Itadaki Yakiniku, the Japanese steakhouse at The Bellevue Connection, has closed. The restaurant occupied a street-level space at 550 106th Avenue Northeast, and online listings for the business, including its Yelp page, now show it as permanently closed.
Itadaki Yakiniku opened in September 2024 under managing partner James Cheng, bringing a version of yakiniku, or Japanese barbecue, that combined traditional grilling with French-influenced fine dining touches. The restaurant’s menu centered on premium cuts of beef, including A5 Wagyu, American Wagyu, and locally sourced Angus, along with seafood and Japanese-inspired dishes.
Diners initially chose from a curated eight-course set menu, complete with a vegan option, before Itadaki shifted to an à la carte format in the summer of 2025. That change let guests mix and match dishes individually or opt for a custom omakase experience built around their preferences and budget.
At dinner, staff grilled meats table-side over ceramic charcoal for guests. A lunch menu added later included items such as a Wagyu burger, chashu ramen, and a beef lunch special that let diners grill their own meat at the table.
The restaurant had also been working toward opening an outdoor patio for cocktails and open-air dining, and had weekend brunch service in the works.
Itadaki Yakiniku operated as a single location in downtown Bellevue and was not part of a larger restaurant group or chain.
The space Itadaki occupied has cycled through several concepts over the past decade. Tap House Grill ran there for 13 years before closing in November 2015. COCO Asian Cuisine Izakaya-Sushi Bar followed, operating from 2017 until it closed in 2022, which set the stage for Itadaki Yakiniku’s arrival two years later.
The Bellevue Connection, located along 106th Avenue Northeast, is home to a mix of dining and retail tenants. Don’t Yell at Me, a boba tea chain, and BA Artisan Bakehouse, which focuses on artisanal baked goods, both operate in the shopping center.
Fox & Kit, a coffee shop and indoor playground concept, is still planning to open at The Bellevue Connection, in the space next to Itadaki Yakiniku’s former location. The cafe, developed by married interior designers Devin and Kyoko Westberg, will mark the brand’s first Washington state location following its original opening in San Rafael, California.
