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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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G'day, Bay Area Citizens

All-day Montrose cafe pours Aussie culture into new Webster pub

Courtesy of Citizen Rec.

Citizen Rec. will serve dishes such as fish and chips and steak and Guinness pie.

The owners of a Montrose coffee shop and cafe are bringing a taste of Australia to Houston’s Bay Area. Citizen Rec is an all-day concept that blends a daytime coffee shop with an evening pub.

Slated to open this fall, Citizen Rec will be located in Webster near the intersection of I-45 and W. Bay Area Blvd. (19403 Gulf Freeway). The concept is an evolution of Citizen, the Australian-inspired, New York-based restaurant that’s been open in Montrose since 2023.

By day, Citizen Rec will serve the dishes that Citizen is already known for, such as avocado toast, miso-butterscotch banana bread toast, and the Australian big breakfast, a platter that includes two poached eggs, sourdough toast, bacon, chicken sausage, smashed avocado, and hash browns. They’ll be paired with coffee, juices, cocktails, and other sips.

At night, the restaurant will become “a moody gastropub” that serves dishes such as steak and Guinness pie, fish and chips, and shrimp on the barbie cooked over live fire. A “secret” Vegemite menu will match the controversial ingredient with savory dishes. Beer and cocktails will enhance the experience. The pub menu will come to the Montrose location after the Webster location opens.

The restaurant’s decor will further transport diners to Australia with details such as wood paneling, stained-glass lights, and retro Australian artifacts. TVs will play cricket and horse racing, while a wall will pay tribute to various famous Australians.

Diners will also have the opportunity to play two-up, a popular Australian pub game, to win $100 off their bills. Sundays will feature live music, food specials, and other details designed to encourage relaxation.

Australia natives Andrew Geisel and Justin Giuffrida founded Citizen in New York. From there, the concept grew to include an additional New York outpost, plus locations in Houston and Austin.

"Aussie cafes have become a phenomenon globally, and we've loved bringing that to life here in the U.S.," Geisel said in a statement. "We want to further immerse our locals in Aussie culture with our version of a pub, bringing playfulness and adventure to what we hope will become their new favorite spot."

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