• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Avenida Houston
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    The CultureMap Interview

    10 questions for 10 years: Kata Robata chef looks back at Houston's best sushi restaurant

    Eric Sandler
    Dec 26, 2019 | 11:05 am

    Perhaps no chef in Houston has had a better 2019 than Manabu Horiuchi. Better known as Hori-san, the executive chef of Kata Robata earned chef of the year in the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, and his restaurant celebrated its 10th anniversary with its reputation firmly established as one of the city’s top dining destinations, including being ranked eighth in CultureMap’s list of Houston’s Top 100 restaurants.

    Therefore, the time seemed ripe to catch up with the chef about his path from Japan to Houston, the evolution of Kata Robata, his affection for karaoke, and more. For a man who’s known for his calm demeanor in the kitchen, he certainly had a lot to say.

    CultureMap: How did you become interested in being a chef?

    Manabu Horiuchi: When I was six or seven years old, I started cooking with my mom. My mom was not a professional chef, but she was a chef for a retirement center. She makes great food for my family.

    She showed me her tamago, a Japanese egg omelet. She taught me two or three times, then I made it. Kata Robata’s egg omelet is still my mom’s recipe.

    CM: When did you start making sushi?

    MH: After graduating from culinary school, I moved to Tokyo. I started to work at a sushi restaurant called Sushiko Honten. That’s a very old school, used to be the number one sushi restaurant in Tokyo, before Jiro was famous.

    It takes a long time to become a sushi chef. First year, it’s dishwasher and also just cleaning the restaurant: wipe the chairs, wipe the floors, wipe the tables. Maybe cut the vegetables for the sashimi.

    CM: How long were you there before they let you cut fish?

    MH: I think it was about 15 or 16 months. I was pretty fast. Some chefs take two years. It depends on a chef’s skill.

    My boss was the judge. He said, you cut the vegetables perfectly. Let’s go to the next level, cutting fish.

    CM: You spent two years working as a private chef for the Consul-General before starting to work at Kubo’s. Why did you choose to stay in America instead of going back to Japan?

    MH: The U.S. has a lot of [opportunity]. In Japan, it takes 20 years to become a head chef. In the U.S., it’s pretty fast, maybe five or six years. Also, in Japan, people care about a person’s age. They don’t respect someone who’s 25 or 30. They respect someone who’s 40 or 50 years old.

    In this country, people are very fair. If the food is good, [they say] ‘that’s a great chef.’ It’s very fair. Doesn’t matter if someone is female or male. I thought I had a big chance.

    CM: Why did you decide to leave Kubo’s to work at Kata Robata?

    MH: It was something different. I was kind of tired of making traditional Japanese food. If wanted to do that, I would’ve gone back to Japan.

    CM: What is dish that you can serve now that people know you and trust you?

    MH: We sell shu mai. That’s not a Japanese food. It’s Chinese. When I started, if I had made Chinese food, people [would say] ‘oh, this is not a Chinese restaurant. You should not make Chinese food.’ Now, we have shu mai, people say, ‘it’s good, amazing.’ Ten years ago, I couldn’t make that style. Now, customers appreciate something out of the box.

    CM: What have you learned from working with sous chefs like Seth Siegel-Gardner?

    MH: He showed me a lot of different techniques, more European-style, that he learned from places like The Fat Duck. I learned sous vide; 10 years ago, nobody did that. We started that with Seth: liquid nitrogen, making sauces with dehydrated [ingredients]. He showed me lots of techniques.

    The gyoza with kimchi powder, we still make the same thing. Seth came after he closed The Pass & Provisions. He was still sad about it. He sat at the counter, and I made the gyoza for him. [I said], ‘Seth, eight years, still the same.’ He said, ‘long time no see, my friend.’

    CM: What would you like to see this restaurant grow and change?

    MH: I need to learn more. In Houston, there’s a new generation of chefs, like Felipe Riccio, Nick Wong. They learn techniques from Europe and New York and come to Houston. I don’t want to be stagnant.

