Waka House

by Chad

4625 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd.
225-293-4077
http://www.wakahouse.com

We’ve all heard phrases such as ‘food is art’ and ‘we eat with our eyes first’. In the highly competitive world of today’s restaurant scene, presentation is important, and something that can really set a place apart from its competition. In my opinion, there is no other culinary offering like sushi to illustrate this.

Hidden in the corner of a strip mall at the intersection of Sherwood and Coursey lies Waka House, a small establishment offering big sushi flavor. Small is a definite description of this restaurant. There are only a handful of tables inside, seating probably only about thirty or so people total. The restaurant is minimally decorated, sort of giving the impression that it is a work in progress or a temporary situation. Some of the tables feature a glass top, with a smaller shelf underneath housing some decorative items. While this looks cool, it doesn’t fare well for taller guests, making seating somewhat uncomfortable.

The sushi here is quite good. Some of the rolls we sampled on our visit included the Spicy Tuna roll, Eel roll, Salmon Dragon roll, Karadynamite roll, and the Thompson roll. All were very tasty, featuring fresh fish and a nice mix of accompaniments. The spicy tuna was one of the better versions of this roll that I have had. Very fresh tuna mixed with just the right amount of spiciness. Speaking of spicy, the Karadynamite roll is an excellent choice for those who like it hot. It is spicy tuna, fresh salmon, yellowtail, cucumber and avocado, topped with scallions, crunchy batter and a spicy sauce. The Salmon Dragon roll is a must for the salmon lover, loaded with fresh salmon on the inside, wrapped with nori and sushi rice, and topped with more fresh salmon. This is served with two pieces of salmon sashimi on the side and seaweed salad. My personal favorite was the Thompson roll, a tasty combo of fresh tuna, avocado and cream cheese, topped with crunchy batter and snow crab.

The non-sushi items were hit and miss. The seaweed salad was reported as tasty with a sweet vinegar taste. The pork dumplings are tasty, very light with a good flavor, served with a flavorful sauce that had hints of soy, ginger, and cilantro. Perhaps the biggest disappointment in the food was the teriyaki chicken. Ordering it ‘as is’ on the menu presents you with a mixture of chicken pieces, all dark meat and somewhat off-putting in texture. The waiter informed us that a white meat chicken version was available, but had to be requested. That information really should be presented to the customer up front, and placed on the menu for clarification. Offerings for kids are slim here, but the crunchy batter coated chicken strips seemed to be a hit with our little eater.

In summary, Waka House has great potential with its sushi items. They offer some interesting rolls with real potential. Very fresh fish and a huge variety should please most sushi enthusiasts. Some refinements could make this place great, like better quality on the non-sushi items and a better and more spacious environment, but overall this place deserves a try.


Salmon Dragon Roll


Thompson Roll

Freaky Foods of Baton Rouge - Boudin Balls

By:Mark

Boudin is such a Louisiana favorite that we really don’t realize how freaky it is. Boudin was originally devised as a way for Cajuns to utilize the organs of the animals. Since the organs were the first part to spoil; the heart, kidney, and liver of a pig were combined with ground pork and seasoned rice. The mixture was then stuffed into intestinal lining. The result is a deliciously rich flavor which rivals any traditional sausage. Here in Baton Rouge, we enjoy our boudin in links and also rolled up into tight balls and deep fried. Many places in Baton Rouge serve boudin well; such as The Chimes, Opie’s Cajun Café, and Ronnie’s. So the next time you order the boudin balls, they may not be as innocent as you thought they were.

Pinoy – The Philippines comes to Baton Rouge

By: Mark

http://www.pinoybr.com

Tucked away in a strip mall on the corner of Coursey Boulevard and Sherwood Forest Boulevard lies Pinoy; Baton Rouge’s first Filipino restaurant. In fact, it is only the second Filipino restaurant in the entire state. The cuisine of the Philippines is influenced heavily by its history of Spanish rule, which is exhibited by some of the dishes on the menu and the official beer of the Philippines. The Cuisine Rouge team assembled and dined at Pinoy on a Thursday night.

