The Big Grill Festival 2025 - Recap
WHAT IS THE BIG GRILL FESTIVAL?
The Big Grill Festival 2025 is expected to welcome up to 25,000 attendees, taking place from 14th to 17th August at Herbert Park in Dublin. Recognised as Europe’s largest BBQ festival, the event will feature an exciting four-day celebration of food, bringing together top chefs, live cooking demonstrations, and a vibrant atmosphere for food enthusiasts.
First time Yamamori
Yamamori proudly celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. After being invited to participate as a vendor at The Big Grill Festival a couple of years ago, we felt this was the perfect time to take on the challenge and become part of the festival experience.
Wagyu — on another level
While many guests come for our hero dish, yakitori, we’ve noticed that Wagyu has become a popular choice too. Its rich flavour and tenderness make it truly delicious and stunning.
We proudly serve Wagyu dishes across all our locations, so no matter which Yamamori you visit, you can still indulge in this exceptional experience.
Limited Yaki Onigiri — A Popular Choice
Have you heard about Yaki Onigiri?
Yaki Onigiri is a grilled rice ball, a beloved and traditional Japanese fast/easy food. The word “yaki” comes from the Japanese verb “yaku” (焼く), which means “to grill” or “to cook over direct heat”, and “onigiri” refers to a rice ball.
While onigiri is still not very popular in Ireland, we believe it’s only a matter of time before more people discover and love it.
Yaki Onigiri is a classic Japanese comfort food — simple, flavourful, and easy to enjoy. In Japan, you can easily find onigiri at almost every convenience store, making it a staple in everyday life.
Amazingly, it was so popular that we sold out every single day!
Hero Dish!!
Yakitori is our hero dish for The Big Grill 2025!
Have you noticed the word “Yaki” in both Yaki Onigiri and Yakitori? In Japanese, “yaki” comes from the verb “yaku” (焼く), meaning “to grill.”
For Yakitori, “tori” means chicken or bird in Japanese, so Yakitori literally translates to “grilled chicken.” Similarly, Yaki Onigiri means “grilled rice ball.”
It’s a fun reminder of how much grilling is cherished in Japanese food culture. And of course, you can enjoy our Yakitori at all Yamamori restaurants too!
Please meet our Sous Chef from Yamamori North City — Daniel!
Daniel joined Yamamori in October 2021 as a Junior Sous Chef and, through his hard work and dedication, was promoted to Sous Chef in 2025.
He has a great personality — always friendly, energetic, and deeply passionate about food. This year, Daniel has been a big part of several food festivals and events with Yamamori — and if you look through the photos, you’ll often spot him there, fully enjoying the experience and sharing his love for food with everyone.
Please meet our Head Chef from Izakaya — Tomoyo!
Tomoyo is an amazing and charming person who comes from Kyoto, Japan. Whenever we start planning our menu, we always discuss it with her — she truly brings the authentic taste of Japan to Yamamori!
Her menus are always incredible, carefully crafted with passion and expertise. Having been part of the Yamamori family for a long time, Tomoyo’s experience and creativity shine through in every dish she creates.
Thank you so much for visiting our booth during the Big Grill Festival last week!
Here's a quick recap — and a huge thank you to everyone who made this event such a success!
First, we want to express our deepest appreciation to everyone who tried our food and supported us throughout the festival.
A special thanks to our incredible team: Head Chef Tomoyo from Izakaya, Sous Chef Daniel from Yamamori North City, Erika, Paul, Leo, Sergio, Julie, Kamila, and Tatiana — you all truly shone and rocked the event!
To those who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, preparing all the food before the festival, we know how much effort it took. Even if you weren’t on-site, we couldn’t have done it without you.
To our former Yamamori family — thank you so much for your continued help and support!
A big thanks also goes to the very well-organised Big Grill Festival team and to Laura, who stood guard at the Yamamori booth for all four days — we appreciate you!
We had so much fun being part of the Big Grill 2025 and can’t wait to see you all again next year at Big Grill 2026!
A Big Hug and love!! ❤️
The Yamamori Team
