Yamato
The Story of
Yamato
Yamato is what twenty years of studying chicken looks like when it becomes a restaurant. Owner Shin Kawaguchi spent a decade working as a meat specialist supplying premium chicken to restaurants across multiple cuisines, then another decade refining his craft at yakitori restaurants. When he opened YAMATO in Osaka's Kitashinchi district in 2010, he brought with him a perspective on poultry that few chefs had previously developed.
The result is yakitori (Japanese skewered grilled chicken, traditionally cooked over charcoal) that refuses to stay within conventional boundaries. At Yamato, cross-genre inspiration shapes the menu. Skewers feature unexpected ingredients rarely seen in traditional yakitori, such as balsamic vinegar glazes, crushed cookie toppings, and apple with cinnamon. These combinations are not novelties. They are deliberate compositions designed to engage all five senses through flavor, aroma, texture, and presentation.
Shortly after opening, YAMATO was featured in the Michelin Guide and began attracting international attention from Hong Kong, Singapore, and China. Kawaguchi has never pursued expansion for its own sake. Every new direction, including the move to the United States, has been guided by meaningful relationships with long-standing partners in the hospitality world.
Yamato joins YUU Japanese Food Hall, bringing its Michelin-recognized creative yakitori to American diners. Come with an open palate and expect to be surprised, because at Yamato, a skewer is never just a skewer.
“Welcome to Yamato. I spent twenty years studying chicken before opening this restaurant... What I built is yakitori viewed through a wider lens: Japanese at its core, but open to the whole world. I hope every skewer gives you something unexpected.”