We began our meal with a cold San Miguel beer. This beer was cool and clean and had a light taste. It was the perfect way to start our meal. As we enjoyed our beer we took note of the layout of the interior. The restaurant was painted with light green walls and painted glass that depicted scenes of the Philippines. An area for karaoke was located in the front, and another area containing a TV and the game Rock Band was set up in the back for children to play while their parents dined. What was also noticeable was that many Filipino and Asian locals dine here. In fact, such a large party was present, that they nearly took up the entire restaurant.

After we finished our beers, we ordered a few appetizers. We tried the Sisig ($6.99) which was finely diced pork, hot sauce, onions, and lemon served on a sizzling skillet. The pork had a nice sweet and spicy flavor and the bottom was caramelized by the hot skillet, giving the dish a crispy bottom. We ate the sisig accompanied with jufran (a banana flavored sauce with the look and consistency of ketchup). We also ordered the Lumpia ($7.99) which were miniature egg rolls stuffed with pork and vegetables. They were fried perfectly and were not greasy, served with a sweet and spicy chili sauce. These were a great start to our meal.

For our entrees we decided to order three dishes that really represent the style of cooking that Pinoy is trying to showcase. We ordered the Lechon Kawali ($8.99) which is slow roasted pork belly that is then fried. The dish is absolutely delicious as the tender meat marries with the creamy fat for a truly extraordinary bite. The meal was served with sweet, vinegary pickled papaya and spicy sautéed bean sprouts. Our next entrée was the Palabok ($6.99). This is a noodle dish which contains shrimp, ground pork, pork cracklins, boiled eggs, and green onions. The dish is then topped with a palabok sauce which resembles an etoufee. This dish was extremely disappointing as we discovered it contained no flavor. I could taste the blandness of the noodles but that was it. Even with the addition of lemon, salt, and pepper I still felt I was eating salty, peppery, lemony noodles. I sampled the sauce on its own but still could not find a trace of flavor. This dish left us not only perplexed but very let down. Our third entrée arrived and we quickly forgot about the palabok as our waitress set down the Crispy Pata ($17.50). It is a bit pricey but this is Pinoy’s signature item. Deep crossing slices are made into a pork leg that has been marinated in garlic and soy sauce. The entire leg is deep fried to perfection. The result is heaven on a plate. The meat is perfectly juicy and delicious and the skin is fried to a perfect, crackling brown. A jazzed up soy sauce that had hints of ginger, chili, and cilantro was served to accompany it. The leg was served with rice and corn. The only downside to the meal was the side of corn was bland and cold, almost an afterthought. In all, the entrees at Pinoy are very good and any pork lover will be in heaven.

We saved just enough room for dessert and we were treated to Leche Flan ($2.50) and Halo-Halo ($4.99). The flan was some of the best I have had. It was firmer and creamier than a traditional Mexican flan and it was topped with a nice caramel sauce. The halo-halo is one of the most interesting desserts I have ever come across. It is a mixture of shaved ice and milk, containing rice crispies, boiled sweet beans and fruit, which is then topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. What is produced is a sweet dessert with plenty of interesting textures and flavors. This is a must try for anyone.

Baton Rouge is becoming quite the place for ethnic dining. The addition of Pinoy introduces an entire new cuisine to the city. If you are a lover of pork, or just a lover of interesting food, I highly recommend Pinoy. With its friendly owner and beautiful wait staff, hopefully this restaurant will become a fixture of the growing ethnic Baton Rouge scene.

Pros:
- Great pork dishes
- Service was excellent
- Fun atmosphere enjoyed by locals

Cons:
- Not many places to sit – large party almost took up entire restaurant
- Very bland noodle dish and corn
- Restaurant temperature was very warm



Crispy Pata


Sisig


Lechon Kawali


Halo-Halo

Local Owner Interview: Patrick Muller – Dingo’s

By: Mark

Patrick Muller is the owner of Dingo’s, an Australian themed restaurant and bar located at 11580 Coursey Blvd in Baton Rouge, near the intersection of Sherwood Forest Blvd and Coursey Blvd. Patrick is a native of Perth, Australia, where he also ran a restaurant and was an avid Australian rules footballer. He has been kind enough to sit down and answer a few questions for Cuisine Rouge:

1. How did you get started in the restaurant business?

"I was born and raised in Perth, Australia. My wife is from Louisiana and she introduced me to Louisianan cuisine, which I fell in love with. My restaurant in Australia was called the House of Blues Café. It was located in a blue house and we featured live music and Louisiana food. I owned it for two years and then we decided to move to Louisiana to be closer to family.”

