Daiwa Sushi Bar & Japanese Cuisine - Metairie

I have been all over the US and can confidently say this is one of the best places I have been to for sushi. I feel like a lot of places lately have been suffering from a lack of care with their servers. This place was an exception. One of the best experiences I have had since prepandemic. The menu options were insane. A literal book and almost overwhelming. Our server acknowledged this and offered suggestions. Really appreciated that they weren’t the most expensive and after tasting spot on for what the 3 of us said we liked. 10 out of 10 will definitely go again. Not expensive for for how delicious it was and absolutely recommend it to anyone.

Sit at the bar! Richard is the absolute best he's more than a server he's a friend. The wagyu sushi is possible the best in this region. The dedication to the food and the preservation of quality with consistency is the reason you should be there now

Great sushi here, their menu is well designed having detailed info as well as pictures of almost everything on the menu so you’ll know what you’re eating. The service was excellent and each server has great knowledge of the menu. I’ll be coming back often!

This is our favorite sushi place. The staff is so nice and helpful. Get the smoked old fashion, you won't be disappointed. We sampled so many dishes and were mad because it was over. We love coming here and will be back!

Enjoyed the sushi here. Brought a group of people and everyone enjoyed their meals. Update: Hostess needs training on how to great customers.

I last-minute made a reservation via Resy for dinner and we were promptly seated. The menu is extensive and has a lot of good food for people to try. A friend had a couple of cocktails and they enjoyed it while waiting. My go-to at sushi restaurants are usually their chirashi because you get a wide variety of fish! The sushi rice was well seasoned. If sushi restaurants have amaebi (sweet shrimp) they will also serve the deep fried head - which has the texture of a chip. Here they fry the body as well! If you're in Metairie, check them out!

Hands down, far and away, this is the best sushi place I’ve ever been to, accounting for many, many sushi places across numerous states. Metairie is blessed to have such variety and freshness in such a convenient location. Their cold smoked tuna is one of my all-time favorite food items, period. Their hand rolls are superb. Thin lemon slices as a topping? Fantastic. The waitstaff has a wealth of knowledge on their alcohol offerings. Having to move across the country and leave this place behind was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done as a passionate sushi fan.

What happened to Sushi chefs greeting guests at bar and hostess providing hot towel to cleanse hands? Are these customs a thing of the past? I sure miss the interaction, and art of chef. I miss being informed of freshest offerings, sharing a Sake and conversing with them. The food is good, but the experience is mid.

Best sushi menu in the NOLA area! Great service and our waitress gave excellent recommendations! Cute family friendly spot!

Richard is one of the most friendly servers/bartenders I've ever encountered. Food was all fresh and we enjoyed ourselves. Will be back.

Felt rushed from moment we sat down. When I made online reservation it noted a two hour turn table time. That is a poor business model and made me feel devalued as a customer. Also, second time forced to sit on patio when available seating was inside. Its location is only positive, but hampered by minimal parking and lack of valet parking. Although my three sons felt the sushi was satisfactory, the calamari was literally the worst I have ever had. It was extremely thick, rubbery and basically inedible. Softshell crab in Causeway roll was overly breaded & I am uncertain whether it was softshell crab. Spent $210 for approximately 1 hour & 20 minutes. Will not be returning. Service was fine, but preeminent factor in not returning is how rushed I felt.

I got to try Daiwa this past weekend. The location is super cute and elegant. It's upstairs in the same building as Mooyah on Veterans. They accept reservations but we were able to be seated right away. The waitress was super nice. Everything we tried was pretty good. We tried the tuna tataki salad, crab stick tempura, shrimp gyozas, poboy special roll, cowboy roll, spicy city roll and shrimp hibachi rice. I enjoyed the Yuzu 75 cocktail. Overall this was a good experince. I look forward to going back to try different menu options.

I won't ever get sushi anywhere else. They have so many amazing rolls and other traditional cuisine options! I truly love it here. My favorite would be the cowboy roll - it's like a surf and turf and perfectly crafted. The ambiance of the establishment is very well constructed and gives off classy vibes. I suggest making a reservation if you can; they're usually packed in the evenings and all weekend. Even the cocktails have their own uniqueness to them that further attributes to the perfection of this establishment.

