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Robb Report names buzzy Montrose sushi spot to best new restaurants list

Robb Report loves Hori-san.

Photo by Casey Giltner

Houston’s best new sushi restaurant has earned some national recognition. Robb Report named Montrose restaurant Katami as the only Texas representative on its list of the 10 best new restaurants in America.

For those unfamiliar, Robb Report is a magazine devoted to the world of luxury. Its 36th annual Best of the Best Awards cover everything from watches to watercraft to restaurants.

Written by culinary editor Jeremy Repanich, the Best New Restaurants list finds that the state of America’s restaurants is very strong.

“This list could have been much longer than our customary ranking of the top 10, as we experienced numerous chefs and restaurateurs combining ambitious cuisine with outstanding service. And while the pandemic and it’s after effects have made it even more difficult to succeed as the industry’s razor-sharp margins grow ever thinner, great restaurants continue to emerge,” Repanich writes.

Ranked No. 4 on the list, Katami earns praise for all the ways it improves on sister concept Kata Robata, including a more luxurious dining room and using luxurious ingredients such as Ohmi A5 wagyu beef. The writer recommends ordering an omakase for the best experience from chef-partner Manabu Horiuchi (known as Hori-san) and his team.

“Horiuchi and his buzzing band of chefs put out exquisite delicacies, such as a square of simple house-made goma tofu in soy sauce; Japanese sardine nigiri with kombu, ginger, and green onion; and a green-tea kakigori made with ice imported from Kanazawa, Japan. His knack for elevating some of the best raw materials with world-class technique is on full display,” Repanich writes.

Katami has already received plenty of attention, including being ranked as the state’s best new restaurant by Texas Monthly. It also earned two nominations in the 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards for Wine Program of the Year and Best New Restaurant. Still, the restaurant is flattered to be included on the Robb Report list.

“Actually this means more than one might think. Hori, Yun [Cheng, Katami’s owner], myself and the entire team are very happy and humbled to receive this recognition,” managing partner Ryan Snyder tells CultureMap. “We did great work at Kata for so many years but flew under the radar nationally, so to get some national recognition for Katami so fast right after we opened has been very rewarding.

“Being honored on a national level is only further confirmation that all the hard work and dedication we have put into our craft at Katami is appreciated and noticed. We love Houston, we love taking care of the local gentry, but it's nice to know people outside of this great city appreciate our work too. We are very fortunate and thankful."

Robb Report knows Houston well. Last year, it ranked seafood restaurant Navy Blue as No. 3 and eclectic Heights restaurant Jūn No. 10 on its best new restaurants list. Mediterranean tasting menu restaurant March ranked No. 2 on the 2022 list. It also named James Beard Award winner (and CultureMap wine columnist) Chris Shepherd the best chef in the world in 2019.

In addition to Katami, Robb Report’s list include restaurants in Seattle, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. Restaurant Yuu, a theatrical tasting menu restaurant in Brooklyn, takes the top spot.

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H-E-B names 3 innovative Houston food companies among 'Texas Best'

H-E-B Quest for Texas Best Hive Food Co.

Photo courtesy of H-E-B

Hive Food Co. is known for its infused honey.

After months of pouring over video submissions, H-E-B is entering the final leg of its annual grocery games. The San Antonio-based supermarket chain has narrowed down the finalists for its annual Quest for Texas Best competition, including three from Houston.

Ten innovative Texas entrepreneurs were chosen from a record-breaking 978 entries representing more than 500 companies spread across the Lone Star State.

Now in its 13th year, the contest asks Texas small businesses to put their best foot forward for the chance to win a combined $100,000 in cash prizes and the opportunity to be stocked on H-E-B shelves. Since the competition's beginning, the grocer has discovered more than 1,000 unique products, many of which have become literal household names.

“Quest for Texas Best is more than a competition; it is a launchpad for Texas entrepreneurs,” said James Harris, senior director of diversity & inclusion and supplier diversity for H‑E‑B, in a release. “H‑E‑B began as a small business, and we know firsthand how powerful the right opportunity can be.”

This year, the San Antonio and Houston regions were at the head of the pack with three finalist nods each. But the entrepreneurs hailed from all over the state — from border town Roma to Fort Worth suburb Haltom City. The top 10 hopefuls include:

Boerne — Coley’s Foods Inc., a frozen cookie dough company
Floresville — Dean & Peeler Meats, a beef producer known for its smoked Gouda sausage and Angus tallow
San Antonio — WFN Foods, maker of heat-and-serve taco fillings like beef barbacoa, pork carnitas, and carne guisada
Roma — In Your Smokin' Face, a spice company specializing in bold chile piquín and carne asada blends
Haltom City — Sol Dias, a gourmet paleta and Mexican ice cream company
Glenn Heights — Uncle Marc’s, a manufacturer of barbecue seasonings, rubs, and sauces
Houston — Doggie Express, a small-batch maker of decorated treats for canine celebrations
Houston — Big Bayou Cocktail Sauce, a saucy supplier branching out to Bloody Mary and margarita mixes
Houston — Hive Food Co., beekeepers known for gourmet infused honey
Bastrop — La Fregona, creators of a chile sauce for elotes and esquites

The final contenders will pitch their products on October 8 at H-E-B's headquarters in San Antonio, where judges will determine the top four winning products and award $50,000 to the Grand Prize winner and the "Texas Best" title — an honor that guarantees placement on H-E-B store shelves.

The first-place winner will receive $25,000, the second-place winner will receive $15,000, and the third-place winner will receive $10,000.

Since 2014, H-E-B has handed out nearly $2.75 million in prize money to Texas entrepreneurs. But Quest for Texas Best isn’t just about capital: the winners receive marketing, mentoring, and supplemental support to grow their brands. Fifty-five Texas small businesses that took part in the contest have achieved $1 million in sales and earned a commemorative H-E-B Million Dollar Club belt buckle.

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