Special Recognition Award
Taiwan is known for its computer chips, but today we celebrate another of its amazing exports: Chef and owner Jimmy Chang and his wonderful Yama Restaurant at 245 Washington St. in Wellesley.
Yama is much more than the great restaurant that we celebrate today. It’s the eternal power of a dream, the drive, and desire to succeed.
Chef and owner Jimmy Chang honed his craft in his native Taiwan before moving to the United States in the 1980s. He spent time as a sushi chef on Long Island and worked at one of the first authentic Japanese restaurants in New Hampshire before opening Yama 15 years ago.
Nobody can tell his story better than the chef himself:
I was born and grew up in Taiwan, Republic of China and, prior to any Japanese food experience and coming to the U.S. to join my parents, I spent 2 years in the ROC military. I was later introduced to Japanese cooking in Taiwan which is famous for their superb cooking techniques. I then moved to the USA and continued my education in Japanese food preparation and service by working in various capacities at several restaurants in the Northeast but especially in the fine art of Japanese sushi. After a few years of learning to both cook and serve, I was ready to take the leap and open my own restaurant. Finding a proper location wasn’t easy but, with my parents help, Wellesley MA and Washington Street was decided on, specifically 245 Washington St. second floor. That was 1995-almost 31 years ago – and our reputation for great Japanese food and service is stellar over all those years. We look forward to seeing you and treating your taste buds to a wonderful experience.
Today, the Wellesley Celebrations Committee, a standing committee of the Select Board, Town of Wellesley, honors Yama Restaurant, with a Special Recognition Award.