Why Oishi Exists
At Oishi, we believe food is more than fuel—it's culture, connection, and comfort. It's the sizzle of a perfect sear, the first bite of something new, the familiar taste of home. Our mission is simple: help you find tasty food. Not the "best" food (because who decides that?). Not the most expensive or most photographed. Just food that makes you happy. Food that tastes good to you. We also believe in supporting the people who make food happen—the restaurant owners, chefs, and teams who pour their hearts into every dish. Traditional review sites can feel like a burden, filled with anonymous critics and one-star axes to grind. That's not us. We're here to help everyone: diners find food they'll love, and restaurants connect with guests who'll appreciate what they do.
We're here to help you find food that tastes good to you—and to help restaurants thrive by connecting them with the right guests, not punishing them with unfair reviews.
Our Core Principles
Taste is Subjective
Your favorite dish might be someone else's "meh," and that's perfectly okay. We celebrate all preferences—from street tacos to Michelin stars, from comfort food classics to experimental fusion. There's no wrong answer when it comes to what tastes good to you.
Your Favorite, Not 'The Best'
Think about the friendly rivalry over the "best" cheesesteak in Philly, or the "best" pizza in New York, or the "best" barbecue in Texas. People will passionately debate their favorite, and that's part of the fun! But here's the thing: most of those places are all tasty. The debate isn't really about "best"—it's about personal preference. Your favorite is your favorite, and that's valid. Our job is to help you find your favorite, not tell you what the "best" should be.
Real Data Over Star Ratings
We don't rely on fixed ratings like stars. Star ratings are easily manipulated, gamed by fake reviews, and force everything into the same arbitrary scale. A 4-star rating means nothing when you don't know who left it or what they actually like. Instead, we focus on comparative behavior—like stack ranking your favorite places. When you tell us your top pizza spot beats your second favorite, that's real data we can use. We can find people with similar taste preferences and show you what they love. It's personal, honest, and impossible to fake. Your rankings tell a story about your taste, and that's how we help you discover food you'll actually enjoy.
Be Friendly
Food snobbery has no place here. We're not here to judge your choices or tell you what you "should" like. Whether you're a foodie or just trying to figure out dinner, we've got you. Everyone's welcome at our table.
Be Adventurous
The best meals often come from stepping outside your comfort zone. That hole-in-the-wall place you've walked past a hundred times? That cuisine you've never tried? That's where the magic happens. We'll help you explore—no pressure, just possibilities. Sometimes the best discovery is the one you weren't looking for.
Community Driven
This is where our community shines. Follow foodies whose taste aligns with yours, check out their rankings, debate their picks, and discover new spots through their adventures. When you see someone who ranks the same pizza places you love, but also has a taco spot you've never heard of—that's your next adventure. And here's something special: chefs, line cooks, servers, and restaurant workers share their rankings too. No one knows food quite like the people who make it every day. They know which spots use the freshest ingredients, which kitchens have real heart, where their fellow industry folks go on their days off. When a chef shares their favorite ramen spot or a server reveals where they actually eat breakfast—that's insider knowledge you can't find anywhere else. The community creates natural discovery, turning rankings into conversations and recommendations into explorations.
Be Human
We know you're not always looking for the perfect meal. Sometimes you're hangry, stressed, broke, or just need something quick. We get it. Real people have real needs, and we're here to help you find what works for your life—not some idealized food fantasy.
Be Humble
We don't have all the answers. We're learning alongside you, discovering new places, making mistakes, and always staying curious. The best recommendations come from real experiences and honest feedback—not algorithms pretending to know better than you do. This is why we're committed to growing slowly. We won't launch in a city where we don't have enough information to actually help you. An empty platform with sparse data isn't useful—it's just noise. We'd rather be honest about our limitations and only expand when we can genuinely deliver value.
Be Constructive
Running a restaurant is hard. Really hard. Service might be slow because they're new and working out the process. A dish might miss the mark because they're experimenting. When sharing feedback, think about being helpful, not hurtful. Reviews should help diners decide if a place is right for them and help restaurants improve—not serve as a platform for venting or settling scores. We're not here to shame anyone; we're here to celebrate good food and support the people who make it.
Meet Yummy
Yummy is our mascot, spirit animal, and the embodiment of everything Oishi stands for. But more importantly, Yummy is you. Yummy is all of us.
Food First, Always
Yummy is just here for the food. No politics, no judgment, no agenda—just pure, unadulterated love for everything edible. From Michelin-starred tasting menus to 3am gas station snacks, Yummy will eat everything.
Beyond Labels
Yummy has no race, creed, religion, or gender. Yummy is simply... Yummy. Because when you're united by a love of food, nothing else matters. We're all just humans looking for our next great meal.
Universal Connection
Yummy loves food the same way we all love food—with enthusiasm, curiosity, and sometimes desperation. If you've ever planned your day around a meal, you understand Yummy. If food makes you happy, Yummy understands you.
Mad Respect for Food Makers
Yummy knows that every meal is made possible by restaurant owners, chefs, line cooks, servers, and countless others who pour their hearts into what they do. They wake up early, work long hours, deal with unpredictable challenges, and still manage to create experiences that bring joy to people's lives. Yummy sees you, appreciates you, and wants to celebrate the incredible work you do—not add to the pile of stress that traditional review sites bring.
The Hanger Struggle is Real
Yummy deeply, deeply understands hanger (that special combination of hunger + anger). Nobody should ever be hangry. That's why Yummy is on a mission to help everyone find food before the hanger sets in. Because hangry people need help, not judgment.
If You Love Food, Yummy Loves You
It's that simple. If you love food—any food, all food—well, Yummy loves you too. Welcome to the family.
Our Commitment
For Diners
- •Respecting your tastes, preferences, and dietary needs
- •Providing honest, transparent recommendations
- •Making food discovery accessible to everyone
- •Never losing sight of what matters: helping you find tasty food
For Restaurants
- •Creating a platform focused on helpful, constructive feedback
- •Connecting you with guests who appreciate what you do
- •Celebrating your hard work, creativity, and dedication
- •Being a tool that helps your business grow, not a burden that weighs you down
- •Understanding that running a restaurant is challenging work that deserves respect
For Everyone
- •Celebrating food culture in all its diverse forms
- •Fostering a community of support, not criticism
- •Being transparent about how we operate
- •Continuously improving based on feedback from both diners and restaurant teams
About Our Growth
We're committed to growing slowly and intentionally. We won't launch in a city or region where we don't have enough data to be genuinely helpful. An empty platform with bad recommendations helps no one—not diners looking for their next meal, and definitely not restaurants hoping to connect with the right guests. We'd rather take our time, build a strong community in each place, and only expand when we can truly deliver on our promise. Quality over quantity, always.
We're committed to helping diners find great food and helping restaurants succeed. Everyone wins when reviews are constructive and connections are meaningful.