    CM: Where are you eating now that inspires you?

    MH: Definitely, UB Preserv is interesting. Felipe Riccio [Rosie Cannonball], his food is very light; it’s not too heavy. Houston food used to be very heavy, but he’s changing that. Maybe after four or five years, I feel like he’ll be one of the top chefs in Houston.

    Luis Roger, at MAD, he’s doing things directly from Spain. I went there [recently]. I’m still full. I had brioche with foie gras, baby eel, the food was amazing.

    CM: I understand you like to sing karaoke. What’s your song?

    MH: The Beatles, ‘Yellow Submarine.’ I like to sing a song that’s fun.

    Iron Chef Morimoto came to Houston and ate at this restaurant. He enjoyed the food here. After, he asked me, let’s go to karaoke with your staff. This was four years ago. Our staff, almost half of the staff, went to Genji’s with chef Morimoto. We did karaoke in a private room.

    Chef Morimoto was standing on a chair, singing without a mic. I was singing Yellow Submarine, and chef Morimoto was super upset. [He said], ‘you’re Japanese. You should not be singing that song.’ [I said], ‘sorry, chef.’ It was funny.

    After that, I tried to learn more Japanese songs, because of what chef Morimoto said.

    ---

    Portions of this interview have been edited for length and clarity.

    Manabu Horiuchi has been Kata Robata's executive chef for 10 years.

    Manabu Horiuchi Hori-san Kata Robata
      
    Photo by Julie Soefer
    Manabu Horiuchi has been Kata Robata's executive chef for 10 years.
    interviewchefsqa
    news/restaurants-bars

    ps, we're closed

    Houston's most pretty-in-pink restaurant quietly closes in Upper Kirby

    Eric Sandler
    May 12, 2025 | 12:16 pm
    Postscript restaurant interior
    Photo by Jenn Duncan
    You'll see a lot of pink at PostScript.

    PostScript, Upper Kirby’ posh pink restaurant, has quietly closed, CultureMap has learned.

    Although the restaurant is still accepting reservations on OpenTable — and is, as of this article’s publication, listed as open on both Yelp and Google — reports circulated on social media this weekend that it had abruptly canceled diners’ Mother’s Day reservations. In addition, its dining room in the Shops at Arrive mixed-use development has been emptied of furniture.

    PostScript opened with considerable fanfare in February 2024. Owners Veeral Rathod and Obi Ibeto, brought their experiences as partners in the Dallas-based GAP Hospitality to the project, which operates establishments such as XOXO Dining Room, Lyla, and Drai’s Dallas. Particularly inspired by XOXO Dining Room, they created an ode to pink that included pink exterior and interior walls, a pink quartz bar, and a pink grand piano. “Push for Champagne” buttons added to the lively spirit.

    Chef Bryan Caswell created the menu. Best known for his pioneering Gulf Coast seafood restaurant Reef that closed in 2019, Caswell’s menu included fried chicken with hummus, oysters three ways (raw, roasted, and fried), a sushi roll, and the double smoked pork chop that was a Reef staple. A doughnut topped with caviar became a customer favorite.

    Since Caswell was only consulting on the project, he left a couple of months after opening. Latuli, Caswell’s new Gulf Coast-inspired restaurant in the Memorial area, is expected to open soon.

    CultureMap has reached out to PostScript via email, phone, and Instagram message for comment on the decision to close the restaurant. We will update this article if they reply.

    PostScript’s closure follows that of Cru, which ended a 13-year run in December 2024. On the other hand, Kira, a sushi hand roll concept from Houston’s Comma Hospitality that’s also located in the development, is thriving, having earned the No. 4 spot on Texas Monthly’s list of the state’s best new restaurants. The development is also home to beloved Indian restaurant Pondicheri, an outpost of the steakhouse chain Eddie V’s, and top tier Houston shopping destination Tootsie’s.

    closingsnews-you-can-eat
    news/restaurants-bars
    CULTUREMAP EMAILS ARE AWESOME
    Get Houston intel delivered daily.
    Loading...