Top Best Japanese Restaurants in Arabi

"A former donut shop, LUVI is a small, lovely restaurant with bespoke woodwork and pops of bold colors and patterns. The pan-Asian menu, not common in NOLA, includes Japanese dishes, plus some favorites from the chef's hometown of Shanghai. Try the Lion’s Head, a savory crab-and-pork meatball in bone broth; the Mala Holla, spicy slices of beef; and Chef Hao’s Mama’s Dumplings (his actual Mama’s recipe)."

"While LUVI’S chef’s choice tasting menu may be the star of this beautiful little spot on Tchoupitoulas Street, I’d surely be scolded for leaving out mama’s dumplings. No surprise, chef Hao Gong’s dumplings get their name from his mother’s secret recipe. These one bite wonders are stuffed with crabmeat, pork, and crunchy water chestnuts."

"5236 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 605-3340; www.luvirestaurant.com. Mala Holla is spicy beef with cilantro, peanuts and ghost chili oil. Reservations accepted."

"If you haven't tried our grill tables and authentic Japanese cuisine, now is the time: bit.ly/gkreservation #GyuKakuMiami. In Japanese, Gyu-Kaku means, “Horn of the Bull.” In New Orleans, it is one of the leading Japanese restaurants providing authentic Japanese yakiniku experience to all kinds of diners. Visiting this restaurant will give you a chance to enjoy premium cooked meats that are grilled in flaming charcoal grills right in front of your eyes."

"Gyu-Kaku will make a chef out of you by the end of your visit. This unconventional eatery allows guests to cook their meal themselves. Have fun creating Japanese + Korean BBQ classics like spicy pork, kalbi short ribs, harami skirt steak miso and much more."

"The place, in a former K & B drug store, is pretty in a 1990s sort of way with design wows like bright, multi-colored, Chihuly-esque blown glass chandeliers and bi-level white tablecloth dining (the top level is reserved for private parties). The sushi menu melds traditional Japanese dishes and New Orleans ingredients (see jazz roll, Uptown roll, and New Orleans roll on the menu) along with bento box lunch specials and a full bar including an extensive sake list and specialty cocktails. Happy hour happens daily from 3 p.m."

"Clearview Parkway, Suite A, Harahan, (504) 733-8879; Independence Mall, 4201 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite A4, Metairie, (504) 779-7253; www.sakecafela.com. A Clearview Roll features snow crab, avocado, crawfish, cream cheese, tempura-fried shrimp, smelt roe and eel sauce. Reservations accepted."

"A good meal was ruined by four obnoxious children running and stomping across the upper level and around the entire restaurant while two mothers sat drin..."

"Located near the AMC Elmwood Palace movie theater in an inconspicuous strip mall, the casual and colorful Kyoto 2 delivers consistently fresh seafood in generous servings. The best deal of all is the chirashi lunch special — a heaping bowl of fresh fish over fresh daikon radish and sushi rice for under $15. It’s big enough to split."

"Amazing value with their lunch roll combo, the noodle salad is a delicious starter, good service, and an overall friendly and warm atmosphe..."

"Set in a renovated home with an outdoor deck on funky Freret Street, Origami has line-up of specialty rolls with topical (and dated?) names like FEMA roll, chocolate city roll, and bye-bye Katrina roll, the latter including layers of smelt roe, cucumber, eel, and shrimp tempura wrapped in tender soy paper, and garnished with snow crab and a drizzle of sweet and salty eel sauce. The fish is pristine and chopped with the kind of expertise that comes from years of experience. Six oyster shooters with spicy ponzu sauce for $6.95 is a deal."

"While from the outside it may look like your average home, Origami is far from ordinary. The menu is extremely versatile– from a poke salad with chili ponzu sauce to seafood gumbo to crawfish sushi. The prices are very reasonable, making it perfect for a night out with friends."

"Housed in a low-slung purple building in Treme, you are obliged to place your order at a bulletproof glass window within. No worries, you will have plenty of company and even massive catering-sized orders roll up magically fast. The fried wings are addictive ($5.39 for 8 plus a side of fries or shrimp fried rice and a side salad) and the yakamein ($5.49) is spot on, too."

"The best place to find this street food is really at neighborhood corner joints like Manchu Food Store and Chinese Kitchen, a small bright-purple cinderblock building under the bridge on Claiborne."

"A lot of people don’t realize that “Italian Creole” is a specialty in the 504, but you’ll find some of the best po-boys nestling side by side with chicken Parm and veal scallopini at some of the finer neighborhood joints in the city. And nowhere is there a more spectacular embodiment of this phenomenon than Mandina’s, which never fails to disappoint with everything from turtle soup to soft-shell crab meuniere and, of course, spaghetti with meatballs."

"Mid-CityJust because you’re not a 100-year-old French Quarter Creole queen doesn’t mean that you aren't just as fiercely beloved by the natives. Sebastian Mandina opened up an Italian grocery at the turn of the 20th century, and it’s been an institution ever since, even if it's an un-fancy one. Go for the Italian fare like veal and eggplant Parm, and if you really want to get serious, order the Gulf fish (or soft-shell crab) meuniere or amandine."

"3800 Canal St., (504) 482-9179; Azalea Shopping Center, 4240 Highway 22, Mandeville, (985) 674-9883; www.mandinasrestaurant.com. A fried shrimp and oyster platter is served with french fries. Reservations accepted for large parties."

"237 Decatur St., (504) 525-6151; www.estrellasteaklobsterhouse.us. A filet mignon is stuffed with crawfish, shrimp and crabmeat and topped with mushrooms in red wine reduction. Reservations accepted."