Jeff Fang and his business partner Ella Guan traveled a great distance to find one another; Jeff was born in Japan and Ella in China. It was their love of exceptional food, skillfully prepared and beautifully presented, that forged their business partnership, not in Japan or China, but here, in Cypress, Texas.
For 25 years, Jeff has been working in the food industry. He became a student of the Japanese art of food preparation in his home city of Yokohama, the namesake of the restaurant. (ya at the end means house). “In 2008, I came to Houston, and became a Chinese cook with the Shogun Restaurants!” he said with a smile. “Next, I went to work at Tomiko Japanese Restaurant.” Meanwhile, Ella studied first in China, then at Yokohama University for a degree in Business Management. Returning to China, Ella made the decision, eight years ago, to attend the University of Houston to study and work for an MBA. “My parents owned a restaurant in China. For two years, I was looking for a partner to start a restaurant in Houston. I needed a partner that knew good food and had the knowledge necessary to run a restaurant. I tried a lot of Japanese food, and then, I went to Tomiko. I could always tell whenever Jeff was preparing the food; it was the best!”
Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the soft opening of Yokohamaya. Chef Jeff Fang, together with Ella Guan, orchestrated a steady stream of culinary masterpieces at each table. Commenting on the beautifully presented dishes, Jeff explained that in fine Japanese dining, “the presentation, the aroma, and the taste are all of equal importance.” The restaurant seats 65. Valerie Lynne recommends seating at the bar that encircles Jeff’s prep station. “It’s a great place to watch him work, and to sample something you’ve been wanting to try.”
Not sure what to order? Chef Jeff can help you to select from a tantalizing array of appetizers, salads, noodle and combination dinners, sushi, sashimi, and special rolls. The combination meals are accompanied by soup or salad. Editor’s note: The shrimp tempura, seaweed salad, teriyaki chicken, ramen noodle soup, and spicy tuna roll are all heavenly! Oh, and don’t forget the Saki!
What Cypress is saying?
Valerie Lynne: “It was so good! I’m so excited to see Jeff fulfilling his dream!”
Doug Simon: “The freshness of the sushi was great! Jeff “gets” quality product. He knows his seafood, and is always willing to design a sushi roll based on a customer’s taste.”
Christy McClanahan: “Got take-out from Yokohamaya the other day…very good Sushi. Their lunch specials are amazing (price wise), too.”
Suzy Klein Mosher: “…Ate at Yokohamaya the other night. It was delicious! Everything tasted so fresh! Customer service was excellent! So nice to have this so close. We will be back!”
JP Coyle: “I have been 3 times since it opened. It is amazing! Delicious and he (Jeff) is super nice. Sushi so fresh, I have not had such yummy sushi in a very long time. Customer service was awesome and everyone was happy.”
Elizabeth Ward: “The sushi is really good and the staff (is) very friendly, great atmosphere.”
Amy Whitley Wilkes: “We really enjoyed our sushi at Yokohamaya! It was very fresh and soft, and my tempura based sushi roll was warm and crisp. The rolls were huge, too. They gave us a small cucumber and crab salad to try while we waited. Also, gave us a 10% off coupon to use on return visits.”
