A new all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant has opened at 44350 Schoenherr Rd. in Sterling Heights, and it's already drawing attention for what it won't do: no buffet line, no reservations, and no mercy for diners who over-order. Sushi Oishii charges $22 for lunch and $33 for dinner, giving guests 90 minutes to order continuously from the full menu. Tablets are for browsing; servers enter the all-you-can-eat orders. Leftover food gets billed at $18 per pound.
The Sterling Heights City Council made it official at its September 1 meeting, approving a Class C liquor license transfer that lets Sushi Oishii serve beer, wine, sake, liquor and cocktails, including Japanese beer, Japanese soda and green tea, according to City of Sterling Heights records. The license, which also permits Sunday sales and entertainment, was an escrowed permit transferred from a former address at 6768 E. Twelve Mile Rd. in Warren. House sake runs $8 for a small pour and $11 for a large one.
Unlike a traditional buffet, Sushi Oishii uses what The Detroit News describes as a continuous-service format, with small portions meant to cut down on waste while letting diners sample more of the menu. That menu spans nigiri, sushi rolls, appetizers, ramen bowls and rice dishes, including tonkotsu ramen built on pork-bone broth with noodles, egg, pork chashu, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, scallions and nori. There's also seafood udon, chicken udon, spicy pork ramen, miso soup, mushroom soup and chicken hot-and-sour soup, plus an avocado bomb appetizer stuffed with battered avocado, imitation crab, cream cheese, eel sauce and spicy mayo, per the same account.
Rules Diners Should Know Before Showing Up
Everyone at the table has to be present before the restaurant will seat the party, and everyone older than 6 must order the all-you-can-eat dinner. Kids ages 7 to 11 pay $16, while children 6 and younger eat free. There's no a la carte menu, so it's all-you-can-eat or nothing.
Walk-ins only, no reservations, and expect a wait, especially on weekends and during dinner peak times, the restaurant's own service model makes clear. Lunch pricing runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, though fried oysters and soft-shell crab aren't included at that rate, and dinner pricing applies all day on Saturday and Sunday.
A Veteran Restaurateur's Latest Build
Sushi Oishii is owned by Ichiban Hospitality, which already operates Ichiban sushi and hibachi restaurants across metro Detroit. Owner Chun “Sky” Chen brings roughly 30 years in the restaurant business, having launched his first eatery, Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse, in Ann Arbor before expanding into Sterling Heights, Taylor, Jackson and a location under construction in Novi, according to City of Sterling Heights council records.
The parent company isn't slowing down. Ichiban Hospitality has plans for a fast-casual hibachi bowl and burrito concept called IchibanGO on Mound Road in Warren, built around the slogan “Hibachi your way,” according to WhatNow.
A Prime Spot on Sterling Heights' Retail Strip
The 8,171-square-foot building Sushi Oishii now occupies sold for $1.95 million in March 2025, according to city property records, after previously being listed on LoopNet. A Detroit Metro Times directory listing lists Abuelo's Mexican Restaurant at the same address.
The address sits along a commercial stretch near M-59/Hall Road. The former Lakeside Mall site is set to become Lakeside City Center, a mixed-use project projected to positively impact the region by $1 billion, according to the City of Sterling Heights. The mall closed July 1 to make way for the mixed-use project.
Part of a Broader Asian Dining Wave
Sushi Oishii's arrival fits a pattern along the M-59 and Schoenherr corridor, where Asian dining concepts have multiplied in recent years. WhatNow reports the announced Noble Duck Japanese Sushi and Steakhouse at Partridge Creek Mall.
Sushi Oishii charges $18 per pound for leftovers, and its small portions are intended to help cut food waste, The Detroit News reported.