2. What or who were your influences?

"My personal influence was my desire to entertain and to provide the best dining experience for anyone who walks into my doors. I do this by trying to provide simple, good food.”

3. When did you know you could make it in this business?

“I try to take it one day at a time. The key is to always keep learning. To me success is when I walk across the street and look at my restaurant. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a parking lot full of cars and people leaving the restaurant satisfied and happy.”

4. How did you decide on this location?

“It was all about perfect timing. Initially I had a place picked out in the Lake Sherwood Mall. However, the deal fell through. I then came across this location and made a call to the owner. From the outside it looked like it would be a quick fix, but there was a lot of work that needed to be done.”

5. What do you love about your job?

“Making people happy and providing a place to work for my employees.”

6. What do you hate about your job?

“The never ending bills.”

7. When you aren’t cooking, what do you like to do?

“Lay in bed with my wife and three daughters and watch Sponge Bob Square Pants.”

8. What would you be doing if you weren’t the owner of Dingo’s?

“I would be a real estate investor. It’s actually what I was in Australia and it gave me the financial ability to open my first restaurant.”

9. What is your favorite dish on the menu?

“The chipotle chicken curry.”

10. What would your last meal be?

“A stick of salty butter with a crusty, hot baguette. I like to keep it simple.”

11. What is your best moment as a restaurant owner?

“I love to be able to present the guest with the unexpected and watch them enjoy it. Recently a bride-to-be and a few friends were looking for a place to eat late. They called ahead and came in and when they arrived there was a bottle of complimentary champagne on ice waiting for them. It’s the look of surprise and happiness on the customers faces that makes me love what I do.”

12. What is your worst moment as a restaurant owner?

“Once again, the never ending stream of bills.”

13. Anything new for the future?

“We just got a frozen drink machine so we hope to create some new frozen beverages to go along with old favorites. I also hope to keep our success going and become the best new restaurant in Baton Rouge.”

14. Other than what you make, what other foods do you enjoy?

“I love boiled shrimp and ice cream. I am a big fan of simple, comfort foods.”

15. If a person is only visiting your place once, what dish should they get?

“The fish tacos. The love affair between the grilled mahi-mahi and the mango salsa should please anybody’s palate.”

Cuisine Rouge would like to thank you Patrick Muller for taking the time to answer our questions. Good luck to you and Dingo’s in the future!

Freaky Foods of Baton Rouge - The Source

By: Mark

http://www.dojerky.com

Technically this Freaky Food entry is located in Denham Springs, La; but I need to include it. In the Beef Jerky Outlet, across from the Bass Pro Shop, a bottle of liquefied Satan awaits. Over 200 hot sauces are for sale, but none can touch The Source. Made of 100% pure capsaicin extract, this “sauce” is actually a base from which hot sauces and large batches of food are made. The Source clocks in at a fiery 7.1 million Scovilles! Considering a bell pepper is 0 Scovilles, a jalapeno is 2,500 Scovilles, a habanero is 400,000 Scovilles, and a naga jolokia is 850,000 Scovilles, The Source is hotter than all of these peppers combined X 5! After signing a waiver, the tip of a toothpick was touched to the sauce and then to my tongue. Pure agony ensued for the next thirty minutes and as a result, I spent $12.00 on milk. The scary part was the milk didn’t help! I had to wait for the sauce to run its course. The only thing I could compare it to would be a furnace running at full capacity in my mouth. I will never try it again, but to all you heat freaks out there, I say “Good Luck!”

Mason’s Grill – A Solid Sunday Brunch

By: Mark

http://www.masonsgrill.com
http://www.masonsgrill.com/menu_jefferson/breakfast_weekend.html

Mason’s Grill on Jefferson Highway has always been known as the place to grab a burger, but it may soon be known as the place to grab a good brunch. Two diners and I ventured over to Mason’s to grab a bite to eat. We made sure to get there early to beat the church crowd. We arrived at approximately 10:45 AM and were seated promptly, even though the restaurant was nearly full.