I went to daiwa for the first time last night and I really liked it! The service was great and the ambiance was super fun. They also had a pretty large bar so I will have to try some of their drinks another time! Their miso soup had a sweeter taste to it which I wasn't a huge fan of, but the rest of the food we got was great!!! The menu was absolutely huge and they included lots of photos which were very helpful. Just a heads up that the restaurant is upstairs, theres very likely an elevator but I honestly didn't even look around for one, but be aware of that if you're bringing anyone elderly/handicapped!

The food here is good! The server checked up on us often and was respectful and the quality of the fish and value was satisfactory. I will say that the menu is overwhelming for a first timer... we spent a good long time trying to determine what to order as the plethora of options hits you like tidal wave after tidal wave. It's a bit daunting but with plenty of consideration and a patient server, we weren't disappointed. We did not wait long once we had ordered and it was all in all a nice spot to catch up with a friend over lunch. We tried their fried banana dessert too- we weren't particularly fond of the texture and way they were fried into small coin shaped pieces but it was worth satisfying our curiosity.

The food is always good. I also enjoy their beer on tap selection. I love the Kiwi Crunch and Golden Dragon rolls. A must visit for fresh and delicious sushi.

Maybe it would be better if you ate there but I thought it lacked a little flavor personally. Maybe it's my palate. My 2 year old son did love the potstickers and we will go back to get him more soon! Give it a shot but don't expect to be totally blown away.

I was really underwhelmed by Daiwa. The rolls (I tried 4) were just meh. None of them stood out to me. I tried the smelt salmon roe, bbq eel with tamago, crunchy dynamite and the spicy tuna. Again, all meh. The rice was mushy and the fish didn't taste very fresh. The service was great though! But based off the sushi, I won't be back.

Jimmy is the man! He is the best bartender/server ever! I first came to Daiwa for my sister's 24th bday celebration last November but have been coming back at least twice a month ever since then. The service from everyone there is stellar. I've been trying something new each time I go there but there are just so many options. We love to sit at the bar because our guy Jimmy has phenomenal customer service. The ambiance is also nice and relaxing. The food and drinks are top notch and diverse. Everything I've drank has been smooth. The best part about the restaurant is the variety. They have a bunch of different appetizers, drinks, and sushi. There is really something there for everyone. My favorite drinks are the Iwaii Kawaii, Yuzu 75 w Lychee, Roku Tea Garden, and an off menu drink (ask for it). The drinks are always smooth and well blended. They are never overly sweet or taste low quality. My favorite sale so far is the Yuki Snow Tiger that Jimmy recommended. My top appetizers were the Needle Mushroom Beef Negamaki and the Garlic Scallops. What can I say I love the sizzle. Our favorite sushi so far are Australian Lobster Roll, Autumn Roll, Kiwi Crunch Roll, Mango Salmon Roll, Cowboy Roll, and the off menu Passion Roll. We will try many other rollls. The quality is magnificent and the ingredients taste fresh. If you want a special night out or just in the mood for some beautifully crafted, always fresh sushi Daiwa is the place to be. If you go at night just be mindful of parking. It's going to be tight.

Food was amazing! So many options. I don't think you can go wrong with the specials. Our waiter was really great and helpful. This is a really cute Metry date night spot.

Jess was so amazing and informative... Me and my husband will definitely be making this a regular dinner stop, and on Saturdays for sure so we can have her as our server again.

I travel to Metairie once a month for work and Daiwa is a must every time I am in the area. This is one of the best Japanese restaurants I have been to. The service is always perfect. If you can, sit at the bar! With my old man brain, his name escapes me, but the bartender who his almost always there when I visit is exceptional!!!! His drink recommendations never fail. The atmosphere of the restaurant is relaxing even though they are always busy. I've had many sushi roll and appetizers and all are excellent. They have a very large selection. This place is a must try if you like sushi. Occasionally they have whiskey flights with Japanese whisky, and if they don't have one available, do not worry, they will create one for you!! I have.

