damnlines.comdamnlines.comA Chinatown kaiseki counter from chef Isao Yamada that Resy names among NYC's toughest reservations, with new tables released just once every 20 days.
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Resy's own guide to New York's toughest reservations names Yamada among the hardest tables in the city, reporting that the Chinatown kaiseki counter's "reservations drop 20 days in advance, with two seating times at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday." That narrow, once-per-cycle release window, combined with only two seatings a night, means availability tightens almost immediately after each drop.
The restaurant's own site, yamadanewyork.com, confirms bookings run exclusively through Resy and asks that any cancellations, adjustments, or rebookings be made "at least 48 hours in advance" of a reservation — a policy that limits how many last-minute openings filter back into the system. The tasting menu runs $330 per guest over roughly two hours, per the site, and with just two seatings nightly, the total covers available on any given evening are small.
Neither Resy's guide nor Yamada's own website documents a walk-in option; both describe dining at the counter strictly in terms of advance Resy bookings, so arriving without a reservation isn't presented as a viable path in either source.
Patterns as reported by press and regulars — not measured by damnlines.
Reservations: Reservations release on Resy 20 days in advance for two nightly seatings (5:30pm and 8:30pm), Tuesday–Saturday; no walk-ins documented; cancellations require 48 hours' notice, per Yamada's official site.
Tuesday–Saturday, seatings at 5:30pm and 8:30pm; closed Sunday and Monday, per Yamada's official site.
There's no walk-in wait at Yamada because seats are reservation-only and released just once every 20 days, per Resy's guide to New York's toughest reservations. With only two seatings a night (5:30pm and 8:30pm, Tuesday through Saturday) and a single release date, tables for a given window can sell out within that drop rather than involve any same-day wait, per the same report and Yamada's official site.
Yes — Yamada books exclusively through Resy, according to the restaurant's own website. New reservations are released 20 days in advance, per Resy's guide to NYC's toughest tables, and the restaurant asks for at least 48 hours' notice on any cancellation or change.
No walk-in policy is published by Yamada or Resy — both describe the counter strictly in terms of advance reservations, so walking in without a booking isn't documented as an option.
Per Resy's guide to New York's toughest reservations, Yamada's tables drop 20 days ahead of each seating, with only two seatings per night (5:30pm and 8:30pm) Tuesday through Saturday. That combination of a single release window and limited nightly covers is what makes Resy flag it as one of the city's hardest reservations to land.
Per the restaurant's own website, Yamada's tasting menu is $330 per guest and takes about two hours, reflecting its status as a Michelin-starred kaiseki counter.
Sources: Resy — The One Who Keeps the Book · Yamada official site · Resy