The Full Story
About
A5 YAMA
Contemporary & Authentic Japanese Cuisine in Naarden-Vesting (coming in Autumn 2025)
Yama & Angela
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With just 8 seats, Chef Hiroaki Yamamoto (Chef Yama) and Angela Oosterling offer a Japanese “omakase” dining experience that is deeply personal, intentional, and culturally expressive. An embodiment of their (cultural) identity, designed to connect and surprise.
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Together, they aim to respectfully blend classic Japanese with their passion for originality.
“Omakase” is a Japanese term meaning “I leave it up to you”. It’s a common Japanese fine dining concept where the guest trusts the chef to select and serve seasonal and carefully crafted dishes, creating an exclusive tasting menu.
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Yama​
Yama is a deeply disciplined Japanese chef with over 20 years of experience.
He closed his acclaimed (Rotterdam-based) Michelin starred restaurant in 2024 with no plans to return. But Angela, his culinary kindred spirit and close friend, saw something still unfinished, and together, they began to imagine something new.
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As a Japanese chef on Dutch soil, Yama stays grounded in the traditions of his training, but he never stops exploring. By simply working with what is available in The Netherlands and allowing curiosity to guide him, his cuisine evolved into something both rooted and original.
Angela​
With a background in food science, art, and a deep connection to both her own Dutch-Peruvian heritage and Japanese culture Angela brings depth, warmth, and a highly expressive perspective to their restaurant and menu. As the founder and owner, she leads both the creative vision and the organizational direction of A5 YAMA.
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“Angela makes my dishes better. Alongside her scientific understanding of food, her palate is extraordinarily precise and intuitive, unlike anything I've experienced before. She can articulate exactly what a dish needs and her free, artistic mind, challenges me to see beyond the strict structures I know. That is why I chose to cook with her. In the kitchen she is my right hand and protégée”- says Yama. ​
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Angela shapes flavor and story, gives voice to the experience and is chef Yama’s second pair of hands.
Yama brings it all to life with quiet mastery and deep respect for the soul of Japanese cuisine.
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A5, there's more behind the name
Here’s a little secret: The name A5 YAMA nods not only to the highest grade of Japanese Wagyu, but also to the five letter A’s hidden in the names of the founders. A quiet symbol of the layered secrets woven into the details of their restaurant and menu.
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A Conversation between different Cultures
A5 YAMA honors the traditions of Japan, while shining light to the richness of local terroir. Think honey from Naarden Vesting, vegetables from nearby farms, snoekbaars and eel from IJsselmeer, Dutch wasabi, soy sauce from Rotterdam, and even Dutch Yellowtail from Zeeland.
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And of course, the historic town of Naarden Vesting isn’t just the unique setting, it’s thoughtfully woven into their restaurant and fairytale-like menu.
Nothing here is accidental. Every ceramic piece, every movement, every ingredient and garnish is part of their story.
A5 YAMA is a natural dialogue between cultures, between two opposites, between two people, and one shared vision.
About Chef Yama
Executive Chef · Co-owner
Hiroaki Yamamoto, known as Chef Yama, started his culinary journey at the age of 20 when he moved to the Netherlands after graduating from cooking school in Japan. His passion for exceptional cuisine led him to work at the prestigious 5-star Hotel Okura in Amsterdam, where he spent 8 years honing his craft at the renowned Japanese restaurant, Yamazato, which holds a Michelin star. During this time, Chef Yama mastered a wide array of Japanese culinary techniques, including sushi, tempura, and the art of handling wagyu and fish with precision and care.
Eager to expand his skills, Chef Yama moved on to Restaurant Huson, a Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded establishment, where he connected with French culinary techniques, further refining his approach to cooking.
In 2013, Chef Yama took a bold step and opened his own restaurant, *Japanese Cuisine Yama* in Rotterdam. Over the course of 10 successful years, his dedication to Japanese traditional, authentic cuisine and extremely strict regime, while working alone in the kitchen earned him a Michelin star in 2023, marking a pinnacle in his illustrious career.
At A5 YAMA Chef Yama is now ready to show something completely new. He is a man of few words, driven by deep respect for tradition, but also a passion for both storytelling and originality. Through his craft, he reveals a more personal, expressive side.
Every dish will reflect his deep-rooted respect for Japanese culture and the country he has called home since the age of 20: The Netherlands.
His mission? To offer a magical, unique, and highly personal experience; one that surprises, moves, and leaves a lasting sense of joy.
About Angela Oosterling
Creative Culinary Director · Founder & Owner
With a Dutch-Peruvian heritage, a lifelong passion for food and art, Angela aims to bring (cross)-cultural insight, an added layer of meaning and a touch of unpredictability to the A5 YAMA experience.
After attending art academy, she spent over a decade working in hospitality in Amsterdam. Her fascination with food led her to earn a BSc in Nutrition & Dietetics. Over the years, she continued to expand her knowledge through advanced professional training, developing a deep, encyclopedic, and multidisciplinary understanding of the science and culture of food. For more than a decade, she ran her businesses within the health & food industry in Amsterdam.
Angela fell in love with Japan's rituals, depth, and attention to detail. It resonates deeply with her Peruvian culture and with Angela's own beliefs. What began as fascination became a deep connection, leading her to study the Japanese culture, etiquette, cuisine, and traditions with care.
And did you know Peru shares a century-old connection with Japan? The *Nikkei* cuisine is a perfect expression of that cultural blend.
Angela's avant-garde creative spirit fuels every part of her work; from inspiring dishes and guest experiences that play with bold contrast, memory, and emotion, to shaping how people connect with each bite.
Working alongside Chef Yama in the kitchen, she co-creates the menu, infusing innovation, creativity, and cultural perspective into every dish to bring the A5 YAMA story to life.
She also collaborates with skilled artists and ceramicists to co-create pieces that help tell that story.
Her mission is to create magic; combining heartfelt omotenashi, surprise, and storytelling to leave every guest in awe.