We started our meals with River Road brand coffee, which was some of the best tasting coffee I have had. It was smooth and bold with a little bite. My two companions also ordered champagne ($3.95 for all you can drink). Our waitress was attentive and very friendly. Our coffee and champagne glasses rarely went half empty.

For my meal, I ordered the special, the alligator sauce piquante benedict. Two biscuit halves were topped with Canadian bacon, a poached egg, and smothered in a spicy alligator piquante sauce. Flavor wise, the meal was very good. The sauce was rich and had a nice level of heat. My only problem was the small portion of alligator meat. I think I might have received a slight sliver, but I felt if I was paying extra for alligator, I should see a decently sized piece of it. I also ordered a sweet potato pancake. The pancake was almost the size of the dinner plate. The pancake was fluffy and had a wonderful nutmeg and cinnamon flavor. These are a must when dining at Mason’s. The meal also came with hash browns, that were fried crispy and speckled with sautéed onions and peppers. They are a delicious side to any breakfast choice.

The other two guests both ordered the crab cake and eggs. The crab cakes were large, but thin. They were decent in taste, but had a slightly fishy flavor (a possible by product of cheap crab meat). They were topped with a poached egg and had a creamy hollandaise sauce drizzled on top. My companions enjoyed them immensely.

Mason’s offers a full breakfast menu with traditional and Cajun influenced dishes. They also serve their full menu for those looking to start their day with a famous burger. The meal wasn’t cheap ($70 for three diners), but Mason’s offers a wide variety of great food. This may become a Sunday tradition for me.

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Deal of the Week

by: Chad

Where can you go in town to get a dozen oysters on the half shell and a cold Abita beer on draft for less than $6?  If the year was 1959 and not 2009, this would be pretty easy to answer.  But this is not historical fiction, and I don’t have a time machine.  You can find this deal at Mason’s Grill on Thursday nights.  A glass of your choice of the Abita beer selections on draft is only $1.75, and oysters on the half shell are only $.35.  If oysters aren’t your thing, they offer other great specials all during the week, such as all you can eat fried catfish on Wednesdays ($10 for lunch, $13 for dinner), all you can eat BBQ (brisket and ribs) and $2 domestic beer on Tuesdays ($17 for lunch, $19 for dinner), and your choice of any of these great all-you-can-eat specials on Friday night.  Monday nights kids eat free, and kids get a free ice cream sundae with their meal.  They also happen to be Food Network’s choice for best burger in Louisiana, their delicious Cajun Shrimp Burger; a burger to put all others to shame.

Walk-On's

Cuisine Rouge Rating:

2 plates

By: Chad

Where we live, seafood is king.  In many areas of the country, simply having our fried seafood delicacies on your menu will make you a great restaurant.  However, in our area these delicacies are far too easily found, and a restaurant has to be on top of the game to be successful.

Walk-On’s has some things going for it.  The LSU location is a prime spot, right in the shadow of the mighty Tiger stadium.  That alone makes it a hot spot for LSU fans, which this town has no shortage of.  The availability of young, attractive college coeds as wait staff doesn’t hurt either, making it a haven for guys who like that magical combination of food, sports, and attractive girls.

Unfortunately though, the food takes a backseat to these things.  A sampling of several different fried offerings ranged from lackluster to passable.  Nothing shined or stood out in comparison to some of the other big name seafood houses in town.  The best dish I tasted was the signature item, the Angels on Horseback.  Jumbo sized butterflied shrimp are stuffed with an oyster, then wrapped in apple-smoked bacon and fried.  Served with the accompanying remoulade sauce these were fairly tasty.  However, other dishes such as the stuffed shrimp lacked the spiciness and flavor in the stuffing that makes the dish.  The other items sampled included the red beans and rice, chicken fingers, catfish Acadiana, and chicken club croissant.  All were reported as ‘okay’ by the members of my party who tried them, but their feedback was filled with about as much excitement as a bingo game at a rest home.  This same level of enthusiasm was echoed in the service.  Our waitress seemed to have a demeanor that screamed ‘how much longer till my shift is over’.

