Turning Japanese

Bubby’s Readies for Japanese Debut

Photo: Justin Beck

Bubby’s, the Tribeca and Dumbo brunch and pie joint, is opening a branch of the restaurant in Yokohama, Japan. Through a licensing deal with Yokohama Railroad, the New York favorite will debut on June 1 at the Yokohama Railroad Station, as part of a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the opening of the port of Yokohama to western trade. In a recent newsletter, Bubby’s chef and owner Ron Silver has more:

Though our friends in Japan were the most gracious hosts, it seems genuinely unfair that when chefs came from Japan to Bubby’s they were so busy that we had no chance to reciprocate the excellent hosting. They hit the ground running, with only 12 days to learn everything Bubby. There really isn’t any pie in Japan. What they have there is machine-made dookie frozen pie. The Japanese chefs were essentially thrown into a Japanimation Octagon fight to the death: two go in; one comes out. By day six, both of them were talking in their sleep: “not enough pies…


The restaurant will have 160 seats, and a counter/café setup next door. As for the changes they made for the Japanese market, Silver said portion sizes have been shrunk, although they’ll also be offering dishes in “kitschily” big sizes, such as a macaroni and cheese that can feed an entire family. Also, Silver says, the word “Bubby’s” makes people laugh in Japan. Tee hee.

PDF: Bubby’s News

Bubby’s Readies for Japanese Debut