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    Top Chef Lessons

    Lessons from Houston's top sushi restaurant: Don't you dare call it Chicken of the Sea!

    Marene Gustin
    Marene Gustin
    Mar 3, 2014 | 1:02 pm

    Growing up the only tuna I ever ate came in a can.

    My mother used to make tuna casserole about once a week using Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, a can of very bland tuna, some egg noodles and breadcrumbs. It was hot, hardy and not very tasty, even though the tuna can read White Albacore Tuna, a rather fancy sounding name.

    Fast forward a billion years and I love thick tuna steaks and delicate raw slivers of tuna. And I can’t remember the last time I bought tuna in a can. Albacore is not the best species for eating. I much prefer yellowfin or the rarer, pricier bluefin.

    “No, no,” says chef Manabu Horiuchi, known as Hori-san, the mastermind behind Kata Robata Sushi + Grill. “Don’t think Chicken of the Sea!”

    Chef Hori-san uses fresh albacore from the West Coast that has less mercury than fish caught in other areas. “Some of it can be very good,” he insists.

    Sushi should be eaten in one bite and in Japan the chefs will adjust the size of the piece. A smaller portion for a slender woman, slightly larger for a sumo wrestler.

    But mostly good sushi and sashimi comes from yellowfin (often called ahi), bigeye and bluefin. Skipjack, a fifth species of tuna is more commonly served seared in Japanese restaurants.

    Hori-san says tuna is probably the most common fish in Japan and he would know. Born, raised and trained in Japan, the chef graduated from the Tsuji Culinary Institute of Japan in Osaka where he received a certificate in preparing blowfish.

    But back to tuna.

    Tuna 101

    Chef Hori-san explains that besides getting great quality, fresh fish, the taste also depends on the cut. The fish can range in size up to hundreds of pounds so most restaurants buy tuna loins. There are four loins, two dorsal and two belly, or toro, cuts.

    Hoiriuchi brings three loin cuts out from the kitchen and shows where the fattiest, o-toro cut, rests next to the semi-fat chutoro, and the dark red akami loin nestles on top.

    “No, no. Don’t think Chicken of the Sea!”

    “O-toro, the fattest cut, it is like butter, it melts in your mouth,” he explains. But it doesn’t have the strongest flavor. That would be the dark red akami, which is the cut Horiuchi and I both prefer.

    It’s all rather like comparing different breeds and cuts of steak. You can see the different amounts of marbling, intramuscular fat, just as you would in a side of beef.

    It’s all very fascinating and maybe not something the average sushi eater is aware of.

    “Our regulars know the difference,” Horiuchi says, “but probably not the average Houstonian.”

    And there are a few more things you might not know about eating raw fish. Slices of raw fish, sashimi, are eaten with chopsticks but nigiri — thicker slices atop vinegary rice — and rolls can be eaten by hand or with chopsticks.

    Oh, and dunking that sushi? You’re probably doing it wrong also.

    In Japan, Hori-san explains that you don’t mix the wasabi in the soy sauce because the sushi chef has put the right amount of wasabi on the pieces. And when you dunk it, you turn the nigiri 90 degrees and dip the fish side into the soy. The rice will soak up too much sauce and mess with the flavor of the fish.

    In better restaurants the chef will actually use a little brush to brush the right amount of soy onto your nigiri before he serves you.

    “Japanese sushi restaurants are very small,” Horiuchi says. “Very intimate so the customer can talk to the chef. You order one or two pieces at a time and then order more. If you want it hotter than you ask the chef to add more wasabi.”

    Sushi should be eaten in one bite and in Japan the chefs will adjust the size of the piece they make just for you. A smaller portion for a slender woman, slightly larger for a sumo wrestler.

    Clearly I’ve been enjoying my raw fish all-wrong. But now that I know I’ll do a better job. And I’ll sit at the sushi bar and treat the chef like a master bartender. Ask them to suggest sushi pieces and order them a few pieces at a time. Or go with the omakase chef tasting with a sake pairing just once.

    Chef Manabu Horiuchi of Kata Robata Sushi + Grill, pictured here cheking out live scallops before preparing

    Kata Robata Sushi + Grill Chef Manabu Horiuchi cheking out live scallops before preparing
      
    Kata Robata Sushi + Grill Facebook
    Chef Manabu Horiuchi of Kata Robata Sushi + Grill, pictured here cheking out live scallops before preparing
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    a very fine house

    East Coast-inspired tavern shakes up Rice Village with 'World's Coldest Martini'

    Eric Sandler
    May 19, 2025 | 9:09 am
    Hudson House restaurant Rice Village
    Photo by Becca Wright
    Hudson House is bringing its signature martinis to Rice Village.

    The “World’s Coldest Martini” is coming to Rice Village. Hudson House will open its second Houston-area location this Wednesday, May 21.

    Located between CB2 and Banana Republic at 2414 University Blvd., Hudson House is part of the Dallas-based Vandelay Hospitality Group that also includes Drake’s Hollywood, a retro-styled steakhouse that opened in Montrose last summer. For Rice Village, Hudson House’s new, 6,000-square-foot restaurant follows the model of the River Oaks location that opened in 2023. That means navy leather booths, brass accents, and a polished wood bar that serves as a focal point.

    The menu takes its inspiration from East Coast taverns. That includes items such as a cheeseburger, lobster roll, lobster mac and cheese, steak frites, entree salads, and chicken parm. Raw bar offerings include East Coast oysters, shrimp cocktail, and sushi rolls. The brunch menu features pancakes, eggs Benedict, and a bagel with lox and cream cheese.

    Hudson House pairs its dishes with a selection of classic cocktails that is highlighted by the “World’s Coldest Martini.” To achieve the proper effect, the drink is poured from a frozen bottle and served in a frozen glass. Other martini options include the Bleu & Gold (made with olive juice and blue cheese-stuffed olives) and a Lemon Drop that’s topped with limoncello foam. Hudson House also offers wines by-the-glass, beer, and non-alcoholic options.

    Hudson House opens at 11 am for lunch and dinner during the weekend and at 10 am on Saturday and Sunday for brunch. Happy hour, served Monday-Friday from 3-6 pm, includes half-off all martinis, bellinis, and wines by-the-glass as well as $10 cheeseburgers and $3 East Coast oysters.

    “We’re looking forward to bringing a second Hudson House to Houston,” Vandelay founder and CEO Hunter Pond said in a statement. “Our River Oaks location has seen strong support since opening just over a year ago, and we’re confident Rice Village will follow suit. With its already vibrant community and bustling shopping scene, Rice Village offers an ideal background for our beloved coastal-inspired American cuisine.”

    Hudson House restaurant Rice Village
      

    Photo by Becca Wright

    Hudson House is bringing its signature martinis to Rice Village.

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