In 1978, Chef Jo Yamanaka moved from his hometown of Kyoto, Japan to start a new life and family in Kansas City, Missouri. His dream was to serve traditional steakhouse meats and veggies with bold Japanese flavors in the heart of the Midwest. Gojo quickly became a mainstay in the Kansas City dining scene. They happily celebrated birthdays, proms, anniversaries, and more with delicious foods, great drinks, and live entertainment…all with complete strangers at the table!



Over the years, they became famous for their signature sauces. The original yellow sauce became a cult classic and began a new way to enjoy hibachi in the Kansas City area. The sauce started on a shrimp appetizer, but they soon realized they had something exceptional when customers asked to top their rice bowls and dinner plates.



Gojo Japanese Steakhouse lit hibachi tables on fire for over 40 years in Westport, Kansas City. However, in the Spring of 2020, when the world started dining at home, they sadly served their last steak and closed our beloved restaurant. This is when their bottled sauces were born! Now you can bring our restaurant to your dinner table with their most popular sauces.



Their 40-year legacy will live on within your home and fridge as we hope to continue to bring people together through a good meal and great experiences.



They can still hear their regulars say “More yellow sauce, please!”