ZASU, NEW ORLEANS: RESTAURANT REVIEW
ZASU, new orleans
Review by Paul Oswell
In search of this newly Michelin-starred restaurant, you may find yourself on a busy Mid City street, lined with discount mattress stores and tattoo parlors. A small topiary archway with discreet fairy lights hints at a change of scenery. Wander through, and you’ll find a few folk on the bijoux patio, chatting over small plates and their first glass of wine of the evening. Still further, and you’ll emerge into an unpretentious, cosy dining room, with a bar on the left, tables down the middle and booths on the right. The wall-sized abstract artworks are calming seas of green, like bucolic Rothkos. It’s buzzy, unstuffy and immediately welcoming.
Since 2024’s unexpected award, there’s been a more predictable shift in clientele. Where there was once a loyal cadre of folk from the neighborhood, there are now streams of first timers, curious to see and taste for themselves. The regulars are still there, they just have to be more organized and start planning ahead to book a table.
Besides her notable and deservedly-praised skills, a couple of factors are at play with executive chef Sue Zemanick. The first is a love of Gulf coast produce, and Chef takes great pride in her kitchen’s preparation and use of whole fish and seafood in general. I couldn’t resist one of her most vaunted dishes, the Grilled Baby Octopus, which comes out punching with red peppers and salsa brava in its own mini cast iron skillet. Crudo, crab claws, Ora King Salmon, and snapper were all also on the menu.
I’m still (and it doesn’t matter when you’re reading this) thinking about the perfectly-balanced sweet potato and crabmeat soup that followed. Chef Zemanick’s Slovak heritage is also widely celebrated, and I plumped for the pimiento cheese and potato pierogies that were already the talk of local culinary circles. They did not disappoint, the crispy dough mixing decadently with the creamy cheese and potatoes, a heavenly combination for a chilly (for New Orleans) December night.
It’s an impressive wine list for a medium-sized neighborhood joint, but one that benefits a now-globally-recognized restaurant. Prices skew slightly high, but for a list that encompasses bold European and New World wines that that stand up to the menu’s bold flavors. The bar has their own craft cocktail list, with fun ingredients such as their own blueberry-infused absinthe. The servers and staff were taking the new influx of customers completely in their stride. Even my early dinner reservation time saw a full, demanding dining room, but those years as a solid neighborhood are standing them in great stead for this new chapter.
There’s so much goodwill just immediately apparent as you enter and sit down to dine here. The story is of a neighborhood restaurant just doing what it does to the best of its ability, with real passion and culinary chops, and being rightfully rewarded. People love an underdog, and it’s a wonderful experience to come and share in some much-warrented success.
Zasu is located at 127 N Carrollton Ave and open 5.30pm-10.30pm Mon-Sat. Click here for their website.
More New Orleans restaurant reviews
Our reviews of Michelin-recognized restaurants in New Orleans
In search of this newly Michelin-starred restaurant, you may find yourself on a busy Mid City street, lined with discount mattress stores and tattoo parlors. A small topiary archway with discreet fairy lights hints at a change of scenery. Wander through, and you’ll find a few folk on the bijoux patio, chatting over small plates and their first glass of wine of the evening. Still further, and you’ll emerge into an unpretentious, cosy dining room, with a bar on the left, tables down the middle and booths on the right. The wall-sized abstract artworks are calming seas of green, like bucolic Rothkos. It’s buzzy, unstuffy and immediately welcoming.
Since 2024’s unexpected award, there’s been a more predictable shift in clientele. Where there was once a loyal cadre of folk from the neighborhood, there are now streams of first timers, curious to see and taste for themselves. The regulars are still there, they just have to be more organized and start planning ahead to book a table.
Besides her notable and deservedly-praised skills, a couple of factors are at play with executive chef Sue Zemanick. The first is a love of Gulf coast produce, and Chef takes great pride in her kitchen’s preparation and use of whole fish and seafood in general. I couldn’t resist one of her most vaunted dishes, the Grilled Baby Octopus, which comes out punching with red peppers and salsa brava in its own mini cast iron skillet. Crudo, crab claws, Ora King Salmon, and snapper were all also on the menu.
I’m still (and it doesn’t matter when you’re reading this) thinking about the perfectly-balanced sweet potato and crabmeat soup that followed. Chef Zemanick’s Slovak heritage is also widely celebrated, and I plumped for the pimiento cheese and potato pierogies that were already the talk of local culinary circles. They did not disappoint, the crispy dough mixing decadently with the creamy cheese and potatoes, a heavenly combination for a chilly (for New Orleans) December night.
It’s an impressive wine list for a medium-sized neighborhood joint, but one that benefits a now-globally-recognized restaurant. Prices skew slightly high, but for a list that encompasses bold European and New World wines that that stand up to the menu’s bold flavors. The bar has their own craft cocktail list, with fun ingredients such as their own blueberry-infused absinthe. The servers and staff were taking the new influx of customers completely in their stride. Even my early dinner reservation time saw a full, demanding dining room, but those years as a solid neighborhood are standing them in great stead for this new chapter.
There’s so much goodwill just immediately apparent as you enter and sit down to dine here. The story is of a neighborhood restaurant just doing what it does to the best of its ability, with real passion and culinary chops, and being rightfully rewarded. People love an underdog, and it’s a wonderful experience to come and share in some much-warrented success.
Zasu is located at 127 N Carrollton Ave and open 5.30pm-10.30pm Mon-Sat. Click here for their website.
More New Orleans restaurant reviews
Our reviews of Michelin-recognized restaurants in New Orleans