not what it was a year ago. To the owner...stop trying to change things to bring in business that will make you lose your core client base. Work on consistent food, better staffing such as having a hostess, putting an FOH manager on to run the floor, and go back to the ambience you had. And if you offer for something will be taken off the bill, don't leave it on there and tell me you comped a $20 worth of drinks and the dessert (which the server that ran it said was compliments of the manager, anyway) and tell me it works out to be the same as the $43 steak. If you would like to discuss it, reply here with your number...I am sure you will find out from your staff my background, talk to your chef and to Christine. I will happily sit with you over coffee. I want to see you survive and go back to being the best restaurant in NJ again, not a place that falls far short of justifying the $150 for dinner (before any drinks) that you...

Once you get over the location of this fine dinning restaurant (it's behind a BP gas station... so I guess if your car needs a meal, too, it's convenient), the restaurant is very pretty inside and has a nightclub like feel. In fact, one criticism up front? When we go out to dinner, we do not want disco-style "current" music BLASTING from the speakers overhead. That was the SECOND thing about the environment we noticed. That said? Since the ban on mask wearing has been lifted, we've been venturing out again to our favorite restaurents. JUST was my wife's first choice for her birthday dinner. We've always had good meals here, even since they limited their menu a bit. We ate there with friends a month ago, and I had the tuna, which was superb, truly. Everything, including the drinks, were superb. I'm sorry to say, this particular meal was distrubingly bad. I'll say one thing up front: any time a chef has to SMOTHER a dish with SWEET GOOEY SAUCES, you're probably in for trouble. Let's talk about their Pretzel bread. It was probably from the day before. Tasted stale. Did we eat it? Yes; but we were hungry having not eaten the entire day in anticipation of this "feast". As I stated, we were really hungry and we ate what they served for the most part as we have done many time before. But the appetizers were either FILLED with OVERLY thick and sweet sauces - hiding the flavor of the food! We had the short rib tacos. Way too sweet. We also ordered the Fried Broccoli. I couldn't eat more than hlf of one. Disgustingly sweet. We would have been better off telling them to leave off all sauce. My wife ordered the Grand Marinier Shrimp. Inedible! Gross. It's as if they dumped a pound of sugary syrup on top of the dish. She didn't touch her meal and took it home with her to be polite but tossed it as soon as we got home. My son came with us. He had never been to JUST so we were pleased to have him join us. He ordered a medium rare 12 oz steak which was the consistency of rubber. I'm not kidding. It was the worst piece of beef I've ever seen or tasted. It, too, was inedible and? OVER COOKED. We should have sent it back, but we didn't want to kill the celebration buzz. His mashed potatoes were tasty... As to my meal? I ordered the Filet Medallions, which, to the chef's credit, were tender and medium rare, as ordered. That said, it was SMOTHERED in a dark brown SAUCE. SMOTHERED! You couldn't really see the meat which was atop a piece of garlic toast. It, too, was gross. I had to scrape off the gravy where possible, but really? Shameful. The best part of the meal was the pre-ordered Dessert Sampler. That we enjoyed. Our server was lovely and did a solid job. The staff works hard. But for a special occassion, JUST a mistake. Very inconsistent. We will not be back - especially at these prices. I'm sorry, I hate leaving negative reviews. But at the prices we paid for this meal, we...

I had the pleasure of dining at Just in Old Bridge, where I sampled an array of dishes that were both delightful and disappointing.

The Pretzel bread with honey mustard butter was the standout dish of the evening, garnering a well-deserved 5-star rating. The bread was warm, pillowy, and perfectly complemented by the tangy and sweet honey mustard butter, making for an exceptional starter that left a lasting impression.

The Spicy tuna cones were another standout, with the puréed tuna filling the cone to create a unique, tortilla-like flavor that was both delightful and intriguing. The dish earned 4 stars for its ingenuity and presentation.

Unfortunately, the Vodka, penne with shrimp dish did not live up to its potential, with a sauce that was too thin and shrimp that tasted underwhelming. The dish was awarded only 3 stars, as it failed to deliver the complexity of flavors and textures that one would expect from a dish of this caliber.

The Wagyu burger with truffle fries was also a letdown, with the burger being overcooked and excessively juicy, failing to meet the standard of excellence that one would expect from a restaurant of this caliber. It received a modest rating of 3 stars.

For dessert, the sampler presented a variety of options, including fried Oreos Zeppoli, cinnamon donuts, chocolate chip cookie pie with vanilla ice cream, and a dipping sauce that was subpar in flavor. The dish was deemed satisfactory and earned a 3.5-star rating.

The service at Just in Old Bridge was courteous and hospitable, but there were several missteps that detracted from the overall experience. Our server failed to ask how we wanted our burger cooked, and neglected to acknowledge my special occasion with a celebratory song. The service was awarded a 3.5-star rating.

The ambiance of the restaurant was a mixed bag, with the modern décor being visually appealing, but the dim lighting and location behind a gas station left a lot to be desired, warranting only 4 stars.

Based on my experience at Just in Old Bridge, I would rate this restaurant a 3.5-star overall. While the Pretzel bread with honey mustard butter and Spicy tuna cones were exceptional, other dishes failed to deliver the level of excellence one would expect from a restaurant of this caliber. The service was satisfactory but had a few missteps, and the ambiance was visually appealing but had some shortcomings. While the restaurant had its moments, it ultimately fell short of my expectations.

It's worth noting that your wife also enjoyed the restaurant and gave it a rating of four stars, suggesting that the restaurant may still be worth considering for those looking to try something new. While my own experience may have been mixed, it's always helpful to hear from multiple sources and gather a more complete picture of what a restaurant...