Adding a pic of another visit of their shrimp tempura roll! Delicious!!! On another visit I had the Daiwa roll and it was fabulous! (Apologies no pic on that one

10/22/23 Amazing service and attentiveness. We were greeted promptly upon reaching the last step. I was immediately impressed and gave me an amazing impression. Well done. Our server was named Jess. Her presentation and knowledge of the menu was outstanding. She was very accommodating to our request and gave us her personal opinions. She single-handedly gave us a 5 star experience. We ordered yaki udon and tempera udon and loved it.

I found out about Daiwa through my girlfriend, who is from Metaire. I love sushi, and have been to places in Japan, San Franscisco, D.C., etc. Daiwa is easily one of my favorite sushi spots. Daiwa has a very extensive menu, almost overwhelming in some ways. They also have special items they order from Japan (uni, A5 wagyu, etc.). I have been to this location a few times now and each meal has been amazing. Their chef also likes to experiment with dishes. My favorite this past visit was part of an uni flight. One of the pieces was layered with shavings of fish belly, uni, then caviar on top; perfect balance of flavors & textures! All of the items I have ordered so far have been delicious. Unfortunately I do not get to come to New Orleans very often, but plan on going to Daiwa each time I visit!

The ambiance of this place is quiet with a nice, chill vibe. The sushi bar has an amazing layout and it's next to a bar in case you simply want to sit and enjoy one of several pages of there speciality cocktails. The drink prices are very reasonable. The menu is so large it's a book with pages of options. We didn't wait a moment for our server and she did a great job explaining the extensive menus and speciality items. The sushi was exceptional. We had the red tail roll (one of their specialities) and the mango tuna roll. Also a side of hibachi chicken rice. All were amazing. Try this place! Drink up my friends!

we literally just walked out the restaurant and I couldnt wait to write this review. Josh is absolutely exceptional in his service. his entire presence is wonderful. he's so knowledge and polite. we will be sure to request time him each time we go now. yall should consider doing the same as you won't be disappointed!!! I'm pretty lenient as a server/bartender myself, but from the moment we sat down, no one has "wowed" me in the way Josh has. thank you again!!

Had a very good experience here on a brief visit to New Orleans. I would recommend. Great service and food was fantastic.

There are so many amazing things to say about Daiwa. The ambiance is clean and upscale. Just feels fancy sitting in the dinning room especially if you have a view of the sushi bar. this place it's our families go to for special events and for high end affordable Japanese cuisine. Being a life long chef and restaurant operations manager I feel like I can speak from experience. They always have exciting things they have brought in from Japan. The bars cocktail program rivals and surpasses many of the best bars in the New Orleans area. Richard the bar manager is so talented it makes me jealous. Great sake selection as well. Came here on a recent date with my son after winning his battle with cancer. Had a great time. My son always asks to go to Daiwa. Can't even get him to go out for a burger . Thanks for always making us smile with the service and food. Cheers.

so yummy. everything i've ordered from daiwa has been great, from sashimi to udon to hand rolls. fish is fresh, plating is gorgeous, not much else to ask for! daiwa definitely sticks out from other sushi restaurants to me because they not only have your basic go to rolls, but also a great selection of sashimi and other specialty items if you're feeling that. the variety is great, and makes it a great spot to go with friends or a date or with family. the place is also very nice inside. and the service every time i go is great. they are always asking me what i need, and doing a great job.

Everything was excellent, this place is definitely a hidden gem. Reservations are highly encouraged, they seem to be really popular at the moment. I started with the shrimp gyoza but I tried the fried snow crab balls which were delicious as well. My lychee martini was fantastic, I try lychee drinks whenever I see them on the menu and this was definitely one of my favorites. I was a little skeptical when I ordered the roll because I feared the fried jalapeños would be too spicy but they were truly the best part. I'd love to go here again.

Great selection! Very filling. Good quality sushi. Friendly and fast service. We will be returning!

