The Most Flavorful Japanese in New Orleans

Umami Japanese Bistro

★★★★★ 4.5 (307) • $$

"I had a great lunch at Umami while visiting Baton Rouge. The restaurant has a casual ambiance with flavorful sushi for everyone, whether you are beginner or a sushi connoisseur. There is ample parking right in front of the restaurant but I could see it filling up at peak times, there are a lot of businesses in the surrounding area. We ordered a sample of a few different items so I could try to capture the full experience at once. I had the Rock & Roll and the Sexiest Woman Alive, both were really good. I prefer traditional rolls as I am a beginner for sushi, so I really liked the Rock & Roll. Both rolls had stellar individual ingredients and the overall flavor profile was made up of a small part of each. The restaurant is fairly small so I would visit with small groups, maybe 4-6 people at max. They can probably move a couple of tables to accommodate but I wouldn't bring a group of 10 here. It's a good size for lunch or an early dinner. The employees are nice and attentive, and they even help you decide on an order based on your tastes. I will definitely be back to visit!"

Geisha Sushi Bistro

★★★★☆ 3.8 (394) • $$

"I done here probably 2 times a month as it's walking distance from my job. It's such a delightful spot with all the charming Japanese vibes! Everything was on point, and the service is great !"

Hoshun Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (477) • $$

"It's a nice cozy place for dinner, with good food and drinks option.The service was quick and efficient and our server was very kind and attentive.We had the lychee sake and plum sake bottles, and lychee came out on top taste and flavor wise.The appetizers were nice and on point. We tried egg rolls, seafood rolls, j-pop.The fried rice was well made and spicy per request.Overall a good place for a relaxed dinner"

Rock-n-Saké Bar & Sushi

★★★★☆ 3.7 (396) • $$

"I never got the opportunity to eat here, but I must give a shout out to the manager, Ashley, for her valiant effort. We needed a reservation for our team at a place that opened past 10pm. I found them through Google and b/c of their rating, I called for a reservation for our large group. Ashley gave me her number so that I could keep her updated with our count & timing, as we waited for our games to finish. Unfortunately by the time we got to the place, our table wasn't ready. As we waited, our party count started dwindling. I told Ashley that we couldn't wait any longer. She was very apologetic and offered a free drink to go.The place had loud music and seemed like a fun spot. The menu looked very promising. It is an ideal place for adults only, to hangout and have a celebration. If I visit NOLA again without kids, I would definitely check it out."

Sushi Yama

★★★★☆ 4.3 (263) • $$

"Great place with delicious sushi. As others have noted, there's a free little cucumber vinegar salad to start and pineapple triangles at the end. Service was very nice. Ample parking. I ordered a tuna appetizer as my entree and will say I expected more for $34. Overall I would return and order rolls instead."

Sake Cafe

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (416)

"Since I was last at Sake, a few things have changed. The service was great, food still tasty, but the overall cleanliness is lackluster. I moved tables thinking that the huge stained white linen on the table was just at that table but nope, it's on all of them. I guess the restaurant doesn't deem them trash worthy. The beverage glasses seem smaller with ice filled to the rim. I would suggest renovating the restroom; the leaky faucet with a wash rag to collect run over water is a no no for the caliber this restaurant use to be. They get a pass because I'm sure the pandemic has a lot to do with the current conditions.The Sake parking lot is now public parking but Sake customers are comped."

Akira Sushi Hibachi

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (467) • $$

"I am updating my review for the sole reason of bumping 1 star for loss of value by removing the lunch price from being available at all on Saturdays. This happened some time back and I have not returned since. It became not worth the visit for me anymore when the price rose 20 for the lunch overnight. The parking lot is not very big and several spaces are compact only. So be mindful of parking. The staff helped quick to seat us and was nice. There was obvious language barriers, but that did not bother me. There is only two real options--sushi buffet (order at the table style) and hibachi. We did the sushi buffet. We also did the lunch (16 per plate plus 18% is added to the check/ 35 dollar ticket for two with water). There are paper menus on which you can mark your orders and laminated menus that help as a key to identify what's in the individual rolls that you order. There's also nigiri (a cut of sashimi on a bed of rice). I stuck mostly to the finger rolls and had one specialty roll. I preferred just eating the fish and rice without the drizzled sauce so I would probably only get the nigiri next time. If you like nigiri, the price is great for what you get because you can add soup, salad, ice-cream, and/or noodle entre items. The area was spacious and had a fish tank and nice aethetic. The fish was fresh, and i even saw them carrying 2 uncut fish fillets that were to be sized down to pieces that would be put in the sushi fridge at the bar. I would say that the bathroom needs some love. Some spray needs to be put in there or something. Both the male and female sides stunk bad and could be smelled from outside the door. The look of the restroom was not bad (same color tile on floor and wall and clean).This sushi buffet was a nice change from the way I usually experience sushi. You can't leave hungry (or it's your fault), and the quality does not significantly suffer because of the price. Come hungry and try the nigiri."

