Kata Robata

Two Surprise Ties and Fantastic Food at the Inaugural Big Taste of Houston

As far as tasting events go, the Big Taste of Houston, which debuted this past Sunday night to a crowd of about 700, was all that it promised to be and then some. Billed as a premier foodie extravaganza and fundraiser for the Houston chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters, the elegant, high class soir ... More >>

Ribs and Ramen Reign Supreme at the 2nd Annual Go Pig! Or Go Home! Suckling Pig Throwdown

There are pig parties, and then there is Go Pig! Or Go Home! The second annual charity throwdown event last night at Kata Robata was every pig lover's dream -- and then some -- with Houston's top chefs throwin' down everything from traditional roast suckling pig to cochinita pibil to oysters topped ... More >>

The Ramen Experiments at Soma

I love ramen. Like the ubiquitous pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) you find all over Houston, to me, ramen is comfort in a bowl of noodles. Hearty, filling and affordable, if done well it's one of those dishes that you'll come back to time and again. It's one of those dishes I crave. Regularly. Wh ... More >>

The Second Annual Go Pig! Or Go Home! Throwdown is Coming This April

"Go pig! Or go home!" That is the gauntlet that has been thrown, and the challenge, the question, the machismo duel that will pit 23 of Houston's most prominent chefs in a challenge to create Houston's most supreme incarnation of a suckling pig. The second annual event is scheduled for Sunday, Apr ... More >>

This Week In Food Blogs: 20 Things Everyone Thinks About Houston (But Won't Say)

From the Gutt: Riffing on last week's post from First We Feast which listed 20 things "everyone thinks about the food world (but nobody will say)" is local blogger Tom Gutting, who normally writes about wine but has now made me wish he'd write about other food-related topics with much more regularit ... More >>

Uncommonly Keen

The 10 best restaurants in the Upper Kirby district.

The Eating Our Words 100: Server Thai Van of Kata Robata

Eating Our Words has embarked on a project to profile 100 Houston culinarians of all fields, practices, careers and backgrounds. This isn't a Best of Houston list, it's not a 100 Favorites list and it's not in any particular order. Instead, the Eating Our Words 100 is a way to introduce our readers ... More >>

The Rest of the Best

Houston's top 10 sushi restaurants.

The Rest of the Best: Houston's Top 10 Sushi

For the next 20 weeks, we'll be rounding up the runners-up to our 2012 Best of Houston® winners. In many categories, picking each year's winner is no easy task. We'll be spotlighting 20 of those categories, in which the winner had hefty competition from other Houston bars and restaurants. It wasn' ... More >>

100 Favorite Dishes 2012: No. 2, Amberjack Sashimi and Foie Gras at Kata Robata

This year leading up to our annual Best of Houston® issue, we're counting down our 100 favorite dishes in Houston. This list comprises our favorite dishes from the last year, dishes that are essential to Houston's cultural landscape and/or dishes that any visitor (or resident) should try at least o ... More >>

A Lesson in Decadence at Kata Robata Sushi Grill

I usually reserve fine dining for the weekend, when I can take some time and really enjoy myself, but some weekdays also call for a decadent meal. One Wednesday evening after a grueling day at work, I headed to Kata Robata. Since being named number two on Alison Cook's list, the place has been packe ... More >>

10 Lobster Dishes to Try in Houston: No. 5, The Lobster Roll at Triniti

One of the many things that intrigues me about the Victorian era was how the general overabundance of shellfish meant foods like lobster were more fare for the hoi polloi than the aristocratic minority. This year, a bumper crop in the Northeast has once again made lobster cheaper for the masses. And ... More >>

10 Lobster Dishes to Try in Houston: No. 6, Lobster Tacos at Jonathan's The Rub

One of the many things that intrigues me about the Victorian era was how the general overabundance of shellfish meant foods like lobster were more fare for the hoi polloi than the aristocratic minority. This year, a bumper crop in the Northeast has once again made lobster cheaper for the masses. And ... More >>

