Houston’s Most Revered Japanese Chef Opens His Most Personal Restaurant Yet — Inside the Six-Seat Sushi Horiuchi

Five-time James Beard Award nominee and revered Houston sushi chef Manabu Horiuchi has opened his most personal project yet. The chef and owner of the much-lauded Kata Robata and Katami restaurants has opened Sushi Horiuchi, an intimate six-seat omakase restaurant at 2701 West Dallas Street, adjacent to Katami.

Designed by Very Handsome Studio and built by Design Craft Workshop, the chic-looking Sushi Horiuchi is billed as the final restaurant that Horiuchi plans to open.

“For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to open a small sushi bar that reminded me of the places of my youth in Japan, where I first dreamed of becoming a sushi chef,” Horiuchi says.

The Japanese-born and raised chef’s new restaurant is grounded in the history and tradition of authentic Japanese sushi culture. Diners are immersed in a calm, distraction-free atmosphere devoid of unnecessary noise or bustling restaurant activity. This gives one the opportunity to simply focus on the seasonal, continually evolving food.

Intentionally restrained, this highly focused omakase experience is priced at $300 per person, with an optional $100 classic sake pairing or a $200 premium sake pairing available. This omakase is available to just six diners a night, with the seating beginning at 7 pm. All in an effort to build an meaningful experience between the chef and each of his guests.

Every service is led by Horiuchi, with his assistant chef Anna Tran and hospitality professional Jessica Cano. Resy reservations (open 30 days in advance) are fully booked for the next month.

The intimate scale of this new Houston sushi haven gives Horiuchi the creative freedom to serve about 30 diners per week, removing many of the laborious constraints around sourcing and menu development, enabling him to procure rare ingredients from around the world without compromise and, as he has done in his other restaurants, prioritizing quality. Drawing on his more than 30 years of living in Houston, Horiuchi incorporates subtle nods to the city he calls home, creating a menu that feels deeply Japanese while reflecting his life and storied career in Texas.

Sushi Horiuchi is located at 2701 W. Dallas Street. It is open Tuesdays through Sundays with one 7 pm seating nightly. Reservations are available here.