While everyone loves a bargain, most of us accept that you tend to get what you pay for.

Take Japanese food in Beijing, for example. While some of the city's all-you-eat buffets appear to offer the world on a plate, the reality can be somewhat less appetizing.

So while you have visions of endless sushi and sashimi for that too-good-to-be-true 48 yuan (US$5.8) asking price, you discover that what you really fancy is strictly limited (because it costs more to produce) while the cheapie ingredients are stacked high.

The city's Japanese newcomer, Oishii, located on the second floor of the Pacific Century Plaza shopping mall in Sanlitun, is clearly catering to a more discerning customer.

Yet taking heed of the fiercely competitive market in which it is operating, this classy eatery (surely one of the city's best-kept secrets, partly due to the current lack of signage outside) undoubtedly offers more bang for your buck when quality is taken into the equation.

Chef Morio Sakayori was born in Tokyo and has also worked in China and the United States. That partly explains why his speciality is fusion Japanese food - and why Oishii's menu is a little more interesting than some of its competitors.

Bento boxes - think a pick and mix lunchbox in a specially segrated TV dinner-style tray - start at 38 yuan (US$4.58). For that you can sample super-fresh sashimi (bite-size pieces of raw fish which can be dipped into a specially prepared sauce), salad (ask for the one with noodles included - it's a winner!) and vegetables.

Sushi sets go for 88 yuan (US$10.6) upwards while tempura dishes (fish, shellfish or vegetables fried in batter) come in all shapes and sizes.

If in the early stages of your love affair with Japanese food, try the homemade rolls. The Oishii house special combines tempura shrimp, salmon, crab meat, tobiko and avocado for 48 yuan (US$5.8).

With a menu rounded out by appetizers and salads (from 12 yuan/US$1.44), rice and noodles, desserts (cheese cake 19 yuan/US$2.29), coffees and teas, Oishii covers all of the bases.

The obvious attention to detail from the selection of dining ware to food presentation and the cleanliness of the eating environment make the new kid on the block well worth a look.

Oishii? It means delicious. Enough said.

Location: F/2, Pacific Century Plaza, 2A Gong Ti Bei Lu, Chaoyang District

Tel: 6539-3555
 
(Beijing Weekend  September 29, 2003)