Kira Omakase is a new 20-course tasting experience in New Orleans. It debuted Aug. 20 inside Kira, an existing restaurant and lounge in the Warehouse District that combines Japanese and Mediterranean cuisines. The 12-seat counter is separate from the main dining room and was always part of the plan since Kira opened in December of last year.
Kira Omakase is led by chef and partner Yoshi Okai. The former musician used to play in Austin-based punk bands, eventually working at local sushi hotspots Uchi and Uchiko before opening the popular omakase restaurant Otoko, which he ran for 10 years. This is his first restaurant in New Orleans.
“This feels like the right next step for me,” says Okai, who relocated to New Orleans for the opening. “I’ve loved New Orleans ever since I came here to play a rock show at the Mermaid Lounge back in 2003, but it was the food that really stayed with me. There’s a deep respect here for tradition, craftsmanship, and hospitality that resonates with how I cook. I love cooking where guests can see the process unfold and feel the energy.”
Nigiri is a focus, with many fish sourced straight from Japanese markets.
Kira owner Billy Blatty, who’s also behind concepts like Sofia and Ohm Lounge, said New Orleans has one of the richest culinary cultures in the country, and the new tasting menu adds to that.
“Yoshi brings something different to the food scene, and his uniqueness is where the magic lives,” Blatty said. “That’s the only way to authentically contribute to what already exists here.”
The omakase room features textured wallpaper, wood paneling on the ceiling, and a dramatic chef’s counter with emerald-green tiles. The lighting and colors in the space are meant to evoke the progression of a sunset, moving from soft yellow tones into amber and deep red hues.
The menu changes frequently, but it features Japanese seafood and regional ingredients from the Gulf. Nigiri is a focus and includes a variety of fish and other seafood, from ocean trout and madai (red seabream) to Hokkaido scallops. Many of the fish, like mackerel and amberjack, are cured or aged to Okai’s exacting specifications.
The menu also features charcoal-seared hamachi as well as other small plates.
Other dishes include binchotan charcoal-seared hamachi, chawanmushi (a savory custard), and shirumono, a comforting Japanese soup to end the meal.
The beverage program is led by Dusten Cook, who worked with Okai at Otoko. There’s a Hojicha Highball combining Japanese whisky, roasted green tea (hojicha), and seltzer. Sake is available by the glass, bottle, or as a $95 pairing. One standout is Revenge of the Third Son, a junmai daiginjo sake made exclusively for Okai by Higashiyama Brewery in Kyoto.
The chef will occasionally host tuna breakdowns, bringing in whole fish weighing more than 200 pounds. These events will combine a butchery demonstration with a special dining experience centered around various cuts of tuna.
Okai’s influence on the restaurant extends to the playlist, a curated mix of jazz, dark wave, and rock that he believes is just as essential to the experience as the food.
