The glam hermitting in the city – Yamaha Restaurant in Guangzhou

I have been looking for time to write about this experience for a while now, so here we are – Guangzhou’s Yamaha Restaurant (山葉料理).

Yamaha restaurant locates behind the pub and bars street of Liede. Its entrance does not quite stand out among the neon lights around, but it certainly is something else. Once the elevator opens the door, you can feel your whole being immersed in the glam of Yamaha Restaurant. That’s why I describe this place as the glam hermitting in the city. It is spacious inside and gives every table their personal space. Not only do they have tables and teppanyaki, but there is also the traditional tatami seats.

You can’t start a fine-dining experience without some good wine, or in this case, sake. Yamaha serves great choices of alcoholic beverages. Check out their “vanity closet” of sake.

We picked a bottle of Dassai and our own sake “Gi” to taste. In comparison with Dassai’s clear and weightless flavor, Gi has a stronger flavor that gives a whole new experience with sake. If you are someone who finds the flavor of sake underwhelming, Gi may be a good option for you.

Yamaha is very particular about their presentations and the freshness of the ingredients they used. It is my first time to try Ocean jacket and Japanese King Prawn sashimi. The ocean jacket had a very chewy texture. The prawn was very fresh and sweet. They are all very rare in Guangzhou. After asking the waitress, they said all the fifth appetizers are made with ingredients from Japan. The main course, teppanyaki steak with king crab, was just as delicious. Dassai goes really well with sashimi because then it will not overpower the freshness of the fish itself. On the other hand, Gi compliments the dish more when it comes to strong flavor like teppanyaki. Our dinner ended with crab roe and egg fried rice. How satisfying!

All in all, Yamaha restaurant is a great place for Japanese cuisine in you are in Guangzhou. Rumor has it that they over always fully-booked for dinner. If you are interested in paying a visit, remember to book a table in advance!