Katami — Restaurant in Houston

Katami is a new Japanese restaurant in Montrose and a must-visit for any fan of Japanese cuisine. Opened in November 2023 by Chef Manabu Horiuchi, or Chef Hori for short, this sister restaurant to Kata Robata is already making waves. Kata Robata is my favorite restaurant in Houston, and the attention to detail and quality at Katami is even more next level!

This is an ongoing running review as I plan to sample each item on their menu and rate it, just like I have at Kata Robata. I'm looking forward to adding more discoveries to this list! From what I've tried so far, Katami is incredible, and I would highly recommend checking it out.

Here's what I've tried so far after a few visits:

[COCKTAILS]

+Sunomono Sour (pandan white rum, pineapple, cucumber, coconut liqueur, and sesame oil) for $16 - Tastes like... vacation. You will get a taste of refreshing cucumber followed by coconut and ending with sweet sesame. Great drink! Highly recommended to start the night. - 4.5/5 +Katami Old Fashioned (Toki Japanese whisky, toasted rice, angostura, and yuzu bitters) for $16 - 4.5/5 +Shiso Side (Roku gin, lemon, yuzu sherbet, shiso, and hot sesame oil) for $16 - This was well-made drink, but I personally don't like lemon flavor as much. - 3.5/5

[MOCKTAILS]

+Sunomono Sour (pandan, pineapple, cucumber, coconut, and sesame oil) for $10 - This was very refreshing with a strong cucumber taste! - 4.5/5 +Okinawa Swizzle (white tea port, miso, passionfruit, and orange) for $10 - This was good, but I wished it had a bit of carbonation added. - 4/5 +Shiso Side (lemon, yuzu sherbet, shiso, and hot sesame oil) for $10 - It's good if you like lemon flavor. - 3.5/5

[VEGETABLE]

+Tomato Somen Salad (cold noodle, campari tomato, honey soy sauce, and shiso) for $15 - 4.5/5 +Shishito (sweet soy, lemon zest, and bonito flakes) for $9 - 4/5 +Chili Roasted Cabbage (homemade sambal, chili garlic oil, and sweet miso) for $11 - I thought this was okay at first, but after mixing it, it was much better. I like the crispy addition to it and wish it had more of that crunch. - 3.5/5

[NIGIRI/SASHIMI/JAPANESE FISH]

+Foie Gras (tonic 05 and maraschino cherry) for $9 - 4.5/5 +Anago (premium house-made sea eel with salt and lemon) for $8 - 4.5/5 +Unagi (premium house-made freshwater eel) for $8 - This is made with teriyaki and sansho. - 4.5/5 +Hokkaido Snow Crab (off the menu) for $8 - 4/5 +Akamutsu (Sea Perch) for $13 - This is made with yuzu nikiri. - 4/5

[COLD]

+Toro Tar Tar (fatty tuna, kimchi sauce, peanuts, quail egg, taro chips, and served with milk bread) for $26 - This was one of the best items on the menu for me. The combination of all flavors had me closing my eyes trying to comprehend how food could taste this delicious. Highly recommended! - 5/5 +Hotate Crudo and Cucumber Vinaigrette (Japanese scallop, cucumber vinaigrette, olive oil, orange puree, and fried onion) for $18 - 4.5

[HOT]

+Mushroom Rice Hot Stone (sushi rice, takuan, mixed mushroom, egg, green onion, and cream blanc) for $22 - The way the rice crisps from the hot stone is perfect. The bowl is large with a lot of surface area, so the majority of the rice gets that crispy texture, and it's phenomenal! - 5/5 +Robata Baby Back Ribs (sweet soy marinated pork ribs with spicy garlic chili oil and creamed corn) for $18 - These were delicious, and the meat fell off the bone. - 4.5/5 +Smoked Sake Kasu Black Cod (72-hour sake kasu miso marinated black cod with smoke) for $29 - This was one of the juiciest cods I have ever had. - 4.5/5 +Chawanmushi (Japanese egg custard soup) with King Crab for $22 - 4.5/5

[WAGYU (A5, 100% Japanese)]

+Matsusaka Wagyu Mie served Teppan Style (3 oz traditional Japanese flat top seared) for $195 - 4.5/5 +Kagoshima Wagyu served Ishiyaki Yakiniku Style (2 oz Kagoshima beef, marinated yakiniku sauce, and served with lava rock) for $54 - 4.5/5

[DESSERT]

+Musk Melon (off the menu)...

This place sucks and I would say worse things but trying to keep profanity to the minimum

Katami is Kata Robata's younger brother who has not hit puberty yet, but thinks he's super cool. This place felt like a pig with a lipstick compared to Kata Robata (I actually really like Kata Robata). I was left wondering why anyone would go to Katami over Kata Robata when the food is basically the same, if not worse, and the price is way higher. (I get that the ambiance is better but definitely not worth the price it's charging)

The good and okay: The apps are good. Tuna tartar and mushroom rice bowl (an overpriced Korean bibimbop ) were pretty good. Miso cod was a miss; it was not special and a bit too fishy.

