Wheatland, Calif. (August 6, 2024) — Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain is proud to welcome Brian “Big B” Ikenoyama as its new Room Chef at YOUYU, the property’s Asian-Inspired Street Food & Noodle Bar restaurant.
Ikenoyama was born and raised on California’s Central Coast where he developed an appreciation for farm fresh produce. After earning his degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, he attended California Culinary Academy during San Francisco’s food revolution. Upon graduating, he moved to Maui to work for famed chef and restauranteur Roy Yamaguchi for nine years refining his knowledge of Pacific Rim Fusion. He helped Yamaguchi open Roy’s restaurants throughout the United States.
Ikenoyama went on to open several Japanese restaurants in Northern California before joining the Google team in Mountain View where his restaurants featured Japanese, Chinese, Indian, and Latin cuisines. Most recently, prior to joining Hard Rock Sacramento, he spent several years involved in the Sacramento farm to fork scene as Executive Chef at Fat’s Asia Bistro Roseville.
“Chef Brian brings his own multicultural approach to Pan-Asian cuisine through monthly and seasonal menus, highlighting traditional dishes and putting his own unique twist on familiar favorites while maintaining and elevating the core offerings of YOUYU that have made it a destination for guests since it opened in 2019,” explained Jarrett Hipp, Director of Food and Beverage at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain.
In his free time, Ikenoyama loves eating great food, drinking premium sake, and strolling the American River Trail.