Kenji Omakase

What an experience! We met with some friends for the Omakase menu and it was well worth the cost. With this, you get 12 or 15 different sashimi options. Each were so delectable and tasted Ike the best quality. They presented about 3 of the 12 at a time so you were not overloaded with a big platter. Highly recommend if you like the raw type. Our server was fantastic and knew every single item that was placed on the table. Cocktails were so good as well and I recommend their off menu rum drink. Decor inside is cozy and modern but very inviting. Don’t sleep on the apps as well and you MUST get the Brussels! We will be back very soon! P.S. catch happy hour for specials on Brussels and you better get the crispy rice trio!

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 headed south!

What a gem of a sushi place. I had the crispy rice trio and sashimi. Fish was so fresh and every morsel was delicious. Staff was very knowledgeable on all the things and delivered excellent customer service.

My husband and I had our anniversary dinner date here. We had such a great experience, nice ambiance. Everyone was super friendly, and I mean the sushi were amazing!! It's definitely not something we can splurge all the time, but once in a while for sure!

Originally gave this place a negative review because they cancelled my reservation last minute due to a private event through the hotel they are affiliated with. The chef reached out to me personally and sincerely wanted treat my family and I to a different day. I really appreciated this gesture and really enjoyed the food that was prepared for us. Glad to see new omakase places coming to New Orleans. This place was great and food was fresh. Flavors were awesome. Give this place a try and I will be a return customer.

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, to name a few.

Went for the Omakase experience. 14 courses for $135. The sake wine pairing is an additional $70 and includes 4 glasses of different sakes coursed throughout the experience. The chefs were extremely knowledgeable and explained everything. Although the restaurant wasn’t packed by any means, it was hard to hear the chefs between the other guests and the music. The courses were interesting and thoughtful. Lots of ginger, citrus, and garlic. Of course, you see where the money goes with caviar, truffles, and the expensive melon they serve for dessert. If you aren’t sitting in the middle of the bar you might feel like you’re missing part of the excitement of watching them prepare each course. If you are a vlogger, make sure you arrive early as there is not “good lighting” across the length of the bar. For 2 people with one sake pairing and one $20 glass of wine the bill was $407 <included credit card processing free, alcohol tax, food tax, etc>This didn’t include gratuity or any of the suggested course add-ons like caviar or foir gras. Although the meal was good, you’re definitely paying for the experience as we were hungry less than an hour later. After gratuity, we spent about $482. A very expensive night out indeed.

This place has blown me away, completely! Came in on a whim a few weeks ago, and was treated to the Chef's Omakase experience at the bar. We have since been THREE TIMES with plans for a fourth next week. This is hands down the best Sushi experience I've had in the states, and rivals even most of those found overseas. Chef Matt does an excellent job with both the menu and the preparation. This is the best restaurant in Louisiana, and you owe it to yourself to come check it out! Make your reservation for the "experience", I promise you won't be disappointed.