Kenji Omakase — Restaurant in New Orleans

Kenji Omakase: A Culinary Journey That Transcends Sushi

An Intimate, Modern Ambiance Stepping into Kenji Omakase, it immediately struck us how the restaurant blended a private atmosphere with a modern aesthetic. The design is refined—eschewing any hint of overdone hipness or tackiness—in favor of a space that feels both intimate and sophisticated. With only a select group of diners (around 9–11 people) sharing the experience, it was clear that the focus was entirely on delivering personalized service and culinary excellence.

A Symphony of Flavors: The Omakase Experience The omakase menu was nothing short of a culinary symphony, featuring a range of meticulously prepared dishes:

Seafood Selections: From the delicate Kusshi Oyster and Madai sashimi to the robust flavors of hamachi crudo and ishidai, each dish was a celebration of freshness and quality. Fish Varieties: The sequence continued with shima aji, sawara, kanpachi, and kurodai, each prepared to highlight the natural taste of the fish without overwhelming them with heavy sauces or gimmicky dressings. Standout Dishes: Particularly impressive were the Ora King salmon and toro, both of which hit all the right notes. Even the hotate (scallop), which I usually associate with a more pronounced fishy flavor, was transformed into a sublime, almost unrecognizable treat—its preparation so perfect that any hint of the usual brininess was completely absent. The Grand Finale: A handroll featuring tuna, toro, and uni rounded off the main course, leaving an indelible mark on our palates. Each plate was artfully dressed with just the right touch of aged soy sauce and freshly grated wasabi. This minimalist yet effective approach allowed the high-quality ingredients to truly shine. It was refreshing to experience sushi that wasn’t masked by overpowering sauces—each bite was an exploration of flavor and texture that made me appreciate what true culinary craftsmanship looks like.

Engaging, Personable Service What set Kenji Omakase apart wasn’t just the impeccable food, but the overall experience. Unlike many omakase settings where diners feel like silent observers, here the chefs actively engaged with us. They shared insights about their training, discussed their philosophies on how sushi is evolving, and even took time to explain the rationale behind the precise dressing of each dish. This level of personalization transformed a simple dinner into an interactive culinary journey. It wasn’t merely about eating; it was about connecting with the craft and the passionate individuals behind it.

A Toast to Perfect Pairings and Sweet Surprises Our beverage choices were as thoughtfully curated as the food. I opted for the spiced margarita—a robust, well-balanced cocktail that played delightfully against the subtle flavors of the sushi. My partner’s choice, the yuzu 75, offered a zesty, refreshing contrast that perfectly complemented her palate. Although an optional sake pairing was available for $70 per person, which we decided to share, the cocktails proved to be a delightful stand-alone experience. As if the evening needed any further enhancement, a surprise pistachio crème beignet was presented at the end, accompanied by a warm cup of tea. This unexpected treat was the perfect conclusion to our meal—a sweet, comforting note that left us both with bright smiles and a sense of fulfillment.

A Benchmark for Future Dining Experiences By the end of the night, it was clear that Kenji Omakase had redefined what a 5-star dining experience should be. While the exquisite food alone might have earned a solid 4 out of 5, it’s the extra mile—the warm interactions, the perfectly timed surprises, and the overall thoughtful presentation—that elevated our experience to a full 5. For those who believe that dining out is about more than just the food on the plate, Kenji Omakase offers a masterclass in how to captivate and enchant...

We found Kenji Omakase by chance on Google Maps. We are extremely glad that we did!

Omakase is, essentially, asking the chef to prepare their finest, and to curate the sushi selection. Asking them to show their art and skill, and decide how best to serve the finest of his ingredients selections.

I had the 12 piece Omakase, while my partner had the 5 piece. She regrets not having the 12 piece (as she should) and, considering, the scope of the types of fish and their perfect preparation, the 12 piece is the way to go. The 12 piece is served in traditional Omakase courses, several pieces of prepared nigiri at a time. The 5 piece is served all at once, with a hand roll at the end.

