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Kaiseki Trailblazer Isao Yamada Returns to NYC’s Dining Scene
April 1, 2025, 1:02.01 pm ET

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Photo: EvanSung

He’s back—and bringing the firefly squid with him.

Renowned Japanese chef Isao Yamada is making his long-awaited return to New York City’s dining scene with the opening of his new namesake restaurant, Yamada, in Chinatown. The buzz is already brewing inside the ultra-discreet Canal Arcade, where this 10-seat kaiseki chef’s counter is tucked away alongside cult Japanese spots like Nakaji and Kono.

Yamada—best known to New Yorkers as the former executive chef of Michelin-starred Brushstroke—has teamed up with Kooth Hospitality to launch this serene, hyper-seasonal tasting menu experience. And while the vibe may be calm, the menu is anything but shy.

At $300 a head, the 10-course omakase feast blends time-honored technique with a fresh creative twist. Think monkfish liver from Hokkaido with Mediterranean red shrimp in kinome ponzu; Mebaru, goldeneye rockfish slow-grilled over charcoal with crispy ice fish; Otoro, the prized belly of bluefin tuna; and Owan, a rich Hamaguri clam broth flecked with Sakura Ebi and a Nantucket Bay scallop cake. Guests will be treated to a Grilled Wagyu course; and signature donabe rice dish made with Hotaru Ika (yes, firefly squid) and ikura.



Photos: Evan Sung

Dessert doesn’t phone it in either: Amazake ice cream, Kyoto-style Matcha Tiramisu, and red bean jelly all make appearances—served, naturally, with a finely whisked-to-order Japanese tea preparation featuring 'Isuzu' Kyoto Uji matcha.

The space at Yamada is just as refined. Designed in collaboration with NYC’s BLANK Creations, the “Japandi”-style interior features a sunken kitchen framed in dramatic black and gold marble, a 10-seat hinoki wood counter, and karesansui rock gardens for that meditative moment between Wagyu and dessert.

For chef Yamada, it’s a full-circle moment. After a nearly decade-long hiatus, he’s re-entering the New York spotlight with a tasting menu rooted in tradition but executed with a distinctive personal flair.

Yamada is located at 16 Elizabeth Street with an official opening set for April 2, 2025. Seatings are limited, so good luck snagging a spot.


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