Restaurant Reviews Part VI (Drago's, Crabby Jack's, Little Tokyo, Ignatius Eatery, Singha Thai Cafe)

1) Drago's Seafood (Downtown)
Stats: Genre - Seafood, Price - $$-$$$, Ranking - 4 stars

Drago's, a popular Metairie seafood hotspot with a storied past, recently opened a branch last year in the Hilton Riverside Hotel, a bustling location chock full of tourists. The restaurant does not take reservations, but most patrons don't mind waiting in the crowded bar/lounge. It's the excitement of the food to come that's on everyone's mind rather than the wait time.

I most recently visited Drago's with a large group. While they did not give us a reservation, we were able to call ahead and put our name on the waiting list, so our wait time was minimal (20 min). The dining room itself is spacious with modern decor, several seating areas and sky-high ceilings. A highlight is walking past the open kitchen where a multitude of charbroiled oysters await hungry customers.

For appetizers, my group ordered the shrimp and corn bisque soup and charbroiled oysters. The soup hit the right combination of flavors and was quite good, but the highlight of the entire meal was the charbroiled oysters! Quite possibly one of the best oyster preparations in the city, the charbroiled oysters had a great garlic and butter taste. Even some of my friends who usually "hate" oysters enjoyed these.

NOTE - while the restaurant serves fried seafood, please please PLEASE stay away from the fried seafood and try many of the other wonderful dishes!

For the main course, I ordered the stuffed lobster. Many of the lobster dishes are reasonably priced. In fact, Drago's is one of the few restaurants here where most lobster dinners are under $25; a regular lobster dinner is under $20! The stuffed lobster came with a generous serving of crabmeat, and while it was a little too oily for my liking, I still enjoyed the succulent lobster meat. One of my friends ordered the "stud" lobster, which was probably the largest lobster I have ever seen in my life.

Overall, Drago's is a great place for locals, tourists, large groups, and general lovers of all things seafood. I would definitely try to stay away from the fried seafood that pervades much of this city, and enjoy the great flavors present at Drago's!

2) Crabby Jack's (Jefferson)
Stats: Genre - Po-boys/Cajun/Creole, Price - $-$$, Ranking - 3.5 stars

If you love po-boys and have a huge appetite, then you will love Crabby Jack's, the sister lunch restaurant to the renowned Jacques-Imos. Located about 5-10 minutes from Uptown on Jefferson Highway, Crabby Jack's is a real treat for those looking for a quick bite and above average lunch fare.

I most recently visited Crabby Jack's on a weekday around 11:30 am and had absolutely no wait. I ordered a regular shrimp and oyster po-boy for $10 + tax. Just like Jacques-Imos, the serving sizes at Crabby Jack's are huge. I could barely finish half my po-boy, which was overstuffed with delicately fried shrimps and oysters. I poured on some Tabasco and was in a food coma shortly thereafter.

The menu at Crabby Jack's has a lot more to offer than po-boys and has some great New Orleans classics, such as stuffed mirliton, grilled fish, shrimp creole, and jambalaya to name a few. Crabby Jack's isn't very big, but there are a bunch of tables and a nice, long counter against the window where you can sit and enjoy your meal.

If you come by during the peak lunch hour from 12-1pm, then be prepared to wait, but the line moves fairly quickly, and the food is worth the wait. Besides, most diners have a calm temperament, since as far as Crabby Jack's motto goes: "be nice or leave."

3) Little Tokyo (Mid-city)
Stats: Genre - Japanese, Price - $$-$$$, Ranking - 3.5 stars

This review pertains to the N. Carrollton branch of Little Tokyo.

New Orleans has experienced an explosion in the growth of Asian-themed restaurants, and Japanese food is now ubiquitous across the city. Little Tokyo continues New Orleans' trend of good quality Japanese restaurants with a great selection of offerings from hibachi dinners to tempura and sushi.

The look of Little Tokyo has been updated with a modern, Asian-zen feel to the decor. With high ceilings and dim lighting (courtesy of fun, fish-shaped lights), a classy and upscale ambience is set. On my most recent visit, I took advantage of the hibachi room. While there were some initial problems with the slow heating of the hibachi grille, we still had a great time (our chef Yugi made the experience all the more memorable!)

For appetizers, I have to recommend the Agedashi tofu - it's by far my most favorite preparation of this tofu dish in the city. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and soaked in a wonderful spicy sauce, the tofu really hit the spot.

As for the hibachi dinners - they are quite filling. At around $20 a piece, they come with soup, salad, a grilled vegetable medley of zucchini and mushrooms, your choice of meat/seafood, rice and noodles. A great deal! I have to recommend both the tuna teriyaki and scallop dinners. Tuna is a great, meaty fish with lots of flavor, and the scallops were grilled to perfection. The drum and salmon were mediocre.

Finally, I have to comment on the service - the waitstaff was attentive. Even though we had to wait a while for the hibachi to get started, we were not ignored as we sat.

While it's no Benihana, Little Tokyo nevertheless makes a strong impression.

4) Ignatius Eatery (Uptown)
Stats: Genre - Cajun/Creole, Price - $-$$, Ranking - 3 stars

Although it's a small restaurant, Ignatius Eatery, nevertheless, packs in a lot of Louisiana flavor. Known for using local, homegrown ingredients, Ignatius' limited menu sticks to the classics like crawfish etouffee and roast beef po-boys, yet does them quite well.

The unique decor adds to the ambience of Ignatius. The restaurant is decorated like an old-time Louisiana grocery store, with bottles of hot sauce, Abita beer and Barq's lining the walls. Cold drinks are served in bottles, and beer is served in a paper bag; albeit a little gimmicky, it's still refreshing to drink Barq's right out of the bottle. Ignatius Eatery is run by the owners of the local Rue de la Course coffeeshops, so I wasn't surprised that the clientele was mostly locals, and predominantly young, hipsters.

The shrimp remoulade po-boy was my favorite selection of the night. Although the dish is usually served cold, a hot remoulade po-boy really hit the spot. The portions are large, and the prices are kept reasonable. You can get a pretty filling dinner for under $12. Definitely a great place to meet up with friends, catch up for a few hours and enjoy a good dinner!

5) Singha Thai Cafe (Downtown)
Stats: Genre - Thai, Price - $-$$, Ranking - 3 stars

I often bemoan the lack of excellent thai food in the New Orleans area, so I was skeptical about trying Singha Thai Cafe for lunch. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised.

As you enter the restaurant, you walk past the kitchen and into a series of dining rooms. The back dining room is an oasis of calm amidst the hustle and bustle of the busy downtown streets, especially during the lunch hour. With plants and greenery under a canopy, the ambience makes the dining experience all the more intimate.

As a rule of thumb, I always try the pad thai first when trying a new restaurant, and I wasn't disappointed. The portions were quite large and the dish had good flavor; added thai hot sauce gave it an extra kick. Per request, the kitchen will also add spices to taste. At under $10 per person, including tax and tip, this was a great lunch deal.

The salads were also nice, and I'm excited to try some of the seafood entrees and soup on my next visit! While it's not the best thai food I've ever had, Singha nevertheless serves quality ingredients and big portions.