Haiku Sushi

★★★★☆ 4.1 (241) • $$

"I ordered the Gyoza (5 pieces) as a side through Uber Eats, and they were fantastic! The potstickers had a subtle hint of ginger, which added a nice depth to the flavor. They were perfectly pan-fried--lightly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a deliciously savory filling. I'd definitely order them again!"

Geisha Sushi With A Flair

★★★★☆ 4.3 (187) • $$

"Went back to Geisha on a Friday night this time and we were sat right away - I love that about this place. We ordered the shrimp dumplings again and they were delicious. He had the sunset roll and hot sake and enjoyed both. The tuna was super fresh! I had the Marilyn Monroll again and it's my GO TO. Try it with some spicy mayo on the side. Still my favorite sushi in BR."

Taste of Tokyo

★★★★☆ 3.9 (187) • $$

"The smell of Glade Plug-Ins was nauseating & ruined the meal. Pls address the root of the smell instead of trying to cover it up."

Little Tokyo

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (228) • $$

"Love Little Tokyo. You just can't go wrong. There larger rolls seem larger than any other sushi restaurant. The service was great. They were crowded but we got our food pretty quickly. The restaurant is beautiful and has plenty of parking and seating."

Sushi Masa - Lafayette

★★★★☆ 3.6 (192) • $$

"If you LOVE Sushi, it's worth it if you get the all you can eat sushi special. Crawfish roll was really good"

Umi 2

★★★★☆ 4.2 (138) • $$

"Updating my review to post the newly updated menus and reflect on my dining experience. I knew that Umi was a solid sushi spot, but after dining in today, I have to bump up my review from 4 to 5 stars. Everything was super fresh, delicious and the presentation was beautiful. My server was also very attentive and nice. I will absolutely be dining in more often."

Fusion Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (125) • $$

"We love this owner and operated business! Long is very good with his prices never he never likes to see a person wait and if you do, you're definitely gonna be offered a drink of! He has a combination of sushi for the menu goes on and on!thank you for you Kindness Long, Vinnie's Pharmacy"

Uchi Sushi

★★★★☆ 3.8 (158) • $$

"Uchi Sushi remains my favorite sushi restaurant. I've tried others but I always find myself back at Uchi time and time again. Johnny has made Uchi special and the food remains absolutely fantastic. Anytime I'm craving sushi I only want to eat here. I have a few favorite rolls, but honestly, you cannot go wrong with any roll or dish you order. A few of my go-to rolls are the Six Brothers Roll, the Utah Roll, the Cucumber Sashimi Roll, and any of the Sashimi choices. The restaurant is open for lunch every day and open late. If you go during peak hours it can be a little difficult to park, but please don't let that dissuade you from going. The food is worth the wait for a parking spot!"

Café Zen

★★★★☆ 4 (135) • $$

"I come here very often bc it's close to home and my dude really enjoys it. It has slowly become one of my fav sushi places in the Westbank. The rolls here are basic, but they do it well. The fish is always fresh and I've never had a bad experience. I usually dine in for lunch and it comes with complimentary noodle salad. Some of the rolls I always order that never disappoint are: Red dragon roll - Crunchy roll with tuna, BBQ eel, and avocado on top. Tiger roll - California roll with BBQ eel and salmon on top. Tornado roll - this comes tempura fried, but since we don't really enjoy fried rolls, we always ask for it not to be fried and they always accommodate to our needs. Zen tempura - shrimp tempura with spicy tuna and cream cheese. Tiger eyes - my bf really enjoys this, but it's a very big roll and instead of being wrapped with rice and seaweed, it's wrapped in cuttlefish. It's a very different roll and a little heavy for me. I always get all my rolls light rice bc if not, it's very thick and filling! And get their sauces on the side or else your rolls will be drowning in it!"

