Instagram story viewer> @chefhorikata> Posts

Manabu Horiuchi

@chefhorikata

5.3K

followers

1242

following

executive chef @katarobata @katamihouston @sushihoriuchi
in #houstontexas

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

We’ve been doing Southern Smoke Festival for years and each and every time, it continues to be a privilege to serve our community.

This year, knowing how hard it is to get one of our usual reservations, we brought a mini version of @sushihoriuchi’s omakase to the Lexus VIP space for guests who were quick enough to grab seats through @resy. We did our best to share this moment with as many of you as possible, so we hope everyone who joined got to appreciate a special experience that ultimately benefits this incredible cause for our industry.

@southernsmokefoundation is a Houston nonprofit founded by our very good friends, Chef @cshepherd13 and @htownlindseybrown. They work tirelessly with their team around the clock and throughout the entire year, raising funds to provide emergency financial assistance to food and beverage workers facing crises such as medical emergencies, natural disasters, or sudden loss of income.

Taking care of our own is what it’s all about and we know the work doesn’t stop here. It’s about all the moments of care for each other in between and we hope to keep paying it forward.

For more information on how you can help, visit:
www.southernsmoke.org taken in Discovery Green by @chefhorikata

300

10

10 days ago

Six seats. No official menu. Just a night measured in moments. As a reminder, we’ll be closed November 1-14 as you try for reservations on October 1st. We hope to see you before the year ends!
.
.
#omakase #sushichef #sushibar #houstonrestaurants #houstonfood taken in Katami Houston by @chefhorikata

249

6

16 days ago

Six seats, two chefs, one incredibly memorable omakase experience you can only find here in Houston. Just a few more days until October bookings open. We hope to see you inside! taken in Katami Houston by @chefhorikata

223

12

2 months ago

Tiny omakase spot, big memories. We don’t like to give most of our secrets away, but here’s a glimpse into what letting us take care of you for the night might look like.
.
.
#omakase #sushichef #sushibar #houstonfood #houstonrestaurants taken in Katami Houston by @chefhorikata

224

9

2 months ago

Toro with a bubu rice cracker crust nestled in dashi vinaigrette, with dollops of kumquat puree. A combination built around contrast with rich against bright, soft against crackling. It’s the kind of dish designed to hit five sensations in five seconds of texture, temperature, fat, umami, and acid. All part of the night’s story. taken in Katami Houston by @chefhorikata

114

3

3 months ago

Miyazaki mangoes come from Japan’s sunny Kyushu prefecture of the same name, where farmers took the Irwin mango, a common Florida cultivar, and transformed it into a premium fruit through meticulous cultivation starting in the 1980s. They’re prized for strict grading standards (at least 15% sugar, 350 grams, and deep red color) combined with letting the fruit ripen and fall naturally into nets rather than picking it green. Production is further limited by hand-pollination for control, meticulous pruning, and months of individual attention per fruit to protect its color and sweetness.

It’s noticeably richer and more refined rather than just “sweeter.” The flesh stays smooth rather than turning pulpy or stringy, and the flavor is often described as tropical mango sweetness layered with hints of pineapple, peach, and a floral note, along with an unusually intense aroma. The texture is often called “melting,” and it’s eaten fresh, peeled, or sliced.

These Miyazaki mangoes are freshly peeled and cut to order to finish your omakase experience. They’re served over champagne jelly and yuzu cream. Not only are they hard to come by, but the seasonal window of opportunity for these mangoes is incredibly short. A few guests will get to enjoy this delicacy just in time for summer! taken in Katami Houston by @chefhorikata

154

2

3 months ago

Anago (穴子) is sea-caught conger eel prized for its with lean, delicate flesh with a clean, subtle flavor. Some of you may be more familiar with unagi, known as freshwater eel that’s fattier, richer, and more assertively flavored. As usual, we invite you try something just a bit different for good reason.