We got the food to go, our miso soup was missing (mistakes happen). But the food is amazing and a great price

Someone recently asked what my go to sushi place was and i didnt have an answer but kept going on and on about Daiwa until i realized this was my new go to spot! The menu is big so dont feel bad if you're overwhelmed at first but what i can say is everything is prepared well, thoughtfully and is so fresh that you cant go wrong with whatever you chose! This is the place to try those rolls outside your comfort zone because you will be happy you did! The appetizers are also all so good and you cant go wrong. Some of my favorite dishes are: Beef tataki, king salmon tartare, scallop fried rice, daiwa special roll, kirin roll, lemon magic roll, FEMA roll, and the poboy roll. Now onto the restaurant its self. The staff are amazing and super friendly so feel free to ask them questions because they will help you out if you need it. Sitting at the bar has a great vibe because the people behind the bar make you feel like a regular even if youre not one and they have such a large selection of drinks that they know a lot about. My tip is if you want a table during dinner time just make a quick online reservation that day or try to sit at the bar so you can get a table quickly. Also on a busy night parking gets a little hard to come by.

I enjoyed the sushi's here, the portions are great for their price. Everything I ordered tasted fresh, I'd come back and highly recommend this place.

Sushi is decent but the price to portion size is quite ridiculous. Ordered a specialty roll and regular roll for pick up and was shocked when I received them. The 17 dollar specialty role was smaller than the 8 dollar Philadelphia roll.

Good was delicious and unique! We have gone many times! One of the best places to eat sushi!

While at Daiwa Sushi Bar @daiwasushi I tried the Chicken Katsu Don for the first time and two of my normal orders which we were the Snow carb rolls and crawfish roll . *The Chicken Katsu Don included, fried breaded chicken w. Egg and Onion Sauce, served over Rice w. Scallions. This was my first time ordering this and it was delicious!! I throughly enjoyed it. The chicken was seasoned and fried to perfection while the rice gave off its own flavor without having to be fried or slathered in soy sauce. *Snow crab Roll is a cooked sushi roll with snowcrab and avocado. The inside of the suchi rolls were good but the seaweed wrapping was very chewy. *Crawfish Roll is cooked as well wrapped with seaweed. This is my favorite roll because I love crawfish, but this roll had chewy seaweed as well. The service was very quick as I did not have to wait for my food for long. The staff was attentive and the vibe in the restaurant gave a nice relaxed feeling without the hustle and bustle. The staff wore mask and tables were spaced out due to COVID Restrictions. Follow my Food page on Instagram @FoodieFortress

So I had been to the Marrero location awhile back but never had the chance to try the Metairie location. OMG ! I've been missing out! I showed up on a Tuesday evening before the dinner rush started. I didn't make reservations (didn't know that was a thing here) but luckily the hostess was able to seat us. She did let us know that we would have about 2 hours to eat. It was perfect. Our waiter Kevin was amazing! He recommended a few rolls , the daiwa one was one of them and it was amazing! For appetizers we got the gyoza, and the pork spring rolls . These were so delicious as well. The sushi came out in great timing and we were able to enjoy our food without having to rush. I def will be back and this time will make a reservation! Can't wait!

When someone asks me what my favorite restaurant is I always say Daiwa! Their food is always so fresh and packed with flavor. The last few times I've been here Josh was our waiter and he's super attentive and kind. Definitely recommend this place.

It was great for a date. Everything we tried was really good! The menu is a little intimidating, but our waitress was really helpful!

Menu has a huge selection, sushi was so good!!! Service is amazing definitely coming back for a date night!!!!!!!

Lemon magic. Favorite sushi roll...ever!!! Everything on the menu from apps to cocktails is amazing! We love sitting at the bar for date night and getting to chat with the bartenders about sake selections and some secret menu items!

The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. They had a great selection to choose from and the quality is second to none. The chefs knife skills were amazing. You will pay a premium price but it's for premium quality. I would definitely recommend this establishment. They even went helped when I asked about a place I could buy specific fish in bulk. A very nice woman went out of her way to talk to me about it.

