About T. I. C.
"New York has no 'Japantown,' but in his quiet way, Mr. Yagi has dedicated himself to building just such a culinary and cultural vortex."
- New York Times
Mr. Bon Yagi moved to New York in the 1970s, searching for the opportunity to bring Japanese cuisine beyond the conversation of "sushi and instant noodles" to NYC.
Since opening his first TIC restaurant in 1984, T.I.C. Restaurant group has introduced culinary destinations for everyone to enjoy Japan without airfare, each one unique in its authentic tastes and traditions. Glistening glazes drizzled over takoyaki. Bubbling shabu shabu hot pot. Crispy panko breaded katsu curry. Smooth slices of fresh sashimi. Wavy bowls of fresh ramen. Cups overflowing with rare Japanese sakes. Floured boards with handmade soba. The T.I.C. journey of Japanese cuisine and culture begins around East Ninth and Tenth Streets, is expanding uptown, and continues to grow throughout the food fabric of New York City.
Press
Yagi's first TIC restaurant in 1984, Hasaki, a sushi restaurant on East 9th Street named after the small town in Chiba where his father was born.
The New York Times
"If you have a fondness for Japanese food, especially the unpretentious street grub and lunchbox fare that are a common part of day-to-day life in Japan, it’s likely that you’ve patronized one of Mr. Yagi’s 13 restaurants.
Although many of New York’s most dedicated gastronomes aren’t even aware of it, Mr. Yagi, who was born Shuji Bon Yagi in Japan in 1948 and started his career in the United States as a dishwasher in Philadelphia, is one of the most influential ambassadors for Japanese cuisine in New York."
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In 1975 Yagi made money by selling handmade jewelry in the Ginza and Roppongi districts in Tokyo.
Awards
11th Minister's Awards for Overseas Promotion of Japanese Food
"Mr. Yagi constructively conducted planning and marketing of restaurants appealing to the taste of New Yorkers while also actively importing ingredients and food products from Japan."
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The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays
For his outstanding contributions to promoting Japanese cuisine in the United States
Our Contributions
Great T. I. C. Partnerships
T.I.C. Restaurant Group supports renewable energy.
At T.I.C. Restaurant Group, we use renewable energy because we appreciate the local community and
the environment that help us grow. We choose renewable energy to reduce our carbon footprint and
to support sustainable power sources with fewer environmental impacts.