Roy Yamaguchi facts for kids
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Roy Yamaguchi during a visit to the Pearl Harbor-based guided missile frigate USS Crommelin in 2004
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| Born | 1956 (age 68–69) Tokyo, Japan |
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| Cooking style | Hawaii inspired cuisine |
| Education | Culinary Institute of America |
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Current restaurant(s)
Roy's Hawaii, Roy's Restaurant, Eating House 1849
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Award(s) won
James Beard "Best Pacific Northwest Chef"
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Roy Yamaguchi (born 1956) is a famous Japanese-American celebrity chef. He is also a successful restaurant owner. Roy Yamaguchi started many restaurants, including over 30 Roy's Restaurants across the United States and Guam. He also owns The Tavern by Roy Yamaguchi and Eating House 1849. He helped create the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement, which focuses on using fresh, local ingredients from Hawaii.
About Roy Yamaguchi
Roy Yamaguchi is a well-known chef and the person who started many popular restaurants. He is famous for his Hawaiian-inspired food. This cooking style mixes ideas from California, France, and Japan. He uses fresh ingredients from the Hawaiian Islands. In 1993, he won a special award called the James Beard "Best Pacific Northwest Chef" Award.
Roy was born and grew up in Tokyo, Japan. His family has roots in Hawaii. His grandfather on his dad's side owned a restaurant in Wailuku, Maui, in the 1940s. Roy says his love for food came from his parents. His dad was born in Hawaii, and his mom was born in Okinawa.
After high school, Roy went to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York. This is where he got his official cooking training. After finishing school in 1976, he worked at several famous restaurants in California. In 1984, Roy opened his very first restaurant, called 385 North, in Hollywood.
In 1988, he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii. There, he opened the first Roy's Restaurant. Since then, he has opened many more restaurants. These include 29 in the United States and others in Japan, Guam, and Hong Kong. He also worked with Outback Steakhouse to open a restaurant with Asian and European flavors in Florida.
Roy on TV and More
Roy Yamaguchi is also known for his TV shows. He hosted six seasons of the PBS series Hawaii Cooks with Roy Yamaguchi. He also appeared on the Food Network show My Country, My Kitchen. This show took him back to his family's roots in Japan.
In 2004, Roy started his own line of cooking tools. These were sold on a TV shopping channel. He also created his own line of food products in 2007. Roy has written four cookbooks. These books share his recipes and cooking ideas. Some of his cookbooks are Pacific Bounty and Roy's Feasts from Hawaii.
Roy also helps his community. He started and helps lead the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival. He also created a scholarship fund to help students go to cooking school. For over 17 years, he has held the Roy's Annual Golf Classic. This event has raised more than $400,000 for a family service organization. Roy is also a member of several non-profit groups. These groups include the U.S. Japan Council and the Culinary Institute of the Pacific.
Roy's Restaurants
In 2000, Roy Yamaguchi sold some of his Roy's Seafood restaurants. These were the ones on the mainland U.S. He sold them to a company called Bloomin' Brands. But Roy kept control and ownership of all his restaurants in Hawaii. He also kept the one restaurant located at Pebble Beach.
Later, in 2015, Bloomin' Brands sold the mainland U.S. Roy's restaurants to another company. This company is called United Ohana.
You can find the restaurants owned by United Ohana at roysrestaurant.com. The restaurants that Roy Yamaguchi still owns are at royshawaii.com. Roy still owns six restaurants in Hawaii. These are in Waikiki, Hawaii Kai, Kaanapali, Waikoloa, Ko Olina, and Turtle Bay.
See also
