Festival Favorite Ajun Cajun Brings Soft Shell Crab Po-Boys to Oak Street

Ajun Cajun, the popular food booth found annually at Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest, and nearly ever other outdoor festival in New Orleans, has landed a permanent home Uptown. Opened December 28, chef Momo Young and family are now serving their famed soft shell crab po-boys and seaweed salad at the highly-anticipated new restaurant on Oak Street.

Celebrating its 25th year at Jazz Fest in 2019, Ajun Cajun is the brainchild of a longtime local sushi chef Momo Young. Young got her start decades ago on the West Bank at Tokyo Sushi, and went on to own Uptown sushi restaurant Ninja, where she received high praise and built a loyal following.

Her family-run mobile kitchen has become a top destination at local music festivals, known for the tempura-battered soft shell crab po-boy, garlic beef rib-eye po-boy, shrimp yakisoba, and seaweed and cucumber salad. The new restaurant’s menu builds on its festival offerings and is expansive, with a section for po-boys, fried seafood plates, ramen, donburi (rice bowls), yakisoba, udon, more soups, and salads.

Ajun Cajun takes over the former home of the aforementioned Ninja restaurant at 8433 Oak Street, which closed in September after 26 years. It’s open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and closed on Sunday.

Ajun Cajun/Official

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