10 Lobster Dishes to Try in Houston: No. 8, Lobster Macaroni and Cheese at Kata Robata

One of the many things that intrigues me about the Victorian era was how the general overabundance of shellfish meant foods like lobster were more fare for the hoi polloi than the aristocratic minority. This year, a bumper crop in the Northeast has once again made lobster cheaper for the masses. And ... More >>

Top 10 Octopus Dishes in Houston

Octopus. Regardless of how it's prepared, I generally love eating the squirmy, tentacled creatures. A great, low-fat seafood option, octopus has this wonderfully distinctive texture. It's also light and fun to eat -- the perfect summertime dish. Our city's chefs must feel the same way I do, because ... More >>

Pastry Chef Chris Leung Debuts New Dessert Menu at Kata Robata

When we talk about pastry in Houston, it would be impossible to overlook Chris Leung. Though he's only been at it for four-and-a-half years (read our Chef Chats Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 from December if you want to know the details), Leung's whimsical dessert creations get noticed. They win awards ... More >>

A Jiro: Dreams of Sushi-Inspired Meal at Kata Robata Disappoints

Jiro: Dreams of Sushi is a fascinating movie about passion and work ethic. It also happens to feature a sushi chef. It could have just as easily been about a ditch digger or glass blower. The Sushi Club of Houston helped sponsor the film and a dinner afterward at Kata Robata. I was not familiar w ... More >>

Go Pig or Go Home: How Things Went Down at the 1st Annual Suckling Pig Throwdown

Check out our slideshow of the Suckling Pig Throwdown. Leave it to Kata Robata Executive Chef Manabu "Hori" Horiuchi to assemble a cast of chefs worthy of an Iron Chef all-stars competition. Because that's what happened on Sunday night at the 1st Annual Suckling Pig Throwdown, when 13 of Houston's ... More >>

What's the Deal with Sushi Rice in Houston?

Eating sushi after watching -- no, experiencing -- Jiro Dreams of Sushi on Friday night was clearly a fool's errand. But watching Jiro Ono make piece after magical piece of nigirizushi with gentle and practiced hands gave me a sushi jones the likes I've which I've never before experienced. I headed ... More >>

Upcoming Throwdowns, Who's Hungry?

Chefs in Houston love each other, right? Let's test that theory and pit them against each other. Coming up in the next few weeks are two throwdowns fit for true foodies. And trust me when I say, you won't want to miss either of them. Kiss My Grits: A Gulf Coast Throwdown First up on Thursday, Apr ... More >>

Modernist Cuisine: Volume 4 Ingredients and Preparations - Foodie Science Geek Mecca

Foodie science geeks, take note - this is your volume of Modernist Cuisine: Volume 4 Ingredients and Preparations. Thickeners, Gels, Emulsions, Foams, Wine and Coffee, oh my. Let's start with the easy stuff - we all know how to thicken a liquid; add a starch and stir vigorously. Making a liquid t ... More >>

Umami Dinners at Kata Robata Encourage Chef Collaboration

"I stayed away from making any fish courses," joked chef Randy Evans after last night's Umami dinner at Kata Robata. "I left that to Hori." To his left, Kata Robata's executive chef -- and recent James Beard semi-finalist for his work at the sushi restaurant -- simply laughed good-naturedly. This w ... More >>

Bartender Chat: David of Kata Robata

My chiropractor told me I'm constantly pinching nerves in my neck because I sleep on my stomach, and in order to break that habit, I need a "special" pillow. Makes sense, I guess, so off to Bed, Bath & Beyond I went to check out the awkward, way overpriced and super-ugly therapeutic pillows. After ... More >>

The Rest of the Best: Houston's Top 10 Sushi

For the next 20 weeks, we'll be rounding up the runners-up to our 2011 Best of Houston® winners. In many categories, picking each year's winner is no easy task. We'll be spotlighting 20 of those categories, in which the winner had hefty competition from other Houston bars and restaurants. Houston ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: Mark Gabriel Medina of Kata Robata