Before it’s even delivered to us, ikejime is a humane 4-step process performed on live anago immediately at catch. The point is to spike the brain, bleeding, and wiring of the spine before stress hormones can compromise the eel’s delicate, fat-rich flesh.

Anago is notoriously difficult to fillet because of its round, slippery body, tiny pin bones running the full length, and the thick, mucus-coated skin that has to be handled carefully. Here, @chefhorikata handles it with total expertise and dexterity.

The head and the bones are saved to make the eel sauce so that nothing goes to waste. Each eel yields about 6-7 nigiri pieces.

Follow along our Behind the Counter series to see how we complete this 8-10 entire process of preparing Anago.
.
.
#sushichef #sushibar #sushirestaurant #houstonfood #houstonrestaurants taken in Katami Houston by @chefhorikata

288

8

4 months ago

@chefhorikata and his team are headed back to Southern Smoke Festival this year for 2026, presented by Sysco for the ultimate celebration of food, drink, and community. The lineup will feature over 80 phenomenal chefs and beverage professionals bringing their best to @discoverygreen in Houston, TX on Saturday, October 3rd.

Each ticket supports @southernsmokefoundation, a local non-profit founded by @cshepherd13, @htownlindseybrown, and their incredible team. Their mission is to provide a meaningful safety net for the food and beverage industry, offering emergency relief and free mental health services through their Behind You program.

We’ll be in the VIP area this year and can’t wait to see you there!

Tickets are on sale now at:
southernsmoke.org taken in Katami Houston by @chefhorikata

114

8

4 months ago

An inside peek of the six seats from our omakase. Very exclusive imported fish, meat, and premium sake that change with the seasons. But the very best part is getting to sit directly across from @chefhorikata, @annatranchef, and @j_canoo as they expertly take you through parts of Japan.
.
.
#omakase #sushi #sushichef #houstonrestaurants #houstonfood taken in Katami Houston by @chefhorikata

426

21

6 months ago

Thank you @culturemaphou for the gracious recognition of Chef of the Year at the Tastemaker Awards again for @chefhorikata! Representing this achievement in 2019 when it was just @katarobata, and now getting to do it again in 2026 with the addition of @katamihouston, and now the introduction of @sushihoriuchi, is genuinely so reassuring of our commitment to bring Japanese food and culture to the city of Houston in a way that resonates with our community. We look forward to continuing to bring a very special experience at each of one our restaurants every time you get to join us!

📷: @japanamericahouston taken in Katami Houston by @chefhorikata

335

18

6 months ago

𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝒊𝒏 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏: 𝑺𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒊 𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒖𝒄𝒉𝒊

Sushi Horiuchi may be the most exciting restaurant to ever open in Houston. Certainly, it’s one of the most exclusive.

Eponymously named for chef Manabu Horiuchi, or Hori-san, it’s a six-seat omakase with just one seating per night. After shaping Houston’s sushi scene with Kata Robata and Katami, this is the final restaurant he plans to open before retirement, and it feels thoughtful rather than flashy.

The experience runs about 21 courses, moving from warm and cold starters to sashimi, nigiri, and dessert. Ingredients are sourced seasonally from Japan, and there are numerous “wow” moments throughout the meal. The setting is intimate but relaxed. He makes you feel as if you’ve been welcomed into his home.

Reservations are already sold out for the month, with just six new seats released each day, so it’ll be difficult to secure, but absolutely worth the effort. At $300 per person, with an optional sake pairing, this is the closest you’ll get to Japan without boarding a plane. Easily on par with the best omakase experiences anywhere, and one Houston should be very proud of.

📍Sushi Horiuchi
2701 W Dallas St, Houston, TX 77019
reservations via Resy

#sushihoriuchi #omakase #houstonsushi #houstonrestaurants taken in Katami Houston by @chefhorikata

3k

40

8 months ago

これが私の最後に開けるお店になります。 Chef Hori cutting tuna behind the counter. Behind him is a piece of art in the shape of the country of Japan and each of its prefectures. taken in Katami Houston by @chefhorikata

358

16

9 months ago