From the founder of Hikiniku To Come comes a new take on Japanese comfort food, complete with handmade hamburg steaks, house-made vegetable juice and a Singapore-exclusive chicken patty.

Lau Pa Sat is getting a new reason to stop by for lunch. Yamamoto’s Hamburg, the Japanese hamburg specialist affectionately known as “Yamahan” in Japan, is opening its first Singapore restaurant at the historic food destination, with a soft launch on 22 September 2026 followed by its official Grand Opening on 5 October.

The restaurant is the first concept created by Shohei Yamamoto, who is also behind cult-favourite hamburg steak restaurant Hikiniku To Come, which opened in Singapore earlier this year. Founded in Tokyo’s Ebisu neighbourhood in 2005, Yamamoto’s Hamburg is built around a simple idea: that a good meal should feel a little like coming home.

For Yamamoto, that philosophy goes back to childhood. His mother prepared meals from scratch using carefully selected ingredients, and it was only as he grew older that he came to appreciate the thought and care that went into those everyday dishes.

That feeling became the foundation for Yamahan, a restaurant designed around wholesome ingredients, handmade food and the warmth of a home-cooked meal. Shohei Yamamoto, founder of Yamamoto’s Hamburg, says: “Yamahan was born from the kind of food I grew up eating at home. My mother always took great care in choosing ingredients and preparing meals for our family, and it was only when I got older that I came to understand how much thought and love went into making those dishes. I wanted to bring that same sense of care to Yamamoto’s Hamburg, by serving diners with dishes that are fresh, delicious, and made from ingredients that they can feel good about.

I am excited to bring this concept to Singapore, where I believe there is an appreciation for high quality, thoughtfully prepared meals and I hope that our dishes can become a familiar and comforting part of diners’ everyday meals here.”

That philosophy comes through in four areas Yamahan places particular emphasis on: meat, vegetables, rice and people. The hamburg patties are handmade using carefully selected Japanese beef blended with pork for flavour and texture, while Japanese rice is chosen to complement the meat and its juices. Vegetables are treated as an essential part of the meal, rather than an afterthought. Even the restaurant’s vegetable juice gets the same attention.

The star of the menu is of course the Yamamoto Hamburg ($19.90), the restaurant’s signature hand-formed beef patty stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese and mushroom cream sauce. It is finished with a rich demi-glace layered with miso and dashi.

There are plenty of other variations for those who like their hamburgs with a little more punch. The Jikasei Hamburg ($17.90) offers the classic patty, while the Kimchi Cheese Hamburg ($19.90) takes a hot-pot approach, simmering the hamburg in kimchi broth before topping it with melted cheese.

For something brighter, the Goma Yuzu Ponzu and Oni Oroshi Ponzu Hamburgs, both $15.90, bring citrus and ponzu flavours into the mix. Other options include versions with tomato sauce, garlic yuzu-pepper sauce, or karashi mayonnaise and cheese.

And Singapore gets something that diners in Japan do not: a Singapore-exclusive chicken patty, made fresh in-house specifically for the local opening. It is Yamahan’s way of adapting the concept for its new home while keeping the handmade approach at the heart of the menu.

One of the more unusual details of the Yamahan experience is its house-made vegetable juice. Prepared fresh each day from a seasonal blend of fruits and vegetables, the juice is intended to become a small ritual before the meal. The day’s produce is displayed in a basket alongside the freshly prepared juice, putting the ingredients themselves on show.

Every Rice Set ($3.90) or Salad Set ($4.90) comes with a complimentary tasting portion of the vegetable juice, with an upsized portion available for an additional $2.50. For the table, there is also a selection of sides including Signature Yamahan Salad ($5.90), Anchovy Butter Potatoes ($4.90), Rustic Pork Sausages ($7.90), French Fries ($4.90) and Karaage, priced at $3.90 for three pieces or $4.90 for five.

The choice of Lau Pa Sat feels fitting for a restaurant whose concept is rooted in everyday food. One of Singapore’s most recognisable food landmarks, the historic market sits in the middle of the CBD, bringing together locals, office workers and visitors over everything from hawker favourites to international dining concepts.

Yamahan will be adding its own interpretation of Japanese comfort food to that mix, bringing a concept that began in Tokyo’s trendy Ebisu neighbourhood into one of Singapore’s most familiar dining settings. The Singapore restaurant is also part of Yamahan’s wider expansion beyond Japan, following two restaurants in Hong Kong.

To mark its Grand Opening, Yamahan will also be giving diners a small keepsake. From 5 to 7 October 2026, the first 300 redemptions each day will receive a complimentary pack of five exclusive Yamahan stickers with a minimum spend of $20, excluding GST and service charge. The five designs take inspiration from Yamahan and its new CBD home, making them a playful souvenir from the restaurant’s Singapore debut.

For anyone who enjoys the particular comfort of a sizzling hamburg steak, especially one served with Japanese flavours and a side of thoughtful ingredient storytelling, Yamahan’s arrival at Lau Pa Sat offers a new lunchtime destination to put on the list.

Yamamoto’s Hamburg officially opens on 5th October 2026 at Lau Pa Sat.