Here at Cuisine Rouge, we make a conscious effort to promote the positive aspects of local restaurants.  We aren’t out to bad mouth or tear anyone apart, but at the same time, we want to inform our readers of where good food and great deals can be found.  Sadly, Walk-On’s just doesn’t have either of these things to offer.  Several places around town have better seafood dishes at better prices.  Of course, your opinion may differ from ours, and we always welcome your comments and feedback.

Freaky Foods of Baton Rouge - Pho

Many places in Baton Rouge make good pho. My favorite is at Pho Quynh, but other notables are Little Saigon, Tasty Casian, and Drunken Fish. This Vietnamese favorite can be ordered innocently enough with just thin-sliced, rare beef; but I like to go the extra mile. I ask for everything in my pho! Fatty brisket, which is literally the fat from the brisket, adds a rich flavor and the fat has a silky texture. The beef tendon offers little flavor but it does present a strange gelatinous texture. The book tripe, stomach lining from a cow, offers a nice crunch to the soup. However my favorite strange meat to add is the mystery meatballs. Full of gristle and organ meat, these balls are rich in flavor and have a chewy texture. For a flavorful and textural treat, order your pho fully loaded!

Opie's Cajun Cafe

by: Wesley

http://www.opiescajuncafe.com/

I was looking for a good place to eat lunch in Mid-City this week, and my coworkers and I decided Opie’s Cajun Cafe would be a great place to chow down. This turned out to be a great decision!

We were promptly seated in the dining room, and a very friendly and attentive server took our drink and appetizer orders. The 3 of us split 2 appetizers - the crawfish pies, and the 10 piece BBQ chicken wings. The crawfish pies were about 2 bites big, filled with creamy crawfish and accompanied by a remoulade sauce. They were tasty and not greasy. As delicious as the pies were, I was more excited about the wings. The wings aren’t on the menu of Opie’s but are provided care of Sharky’s Wing’s, which is conveniently attached to Opie’s restaurant. The wings were lightly breaded and then deep fried, coated in a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, and then brought to the table with a cup of ranch dressing. These wings were so good that I didn’t need the ranch - they were delicious all on their own.

For our lunch, 2 of us split the blackened shrimp po-boy with fries, and our other lunch partner ordered the crawfish ravioli. The po-boy was not bad, and had great bread, but I was disappointed in the shrimp. They tasted good, but there were too few of them on the sandwich. The real star of the show was the crawfish ravioli. They were so rich and filling that he couldn’t finish them on his own, so he was obligated to share them with me. I was very impressed with what I tasted. The ravioli are stuffed with ricotta cheese and fried, then covered with a crawfish cream sauce. It’s a great combination of chewy, creamy, and savory. Did I mention this is a very rich dish? This is what I’ll be ordering for myself next time around - it was so good!

So to sum it all up, Opie’s has great food, good prices, and friendly staff. If you are looking for a GREAT place for a Cajun seafood lunch (with a chance of wings) you have to give Opie’s Cajun Cafe a shot! They also feature a full bar, and the attached Sharky’s Wings does larger orders for take out.

Deal of the Week

Deal of the Week

by: Chad

Here’s the latest update on our series of great deals to be found around town for the budget conscious.  Happy hour at Kona Grill is a great way to get good food and drinks for a low price.  Several sushi rolls and appetizers are only $3, and pizzas are only $5.  Drinks like margaritas and select draft beer and wines are also discounted to only $3 or $4.  On the evening my wife and I visited, we had 5 drinks between us, she had the Kahuna sliders appetizer and a dessert, and I got the barbecued chicken pizza, which is great by the way.  We enjoyed all of this for only $32, but get there quickly, because these deals are only available in the lounge and patio areas, and they fill up fast.  Happy hour is Monday-Friday, 3PM to 7PM.

And for the late night eaters, the good news is that you can also get these great deals during reverse happy hour, Monday-Thursday, 9PM to 11PM, and Friday-Saturday, 10PM to Midnight.

