A highly anticipated new Japanese restaurant has opened in New Orleans, but it’s keeping a profile so low it feels almost hidden.
Kira Omakase (601 Tchoupitoulas St.) began service last week as a distinct restaurant found inside Kira. That’s the high-style Mediterranean/Japanese restaurant opened late in 2025 by local restaurateur Billy Blatty. He developed Kira Omakase as a separate entity and, to lead it, recruited a chef who’s had a hand in guiding modern American sushi culture.
That’s Yoshi Okai, one of the best-known sushi chefs in the U.S. for his decades at Japanese restaurants in Austin, Texas. In 2017, he was named to the Food + Wine national list of Best New Chefs. He moved to New Orleans this spring to be executive chef and partner at the new Kira Omakase.
The omakase, or a chef-guided set menu meal, is served at a 12-seat counter. Expect a progression of 20 courses, including about 15 different pieces of nigiri and other dishes, for $175 per person, with sake pairings available.
Okai has worked at and led sushi bars in Austin that rank among the most influential in the U.S. That includes the long-running sister restaurants Uchi and Uchiko. For the past decade, he led Otoko, the 12-seat restaurant where he prepared every bite and orchestrated the music and vibe for an immersive omakase experience.
Kira Omakase is a multifaceted restaurant within Kira, with its various spaces revealed by a progression of sliding doors.
The sushi counter is the heart of Kira Omakase, though the chef won’t fill all seats at once. Staggered seatings mean more immediate service as sushi is prepared and handed over the counter, crucial with Okai’s approach, and it invites more interaction with the chef himself.
Kira Omakase will eventually add an à la carte menu served at tables around the sushi counter. There is a private dining room seating up to 20, and also a lounge that will be the venue for tuna breakdowns.
All the rage in other cities, these special events are a combination of butchery demonstration and feast as chefs bring in a large tuna, upward of 200 pounds, and cut it into pieces for attendees to eat directly from the bone. Okai expects to host these events three times a year.
Get Kira Omakase reservations on OpenTable.com.
Casa Verde opens on Tulane Avenue
The guacamole and margaritas aren’t the only shades of green at Casa Verde (3811 Tulane Ave., 504-354-8344).
This new Mexican restaurant opened in August and adds a new bright spot to a hard scrabble commercial stretch in Mid-City that’s been seeing flickers of reinvestment.
There’s a verdant, plant-themed design, a stylish bar, pretty cocktails and a menu built around overstuffed tacos and Mexican taqueria standards.
It’s serving lunch and dinner and weekend late-night hours until 1 a.m. A weekend brunch menu will begin soon.
Casa Verde is the latest from the Alvarado family, who previously ran the Mexican restaurant El Patron in Gretna. After they sold that local restaurant, they decided to get a fresh start in the city, said Ermis Alvarado Jr., who manages the new restaurant with his parents and sister.
“We know this area and thought Tulane Avenue could use a place like this,” he said. “It’s a place to come hang out, relax, a place that’s family-friendly and good quality.”
The address has seen a number of bars and eateries, notably Three Palms Bar & Grill. The space has been transformed by a makeover, from the newly green façade to the murals and the plant game inside and out, some of it plastic, some of it alive.
Latin trap and reggaeton music bounce over the sound system, and a side patio is set with tables made from the trunks of palm trees.
There’s some Instagram bait built in (there’s a selfie wall, of course, with plastic ivy and neon lettering), but there’s also a genuine sense of welcome in this family-run spot.
The visuals extend to the drinks, finished with flowers and garnishes. The spicy margarita is balanced with pineapple; the paloma is a classic in a plus-sized tiki glass.
On the menu, the “street tacos deluxe” are packed with cheese and beans, forming a layer between tortilla and meats. The Caribbean tacos add another layer of sweet plantains.
Another option are sopes, thick, hand-formed cups of masa with a crisp edge containing the toppings, like big-bottomed tostadas.
Burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, a burger, taco salads, carne asada, tortilla soup and ceviche round out the menu. There’s a kids’ menu too with quesadillas, chicken tenders and nachos.
Dining and Cooking