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Winter Restaurant Guide by Cuisine
JAPANESE
ASAHI JAPANESE RESTAURANT
709 St. Charles Ave. 528-9008
Asahi, a Japanese and sushi restaurant, is part of an Asian awakening in
the CBD. Try the Tuna Cocktail, tuna sashimi and "special" sauce served in a
martini glass. The Jazz Roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and spicy sauce inside,
wasabi roe and snow crab on top. Reservations recommended. Lunch weekdays, dinner
Monday through Saturday. Credit cards. $
CAFE ZEN
2112 Belle Chasse Hwy., Gretna 393-2293
The same folks who have blessed the area with sushi mainstays Kanpai in Mid-City
and Hana in the Carrollton-Riverbend area are also responsible for this West
Bank spot. Sample from the grand menu of Japanese delicacies, including the lobster
roll. The marble sashimi roll and hot or cold sake are also good choices. No
reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards.
HANA JAPANESE RESTAURANT
8116 Hampson St. 865-1634
Tucked into Riverbend between ice cream parlors and diamond purveyors, Hana
does sushi in a comfortable, neighborhood style. The Hana Special Roll includes
salmon, tuna, snow crab, cucumber, avocado, egg and shrimp tempura. Feeling adventuresome?
Just ask the chef to feed you. Delivery available. Reservations recommended for
parties of six or more. Credit cards. $
FUJI TAIPEI
3525 Williams Blvd., Kenner 443-1318
Buffet-style fresh sushi is a star attraction here, with both a $5.95 all-you-can-eat
lunch and $10.95 all-you-can-eat dinner available. The buffets also feature a
range of Japanese and Chinese dishes, soups and appetizers. Reservations accepted.
Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards.
HORINOYA
920 Poydras St. 561-8914
The sleek and serene ambience at Horinoya allows you to choose between the
sushi bar, tables and enclosed, private areas in the back. A long list of sushi
rolls is offered, along with the popular seaweed salad, tempura and noodle dishes.
Reservations accepted. Lunch weekdays, dinner nightly. Credit cards. $$
KANNO SUSHI
3205 Edenborn Ave., Metairie 455-5730
Japanese cuisine, influenced with a bit of West Coast flavor, is what makes Kanno's
menu distinct. Kaiseki style, also known as the "feed me special," includes as
many as four appetizers followed by an entree selection made daily by the chef.
Lobster Dynamite, an entree possibility, is a baked lobster tail filled with
snow crab served with a dynamite sauce. Barbecue eel snow crab, tuna and salmon
rolls are also available. Reservations recommended. Lunch Monday through Friday,
dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Credit cards. $
KYOTO
4920 Prytania St. 891-3644
Kyoto was one of the pioneer sushi restaurants in New Orleans. Today, start
with whitefish carpaccio topped with a basil-infused olive oil, move on to the
favorite California roll, and finish your meal with tempura veggies. Now, all
sushi can be made with brown rice on request. Reservations accepted. Lunch and
dinner Monday through Saturday. Credit cards. $
KYOTO II
5608 Citrus Blvd., Harahan 818-0228
The menu for sushi a la carte covers all the bases from a special eel roll
or barbecue yellow tail roll to a softshell crab roll, squid, herring roe or
double-mushroom selections. There also are interesting offerings such as cucumber
salad with a choice of crab, octopus, seafood comb or salmon skin and tempura
ice cream for dessert. Reservations accepted. Lunch and dinner Monday through
Saturday. Credit cards. $
LITTLE TOKYO RESTAURANT
1521 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie 831-6788
Founder Yusuke Kawahara has created a popular Japanese dining experience
in Jefferson Parish with his two locations. The Love Boat Tokyo, a feast for
two afloat in tempura shrimp and vegetables, beef and chicken teriyaki, selected
sashimi and sushi, a California roll and some fresh fruit does not leave much
room for more. The extensive menu features all sorts of fresh sushi and sashimi
as well as delights from the kitchen. Reservations accepted. Lunch, dinner and
late-night daily. Credit cards and checks. $
LITTLE TOKYO RESTAURANT PART II
3225 Williams Blvd., Kenner 443-7660
Little Tokyo Part II continues the tradition that began in the restaurant's
Metairie location, with a distinctive Japanese dining experience that includes
an expanding menu with new items such as boiled shrimp. For a little tableside
sizzle, try the shabu shabu, which brings the chef to your table to fry tempura.
More than 30 different sushi rolls and sushi nigiri means there are always plenty
of options. No reservations. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $
MIKIMOTO
3301 S. Carrollton Ave. 488-1881
Mikimoto's drive-through can be your window into the world of the $1 sushi
roll, a special offered daily. Favorite rolls include the Crunchy Dynamite, featuring
tuna, salmon, chile sauce and tempura. Lunch specials like chicken Katsu include
a choice of soup, salad or rice. Delivery available. Reservations accepted. Lunch
and dinner Sunday through Friday, dinner Saturday. Credit cards.
MIYAKO JAPANESE SEAFOOD & STEAK HOUSE
3837 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie 779-6475
www.japanesebistro.com
This large Japanese restaurant, all 8,000 square feet of it, offers sushi
at the bar or more traditional Japanese fare courtesy of its entertaining hibachi
chefs. Management recommends the hibachi filet mignon, served with Japanese soup
and salad, a shrimp appetizer, hot green tea and ice cream. Reservations accepted.
Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $
NINJA
8433 Oak St. 866-1119
Ninja covers all the bases of Japanese cuisine, with their inventive list
of sushi rolls being the most popular choices. For a sample of both the raw and
the cooked, try the Ninja's dinner for two, a special that introduces an array
of Japanese favorites, tempura, beef and chicken teriyaki, gyzoa, edamame, hiviki
and seaweed salad, and choice of two rolls. No reservations Lunch and dinner
Tuesday and Sunday. Credit cards. $
NOBLE ASIAN BISTRO
2700 Metairie Road, Metairie 828-8484
If you're wondering about the hype surrounding Japan's kobe beef (from sake-fed,
massaged cows), try Noble's kobe beef steak prepared with red wine reduction,
mushrooms and asparagus. There's also a sushi bar where you can order the Green
Lady Roll: snow crab inside, red snapper and eel sauce outside. Reservations
recommended. Lunch weekdays, dinner Monday though Saturday. Credit cards. $
OSAKA JAPANESE CUISINE & SUSHI BAR
792 I-10 Service Road, Slidell (985) 643-9276
804 N. Hwy. 190, Covington (985) 871-8199
Osaka is where customers truly get to experience authentic Japanese dining;
take off your shoes and dine in bare feet (and private) in the traditional tatami
rooms. There you can sample steak, shrimp, lobster or a combination on the Benihana-style
hibachi grill. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards. $
ROCK-N-SAKE
823 Fulton St. 581-7253
Traditional Japanese fare, including the wildly popular sushi bar, keeps Warehouse
District diners happy. Try the Hawaii 5-0 roll, which is stuffed with crunchy
coconut-tempura shrimp and cream cheese and rolled in fresh mango and avocado.
If you're in a James Dean kind of mood, try the rebel rice roll: barbecue eel
and avocado inside, rice paper drizzled with eel sauce outside. No reservations.
Lunch weekdays, dinner nightly, Saturday and Sunday. Credit cards. $
SAKE CAFE
817 W. Esplanade Ave., Kenner 468-8829
Opened by partners in the Metairie Sake Cafe, the new location features the
appropriately named Kenner roll (crab stick, avocado and whitefish fried with
tempura batter) as well as the popular Chateau (snowcrab, crabstick, avocado
and cream cheese with whitefish wrapped on the outside, then breaded and fried).
Happy hour runs 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily and includes two-for-one saki and beers,
and specially priced sushi. Reservations for parties of five or more. Lunch and
dinner daily. Credit cards. $
SAKE CAFE UPTOWN
2830 Magazine St. 894-0033
After a year and a half at this location, Sake Cafe is still going strong,
presenting sushi in a variety of ways. The New Orleans Roll features spicy crawfish
inside, tuna and snow crab outside. The Mountain Tuna is torched and served on
a bed of lettuce with a mix of crunchy tempura and spicy tuna on top, and creamy
wasabi dressing to go with. Another popular dish is the yellowtail tartare with
Russian caviar. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner daily. Credit cards.
$$
SAMURAI SUSHI
239 Decatur St. 525-9595
Located near House of Blues, Samurai Sushi brings traditional Japanese elegance,
presentation and atmosphere to the French Quarter dining experience. The sashimi
appetizer includes an assortment of exotic ocean fish, garnished with daikon
radish and shiso leaf; the salmon roll also sports snow crab and is topped with
Samurai's special sauce. Delivery available. Reservations recommended. Lunch
weekdays, dinner nightly. Credit cards. $
SAPPORO JAPANESE RESTAURANT
3544 W. Esplanade Ave, Metairie 779-1818
Couples will enjoy Sapporo's Love Boat, a bountiful item with several treats.
Sashimi, sushi, tempura, salad, and chicken and beef Teriyaki are all included
in this selection. Abilene is a house specialty and is prepared in various ways,
such as sushi or salads. Reservations recommended. Lunch and dinner Monday through
Saturday. Credit cards.
VETERANS EXPRESS SUSHI BAR
8814 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie 466-1129
Veterans offers inexpensive sushi for takeout or dine in. Six-piece rolls
are priced at $2.99, while a la carte sushi costs 99 cents per piece. The "Roll
Call" includes Alligator Rolls, Caterpillar Rolls, Spider Rolls, Red Hot Summer
Rolls and the Flying Dragon Roll, which sushi chefs create from shrimp tempura,
snow crab, avocado and smelt roe. No reservations. Lunch and dinner Monday through
Saturday.
No delivery. Credit cards.
WASABI
900 Frenchmen St. 943-9433
Like the Asian mustard that gives the restaurant its name, this venture from
Chef Phat Nguy is hot, hot, hot. Sushis, soups and other specialties include
the Beef Asparagus Maki, thin-sliced beef rolled with asparagus, grilled and
served with teriyaki sauce. There's also the jumbo softshell crab deep-fried
and stir-fried with jalapenos, onions and Asian seasonings. No reservations.
Lunch Monday through Friday, dinner nightly, late-night Friday and Saturday.
$
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