Michelin Stars, James Beard Awards, Forbes Travel Guide Awards – they’re all well and good and all but no culinary honor equates to that of JJ Watt’s personal opinion.
Okay, so he might not be the most credible culinary source, but we’ll listen to anything that JJ Watt has to say. The beloved former Houston Texans star, JJ Watt, recently bestowed the title of ” best restaurant in the world” to Houston restaurant, Katami.
Located in Montrose, Katami is a sake-focused, sushi, and wagyu restaurant from chef Manabu Horiuchi (Chef Hori- San) along with partners Yun Cheng and Ryan Snyder. Chef Hori, whom Watt called by name in his post on Twitter/X, is a four-time James Beard Award-nominated chef. Chef Hori is the same behind the renowned Kata Robata sister restaurant.
At his recent experience at the restaurant, Watt shared images of nigiri, sashimi, bone marrow, and mushroom rice hot stone. Katami is also renowned for its premium Wagyu options prepared Tamaki-style or Robata-style over charcoal as well as its signature Green Tea Kakigori shaved ice dessert.
Katami also offers a pair of omakase options wherein visitors can opt for Sushi Omakase, featuring a selection of 17 exquisite seasonal bites or the Katami Omakase, a more expansive tasting that includes 12 nigiri bites, six savory dishes, and two desserts.
This isn’t the first time that Watt has given Katami a shoutout. Back in 2023 when the restaurant first opened, Watt was an early champion, posting the following on Twitter/X:
“It’s well-documented that Kata Robata is my favorite restaurant on the planet,” Watt wrote. “Chef Hori just opened a sister restaurant last week called Katami. After dining tonight, I can confirm that Chef Hori is currently the best chef on the planet”.
For the record, Watt isn’t alone in his reverence for Katami. In 2024, renowned former Houston Chronicle food critic, Alison Cook, named Katami as the second best restaurant in Houston.
Other restaurants in Houston that Watt has praised over the past few years include Shipley Do-Nuts, Trill Burgers, and Island Grill – the latter Watt ate at 6 times over 3 days.
Katami is located at 2701 W Dallas St. in Montrose. The restaurant is open from 5 pm – 10 pm Sunday through Thursday and from 5 pm – 10:30 pm on Friday and Saturday.