Mrs. Yamaguchi has her fingers crossed that by early May, her local favorite and sorely missed Japanese restaurant of 25 years, Yamaguchi, will reopen its doors at its new location at 49 Main Street on the corner of North Bayles Avenue.
March 14 marked the one-year anniversary of the tragic Main Street fire that burnt down not only Restaurant Yamaguchi but also Steve’s Barber Shop and an AT&T store. Thick smoke poured into the streets from the three-story building that afternoon when sirens and smoke filled the air forcing 100 people to be evacuated from the street level stores and 15 apartments three flights above. The focus of the investigation turned to roofers who were working on the building at the time, using blow torches during heavy winds.
The barber shop and AT&T were both able to relocate relatively quickly. Not so for the well-known Japanese eatery.
Yamaguchi’s owners—Yasuko (known to customers only as Mrs. Yamaguchi), her husband, and sushi chef Akira—have been keeping busy this past year with plenty of planning and preparation to open their new location. They greatly missed the ongoing work of serving the Port Washington community.
“It’s so exciting for us to have finally begun construction and we are happy to be coming back to town again,” said Yamaguchi. “We have really missed our loyal customers and friends.”
According to the Yamaguchis, customers can expect the same great dishes they enjoyed before. Most of the popular dishes will stay the same, with not very many changes on the menu.
However, one change is in the offing. They will be making more vegetable dishes to suit the preferences of our resident vegetarians. Yamaguchi said she will try to create more dishes to cater to those customers.
Manhasset Press asked her what she considers the town’s favorite dish? She replied without hesitation: shabu shabu : a bubbling cauldron at the table in which customers cook their own choice of seafood, steak or chicken plus a medley of fresh vegetables right on the table.
“It’s like a fondu,” she said.
The new décor of Restaurant Yamaguchi, with seating for 72 guests, will be very simple. Yamaguchi has left that up to her designer’s discretion. It will be similar to before with a sushi bar seating six persons due to the narrowness of the space. There are two sushi chefs and eight rotating or part-time wait staff.
Yamaguchi looks forward to greeting the familiar faces. Plans are being considered for a special grand opening, buffet-style lunch and dinner.
Hours will be Tuesdays through Thursdays: lunch from 12 to 2:30 pm. Dinner from 5:30-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday dinner from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Sunday dinner 5 to 9:30 p.m. No weekend lunch. Rear parking available.
