Kaiseki Room by Yamada

The meal experience was at times very present, with some local ingredients and dialogue with the chef right in front, yet at times transportive, taking me back to Kyoto or Tokyo. The execution, flavors, and balance of the dishes were amazing, at times subtle and almost poetic, while at times decadent. The small and beautiful space felt intimate, serene, yet airy, and the staff was amazing. I loved the autographed menu.

The staff is very nice and generous, the food is presented beautifully and prepared mostly in front of the guests, and everything was delicious. The vibe is very relaxing, great for decompressing and sharing a meal with someone close or eating solo while reflecting on life.

Contender for our favorite meal of the year, this Kaiseki menu includes 11 courses for $300. Yamada-san is regarded as one of the best Japanese chefs in NYC with roots and training in Kyoto and Fukuoka. The quality of every dish, the creativity and mix unique ingredients, and the beautiful all wood interiors make this a truly special place. Can’t recommend enough 🔥

The food is so good! I like all dishes. Especially the soy sauce ice cream and the chocolate tarte dessert at the end. The Wagyu beef roll is also one of the best. The squid ink rice is tasty and you can get as many as you want. The mushroom soup is very fresh. We came homes so full.

The dining experience was wonderful. Each dish was unique and thoroughly enjoyable. Plating was beautiful. Each dish stood on its own and was delicious. Service was very good. Their menu will change each month and I look forward to going back.

Hands down one of the best meals I have ever had. From start to finish I had a grin from ear to ear. You know when you go out with a friend after a long day and all you want to do is vent and complain. Well this meal changed all of that. Every negative thought I had that day left my mind because I was so distracted by how amazing the food was. Every bite melts in your mouth. The first course was my favorite and then the second course was my favorite and by the end of it every single course was my favorite. The fish was so fresh and the flavors just burst in your mouth. If I had to pick a favorite I guess it would be the Simmerd Japanese Rosy Seabass with Foie Gras, but honestly it’s so hard to choose. The space was beautiful and kept out all the noise from the neighboring restaurant. It was so quiet and peaceful. The staff was wonderful! So kind and funny. Incredible food is one thing, but to have great service brings it to a whole new level. Chef Yamada gets as many thumbs up and as many stars as possible. Come hungry and savor every bite

So. Can I just say. Oh. My. God. No. Really. OMGOMGOMG I had my first Kaiseki experience last night at Kaiseki Room by Yamada on W 53rd. It’s a little tricky to find because you have to walk through Le Grand Boucherie which is, honestly, “grand” in every sense of the word: basically a huge, indoor arcade (European style). Kaiseki Room by Yamada is tucked into a small spot on the non-Boucherie side of the arcade. Inside the room (600 sq ft, 12 seats at the counter a few tables) the design is pretty spectacular. SOARING high ceiling and the entire room sort of bends and curves around and up. Hard to explain. Amazing to experience. Look, all I can say is that this was The Best Meal of My Life. And I have eaten some meals y’all. I am giving 5 stars here, but Kaiseki Room by Yamada should have it’s own scale. As in I think a more “accurate” award would be 10 out of 5. There are not enough stars in the current system for me to give a real rating here. Every. Single. Thing. About the dining experience here is perfection. The service is what French Haute Cuisine restaurants should aspire to: staff that is fully conversant in every aspect of the meal (10 highly intricate and complex courses presented in the most beautiful dishes and bowls and plates you can imagine), attentive to the point of removing even the tiniest drop of anything that winds up on your lacquer tray, yet complete unobtrusive. They are there constantly, available the moment you need them. But there is never the feeling of “hovering.” I of course sat at The Counter. Do you even know me?? But also you must sit at The Counter to get the Full Experience. And somehow I got sat DIRECTLY in front of Chef Yamada. Like, JACKPOT!! You could not get a better seat. Total craziness. And? Chef Yamada is extremely nice. Friendly, smiley, great, positive energy/vibes. Which seriously enhances the experience. EVERYTHING is prepared right in front of you. And there is a lot. I do not eat beef, pork or poultry and I kind of panicked because, odd for me, I somehow forgot to let them know I had restrictions. But Chef Yamada seamlessly adjusted my menu. On the Oregon Matsutake Mushroom and Steamed Abalone course everyone else got Guinea Hen Broth and a large slice of Prosciutto over top. Chef Yamada made mine with fish broth and that broth was The Most Delicious, most complex, most depth of flavor broth I have ever had. And it was his “substitute” broth… I am including a pic of last night’s menu. The menu descriptions provide you only with a very bare bones sort of “framework” for what is included in each course. It’s more of a “guide” than an actual menu. Each course is so incredibly complex in flavor, taste, texture and presentation. The Hassun course (sushi & seasonal seafood Kobachi) is the most beautiful food presentation I ever been served. The course consisted of different courses within the course, plus a gooseberry palate cleanser. Each “mini course” was presented in its own, beautiful glass bowl/container and everything was arranged on a glass serving platter with twisted handle and then decorated with autumnal foliage/greenery. This is representative of everything served to you at Kaiseki by Yamada: a feast for ALL the senses. Everything you see. Everything you touch Everything you eat is PERFECTION. I eat Omakase a lot and I dine alone. I do not like to eat with anyone else when I am eating Omakase because I need to experience each bite. Kaiseki was different though. Each course is so complex and the entire dinner is so long (2.5 hrs, block out the time you need to be here and be present) that we all began talking to each other at the counter. As in group JOY and CELEBRATION at the incredible meal we were experiencing together. Even though we were strangers to each other. If you can you should experience this. If food, cuisine, dining is important to you, you should experience Kaiseki Room by Yamada.

Avoid this Tourist Trap!! There are plenty of other better places in NYC. Service: The biggest positive of the night, the service was first rate; our servers were friendly, courteous and attentive. Chef Hamada was also very engaging and clearly enjoys what he does. Ambience: The moment you walk in, there are signs that this restaurant might be a tourist trap. At best, the restaurant and its decor could be described as minimalist, at worst, sterile. The wooden paneling and floor boards made the room feel cold and clinical. Food: Overall, the food was...fine, which is not the word you'd want to describe a $300 dining experience. While the ingredients themselves were of the best quality, the composition of a number of dishes was a bit lacking. Simply having the best ingredients doesn't justify the price tag if they're not well utilized. Most egregious was the sushi of toro, caviar and uni served on rice in a cute little box. While pretty to look at, the flavors clashed when trying to eat out of such a small bowl. Similarly, the chawanmushi of eel and black truffle was completely overwhelmed by the generous amount of the latter. The tsukuri of assorted sashimi and hassun of seafood and mountain delicacies, where the ingredients were allowed to shine, were the pick of the kaseki menu. Ultimately it was an underwhelming experience which I can't recommend.