Daiwa, I like the way you roll! As an avid sushi fan, I am always on the hunt for delicious sushi and Daiwa will be going into our sushi rotation. Like many evenings, my boyfriend and I were craving sushi so we decided to get some takeout and give Daiwa a try. We got nanami chicken nuggets, the sushi combo dinner, a fresh salmon avocado roll, dynamite roll, po' boy roll, and tempura udon. Did we order too much food? Why yes, yes we did. They gave us 5 pairs of chopsticks so safe to say they thought this was a meal for 5 when in reality it was just us two. Also special shout-out - they gave us edamame with our to-go order! The sushi was great, rice was nicely cooked and seasoned well and the fish tasted pretty fresh. 10/10 would recommend the sushi dinner! I always have a hard time choosing what to get because there are so many different delicious fish and seafood options for sushi. The sushi dinner comes with a wide array of different sushi, plus a sushi roll, and hand roll of your choosing. It also comes with a salad and your choice of miso or clear soup! This really hit the spot and quenched my sushi cravings. Also if it's not obvious is the picture the po' boy roll was huge! I'm usually more of a raw sushi girl, but if I see "po' boy" I have a compulsion to get it. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. If you're looking for a specialty roll with a NOLA twist give this one a try! Overall super satisfying meal. This place is soy delicious!

Daiwa is a beautiful restaurant will a peaceful vibe!! The food was fresh and the presentation was beautiful!! Will definitely visit again!!

Overpriced imitation sushi. Not one thing I tasted was authentic Japanese. They don't even season their sushi rice. The salad with dinner had an odd white balsamic vinaigrette dressing that was much too sweet over plain lettuce.

Yelp doesn't do half stars so this is more so a 3 and a half star rating, fyi. This is daiwa on the westbanks fancier sister. The decor is more upscale on the inside. It's located next to mooyah on vets and the sign is pretty visible so you can't miss it! When you walk inside you can either take the stairs or an elevator that'll bring you to the actual restaurant seating. We waited a few minutes to be seated; didn't see an actual host or anything, but the sign said to wait to be seated. Server came by, introduced himself and took drink orders. He did explain and recommend a sake flight, but it was lunch time and we weren't in a drinking mood. They bring out those glass bottles for you to refill your water as needed. We started off with a smelt roe crab meat salad and ordered 2 rolls: shrimp tempura and red tail roll. For some reason the day that we went, they didn't have avocados, apparently they weren't ripe. So any roll that had avocado could have a replacement of cucumber or asparagus. Weird, id think a place that uses avocado in a lot of rolls/dishes would have ripe avocados on hand? Smelt roe crab meat salad was good per usual. It's shredded crab meat mixed / cucumbers, smelt roe, and mayo. Light and refreshing. Shrimp tempura was your average roll. Nothing fancy! Red tail roll is soy wrapped: shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, cream cheese inside, crab stick and smelt roe on top, served w/ spicy mayo. It's a special roll and it tasted good! It is a bit pricier than your average so be mindful of that when ordering special rolls. Overall, it was good. I wasn't overly stuffed. The shrimp tempura roll wasn't rolled tightly enough imo. Fell apart when I picked it up. Daiwa isn't my first option for sushi, but they do have a large variety and specials flown in from japan often so check that our if you're into lots of different raw fish.

Always outstanding and always has the freshest fish! Here you can find unique choices and the service is always top notch!

Have only been here twice. The food was amazing both times. First time I went with a big group. We definitely needed a reservation. Our server was very knowledgeable about the food and drinks. They have a very large menu. We had an amazing time and everyone enjoyed their food. My husband and I went back another time and tried new things. It was all delicious! We will definitely be back again.