Freaky Foods of Baton Rouge - Menudo Rojo with Beef Tongue Tacos

By: Mark

Taco and Burrito Express on Sherwood Forest may not look like much from the outside, but it serves excellent Mexican food and our first Freaky Food Focus. On the weekend, menudo rojo is a specialty of the restaurant. When the dish was ordered, the waitress gave me a peculiar look; a look of “you sure about this gringo?” A large bowl of deep crimson broth was presented, carrying with it the smell of tomatoes and chilies. The meat in the soup is tripe, or the stomach lining of a cow. Two types of tripe are used: the book and the honeycomb. The book tripe has a chewy, meaty texture and the honeycomb has a sponge like texture. A faint muddy smell is also detected, one of the characteristics of cooking with tripe. Served with fresh limes, cilantro, and onions; this soup is a traditional favorite. Corn tortillas are also provided to dip in the broth while eating.

If the soup isn’t enough, order a side of beef tongue tacos. The tongue is cooked long and slow in Mexican spices till tender. The result is a meat that is richer and tastier than the best pot roast. Get them crispy and loaded with toppings, or my favorite with lime juice, onion, and cilantro.

Menudo Rojo

Beef Tongue Tacos

Louisiana Lagniappe – The Best Restaurant in Baton Rouge?

By: Mark

http://www.louisianalagniapperestaurant.com/

In my opinion, Louisiana Lagniappe is the best seafood restaurant in town! Pretty bold claim, huh? Well how about this one: Louisiana Lagniappe just might be the best restaurant in Baton Rouge! A pretty big statement that I believe holds true. LL is located at the intersection of Perkins and Bluebonnet. With the traffic generated by Perkins Rowe and construction, it is easy to miss this restaurant. But if you find it you will be in for a wonderful dining experience.

I arrived at 6:30 on a Monday night and had to wait for a table! The restaurant was packed. No worries as my family and I grabbed drinks at the full bar. LL does not take reservations so come early or be prepared to wait if you don’t. The dining area is pretty plain and sits a large number of people. The only problem this caused was an excessive amount of noise. LL is not a quiet restaurant, but the food makes up for having to speak louder to your dinner guests.

Our waiter started the meal by bringing us fresh baked French bread. The bread was soft and warm on the inside with a chewy crust. We then proceeded to soups where we were treated to the roasted red pepper soup and crab and corn soup. Both soups were extraordinary with perfect balances of cream and spices. Both were also brimming with chunks of lump crabmeat and tender shrimp. Despite being cups, the portions were large enough to satisfy you.

The next course featured appetizers and salads. The crab cakes were delicious as two large cakes stuffed with lump crabmeat were presented with a spicy remoulade sauce. The other appetizer consisted of grilled shrimp wrapped in thick slices of bacon and then drizzled with a pomegranate, pineapple, and habanero glaze. The five jumbo shrimp were cooked perfectly and the bacon had a great smoky flavor. The glaze had a bright, fruity front that was then followed by a warm burn from the habanero. One diner decided on the portabella mushroom salad with goat cheese, sunflower seeds, and a house made vinaigrette. The grilled mushroom warmed the goat cheese and really made this salad stand out. The only blemish was the house sensation salad, which appeared to have been made in advance thus causing the acidity of the dressing to wilt the greens.

Appetizers, salads, and soups are great, but entrees are the stars of the show; and the stars of LL shown bright. Two diners ordered the Ponchartrain; a large filet of pan seared black drum topped with a large, fried softshell crab and drizzled with a hollandaise sauce and candied pecans. The fish was cooked perfectly as was the crab. The hollandaise and candied nuts elevated the dish to a level of decadence. Another diner ordered the crabmeat au gratin which was served piping hot in a dish filled with a spicy, rich cream sauce loaded with jumbo lump crab and topped with melted cheese. The final entrée may have been the best of the night as a piece of pan seared black drum was topped with six jumbo sea scallops. The fish was cooked well and the scallops were sensational with a nice crust on top and a moist center. The dish was then drizzled with a lemon butter beurre blanc. The presentation of the entrees was well done and the amount of sauce was perfect as it accented the dish and did not over power it. Twice baked potatoes accompanied each dish; an afterthought in most restaurants but the ones in LL were creamy, buttery, and loaded with cheese and blended toppings.

