Yamada Marks the Return of a Kaiseki Master

1. Yamada has earned his flowers — and his namesake restaurant.

Yamada has had a long and storied career that spans continents, beginning with his immersion in Japanese cuisine and particular study of tea ceremonies in his home country of Japan. He opened his first solo restaurant, Kaiseki Hanaei, in 2000 in his hometown of Fukuoka.

“I opened my restaurant and learned my business for seven years,” says Yamada. “One day, David Bouley came to Japan and he offered me a new project and I moved to New York.”

He came to the states to work after meeting the late Bouley, who asked him to be the executive chef of the since-closed Brushstroke. The spot was one of the pioneering kaiseki experiences in New York City, eventually earning a Michelin star and a two-star review from the New York Times. Most recently, Yamada was at the now-closed Kaiseki Room by Yamada in Midtown.

Now, with Yamada, his new namesake, he is planting his flag firmly as an expert of kaiseki-style dining and cuisine. The restaurant has been in the works for more than two years.

2. He’s working with a practiced team.

The restaurant is opening in collaboration with Kooth Hospitality, the same group behind Nakaji and Kono, both of which are also located in the Canal Arcade.

“I’m very honored [to work with Kooth]. I’m very happy, it’s a professional and perfect team. Everyone knows the restaurant business and the [importance of] food quality,” Yamada says.

Among the team is managing partner Ivy Tsang Chu.

“Chef is being very sweet,” she laughs. “[My husband and I] have been dining with chef Yamada for many years, starting in the Brushstroke days. It was a friendship we’ve developed and we kept in contact. He’s always wanted to open his namesake restaurant, so we got together.”

3. The menu is seasonal and special.

The menu at Yamada will be fiercely seasonal, featuring a 10-course tasting menu priced at $300 per person.

To start, they’re offering sakisuke (Hokkaido monkfish liver and Mediterranean red shrimp dressed with spring clams), Yamada’s signature chawanmushi (a steamed egg custard topped with king crab and uni), and tsukuri (a selection of sashimi).

“Every season we’ll change the ingredients,” says Yamada.

The meal continues with mebaru (goldeneye rockfish slow grilled over charcoal), grilled wagyu, and another Yamada signature, donabe with Tsuyahime rice, cooked with firefly squid and red caviar. Dessert takes the form of amazake ice cream, red bean jelly, matcha tiramisu, and more small bites, plus the matcha tea service whisked by Yamada himself.

The menu is driven by the principles of seasonality (shun), harmony (chōwa), and mindfulness (ikigai), putting direct focus on the technique that chef Yamada has perfected over decades of cooking.

“I want to keep [my philosophy] very authentic, traditional Japan. But [in terms of] technique, I’m more used to French technique, and also more local and European ingredients. I want to mix those, but it’s not fusion,” Yamada says. “I don’t want to break from Japanese kaiseki style.”

4. The drinks are a slight departure from tradition, with good reason.

The drinks have received just as dedicated a focus, with Japanese whiskey, sake, and shochu on offering. Traditionally, kaiseki cuisine is served only with sake, Yamada says, but they felt that shochu highlighted his increased usage of fats and flavor.

“Traditionally kaiseki cuisine is from the temple,” Chu adds. “It’s more simple, really ingredient focused, [and has] less seasoning. It celebrates the purity of the ingredient. Chef’s technique and menu has evolved a bit to bring more innovation and flavor, so that’s why we decided to incorporate wine, beer, whiskey, and shochu.”

Several of the sakes and shochu are sourced from Fukuda Sake Brewery, a centuries-old Japanese company, making Yamada the only restaurant in the United States to offer these particular drinks.

Tea will play an important role, as Yamada studied the art of the tea ceremony for four years. It’s served at the beginning of the meal, with matcha served at the conclusion.

“He’s very knowledgeable about tea,” Chu says. “We have a timer, we talk about the leaves, we present the whole process of steeping the leaves and put a lot of emphasis on the presentation and the way it’s enjoyed.”

5. Expect a deeply personal experience.

The space is intimate, with only 10 seats at a wooden countertop, carved from one piece of Hinoki, a sacred Japanese cypress tree.

“I want to focus on the quality always [being] high. [With 10 seats] I can watch everything and do everything with enough quality,” says Yamada.

The chef’s own collection of ceramics is displayed on the far wall, adding a personal touch to the cleanly decorated space. The team collaborated with ceramicist Shinobu Habauchi to create custom decoration and dinnerware for the meals, a process they say took over a year to complete.

Yamada himself will be stationed at the counter, which is lined in black and gold marble in a nod to the tradition of kintsugi, the Japanese method of repairing broken pottery with gold.

Yamada will be open Tuesday through Saturday with seatings at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Ellie Plass is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn. Follow her on Instagram and X. Follow Resy, too.