“O Canada”
An Interview with Jason Yamasaki,
group sommelier & bar development
JOEY Restaurant Group
By Lisa Gmur, CSW
UNCORKED
JOEY Restaurant Group is a special company, something I learned at their conference in Whistler, British Columbia, last spring. The CEO and a lot of their staff are all born and bred in Canada, just like the company, but they are growing quickly in the United States with locations in Texas, California, Florida, and Washington State. Their CEO Jeff Fuller started his remarkable journey flipping burgers, washing dishes and sweeping floors. Paying his dues, so to speak.
The first JOEY opened in 1992, and as word spread, plans for a second location were quickly in the works. The company is all about assembling the very best people. I saw and felt that firsthand.
Today there are 30 JOEY Restaurants across Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Seattle, California, Florida and Texas. Their model isn’t to repeat formulas but create spaces perfectly suited to the locale and its clientele. Each JOEY restaurant is unique, but they all have plenty in common: great food, lively environments, and exceptional dining experiences.
We talked with JOEY’s Group Sommelier, Jason Yamasaki about everything from his dreams of being a professional hockey player, his very intriguing food and wine pairings, and his newest role of being a dad.
Pictured Left: Jason Yamasaki
THE INTERVIEW
The Mark Wine Group
Please tell us a little bit about JY.
Editor's Note: (I quickly learned at the conference that this is his name and not the Jason I had been using in correspondence.)
Jason Yamasaki
I’m a professional busboy who pours wine from time to time.
I’m a hobbyist home cook who is obsessed with timeless cuisine.
I’m a wannabe comedian who hosts and emcee a lot of events. I’m a new father and an eccentric husband.
Jason Yamasaki
I used to live much more capriciously. Now, I’m working on being disciplined and intentional with my time.
I’m home early and to bed early and preparing the family meals for the week.
Meanwhile, my connection to my daughter, wife, and family has grown to a depth that I could have never imagined.
Jason Yamasaki
We shared an office at the restaurant. She ran the daytime service. I was running the nights. We crossed over a few times a week. Now we crossover for life.
Jason Yamasaki
I grew up just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia. I’ve lived and worked in Vancouver my entire career, save for one year in Chicago, and one harvest in Austria.
My mom was an elementary school teacher and my dad worked in finance for some different communications companies. Restaurants and hospitality were not in the blood.
Jason Yamasaki
Most of my young years were spent dreaming of a life as a goaltender in the National Hockey League.
Hockey was my life until my late teens when I discovered I was an average netminder and would never make it to the bigs.
Next, yes, I wanted to be a chef.
Jason Yamasaki
Ha! I was a baseball camp counselor where my responsibility was retrieving balls and pylons from the outfield.
My first real job was a busboy at a casual chain restaurant called White Spot here in Vancouver.
By some stroke of luck, a culinary internship at this local restaurant turned into more of a busboy internship and I ended up discovering and loving the front of house right away.
The Mark Wine Group
There is something magical about front of house. Getting to chat and float through the room. How did you get there from the busboy gig?
Jason Yamasaki
I had a co-worker notice that I was enjoying my job at the restaurant, and I was soon to graduate.
She said, ‘You really like this don’t you? You should go into a hospitality program after high school.’
I took her suggestion, and I studied Hospitality Management at Vancouver Community College.
Jason Yamasaki
I worked many years of on-the-floor sommelier and fine-dining service experience at one of the busiest restaurants in Vancouver.
I was the wine buyer for that restaurant, and I had a sommelier certification from the International Sommelier Guild.
I was confident that I could serve any table, any size, any demand, and any experience level with graciousness, expertise and kindness.
CONTINUED
Jason Yamasaki
Yes. I was contacted by Geoff Boyd, JOEY COO, who I knew from his work as a judge for the Vancouver Magazine Wine Awards. I was on the pouring team for those awards.
Geoff contacted me shortly after I earned the title of Best Sommelier of BC.
We spoke a few times about the Group Sommelier role and the offer sounded appealing. That was 8 years ago, and I am grateful every day for the opportunity and everything that has come with it.
The Mark Wine Group
I definitely got a feel for the culture and energy of JOEY at the conference. I imagine it is an amazing place to work?
Jason Yamasaki
Firstly, it's working with and among bold leaders who approach their role as owners of their own business.
It’s a combination of innovating for a large audience and refining that which is proven. It is boundless creativity grounded in responsibility. It’s an incredible place to explore what’s possible in the elevated casual dining space.
All that said, the thread that connects it all is a commitment to people and leadership development.
Come as you are, leave even better.
The Mark Wine Group
Truly a perfect mantra. We would love to hear what’s happening behind the scenes. What are some new projects you are working on?
Jason Yamasaki
There are always new restaurants on the horizon. We’re weeks away from opening our first LOCAL Public Eatery in Dallas.
Then we have our biggest restaurant yet in downtown Toronto this winter. I’m designing a sparkling wine tableside cart experience for that one so that we can emphasize the celebration of gathering at the table.
Each opening is the chance to try out new things and create some unique in-person wine experiences for our teams.
The Mark Wine Group
You had me at “sparkling wine tableside cart” experience! Hah!
How often do you update your wine program and how do you pick new wines?
Jason Yamasaki
We make updates three or four times a year. Some of our listings have been guest and company favorites that are mainstays. Others spots we keep a bit more dynamic.
We have a fairly set size and matrix behind that make up the bones of the list. That allows me to be ongoingly evaluating quality, expression, and value for each spot.
Seasonal menu changes also dictate what moves will happen when.
Jason Yamasaki
Along with a directory our listings with tasting notes, food matches, and winery stories, I host company-wide and region-specific video calls that cover everything from general wine wisdom to myth busting, to service best practices, to producer interviews.
