The restaurant and cafe scene are still a tad underdeveloped in Logan. We live in Shailer Park and work in Springwood - so we're fairly across most of what is on offer in our fair city. When we do eat out, we often find ourselves travelling to Brisbane or the Gold Coast as the local options are either underwhelming or booked out! We're not alone either - friends in Cornubia are always popping down to the GC for special occassions and today my parents are driving from Springwood to Sanctuary Cove for lunch. #bringrestaurantstologan! #feedlogan #sendhelp
Imagine my surprise when I received an invitation via Instagram to come along and try out the newest addition to the local area: Oishi Teppanyaki and Cafe in Slacks Creek! I've always said that if you can't find it in Slacks Creek, it doesn't exist. I was mostly talking about tradespeople though, not specialty restaurants!
Oishi is in the set of shops at the end of Randall Street, where it meets Kingston Road. Randall Street is a gem of a place and I'm there several times a week at Crossfit Arena, picking up printing from Minuteman Press or visiting some of our tech services clients who live on that street! Oishii being at the top of Randall means there is plenty of parking and easy access, which is always a plus for a family restaurant and cafe. It seemed a tad odd to me to have a cafe combined with a teppanyaki restaurant, but I do agree the area needs more good coffee! Oishi has a great little takeaway window for your morning coffee hit and some great leaf-tea, too.
While Teppanyaki conjures up ideas of traditional Japanese food, the reliable source that is Wikipedia tells me that it's actually more popular in Western countries than in Japan. Certainly Oishi in Slacks Creek doesn't feel overly Japanese: more a casual cafe-style venue with some impressive Teppans, or flat grills, set up the back with tables around both sides.
The menu is a protein palooza, with everything from chicken to cuttelfish available. We were treated to their Wagyu beef (AA9+ score), plus prawns, chicken and lamb. While the food was tasty, filing and wholesome, the allure of a place like this is certainly the theatrical aspect!
Our Chef Khalid flipped, flamed and threw food around and at us - all part of the experience. We enjoyed the Wagyu especially, and the vegetable sides made tasty accompaniments. Fried rice done on the grill was a tasty treat - something I'm sure the kids would love. When we return we will certainly bring the kids as they'd have a ball watching the food cooked there - it's nice to know we don't have to drive 40 minutes to give them an fun food experience like Teppanyaki.
Oishi isn't a fine-dining experience, it's a fun food experience. The food is fresh and tasty and the staff friendly. The pricing is fairly comparable for restaurants of this ilk; ranging from affordable to expensive for some of the premium options such as seafood combos and sashimi. The lunch specials available between 11am and 2:30pm are great value and if you work in the area I would certainly recommend upgrading your lunchtime by coming down for a visit!
Oishi isn't licensed, and we enjoyed some non-alcoholic Asahi with our meal. We'd certainly BYO some wine or beer next time. Bookings are essential for Friday through Sunday - Oishi has been booked out on weekends since they opened three months ago!
Check out their menu below, and why not take the kids out for a fun, local food experience?