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In Los Angeles, a restaurant’s setting can become as much a part of an evening as the meal. Boulevard Hospitality Group founder and CEO Freddy Braidi has built his approach around that relationship, bringing food, architecture and entertainment together across a portfolio of distinct venues.
Drawing on his background as a Hollywood film executive, Braidi approaches hospitality with an emphasis on atmosphere and how people experience a space. The group’s restaurants range from Japanese dining destinations overlooking the city to Mediterranean-inspired coastal settings, each with its own identity.
Yamashiro Makes the Setting Part of the Meal
In the Hollywood Hills, Yamashiro Hollywood combines Japanese-inspired architecture, koi ponds, garden pathways and sweeping city views. Its setting accommodates both intimate dinners and larger celebrations, with a menu spanning sushi, shareable plates and substantial entrees.
Selections include sushi boats, specialty rolls, spicy tuna crispy rice, oshidori duck confit and steaks. Bao buns and hamachi offer additional starting points for a meal that guests can build around different tastes and occasions.
The restaurant’s private dining spaces extend that flexibility. The Garden Courtyard incorporates waterfalls and greenery, while the Koi Dining Room offers an indoor setting with traditional Japanese aesthetics.
For larger gatherings, the Skyview Room pairs panoramic Los Angeles views with space for up to 60 guests. The Sunset Dining Room features expansive windows facing the skyline, and the open-air Sky Deck provides another perspective on the city, with heaters for cooler evenings.
Taking Yamashiro to Miami
BHG expanded Yamashiro to Miami in late 2025, adapting the concept to a different city through water features, skyline views and open-air dining.
The expansion reflects the group’s approach to carrying a recognizable hospitality identity into a new market while allowing the surroundings to shape the experience. In both locations, the relationship between the dining room and the view is central to the concept.
A Coastal Perspective at Ilya
At Ilya Restaurant in San Clemente, the focus shifts to Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with coastal influences.
The menu includes barramundi carpaccio, truffle tagliatelle and seared salmon, alongside Australian rack of lamb and Berkshire pork chop. Vegetarian selections broaden the choices for diners, while seafood, pasta and larger entrees provide options for different appetites.
Ilya illustrates the range within BHG’s portfolio. Its coastal approach offers a different experience from Yamashiro’s hillside setting while maintaining the group’s emphasis on the relationship between food and surroundings.
Different Restaurants, Distinct Identities
Rokusho LA and Udatsu Sushi LA explore additional approaches to Japanese dining. Other venues—including Osa Rooftop, Durango Cocina, Royal Hawaiian and Cork & Batter Road House—extend the portfolio across different cuisines and social settings.
That variety gives BHG room to serve different occasions, from a destination dinner to a gathering built around a rooftop or a more casual restaurant environment. The common thread is an emphasis on giving each venue a recognizable character.
Connecting Hospitality and Hollywood
BHG’s involvement with the Dolby Theatre and TCL Chinese Theatre also connects its hospitality business to Los Angeles’ entertainment landscape.
The venues serve different roles: The Dolby Theatre hosts major entertainment events, while TCL Chinese Theatre remains a recognizable part of Hollywood’s cinema history. Their place in the portfolio brings Braidi’s entertainment background into focus alongside his restaurant work.
Across those settings, BHG’s approach centers on how food, design and programming contribute to an experience. A city view, a distinctive dining room or a historic stage becomes part of what guests take away from the visit.
Learn more about Freddy Braidi and the group’s portfolio at Boulevard Hospitality Group’s official website.
The post Boulevard Hospitality Group Puts Experience on the Menu appeared first on The Hype Magazine.
