Suis Generis is one of the more unique restaurants in New Orleans. Located in the Bywater neighborhood and open just three nights a week (Friday-Sunday). Suis Generis creates and posts weekly changing menus with most ingredients sourced from its Tiki Farm in nearby Pearlington, Mississippi. Owner/Executive Chef Ernest Foundas is passionate about zero-food waste and building umami into every dish using homemade koji, miso, vinegars, kosho, gochujang, amino pastes & amazake from scratch.
Chesapeake Bay Scallops with crawfish pineapple sauce, root veggie hash with hakurei turnips, Asian radishes, Kyoto red and coral carrots, Japanese sweet potato and golden beets- Suis Generis
Foundas calls his philosophy, “Kansha.” which means respect for the ingredient. This means focusing on quality and minimizing waste by buying in small amounts and utilizing every part. Foundas is big on fermentation- and teaches classes- repurposing and composting whatever is left.
A Restaurant with a Farm
We saw this firsthand at Tiki Farm, a property Foundas purchased several years ago in Pearlington, Mississippi, and transformed into a working farm and food lab. Tiki Farm grows many of the ingredients utilized in the dishes at Suis Generis. Every menu is different based on what ingredients are in season and available.
At the Tiki Farm Food Lab, Foundas hosts classes on topics such as The Science of Umami, Miso Making, Fermentation Demystified and even Cooking with Bugs. Each class includes a farm tour and multi-course tasting menu. The class we attended was on making miso which Foundas explained in detail. Another class that caught our eye is on making fermented beverages.
Ernie Foundas, owner/chef at Suis Generis conducts a class of making miso at Tiki Farm Food Lab. Foundas is committed to zero-waste cooking and sources ingredients from his farm.
What truly resonated with us was the extraordinary eight-course dinner Foundas prepared after his cooking demonstration. The detail and care he put into each was thoughtful, and the flavors popped on our palates. Like his menus at Suis Generis, the Tiki Farm Food Lab menus change based on what’s seasonal and available. The dinner we attended cost $125 per person plus beverage, tax and gratuities. The Tiki Farm Lab seats around 16 people, more if the lower level is used. Reservations are necessary.
Here is what Foundas prepared for our Tiki Farm Lab dinner:
Hamachi sashimi with pickled raptor melon, celery root misozuki, wasabi tobiko, ground cherries, crispy nori, smoked watermelon hot sauce and passion fruit vinegar walking garlic oil]
Tiki Farm field greens with duck prosciutto, Tiki Farm cucumber, heirloom carrots, baru nuts, miso cured egg yolk, carrot top and black tahini dressing
Potato pave with Tiki rose cream, golden tomato sauce, carrot and black garlic gastrique
Louisiana crawfish bisque with a crawfish tail mandazi (beignet), smoked grapes and miso scented shallots
Hardword fired pork grillades, hand foraged porcini, old man of the woods mushrooms, taro dumpling, Tiki Farm ronde de niece squash and charred Brussels sprout in a miso BBQ sauce
Beetzake octopus with Tiki Farm fennel and carrots, pickled fresh coriander berries, smoked kalamata olives, garlic and artichoke leek miso butter
Pekin duck with coffee miso yuzu herb marinade and Tiki Farm green mango slaw
Miso flourless chocolate cake, Thai peanut butter pressed cookie and kaffir whip cream
From Seeds to Shrubs
Suis Generis Beverage Director Adrienne Bell prepared two different Tiki theme cocktails, using ingredients also sourced from Tiki Farm. If you go to Suis Generis, stick to the cocktails – and mocktails- which are excellent. At our Tiki Farm Food Lab, Bell prepared two cocktails, her twist on a Mai Tai and a Pink Teddy Bear, made with coconut and cherry juice and amaretto.
Music on the Menu
Another unique aspect about Suis Generis is its music label, Pink Teddy Bear which features musicians who have worked with the restaurant and are neighborhood residents. Pink Teddy Bear released its debut LP, “Welcome to the Tiki Farm” in 2024 using sounds of the Tiki Farm for songs written about the plants and wildlife found there. The Music Director is Carlos Grasso. You will frequently see him spinning albums at Suis Generis.
Suis Generis means “one of a kind.” This restaurant, located at 3219 Burgundy Street, is just that! www.suisgeneris.com +1.5043097850 Tiki Farm in Pearlington, Mississippi www.tikifoodlab.com
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