The Mark Wine Group
Myth busting. That’s a biggie. Any favorite places you have traveled to for work or leisure?
Jason Yamasaki
I’ve been very fortunate to have traveled to almost every major wine producing country over the last 12 years.
My answer for both work and leisure is Italy –particularly Florence and Chianti Classico. I will forever find joy exploring that region.
Also, a wine trip to Australia through Barossa, Adelaide, McLaren Vale and Yarra was very palate-expanding to discover both classic and contemporary wines. I’m a huge fan and advocate.
Australia makes every kind of wine. Every kind. I’m struggling to think of a grape or wine style that I haven’t had a spellbinding version of from Australia.
The Mark Wine Group
Right? Yarra Valley Viognier. Mount Pleasant Semillon. Yeah. Do you have a favorite part of your job?
Jason Yamasaki
My favorite part of the job is inventing ways to share hospitality and wine with our teams. My mission is to create experiences that challenge and enlighten people to their capabilities in service, wine and food.
This may show up like a head-to-head wine descriptor card game. Or a glassware polishing and handling race. Or a tableside madlib training. Or a wine and potato chip pairing competition.
I have endless ideas to try to spark a love and enthusiasm for all things hospitality.
The Mark Wine Group
Madlibs. Card games. Wine and Potato Chip pairing competition. Wow! How do I sign up to work for you!
Guessing you have some pretty fire food and wine pairings you love?
Jason Yamasaki
Pasta pomodoro with Chianti Classico. Roquefort and Sauternes. Oysters and Muscadet. Porcini risotto and Barolo. Curry and Australian Grenache. Brunch and Moscato d’Asti.
Fast food onion rings and sparkling wine. Cabernet Sauvignon and grilled meats with green sauce. Barolo Chinato and dark chocolate. Crab cakes and Chablis. Vongole and Vermentino.
Just to name a few.
JY samples a glass of Monsanto Chianti Classico at Castello Monsanto.
JY enjoys a glass of Gloria Ferrer Rosé.
FIND OUR WINES AT JOEY
Segura Viudas Brut Cava
Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs
Simonnet-Febvre Chablis
Comte Lafond Grande Cuvée Blanc
Château Pichon Réserve de la Comtesse
Martin Ray Chardonnay
King Estate Pinot Noir
CONTINUED
The Mark Wine Group
I'm drooling! Forgetting food for a moment, what are some of your “go to” grape varietals?
Jason Yamasaki
I will most often reach for Chardonnay and Sangiovese.
I like Chardonnay from everywhere in virtually every style. I love discovering different producers’ approach. My favorite Sangiovese is Chianti Classico.
I also find it endlessly fascinating to taste the different expressions around Tuscany. It also helps that it’s the perfect condiment to a range of cuisines.
Jason Yamasaki
I like straightforward dishes with simple, familiar and comforting presentations. The kind of cuisine people enjoy at home on a weekday.
Like my favourite grapes, I love how many different approaches there can be to timeless standards.
Roast chicken. Grilled fish. Beef and potatoes. Salads and slaws. Soups and stews.
Jason Yamasaki
We’ve had great success with both rosé and sparkling over the last few years.
Next up, we’re looking to make Lambrusco a core part of our offering. It’s perfect with our food and a delight for most everyone who is discovering it for the first time. Deeply colored. Chilled. Fizzy. Just off-dry. So much to love. Currently it’s a little bit trendy and we hope to move the needle and introduce this style to a wider audience.
For example, we did a big day on June 21 (Lambrusco Day) where all our guests that joined us for dinner were poured a little glass to kick off their experience.
The Mark Wine Group
Your ideas are so extra. Like really inventive and ingenious. I am in awe.
Talking wine experiences; Do you remember your first taste of wine?
Jason Yamasaki
I remember my first three tastes of wine – but I can’t remember which one came first.
It was either Boxing Day* at my uncle’s house, a staff training at the restaurant where I was a bus boy, or a late night in the park in high school.
I had the same reaction to all three experiences – yuck.
*(For those who don’t know, Boxing Day is December 26th and refers to a Commonwealth holiday originally invented as a way to donate gifts to those in need.)
Jason Yamasaki
I was newly learning about wine and I was out for dinner with my girlfriend and her family. Eager to show off my new knowledge, I ordered a bottle for the table.
The waiter poured the wine for me to taste. I smelled it. It was familiar, but not in the right way. I nervously said to the waiter, ‘I don’t think this is how it’s supposed to smell.’ He removed the bottle and came back a few minutes later, ‘You’re right sir, that last bottle was corked. Let’s try another one.’
That was a wine win that was a huge boost to my confidence. As a result, I try to share corked wine with as many people as I can and insist that they commit that aroma to memory.
The Mark Wine Group
Nothing like the stinkiness of a corked wine. Great story and good on you for sharing what corked wines smell like with as many people as possible. It’s an aroma I cringe at no matter where or when.
So, were you a foodie as a kid? Or more a mac n cheese, Spaghetti O’s kind of kid?
Jason Yamasaki
Our house had a regular rotation of the things you’d expect in the 90’s at a family table. Spaghetti and red sauce. Meatloaf. Baked Chicken. Tuna Casserole. Lasagna.
If it was in the Betty Crocker cookbook, it was probably served at some point.
The Mark Wine Group
I remember that cookbook on my mother’s shelf! That and “The Joy of Cooking.” I am happy to say the cookbooks throughout our kitchen and dining room are way more encompassing. I know yours are too!
Thank you so much for taking the time of your crazy busy schedule to do this!
Jason Yamasaki
I had a great time answering these questions and getting a chance to reflect on the last few years.