Cooking Authentic Kaiseki Cuisine in New York For Two Decades

Our guest is Isao Yamada who is the chef-owner of Yamada https://www.yamadanewyork.com/ in New York.  He was classically trained in Kyoto as a Kaiseki chef and opened his own restaurant at the age of 25 in his hometown Fukuoka.  He could have successfully built his career in Japan but he decided to move to the U.S. in 2006 to pursue new challenges. Chef Yamada’s career in the U.S. evolved as he worked closely with the legendary chef David Bouley in New York.  He earned a Michelin star as the executive chef at Chef Bouley’s Kaiseki restaurant Brushstroke.  In April 2025, Chef Yamada opened his own beautiful restaurant Yamada in Manhattan. In this episode, we will discuss Chef Yamada’s unique career, how he collaborated with the legendary Chef Bouley, his Kaiseki dishes at Yamada that seamlessly merge authenticity and creativity, his joy and challenges in cooking in America, how Japanese cuisine in America has changed in the last two decades and much, much more!!! Follow Chef Yamada on Instagram @chef_yamada.isao, as well as his restaurant Yamada @yamadanyc!