The drinks are pretty good, we got the gin with sesame oil on it, and thought that was quite tasty

The bad: Sashimi for two is a pretty good value, but the chef's choice nigiri we got was really a miss and not worth the money. For ~$70 (10 pieces total), we were underwhelmed by the sushi special. We thought there might be some garnish or something special, but there was nothing. Perhaps they want to be pure traditionalists regarding sushi, but if your hot plates and apps are not traditional and very exploratory, we expected more from the sushi as well, but it tasted similar to Oma Sushi (which is an AYCE place and wayyy cheaper).

The ugly: Service was terrible. I am not sure if it's the waiter or the restaurant, but I asked for simple sparkling water and it didn't come for ~20 minutes and I had to ask again to get it. And when I got it... It seemed like the cup wasn't mine or something odd was going on with the water, where it tasted a bit like vodka.

This was the worst part. I ordered two amaebi, which comes with the fried head and is mentioned on their menu (AMAEBI ボタンエビ (SPOT PRAWN) | 8 ponzu + fried head) ... which is something I actually really really enjoy eating and like (it's kind of a delicacy )... when we got the amaebi sushi, it came out without the heads and the waiter didn't say anything. So I asked about the head. The waiter said, " Oh, I think we ran out, sorry, but I can go check". Our other waiter (the main one) came back about 10 minutes later and said, unfortunately, we ran out, sorry. I then said uh.. is there something else you can give then given that it is listed on the menu? He said he will go check. After 20 minutes or so, he brings the fried head and says Oh, we found it...

Now I am left thinking WTF... either the kitchen got lazy or they are straight out lying to us. I think because most Americans don't eat the head and they don't care the Kitchen doesn't cook it or is too lazy to cook it so that's their go to thing of just not bringing the head (well then take it out of your menu where it says it comes with the head...) and when the customers ask they say we ran out, and if the customer really wants it they will then make it. I was pretty disgusted by this dishonesty and lack of care for, and I was very close to just walking out of dinner at that point.

Few other red flags ....

1. the menu is wayyy too big. Trying to be good at many, not great at any
2. Bathroom... they really tried to make this place look cool and hip but really cut corners where they could. Check out the bathroom.. it feels like a bathroom of a cheap buffet
3. Candy at the front desk. For the price they charge, they had candy that you get at any casual dining places (I liked the candy, just don't try to be something you are not, then in terms of price)
4. I asked what type of cod the miso cod was and the waiter didn't know and I never...

My family of four had an amazing time at Katami. The restaurant has a great ambience. The day setting is warm, bright, and cheerful, whereas the night setting is classy and romantic. The restaurant is big. There are booth, table, and bar seatings to choose from.

My waiter, Ryu, was great. He was so attentive. He explained every dish that was brought to our table, and was very detailed.

My kids had the smoked sake kasu black cod which they loved. The cod was marinated well and had so much flavor in it. It was cooked to perfection. The piece of cod flaked smoothly and easily. The dish was presented prettily too. It is a must-order.

My husband and I had the Sashimi for Two, The Southern Smoke Roll, The Lobster Ikura Roll, 3oz of Ohmi Wagyu Shiga (robata style), Texas Wagyu Okonomiyaki, Nigiri Sushi (10pc chef’s choice), and a piece of hotate & uni nigiri (just for myself). We thought the food wasn’t enough and wanted to get more. But we were sated with just these dishes.

The Sashimi for Two was amazingly fresh and so good. The pieces were sliced to the right thickness. The chef’s choice nigiri sushi was a good plate of great quality fish. Great sushi rice and nice big piece of raw fish on each nigiri. As for the rolls, both were super delicious. There was a great balance of flavors. The Okonomiyaki was thick, flavorful, and cooked well. I thought the Wagyu would be lost in the sea of ingredients but I saw and tasted big slices in the dish. I loved the hotate & uni nigiri. It had to be eaten in one mouth. The uni literally melted in my mouth, and the hotate was so smooth and fresh. It was OMG!! Lastly, the Ohmi Wagyu Shiga was grilled perfectly, tender, and flavorful. It was so good.

For desserts, my kids had the kakigori rainbow which had strawberry ice cream in the middle of all the shaved ice. The dessert was served with a small saucer of strawberry sauce for customers to pour onto the ice when the flavored ice (strawberry, mango, and blueberry) were all eaten. The yuzu cream on the top was so good. It balanced the sweetness well.

As for the adults, we went with Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate. The spiced chocolate ice cream had a great kick. I was pleasantly surprised and loved the creativity behind this plate of dessert. The cake on the dessert had strong chocolate taste, and the chocolate truffle was so chocolatey.

Valet parking is $7. I would recommend to have a reservation as it gets busier and crowded during dinner time. Katami is definitely a serious contender in Houston sushi scene. I would make it my regular...