Kata Robata sits on Kirby Drive in Houston's Upper Kirby area, where Chef Manabu "Hori" Horiuchi has been running the kitchen since opening in 2009. Horiuchi trained at the Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka, worked under Chef Mamoru Sugiyama at Sushi-Ko Honten in Tokyo, moved to Osaka-style cuisine as sous chef at Ichimura Kansai Kappou, and later served as private chef for the Japanese Consulate in Houston before spending eight years at Kubo's Sushi Bar.
The menu spans traditional and modern Japanese cooking, with sushi and sashimi selections — Kobe beef and octopus among the dishes regulars mention — alongside hot dishes off the restaurant's namesake robata grill. An omakase is available for guests who want a chef-driven tasting rather than ordering off the menu. The drink list leans into one of the more serious sake and Japanese whisky selections in Texas, backed by seasonal cocktails and a wine list.
The room reads as minimalist luxury, and it's kept loyal regulars coming back for well over a decade, drawn to consistent service and Japanese cooking they consider worth the premium pricing. Kata Robata later opened Katami, a sister restaurant extending Horiuchi's approach to Japanese cuisine.
Horiuchi has been named a James Beard Foundation Best Chef semifinalist four times, in 2012, 2016, 2017, and 2020. Houstonia Magazine named Kata Robata one of the city's best restaurants in 2025.
The menu spans traditional and modern Japanese cooking, with sushi and sashimi selections — Kobe beef and octopus among the dishes regulars mention — alongside hot dishes off the restaurant's namesake robata grill. An omakase is available for guests who want a chef-driven tasting rather than ordering off the menu. The drink list leans into one of the more serious sake and Japanese whisky selections in Texas, backed by seasonal cocktails and a wine list.
The room reads as minimalist luxury, and it's kept loyal regulars coming back for well over a decade, drawn to consistent service and Japanese cooking they consider worth the premium pricing. Kata Robata later opened Katami, a sister restaurant extending Horiuchi's approach to Japanese cuisine.
Horiuchi has been named a James Beard Foundation Best Chef semifinalist four times, in 2012, 2016, 2017, and 2020. Houstonia Magazine named Kata Robata one of the city's best restaurants in 2025.