Innovative Chef & Restaurateur; Founder of Roy's Restaurant; James Beard Award Winner; Host of PBS's "Hawaii Cooks with Roy Yamaguchi"
Roy Yamaguchi Biography
Roy Yamaguchi is a Japanese-American chef and restaurateur recognized as a pioneer of modern Hawaiian cuisine. Yamaguchi is known for developing internationally influenced, Hawaii-inspired cuisine, blending California, French, and Japanese cooking traditions with fresh ingredients from the Islands. He is one of the founding members of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement.
After attending the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Yamaguchi held positions at several California restaurants, including L'Escoffier, L'Ermitage, Le Serene, Michael's, and Le Gourmet in the Sheraton Plaza La Reina.
Yamaguchi opened his first restaurant, 385 North, in Hollywood, followed by the opening of Roy's Restaurant in the Hawaii Kai neighborhood of Honolulu. Food & Wine described Roy's as "the crown jewel of Honolulu's East-West eateries." The Roy's brand expanded to more than 30 locations worldwide, including Japan, Guam, the Philippines, and the Cayman Islands. His restaurant concepts include "Eating House 1849," "Humble Market Kitchin," "GOEN Dining + Bar," and "Woven Seafood & Chophouse." Yamaguchi has also partnered with the Puyallup Tribe to open a restaurant in Tacoma, Washington, blending international flavors with Northwest Indigenous culinary traditions.
Yamaguchi became the first Hawaii-based chef to receive the James Beard Award for Best Pacific Northwest Chef. His accolades include the California Restaurant Writers Association California Chef of the Year Award, Forbes FYI Gault-Millau Top 40, Condé Nast Traveler Top 50 Cuisines in America, Nation's Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame, the Culinary Institute of America's Augie Award, and Honolulu Magazine's John Heckathorn Dining Excellence Award.
Yamaguchi is also a television personality, hosting six seasons of the PBS series "Hawaii Cooks with Roy Yamaguchi," which aired on PBS stations across the United States and internationally. He competed on Bravo's "Top Chef Masters" and appeared as Iron Chef Asian on "Iron Chef USA." He has published four cookbooks: "Pacific Bounty," "Roy's Feasts from Hawaii," "Hawaii Cooks: Flavors from Roy's Pacific Rim Kitchen," and "Roy's Fish and Seafood."
In addition to his culinary work, Yamaguchi has contributed to culinary education and community leadership. He has served as executive director of the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapiolani Community College and as a lecturer in restaurant entrepreneurship at the University of Hawaii. Yamaguchi co-founded and chairs the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival, a prominent food and wine event in Hawaii. He also founded the Roy Yamaguchi Annual Golf Classic, which has raised significant funds for Imua Family Services.
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How do I book Roy Yamaguchi to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Roy Yamaguchi for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Roy Yamaguchi, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Roy Yamaguchi or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Roy Yamaguchi
Speaking fees for Roy Yamaguchi, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Roy Yamaguchi are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and under $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Roy Yamaguchi, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Roy Yamaguchi speak about?
Roy Yamaguchi is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Asian & Pacific Heritage, Celebrity, Celebrity Chef, Celebrity Chef, Comedian, Hall of Fame, Hospitality, Non-Fiction Authors, Reality TV, Television & Film -
Where does Roy Yamaguchi travel from?
Roy Yamaguchi generally travels from Hawaii, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Roy Yamaguchi’s agent?
AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Roy Yamaguchi for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Roy Yamaguchi for your next private or corporate function. -
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AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Roy Yamaguchi or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us. -
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Roy Yamaguchi is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics. The estimated speaking fee range to book Roy Yamaguchi for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Roy Yamaguchi generally travels from HI, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Arnold Myint, Edward Lee, Jake Cohen, Dat Phan and Rocco DiSpirito. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Roy Yamaguchi for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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