The service at LL was near perfect. Drink glasses rarely went unfilled for very long, plates were cleared quickly, and the best part was the courses were paced perfectly. This shows a great chemistry between the front and back of the house. The hostess was pleasant and attentive as was the bartender. A surprise was the majority of the wait staff were fairly young and showed great pride in their jobs; a rarity in a college town.

This review was pretty long but LL deserves it. The restaurant’s flawless execution of its food and attentive wait staff make it one of the tops in the city. Though a bit pricey (entrees range $21-$32) it is worth every penny and should be a regular visit for any diner in Baton Rouge.

Pros:
- Excellent Service
- Delicious Food
- Large Portions for Your Money

Cons:
- No Reservations; Arrive Early or be Prepared to Wait
- Wilted Salad was a Disappointment
- Very Loud Dining Area

Hello Sushi

3930 Burbank Dr., Ste. A&B
18291 Highland Rd. Ste. 100-103

http://www.hellosushi.com

By:  Chad

Of all the cuisines available to enjoy in our area, the one that currently has my attention is sushi.  Like most, I started out some time back with the safest of offerings, and only briefly glancing with raised eyebrow at the more exotic fare.  As time passed and my sushi eating became more frequent, I became more daring and now enjoy many of the raw items, and have found them to be delicious.

At last count, there were about twenty different places in and around the city offering sushi.  I have visited most, and many are quite good, but my favorite remains Hello Sushi.  They have two locations, one near LSU, and the other on the opposite end of the city, at Highland Rd and I-10.

You get a pretty good idea of what to expect there by visiting their website.  The ultra-modern, innovative look and feel of the site is carried throughout the restaurant itself in its stylish appearance.  This is also carried out in the menu offerings, which consist of much more than just sushi.  Tasty appetizers like edamame and the gyoza dumplings are fairly standard and done well here, but it’s the more innovative dishes like the Japanese twist on jalapeno poppers called Hellopeno  Poppers that steal the show.  This dish takes the jalapeno pepper and stuffs it with snow crab and cream cheese, then breads it with panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and fries it to a delicious golden brown.  It is served with wasabi ranch sauce for dipping.  Another innovative dish is the sushi pizza.  Snow crab, crawfish, and spicy shrimp are baked in a savory sauce, then placed atop a fried rice patty and topped with smelt roe and green onions.  It makes for an exciting way to enjoy Japanese food.

Of course the star of the show is the sushi.  All of the raw items I have sampled have been very fresh, and full of flavor.  Most of the traditional rolls that can be found at any sushi house are present here, and all are done well.  Of these, one of the most popular is the crunchy roll.  Second to only the California in its popularity, this roll can be found in different forms depending on where you are.  Here it consists of a tender snow crab mixture and tempura batter, and it is delicious.  I’m practically convinced that they add an addictive substance to the mixture because it’s that good.  More exciting and innovative offerings feature Louisiana ingredients, like the Orleans roll, combining a spicy crawfish mixture with asparagus, and the Johnny roll, which is loaded with crawfish, spicy tuna, spicy shrimp, and crab then fried in tempura batter.  My two favorites though are the Evangeline roll and the Paradise roll.  Both rolls feature shrimp as the main ingredient, and accentuate it with great flavors.  The Evangeline features delicious pecan crusted shrimp and avocado, topped with a savory scallop mousse.   The Paradise roll could practically be considered a dessert offering, featuring sweet coconut shrimp and creamy avocado topped with thinly sliced mango.  I find the sweetness of this roll combined with the spiciness of my heavily wasabi laden soy sauce make for an explosion of flavor and taste.

For the non-sushi eaters, they offer some great alternatives, like teriyaki steak, chicken or salmon, chicken katsu, and others.  If the sushi wasn’t so good, I might have actually tried one of these at some point myself.  Friends I have dined with have had favorable reviews of the teriyaki offerings and enjoyed them very much.

Although you can see that I’m more geared toward the modern sushi offerings, Hello Sushi delivers great tasting sushi of every kind, in a fun and vibrant atmosphere that will leave you wanting to return.