Tokyo Grill

★★★★☆ 4.4 (110) • $$

"I had takeout so I can speak about the restaurant or service, but I had fried rice with extra egg. Dammit it was DELICIOUS! and the best part was it tasted great the next day. This willl probably be my go to for takeout. Cheap, delicious, and quick!!!!"

Yumi Sushi & Hibachi

★★★★★ 4.5 (104) • $$

"They just opened and they are fantastic. well worth trying. I highly recommend them. They are still working the kinks out but a very good Sushi/Hibachi bar. We will be back. Stop by and Welcome them to the neighborhood."

ZEN Japanese Grill & Sushi Bistro

★★★★☆ 4.3 (108)

"Food 7/10Service 7/10Ambiance 6/10 Waste of time basically but mom and pops are struggling as less and less can afford this offering .The yellowtail sashimi was excellent 10/10 ."

Tokyo Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.6 (142) • $$

"My daughter and I like to go to Tokyo Cafe for hibachi since it's close to our house. The service was great. Our server was very attentive and I really appreciated that she would make conversation with my daughter as well as with me. Our hibachi chef was great and interacted with us the entire time he cooked. The food was delicious! The salmon was so tender. My daughter got the fried rice, and we didn't realize that she would also get noodles too. The portions were enough for both of us to have leftovers, definitely worth the price. Maybe next time I'll branch out and add some sushi as well, but the hibachi is so good that it's hard to branch out."

Drunken Fish

★★★★☆ 3.7 (129) • $$

"We were craving sushi for lunch and decided to give Drunken Fish a try! It is right by campus, so it was close, and there was no wait when we went around 12.The waitress was amazing. There are lunch specials, but we didn't know that only 4 pieces of sushi came with the lunch special. The lunch special was sushi with soup or salad and it was $13. We both decided on something else since we wanted more than 4 pieces of sushi. I got the margarita roll with a salad and my friend got the bento box. My roll was amazing and had 8 pieces... I ate the entire roll and was pretty full after. My salad was soaked in dressing, so it was eh ok. My friend asked for more dressing and there is a .50 cent upcharge! His bento box looked good, but it was a bunch of raw fish on there so that's not my cup of tea. My one roll was $18 for lunch, which I thought was expensive. The food was god, service was great, and food came out fast."

Takumi

★★★★☆ 3.9 (113) • $$

"I ordered the teriyaki chicken dinner. With ginger dressing salad the service was great. The food was delicious. I wish the fried rice was included in the dinner meal. I had to pay extra for it but other than it was great experience."

Little Tokyo Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (155) • $$

"This place is okay for late night sushi. I'll admit, I have a favorite sushi spot. But they were closed when our sushi craving hit, so we tried out Little Tokyo. This is my SIL's preferred sushi "chain". Although she recommended the location on Causeway, this location is a bit closer to home. We ordered two rolls and two orders of pot stickers to go. It was pretty busy, especially for 9:30 at night. The service was fast and friendly, I walked right up to the bar in the back and I was in and out in no time. The prices were average, not very different from my regular spot. The big difference here was the quality of ingredients. Something in our typical rolls (tuna avocado, +asparagus) was not fresh - I think it was the asparagus. They were edible, but something was off. The pot stickers were just okay, too. I would have liked a little more browning on them, but otherwise they were average. All in all, not a horrible place to grab late night sushi in Metairie. There aren't many other options after a certain time, so it is what it is. I would go back if it were the same circumstances (late night), but I will definitely try to get an order in at our regular spot before they close in the future."

Megumi

★★★★☆ 4 (105) • $$

"Located off of Hwy 22 in a small shopping center is this amazing Japanese Sushi & Noodle spot. It's been awarded Best of the Northshore several time for the quality food they not only looks appealing but has amazing flavors. It's a fairly small seating with amazing service.The waiter came by often to refill our drinks several times without having to ask for it. The Maître d at the front end was so nice and offered to seat us and even recommended the dish of the day. Although, the food was what some would consider to be pricey for lunch, it was definitely worth every dime of its cost. If you're ever driving through Mandeville heading to New Orleans, STOP HERE for lunch! I promise you if you're a fan of a Asian food or don't even like sushi stop in to try a plethora of cuisines there. They have really good portions with great flavors and even better service."

