Yamagen Is The GC’s Hottest New Izayaka

Listen up folks, exciting developments are afoot. Remember the Japanese teppanyaki restaurant (and champion of the Gold Coast dining scene for over 30 years), Yamagen?

Well, news just in… Yamagen has undergone a facelift. And we’re not talking the Renee Zellweger (did she? didn’t she?), we’re talking the full Joan Rivers.

Following a complete makeover by internationally renowned designer, Nic Graham, Yamagen will be bringing boisterous welcomes, smoking kushiyaki grills and the electric vibe of downtown Tokyo to the Gold Coast from Friday, July 28.

Yamagen reinvents a traditional Japanese izakaya with a modern twist. It’s a blend of old school kitchen samurai skills and new school chef invention. It’s all about fresh sashimi, cocktails you haven’t tried before, share plates that are too good to share, and the type of buzz a place gets on a Friday afternoon, when that post-work hype is in the air.

Like stepping into a back-alley bar in Shibuya, the entrance is dark and moody, but is contrasted with a chorus of “irasshaimase” – a Japanese welcome greeting that meets every guest like it’s their surprise birthday shindig.

As you squeeze past those sipping fusion cocktails at the bar, you’ll notice a chef working at light-speed; grilling mouth-watering Master Kobe Wagyu and slicing delicious yellowfin tuna and salmon.

When you’re seated, a good place to start would be a cocktail. And when it comes to cocktails – Jordan Melling is your man.

Tips on the tipples include cocktails such as the Sake It To Me, a blend of Tangeray gin, sake, lemon, cucumber and dill; Dragon Ball, with shochu, pomegranate liqueur, yuzu, lime and egg white; or Kyoto Old Fashioned, which combines Kakubin whisky, yuzu bitters, gyokoro tea and foam. For looking to play it a little safer, there’s a long list of craft beers, top-shelf sake, Japanese whiskies.

When it comes to food, it’s a choose-your-own-adventure type affair.

Keep it casual at the bar; get comfortable in the main dining space, table-seki; or dine at the sushi counter under the tutelage of the expert Sushi Master, Yoshi. Better still, try all three – there’s nothing like a progressive dinner under the one roof.

Some menu highlights include the Hiramasa Kingfish, Sashimi Tacos, Master Kobe Wagyu Sirloin ms9+ and more kushiyaki than you can poke a chopstick at.

Regardless of where you start or finish, Yamagen embodies true Japanese omote-nashi – the art of hospitality. It’s all about exceptional food, an electric atmosphere and an interactive dining experience.

Yamagen is open for dinner seven nights a week from 5.00pm from July 28, 2017. For bookings call 07 5584 1200 or email [email protected]

words by kobi facto