I don't like writing every detail of bad service, so I'll write the main points first and leave that at the bottom. I will still be detailed in this review, so that people know I'm not just being cranky, and yes, direct feedback was submitted to management with further detail. But on to Yelp Elite duties... the review! THE SHORT STORY: The food is 3 stars and the service is 1 star - so 2 stars it is. Ambiance was nice enough with a full bar that has a lot of TVs, large dinning room with ample tables and sushi bar area. Looked to be a patio area, but I didn't get a good view. Feel of the ambiance is not the best though because staff seemed unhappy and argumentative the whole time. The food could be 4 stars, but it's over priced for portion and taste. Additionally, there are a lot of sushi restaurants in the same neighborhood - so with stiff competition, food is 3 stars. Service from the host was 1 star (see below), kitchen staff yelling loud enough for us to hear was 1 star, slowness of bartender gets 2 stars (though the drinks were good he kept making for bar area and one large table over everyone else), and waitress was 2 stars. THE LONG STORY & REVIEW: Food - we ordered the Baked Scallop app ($14.50) along with the Kimchee Octopus Salad ($9). Scallops were cooked well enough, but plating was annoying with the large hot skillet in the middle of a small table. Overall it was good - probably wouldn't order that again though. I would order the octopus again; very fresh and interesting flavor with the kimchee sauce. On to entrees. Since we had to make quick food choices, we wanted to choose from the Daiwa Creations. Other half ordered the Sunset Roll ($13.50), and said that while it was good, the rice wasn't quite right (I had one, and I agree with him - maybe because it was the end of the night?). I ordered the TNT ($17), but I'm not sure why it's called that, because it wasn't spicy in the least. To make sure, gave one to other half who usually has a less spice-tolerant palate than me, and he said it wasn't spicy. It was good even though it felt misnamed. Fish was fresh, but again, nothing special overall about the flavors themselves to make me return here over another restaurant in the area - especially due to the rest of our experience. We paid about $100 for this meal, which just felt more than it was worth. Drinks - I tried to order the Yuzu 75, but they were out; not a big deal because the waitress recommended the Haku Rainforest instead, and that was delicious. Definitely would order again. Other half ordered the Bad Mama-San and said he enjoyed it very much. Only issue is that we didn't get our drinks until our entrees were on the table, and then the waitress never came back to see if we wanted another round. Service: Reservations for 9:30 but we weren't seated for a while and then greeted by waitress until about 9:45. Not an issue, because they said they were busy, and we're generally patient people when out on date night. Until things went even more sideways... before we even received our drinks - at 9:50 the waitress tells us the kitchen is closing in 5 minutes and she needs to put anything in that we want to order right now. She's telling us this as the host is seating other people that I can only imagine had legitimate reservations as you are, in fact, allowed to make reservations until 10:00 p.m. and online everything says they close at 10:30 p.m. Not to argue, we quickly made our selection of one roll each (definitely a loss of money on their end from lack of food order and one single drink order, but again, I don't want to argue with them). Beyond that, the waitress disappeared A LOT, and took forever to get our check even though they seemed to be a in a rush to close. I feel extra sorry for the two tables that were seated after us; can't imagine the experience they had.

Love love love this sushi restaurant it is one of the best in town! The service is great the ambiance is really nice too! I suggest the autumn roll the Manhattan roll the peppered seared tuna, and the snow crab salad those are just a few of my favorites! I highly recommend this place if you're looking for an upscale/ fancy restaurant. This place takes reservations and prefers that you make them good luck if you just walk in expecting to be able to get a table. The menu is easy to read and has pictures( I love that because I'm a visual person)

The food and service are both amazing! The menu is pretty extensive and I have never ordered anything I didn't like. The staff loves to give suggestions and have never steered me wrong. The sushi melts in your mouth, such great quality!

The food was good. The flavor was their and tasted as you would expect the meal to taste. They focus on their sushi mostly as their menu was mostly pages of sushi. I got the Daiwa Special Roll, tasted exactly as the description, so you got bits of tuna, shrimp tempura, and snow crab. Nothing really special. I consider it to be in the category with snow crab and California rolls that are just typical rolls. It made me full very quickly that I did not even finish it. I did not drink the water as it heavily smelled of chlorine. I got the Japanese Iced Green Tea. Everything was nothing special. It was what you usually expect from a sushi restaurant.

Great food and service. Wide variety of choices at a good price. Large bar area for couples or individuals

Daiwa is my go to spot for sushi around the NOLA area. There is an extensive menu to choose from. Prices are reasonable and the sushi and nonsushi items are impeccable. My boyfriend is a sushi snob and he was impressed with the selection and quality of the sushi. I love the ambience inside. Cute date spot. Highly recommend!

I love this place so much that I've been multiple times. The atmosphere is lovely, the music is very relaxing, and the food is SO good. I have tried several rolls, and I loved all of them! Try the beef negimaki! It's so yummy. The servers are also very kind. It's usually pretty busy, especially on the weekends. Service was a little slow, but our server gave us updates on the food pretty often, so nobody felt frustrated by the wait....and it was worth it! Just go sit and relax while you wait. It's an excellent first date spot.