Sake Garden

★★★★★ 4.5 (80) • $$

"Just a quick stop before heading back to Baton Rouge, so we didn't think much before going in. We were pleasantly surprised. The rice to fish ratio was perfect and the fish quality was good as you can tell when it practically melts in your mouth. The kids devoured 13 rolls it was so yummy! They also gave them hi-chew candies on the way out and they were so excited."

Sake Cafe Veterans

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (154) • $$

"Popped in for lunch after an appointment nearby and it was such a great deal! Miso soup and 2 rolls for about 10 bucks. Food came out quickly and service was prompt. Would definitely return if in the area."

Oriental Pearl

★★★★☆ 3.7 (107) • $$

"A very good variety on the buffet table and all was freshly prepared. Can't say much about the service since a buffet and you for the most part serve yourself. We had to ask for drink refills instead of being offered. Typical strip mall location with ok ambiance."

Hello Sushi

★★★★☆ 3.8 (95) • $$

"Quaint with a warm, welcoming atmosphere and servers who are there to make your experience enjoyable. My favorite part of this visit was my Sake. The presentation of the Cold Sake is creative, fun, beautiful and functional!! Oh, did I forget, pleasing to the palate, pairing perfectly with my sushi."

Mizu Sushi Bar & Asian Fusion

★★★★★ 4.5 (67) • $$

"For me the most important thing is the flavor of the food. I found this place while in Elmwood looking for something to eat and the 4.5 stars intrigued me. Well, it did not disappoint! I was torn between the Geisha and Emerald. The server recommended the Emerald because the jalapeño Garlic Sauce. She was not wrong. It is SO good. The sushi is fresh, the rice is perfect and the presentation is nice. I will say the emerald is SPICY.. like I normally get spicy salmon and tuna, but it's a little next level heat for me. Nevertheless, I'm drinking my water and loving every bite. The gyoza was also good.. I do feel it's hard to go wrong there. It wasn't a wowzers but still worth the order. I would recommend this place over and over again. No complaints on service. It was a sit yourself and I was promptly waited on. The inside is clean and nicely decorated."

Fuji Yama

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (124) • $$

"Came here and sat at a table. Got sushi and the hibachi dinners steak and shrimp. Steak needs more flavor but in all great pick and the food hit our cravings. Service is good and prices are fair."

Unagi & Sushi

★★★★☆ 3.9 (82) • $$

"Tasty food and friendly service. We have enjoyed dining in the restaurant (small, simple and casual space) and ordered togo many times. The order is always correct and packed appropriately. The food is fresh and yummy. We have never had an issue and the staff is very accommodating for special orders. Give it a try."

Wasabi Sushi and Bar

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (108) • $$

"Very good sushi; not sure why they aren't busier to be honest.Service was decent, pricing was good, the dark space needs a little modernizing but the A/C worked great.Food was as good as we can get in the Bay Area and we actually got the waiter and chef to smile after complimenting their food.The waiter enjoyed hearing our views on a funky nearby restaurant that he had heard of but not tried yet.Will likely return next time we are in New Orleans as it is close by where we stay."

Jazz Sushi Bar

★★★★☆ 4 (69) • $$

"I ordered this via Yelp to my hotel. Great sushi! Fresh and delicious.Fast service too"

Sushi Express

★★★★☆ 3.7 (79) • $$

"Very good sushi for the price and HUGE portions! The crab ragoons were more savory than I'm used to, but the sweet and sour sauce was very sweet so it balances well."

Sake Cafe of Elmwood

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (122) • $$

"You can't beat their two roll lunch special. And the edamame appetizer is only $4.50! Our family dined for lunch on $80 including tip but that came with 4 individual rolls, a lunch roll combo, the kids bento box, edamame appetizer, and the undon chicken noodle lunch portion. The noodles could have been a bit more seasoned and flavorful but for my toddlers it was perfect. And big enough to feed three kids with left overs. The sushi rolls are consistently good here but don't expect 5 star plating or presentation. Food comes out quick and bonus points for having a changing table in the women's bathroom. I appreciate the family atmosphere and the quick attentive service. Never letting my water get past half. The miso soup was also nice. Plenty of flavor, tofu, seaweed, and lots of green onions to open up the meal. I'll be back for a lunch special when I'm craving some affordable sushi. No pics this time. Our hands were busy with the toddlers."