High Horse Dishes – Photo by Nancy Granados
Chef Katsuji Tanabe – the renowned chef who captured television audiences when he starred on Bravo TV’s hit competition series Top Chef Boston, Top Chef Mexico and Top Chef Charleston, and whose restaurants have stretched from Los Angeles and Las Vegas, to Chicago and New York City – announces his new Raleigh, NC restaurant High Horse opening Sunday, November 17th. High Horse is located at 208 Wolfe Street in historic City Market in downtown Raleigh. It will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 5pm until 11pm (and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, serving drinks and an abbreviated menu). In 2020, High Horse will open for Sunday brunch. Follow @HighHorseNC and @KatsujiTanabe. Reservations can be made on Resy.
Chef Katsuji Tanabe relocated to Raleigh to open High Horse – a restaurant to celebrate his “American Dream.” “The South has such a rich food culture and history; I really fell in love with it during Top Chef Charleston,” explained Tanabe. “I’ve found a home in the South where I can provide the best possible life for my family, and do what I love in a place that really cares about their food culture.” At High Horse, Tanabe brings his signature playful style and wildly unique combination of Mexican, Japanese and American flavors to life – influences from his childhood in Mexico City with parents of both Mexican and Japanese descent, two decades in restaurants in major cultural cities across the US, his experience competing on “Top Chef,” as well as his new home in the American South.
Chef Katsuji Tanabe – Photo by Nancy Granados
High Horse – a play on words – references the original stables which once occupied the City Market area, and serves as an invitation for diners to leave their pretentions behind and enjoy the “fun dining” experience for which Tanabe is so well known. “When you visit High Horse, we want to entertain you in every way – from the live fire in our open kitchen to the visually exciting cocktails and candy-filled cakes. Our entire menu is designed to share, and to be a really fun, engaging and affordable way for guests to dine together,” explained Tanabe, whose signature social media hashtag is, “#itookarisk.”
This festive restaurant and bar features two large wood-fired grills visible from the oval-shaped bar and dining room, in addition to an indoor private event space.
High Horse Cocktails Photo by Nancy Granados
Fans will discover variations of dishes from throughout Tanabe’s life and career – including his grandmother’s cornbread – also offered at his Chicago restaurant, Barrio. This close guarded family recipe also serves as Tanabe’s bread breaking with his new community; a percentage of sales from all cornbread sold will benefit downtown Raleigh’s pay-what-you-can café, A Place at the Table.
The majority of the menu offers dishes original to High Horse, which will be finished on the roaring wood-fired grills, including large format dishes like Spare Ribs in Tamarind Vinegar Sauce, charred Flat Iron Steak with burnt onion relish, and Skuna Bay Salmon with roasted peppers and chilies.
To complement, there is an adventurous selection of smaller and lighter dishes to share which have also been kissed by the flames and Tanabe’s global influences – charred Shishito Peppers with ponzu, Cauliflower with labneh, preserved lemon, burnt honey, chilies and mint, Oyster Mushrooms with black garlic confit and roasted Candy Cane Beets with marcona almond brittle, queso fresco and sherry vinaigrette.
Tanabe’s fondness for local Southern ingredients is as evident as his original take on them – as seen in the roasted Oysters with Country Ham Aioli and Lime, NC Shrimp marinated in Togarashi, Okra with Bottarga and NC Country Ham Tasting.
Like Tanabe’s bold cuisine, High Horse’s cocktails and desserts will also be instantly memorable. Vibrantly colored cocktails, including a keg Margarita, Cheerwine Old Fashioned and “Green Tea” ice shots draw inspiration from Tanabe’s heritage as well as his new found home in North Carolina.
Dessert! – Photo by Nancy Granados
Stay tuned! Soon, High Horse will introduce heated, outdoor dining and lounge seating as well. View High Horse menus at www.HighHorseNC.com and reserve on www.Resy.com
About Chef Katsuji Tanabe
Born and raised in a Jewish neighborhood in Mexico City to parents of both Mexican and Japanese heritage – captured the hearts of Americans at his restaurants across the US and through his appearances on national television. Now the Chef of Barrio in Chicago, Hussong’s Cantina at Mandaly Bay in Las Vegas, and High Horse in Raleigh, NC, Tanabe first made a name for himself in 2011 in Los Angeles, CA as the owner and chef of Mexikosher, the first authentic kosher, Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles, and the first of its kind in the United States. In 2016, he charmed audiences on Bravo’s Top Chef Boston, followed by Top Chef Mexico and Top Chef Charleston. Prior, Tanabe appeared on The Travel Channel’s Chow Masters, had a winning appearance on Food Network’s Chopped, was a professional chef contender on NBC’s Food Fighters as well as a judge on Master Chef Mexico.
Tanabe is committed to being a voice for immigrants in the food and beverage industry, supports CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees) and the James Beard Foundation’s “No Waste” initiative.
From restaurants and events to national television, Katsuji Tanabe continues to deliver his flavorful and flamboyant style to diners and fans across the US.
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