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 in 1956) is a famous Japanese-American chef. He is also a restaurateur, meaning he owns and manages restaurants. Roy Yamaguchi started many restaurants, including over 30 Roy's Restaurants across the United States and Guam. He also founded The Tavern by Roy Yamaguchi and Eating House 1849. He is known as one of the creators of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement. This movement focuses on using fresh, local ingredients from Hawaii.
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Discovering Roy Yamaguchi's Culinary Journey
Roy Yamaguchi is a well-known chef and the person who started many popular restaurants. His cooking style is inspired by Hawaii. It mixes different cooking traditions from California, France, and Japan. He always uses fresh ingredients from the Hawaiian Islands. In 1993, he won a special award called the James Beard "Best Pacific Northwest Chef" Award. This award is a big honor for chefs.
Early Life and Education
Roy Yamaguchi was born and grew up in Tokyo, Japan. His family has roots in Hawaii. His grandfather owned a tavern in Wailuku, Maui, back in the 1940s. Roy says his love for food came from his father, who was born in Hawaii, and his mother, who was from Okinawa.
After finishing high school, Roy went to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York. This is a famous school where he learned how to cook professionally. He graduated in 1976.
Starting His Restaurant Career
After culinary school, Roy Yamaguchi worked at several restaurants in California. In 1984, he opened his very first restaurant called 385 North in Hollywood. Then, 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 locations in the United States and others in Japan, Guam, and Hong Kong.
Roy Yamaguchi on Television
Roy Yamaguchi is also famous for his television shows. He hosted six seasons of a PBS series called 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.
Cookbooks and Products
In 2004, Roy Yamaguchi launched his own brand of cookware. These cooking tools were sold on the Home Shopping Network. In 2007, he also started a "Roy Yamaguchi" food product line. He has written four cookbooks, sharing his recipes and cooking tips. Some of his cookbooks include Pacific Bounty and Roy's Feasts from Hawaii.
Giving Back to the Community
Roy Yamaguchi is also very involved in helping others. He helped start and leads the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival with Chef Alan Wong. He also created the Tom and Warren Matsuda Scholarship Fund. This fund helps students pay for school at the Culinary Institute of the Pacific.
For over 17 years, Roy Yamaguchi has organized the Roy's Annual Golf Classic. This event has raised more than $400,000 for Imua Family Service. This organization helps families and children. Roy also serves on the boards of several non-profit groups. These include the U.S. Japan Council and the Hawaii Culinary Education Foundation.
Roy's Restaurants: A Closer Look
In 2000, Roy Yamaguchi sold his share of the Roy's Seafood restaurants on the mainland U.S. to a company called Bloomin' Brands. This company also owns Outback Steakhouse. However, Roy Yamaguchi kept control and ownership of all the Roy's locations in Hawaii. He also kept the restaurant at Pebble Beach.
In 2015, Bloomin' Brands sold the mainland U.S. Roy's operations to another company called United Ohana. The restaurants owned by United Ohana are still called Roy's. You can find them on the roysrestaurant.com website. Roy Yamaguchi still owns and operates six locations in Hawaii. These are in Waikiki, Hawaii Kai, Kaanapali, Waikoloa, Ko Olina, and Turtle Bay. You can find information about these locations on the royshawaii.com website.
See also
