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Overhead shot of a plate with three pieces of dressed nigiri, a plate of pork short ribs, a bowl of otoro sashimi, a bowl of sha-su ramen, and a plate of three pieces of sashimi.
A trio of dressed nigiri, pork ribs, otoro sashimi, ramen, and a trio of sashimi.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

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8 Dishes to Try at Yakuza House, Now Open in Bigger, Bolder Metairie Digs

The acclaimed sushi hub has reopened with a new menu and much more space on Severn Avenue

by Clair Lorell

After a year of wowing diners out of its tiny space with an even smaller sushi bar on Veterans Boulevard, New Orleans-area handroll hub Yakuza House has made its debut in a new, larger Metairie location at 2740 Severn Avenue.

Chef Huy Pham opened Yakuza House in 2021, his first solo venture after most recently working as a sushi chef at Daiwa, a longtime favorite in Metairie. It was instantly popular (despite being BYOB), making it tough to snag a place at its six-seat sushi bar or at one of a handful of dining room tables. Chef Huy is a first-generation Vietnamese American who fell in love with Japanese cuisine while working at the former Cafe Zen as a teenager, the chef has said. In addition to Daiwa, he worked locally at Hana Sushi and Rock-n-Sake, the latter of which he helped open in New York.

Upon opening, Yakuza House specialized primarily in handrolls, or temaki, and dressed nigiri, as well as a few sandos, and offered an omakase experience. At the new location, the menu expands on those offerings significantly, adding more starters, dressed nigiri pieces, and handroll sets, and adding a menu of donburi bowls and noodle dishes. In addition to a main dining room and wraparound sushi bar that seats 16, the restaurant has a private omakase dining room and an izakaya room, a bar/lounge area that serves its own snack-centric menu.

Yakuza House is currently open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Below, check out eight dishes to try and take a look inside its new Metairie digs.

A black rectangular plate with three pieces of sashimi.
Trio of sashimi: Shima aji with yuzu zest, ora king salmon with shiso furikake, and Santa Barbara uni with smoked trout roe.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Ora king salmon sashimi with shiso furikake

A closeup of a piece of salmon sashimi.
Ora king salmon sashimi with shiso furikake.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Santa Barbara uni with smoked trout roe

A closeup of a spoon with sea urchin and smoked trout roe.
Santa Barbara uni (sea urchin) with smoked trout roe.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Shima aji with yuzu zest

Overhead shot of a silvery-white piece of sashimi topped with yuzu zest.
Shima aji with yuzu zest.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA
Chef Huy Pham places nigiri onto a plate at the sushi bar.
Chef Huy Pham plates a trio of nigiri.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA
A white rectangular plate with three pieces of dressed nigiri.
Hotate, kanpachi, and sake toro dressed nigiri pieces.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Hotate (seared scallop) with foie gras, unagi sauce, and fried leeks

Closeup of a seared scallop nigiri topped with fried leeks.
Hotate (seared scallop) with foie gras, unagi sauce and fried leeks.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Kanpachi (greater amberjack) with honey miso, shiso pesto, and fried shallots

Closeup of a piece of seared kanpachi topped with honey miso and fried shallots.
Kanpachi (aka Greater Amberjack), seared with honey miso, shiso pesto, and fried shallots.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Sake toro (salmon belly) with garlic almond chili oil

Sake toro (aka salmon belly) with garlic almond chili oil.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Otoro, Murasaki uni, Kaluga caviar, truffle pate, and gold flakes

The Oyabun nigiri: Otoro, Murasaki uni, Kaluga caviar, truffle pate, and gold flakes.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA
Oyabun nigiri: Otoro, Murasaki uni, Kaluga caviar, truffle pate, and 24k gold flakes.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA
Oyabun nigiri: Otoro, Murasaki uni, Kaluga caviar, truffle pate, and 24k gold flakes.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Ramen with cha-shu, sunny egg, sweet soy, shallots, and shiso

Ramen with Cha-shu, sunny egg, sweet soy, shallots, and shiso.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA
A trio of nigiri, pork ribs, otoro sashimi, street ramen, and a trio of sashimi.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA
Chef Huy Pham smiles at the camera while sitting at the sushi bar at Yakuza House.
Chef Huy Pham at the new Yakuza House’s sushi bar.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA
The main dining room at Yakuza House.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA
A front-facing view of one side of the sushi bar at Yakuza House; chef Huy Pham is working on something behind the bar.
The sushi bar at the new Yakuza House has 16 seats.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA
Two wooden booths in the dining room at Yakuza House and art of a cat with a knife in its mouth on the wall.
Inside the main dining room at the new Yakuza House.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA
A wall of booths sits opposite to a sushi bar.
The main dining room and sushi bar at the new Yakuza House.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA
A wrap-around sushi bar with 16 seats lined with wooden stools.
The wrap-around sushi bar at the new Yakuza House has 16 seats.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA
Chef Huy Pham works at the sushi bar at Yakuza House.
Chef Huy Pham.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA
A dark wood bar and wall with a neon sign that says “Sushi Gang.”
The entrance to the izakaya room at Yakuza House.
Randy Schmidt/Eater NOLA

Yakuza House

2740 Severn Avenue, , LA 70002 (504) 345-2031 Visit Website
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