Gulf Coast Sushi: Rock-n-Sake

Last year I lived in Houston for the summer, and I learned that despite stereotypes, there are few American cities with sushi that is as good, fresh, and inexpensive as what I was able to find in Texas. Granted, Houston is more "Gulf Coast," a region in and of itself, than Texas proper. And it's that coast that gives it sushi.*

But this post is about New Orleans, also Gulf Coast, so I have high hopes for the sushi here. My first venture into Louisiana raw fish was to Rock-n-Sake. If you can't tell from the name, this is a joint that's as much "drinks at the bar" as it is "sushi bar" (even the website has a soundtrack that can't be turned off). I went for lunch, so the place was toned down, but I could tell that it gets lively in the evenings.

I was with friends, and we shared rolls. The house roll, eponymously-named "Rock-n-Roll" was excellent - tempura battered shrimp, crab, avocado, and shrimp, with smelt roe around the outside. Tempura battered and crunchy rolls are commonplace here, and if that's your thing, you'll love it. Most of the rolls were sprinkled with smelt roe, and that's a nice touch that I enjoy (and it means I don't have to order smelt roe - I love the stuff). One roll, in my opinion, was simply disgusting. That was the Hawaii 5-0: Coconut-tempura shrimp and cream cheese rolled with mangos and avocados on the outside. I'm not sure what they were going for here, but the cheesiness and sweetness did not meld well at all. It was the last roll eaten off our plate out of 6, and the only one with pieces remaining at the end.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the nice drink menu. Rock-n-Sake features "infused" sakes, the manufacturing process with which I'm unfamiliar, but I imagine probably involves soaking sake in fruit in the way that is often done with vodka (or simply combining with fruit juice, making a "saketini" - a past-time of mine). In general this makes cheap sake easier to drink, and probably easier to, um, get the job done. Like I said, in the evenings, it's that kind of place.

Overall, I'd say it's worth a shot for anyone. Try it for lunch if a quieter place is your thing (prices were reasonable for downtown New Orleans), and it would be a great place to party and celebrate with friends in the evening. Be warned, sake carries a kick - infused or not.

*Since I mentioned it, a quick rundown of sushi in Houston is warranted:
Best Value (in my life): Ra Sushi (the sashimi is excellently presented)
Overpriced place to be seen: Sushi King
Worst sushi of my life where the "chef" admitted to being on drugs: Coco's Yakitori Sushi Bar (I wanted to make myself vomit the roll I had eaten - this is the kind of sushi that would make a newbie never consider eating any fish let alone raw fish ever again).