Beloved Chef Rolls Out Long-Awaited Sushi Spinoff in Montrose — Wagyu, Sake and More!

FOUR-TIME JAMES Beard-nominated chef Manabu Horiuchi has for many years given all his time, talents and energy to his Upper Kirby gem of a restaurant, Kata Robata. It's paid off — the sushi joint is largely thought of as one of the best and most dependably high-quality dining destinations in the city. But today, Katami, Chef Hori's new concept located in an iconic Montrose space, finally bows.

The 180-seat restaurant, serving freshly and precisely prepared Japanese cuisine, including sushi, Wagyu and more, opens tonight on West Dallas, where Nino's and Vincent's previously served loyal patrons for decades. The interior has been reimagined based on the principles of Feng shui, with a light-filled dining room and darker, moodier lounge-style bar. And while the menu is more expansive than the one at Kata Robata, make no mistake — Katami is a sushi-forward restaurant, serving the same impossibly fresh fish sourced from Chef Hori's Japanese fishmongers, along with thoughtfully incorporated local produce. And there's a variety of omakase experiences available, spanning nine to 15 pieces of chef-selected sashimi.

Chef Manabu Horiuchi

PBJ Foie Gras

Southern Smoke roll

Uni

But beyond the sashimi and signature rolls — don't sleep on the Southern Smoke Roll, with tuna belly, sea urchin, shiso, wasabi and a dollop of caviar — find decadent Wagyu selections ranging from carpaccio-style to Robata-style, grilled over Binchotan charcoal. And Chef Hori is also playfully experimenting with dishes like foie-gras milk bread with Nutella; and Japanese-style shaved-ice ice cream.

It's all best washed down with sake, of course, and at Katami, there's no shortage of good ones: The unique selection includes rare sakes by the bottle or glass, and craft cocktails utilize the spirit along with Japanese gin, whiskey and yuzu bitters.