Photo by Mai PhamChef Mark Gabriel Medina in the kitchen at Kata Robata​ Yesterday, Kata Robata's Chef de Cuisine, Mark Gabriel Medina, told us about growing up on fine dining in Southeast Asia, and serving President Bush Senior sushi at Houston Country Clubs. Today, we talk to him about his ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Mark Gabriel Medina of Kata Robata

Photo by Mai PhamChef de Cuisine Mark Gabriel Medina of Kata Robata​When I asked Mark Gabriel "Gabe" Medina, the current Chef de Cuisine at Kata Robata, if he would be willing to do a chef chat with me, the 29-year-old, soft-spoken chef, who's been flying under the radar since he assumed his c ... More >>

Kata Robata's Autumn Festival, "Aki no Matsuri!"

Photos by Mai PhamSuckling pig with buns and sauce, one of the many dishes from Kata Robata's izakaya​Twice a year, Kata Robata transforms its patio into an izakaya, a casual after-work drinking place with Japanese bar food. Izakaya-type food is not fancy. They are the Japanese equivalent to S ... More >>

Upcoming Events: Welcome Back, Brownstone Cafe and An Historic Pub Crawl

Photo by Alex GreggChris Frankel will be shaking things up once again at Giacomo's.​Ghost hunters and professional drinkers, you'll want to sign up for tonight's Historic Pub Crawl starting at the Lancaster Hotel. The tour will take you through five area pubs (with half-off happy hour fare at ... More >>

Keep on Truckin: The Modular

The "Tin Can."​I woke up Sunday morning with a hankering for the comfort of some food truck sustenance -- it had been a long Saturday night. I drove by the one spot I can always count on for just such an occasion, next door to Agora, the former semi-permanent home of Eatsie Boys. Instead of ... More >>

Live Lobster Sashimi and New Menu Items Wow at Azuma Kirby

Photos by Mai PhamYou get lobster claw soup at the end of your meal if you order the Live Lobster Sashimi at Azuma Kirby​It's been at least ten years since I've been to Azuma Kirby for anything, let alone sushi. Located in the upscale strip mall that also houses Crave Cupcakes, Azuma Kirby ha ... More >>

Comment of the Day

​In the comments of Nick Hall's post on a whiskey class at Anvil, Bobby Heugel mentioned that there are plenty of bars and restaurants around town also deserving of acclaim. Asked by another commenter to elaborate, he did, and it's a pretty good list: I'm done after this because I don't usua ... More >>

Five "Dressed Up" Macaroni and Cheeses

Joanna O'LearyMiso Lobster Macaroni & Cheese​A few weeks ago I wrote about my Top Five Stellar (Plain) Mac and Cheeses. Now, as promised, I'm moving on to my favorite "dressed up" versions. You know, those gourmet, fancy-schmancy types that combine hand-cut pasta with double-cream cheeses and ... More >>

Houston's Best Patios: The 10 Best Unexpected Treasures

Photo by GroovehouseGet your tropical drink on at Kata Robata's intimate patio.​Over the last four weeks, we have been guiding you around Houston's best patios in several different categories: The best places to catch up with friends The best places to bring the kids The best places to pr ... More >>

This Week in Deliciousness

The one in the tiara will not be putting up with your crap today, thanks. Probably not tomorrow, either.​Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where we've constructed a gigantic, hollow Peep with our leftover Easter Peeps and we're trying to come up with a way to lure Ni ... More >>

Kata Robata Chefs Take Inaugural Kiss My Grits Throwdown Title

Jason BargasLeft, Kata Robata. Right, Ouisie's.​Grits have been an integral part of my life since I could gum food. Naturally, I was eager to get my gums (and teef) on the grits concoctions at Thursday evening's Kiss My Grits Gulf Coast Throwdown. Young Texans Against Cancer cobbled together H ... More >>

Health Department Roundup

​Some of the reasons city inspectors write up restaurants are oddly inexact. When we see stuff like, "Utensils designed to serve food not kept at proper 45-degree angle from serving tray/as shiny as they probably could be/free of roach droppings," we imagine bureaucrats taking secret pleasure ... More >>

