Cafe Orleans

Cafe Orleans | Big Flavors from the Big Easy

Mr. and Mrs. Al and Yukie Shipp, proprietors of Cafe Orleans, are as brilliant as Bourbon Street during Fat Tuesday and as sweet as a Mardi Gras king cake. These qualities were made evident the moment they greeted us with the most genuine southern hospitality in their vibrant restaurant surfeit with French Quarter flair.

From the Mardi Gras beads, masquerade masks and reclamation art of fleur-de-lis to the peppy, brassy jazz music and the delectable scent of Cajun and Creole spices, Cafe Orleans is New Orleans brought to life on a subtropical island.

Once comfortably seated, Al brought out an appetizer of Voodoo Rolls, stuffed with crab meat, shrimp, melted mozzarella cheese and, according to Al, “a secret blend of Creole spices.” These Louisianastyle egg rolls were served with a house-made honey mustard that put the average store-bought mustard to shame as it was perfect parts creamy, tangy and sweet. So tasty, graphic designer Emily grabbed a Cajun fry from a nearby plate and exclaimed, “I’m a genius,” as she happily dunked it into the liquid gold sauce.

Next, I sampled the Catfish Plate, which was accompanied by Cajun fries, a corn muffin and a side. The side was Jambalaya, and it contained the “holy trinity” of soul food vegetables (onions, celery and bell peppers), rice simmered with warm and spicy seasonings, chicken and smokey andouille sausage. The real catch of the plate was the breaded catfish; crisp, well-seasoned and flaky, this morsel seemed to swim right into my mouth by its own volition.

“We’re comfort food when you want to indulge yourself,” Al announced to our group as we dug into the next dish, the Fried Chicken Sandwich. The homemade buttered buns were slathered with a creamy sauce and they contained an ample portion of juicy chicken fried to crispy perfection topped with pickle slices. This fried chicken sandwich was not an ordinary sandwich; it was an indulgent journey ending with happy tastebuds and a gratified gut—a fact in which everyone at the table was in full agreement. After satisfied sighs all around, we washed it down with an ice-cold glass of southern-style sweet tea (aka extra sweet).

After polishing off the sandwich, a steaming-hot and robust Gumbo with white rice materialized from the kitchen. Prepared by Yukie-san, whose food-fueled New Orleans trip taught her the secrets of gumbomaking, this stewed dish was dark-brown, hearty and packed with chicken, sausage and flavor. It caused quite the stir among the group, each of us scraping every last drop of the warm gumbo from the bowl.

While listening to a bit of background on how NOLA’s infamous sandwich, the po’ boy, got its name, Al and Yukie-san presented their version—an amazing Shrimp Po’ boy with plump, exquisitely fried shrimp and a dreamy house-made remoulade. It was “dressed” with lettuce, tomatoes and pickles on a quintessential French bread that Al makes himself.

The crown jewel of this Cajun feast came last— Cafe Orleans Beignets. Deep-fried, warm and pillowy, these French-style doughnuts were an absolute delight.

Al, in an earnest tone, told our group “I’m a part of this restaurant.” Al’s words resonated because my experience at Cafe Orleans was not only marked by the flavorful New Orleans fare, but also by my interactions with owners Al and Yukie-san; their passion for the cuisine is clear in each bite of fried chicken sandwich, beignet or gumbo. The trip to their place left me with the feeling that it’s not just the colorful, fun décor and funky jazz that make this place a worthwhile eatery, it’s the story these two tell through their food. 

Mr. and Mrs. Al and Yukie Shipp