Our selections for the meal included one of the house specials of fish which is aged in house. The 15 day aged Chu Toro was incredibly flavorful, with a taste that was clean and lingered as the fat of the fish spread throughout my mouth. Incredibly flavorful. I would love to take a flavor tour through the various aged fish this chef has in his aging fridge!

I can't recall all the fish served in the Omakase, although several were new to me: big eye tuna from Hawaii, black grouper from South America. Also there was tuna flown in from Japan.

The Omakase is served with the chef's choices of toppings including different types of crisped garlic, perfectly balanced and selected soy sauces, or oils. The diner has the option of adding extra toppings beyond the chefs toppings such as caviar, etc. While we had the extras on a couple of our pieces, and while the additions were delicious, I can't say they really elevated the sushi beyond the chefs choices. In retrospect I wouldn't have spent the extra money, and simply allowed the chef and the fish to speak for themselves.

We also had wonderful tuna and truffle hand rolls, and the roasted shishito peppers with sesame sauce were great.

Dessert was strawberry cream filled beignets for her and a Vietnamese coffee tiramasu which was done in the classic way, but with the thick Vietnamese coffee as the sauce. Incredibly tasty!

We both had two cocktails, hers being a house recipe old fashioned with, I believe, sake incorporated. I enjoyed a yuzu mocktail which was tasty.

While the prices are well towards the high end, I would say that all the prices are reasonable for the quality of the ingredients, the preparation, the service (which was absolutely perfect, charming, and attentive without being over-present), and the atmosphere. With all of our over-doing-it, our 4 drinks, the final price for the evening put us about $380, plus $13 "convenience fee" for using a card, and then plus tip.

My partner says, and I must agree with her, that this was the best sushi, and best sushi experience, we have had in our travels.

Finding this incredible gem, really by accident, was actually one of the highlights of our trip to New Orleans! This will always be a stop for us when we are in town. Reservations will be the first call I make when I find out we're...

I’m sorely disappointed with my experience at Kenji. I’m also left wondering how/why this restaurant is mentioned in several lists of good restaurants online. Maybe this is the beginning of the end, and maybe there's an attitude of letting that happen to go along with that. I hope I'm wrong.

Here's what happened:

Dinner reservation on a Saturday night. Every restaurant should be on their A-game.

Let’s start with the MOUSE that ran through the dining room during our visit. It was clearly visible as there were no more than 6 other people in the dining room, most of which were sat at the bar. There was a gentleman that saw the mouse, stood up, walked to the kitchen, and called over the person who self-identified themselves as the restaurant manager. I thought “Great. This will be addressed and handled.” Nope. I guess the guy is an employee or stakeholder and they chose to cross their fingers about my partner and I saying something. I really hate to be adding to the other reports of rodents spotted here.

To the management team at Kenji: yes, customers should advocate for themselves always, but WE SAW YOU made aware of the issue and then choose to not do anything about it. Everyone saw you. I have to believe that you don’t prefer customers making a scene and demanding things from you while they're there.

Service was awful. The place was nearly empty, yet our server didn’t seem concerned with us during our entire meal. And folks, the place was nearly empty and we had clear visibility of how much this person was and was not doing. Sometimes an emptier dining room doesn't equal a server that's not busy, but this time it clearly did.

To the management team at Kenji: good food is the bare minimum - especially at your prices. When a customer who had a bad experience pays their check + tip, leaves you a detailed note of what happened, and offers their phone number for you to follow up and make things right, they’re not creating a problem - they’re giving you an opportunity to show them what kind of establishment you are.

It’s been days now and I haven’t heard from Kenji, so it’s time to start committing to this perspective. My name’s in your system, you don't like reading reviews like this, and I don't like writing them - let's talk about it. Happy to update my review if the management team can update my experience.

To New Orleans locals and visitors: you work hard for your money, and for that reason alone you should not go here. The Kenji team seem to be banking on the good favor they earned closer to when they opened instead of reinforcing it with every meal they serve.

Instead, check out some of these spots I enjoyed while in town that blew Kenji out of the water with their food and service: Tsunami, Jewel of the South, and Lilly’s Cafe,...