This Little Piggy Went to Kata Robata

Photos by GroovehouseFor more photos from the pig party, check out our slideshow.​Say what you will about Twitter -- that the microblogging/messaging service is ruining our attention spans, that it's killing "real" blogging -- but sometimes paying careful attention to your Twitter stream pays ... More >>

Ginger-Butternut Squash Bisque at Azuma

​Yesterday's cold snap got me thinking about last Friday and how -- during the unfulfilled threat of Snowpocalypse 2011 -- I ended up eating at Azuma (909 Texas, 713-223-0909) as a measure of last resort, and how much I unexpectedly enjoyed my meal. And it was all because of the ginger-butter ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 3: Seth Siegel-Gardner of Kata Robata

Lardo.​This week I sat down and chatted with Chef Seth Siegel-Gardner, the new chef at Kata Robata. I also sampled some of the new menu additions. I've always loved Kata Robata, but Siegel-Gardner is bringing some seriously elegant food to Houston. We started off the meal with a lovely Japa ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: Seth Siegel-Gardner of Kata Robata

​EOW recently spoke with Seth Siegel-Gardner of Kata Robata. Yesterday, we learned about pop-up restaurants and what British people like to eat. Today we continue our chat. EOW: You worked in London for a year and now you're back in Houston and working at a fantastic restaurant. And afte ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Seth Siegel-Gardner of Kata Robata

​Shortly after naming Kata Robata (3600 Kirby Dr, 713-526-8858) Houston's best new restaurant, we learned that they were getting a new chef: Seth Siegel-Gardner, a native Houstonian. EOW had the chance to speak with Siegel-Gardner in early December, just as he was rolling out his new menu. S ... More >>

Openings & Closings: November 2010

Zelko Bistro and Katz's have some new fried pickle competition in the new Natachee's.​It's been a while since we've done a monthly roundup of openings and closings, but we're getting that train back on track now, and what a month to pick for that re-railment. November was busy, both in terms o ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: Bill Greenwood of Eddie V's Prime Seafood

​Yesterday we chatted with Bill Greenwood of CityCentre's Eddie V's Prime Seafood about what Buddhist monks really like on their plates. Today he fills us in on where he likes to eat around town and why fishing sustainability is such a tricky subject. Eating Our Words: As a chef that has trav ... More >>

Openings and Closings

It's been an exciting past week for diners and restaurateurs alike, with a rash of new and planned openings to please pretty much any palate. The biggest news, of course, was that our own Robb Walsh is working with Bryan Caswell and Bill Floyd -- the team behind restaurants like Little Big's and Re ... More >>

Top 10 Restaurants in Upper Kirby

​Let's leave aside a second some of the things we hate about the Upper Kirby district -- the bizarre desire to forge a connection with the U.K. based solely on sharing the same initials and installing anachronistic red phone booths on random street corners, the fact that Kirby itself is always ... More >>

Kata Robata Chef Chat, Part 2: Jean-Philippe Gaston

Fabio​After our interview with Kata Robata's Manabu Horiuchi, he demanded we interview his chef de cuisine, Jean-Philippe Gaston, an integral part of Kata Robata. We sat down with him for a few bonus words. Eating Our Words: What is your role on the Kata Robata menu? Jean-Philippe Gaston: If ... More >>

Food Fight: Battle Discount Sushi

Houston still lacks the crucial "conveyor belt sushi" concept​It's no secret that we love sushi. However, we also love something else -- and we love it even more than we love sushi. We love money. To paraphrase Adam Sandler, we're a big fan of money. We like it, we use it, we have a little. We ... More >>

Flounder Fish & Chips

A new Kata Robata on Kirby offers stellar fish and lots of attitude.

Kata Robata

A Chat with Shon Kyto of Kata Robata

Photo by Sarah Rufka"What's your signature drink?" It's a fairly inane question, but it's one Shon Kyto thinks about a lot. He's the manager of Kata Robata, but after seven years serving drinks at Azuma, the bar is still his baby. He shows me the cork-bound drinks menu with not a little pride. "Peop ... More >>