Kata Robata does not have an equal for quality and ingenuity when it comes to sushi. Each dish is expertly—almost lovingly—crafted by Chef Manabu “Hori” Horiuchi and each bite is a delicacy that is both subtle and sublime.
Probably due to Chef Hori’s excellent accolades, Kata Robata is a clear cut above the rest. The concept behind the restaurant is simple—Kata Robata literally means an unspecific “type of grill.” But the thoughtful elements of Hori’s cooking have been evident since its inception in 2010.
Chef Hori was nominated for the James Beard Award in 2012: a culmination of a lifetime of chef dreams. Starting at age 16, he worked for his mother, a chef at a retirement home, learning at a young age about how to run a kitchen and the business considerations that go with that. Tasting his menu today, you can tell that he was inspired by his mother’s commitment to fresh ingredients and ‘clean’ foods.
From that foundation, Horiuchi moved to Osaka, Japan to attend the Tsuji Culinary Institute of Japan. There he not only graduated at the top of his class, but became certified to serve Pufferfish (called Fugu)—a difficult fish to serve: the preparation of it is rigorously controlled in Japan, requiring three or more years of training before being able to even handle the fish in a restaurant setting due to the lethally toxic poisonous parts that must be very carefully removed.
With those skills in hand, Horiuchi moved to Tokyo in 1993 and became an Executive Assistant to world renown chef Mamoru Suigyama at Sushi-Ko Honten. Four years after that, Horiuchi broadened his training and became a sous chef at Ichimura Kansai Kappou, a restaurant that served Osaka-style cuisine in Tokyo. When he moved to Houston and opened Kata Robata, Hori found that Houston’s excellent blend of cuisines and cultures lent itself beautifully to a Japanese “tapas-style” restaurant with French gourmet undertones—especially because of the city’s wealth of chefs who insist on fresh and local ingredients.
But even though Houston is a city with stand-out restaurants of excellent caliber, Kata Robata shines, amongst Houston’s elite. Traditional and modern Japanese cuisine with the freshest local and international ingredients raise the bar for Sushi restaurants all over the Houston area, but it’s Hori’s unique vision for the dining experience that really stands out. In 2013 Houston Press awarded Kata Robata the Best Sushi in Houston.
I highly recommend trying the Omakase Offering—a menu choice that entrusts the chef with what goes on your plate and the extremely knowledgable servers to create a dining experience that will blow your mind. Omakase comes from the Japanese word “To Entrust” and it means “I’ll leave it to you.” It’s a truly spectacular dining option from a uniquely masterful chef.
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