Since joining Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club in April, Executive Chef Garrett Yokoyama has taken a thoughtful and strategic approach to understanding the club’s culinary program. His initial focus has been evaluating current menus, products, and member preferences to ensure any changes are thoughtful and well considered.
He’s also spent time actively building relationships with local purveyors and exploring the Bay Area’s farms and specialty producers, while also connecting with other club chefs in the region, exchanging ideas, and gaining a deeper read on the local culinary scene.
A key priority is elevating the overall member dining experience. From refining the presentation of dishes to introducing new display elements and interactive concepts such as live action stations, enhanced outdoor grilling, and more. Yokoyama is focused on bringing a fresh energy to Palo Alto Hills and taking the programs members already enjoy even further. He is equally committed to team culture, fostering an environment built on collaboration and creativity.
Yokoyama has also embraced the club’s unique grounds, including the enhancement of the onsite culinary garden with herbs, produce, and edible flowers, as well as the expansion of the honey program. Both initiatives will play a meaningful role in future menus and programming.
With the club’s $52 million redevelopment project approaching, Yokoyama is contributing his experience to support kitchen design, dining operations, and overall execution throughout renovation phases.
With a thoughtful and member-focused approach, Yokoyama is looking forward to refining and elevating the culinary program for the membership.
Tell us a little about your background and how you found your way to culinary.
Garrett Yokoyama (GY): I grew up in Southern California and played both baseball and ice hockey into my early 20s. After multiple surgeries on both shoulders, I decided to pursue my passion for cooking and attend Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, California, where I graduated on the Director’s List. After culinary school, I worked in several restaurants in Manhattan Beach and Beverly Hills before moving into the private club world.
In 2005, I joined Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles as a Sous Chef and was promoted to Executive Chef in 2008. The following year, I moved to Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, where I spent nine years. Most recently, I served as Executive Chef at Palos Verdes Golf Club beginning in 2019.
After more than 16 years in private clubs, I am excited to have begun this next chapter.
What drew you to the club world?
GY: What I love most about clubs is the relationships. It becomes your home away from home. I enjoy building meaningful relationships with members by getting to know them, their families, and their individual preferences.
In a club environment, the job is about much more than cooking. It’s about creating experiences and building a community through food.
What excites you most about your new role at Palo Alto Hills?
GY: I am excited to bring fresh energy to the culinary program. It is important to me that I work with local ingredients and support nearby farms, fisheries, and artisans—from seafood and proteins to cheeses, bakeries, and specialty producers. The Bay Area has incredible resources, and I look forward to incorporating them into the menus.
There are unique opportunities here, including getting involved with the club’s bee apiary, fruit orchards, citrus trees, and gardens of vegetables and herbs. I recently visited a bee farm in Ojai to learn about tending bees and proper honey harvesting. It sparked some great ideas on how to incorporate this for our membership to enjoy.
Our culinary and restaurant teams’ growth and success is of equal importance. I firmly believe goals can be achieved with hard work, but when a team strives for greatness, the sky is the limit. My approach is simple: Give my teams the freedom to contribute ideas and collaborate to foster growth, unity and strength together. This is what I want our membership to see and feel when they dine with us.
How would you characterize your culinary style?
GY: My approach is rooted in California cuisine—fresh, seasonal ingredients with a focus on seafood and bold, eclectic flavors. At the same time, my experience in private clubs has taught me the importance of balancing creativity with the preferences of the membership.
Tell us about your family and your life outside of the club.
GY: I enjoy spending time with my family when I’m not in the kitchen. My wife, Kasi, is a Neonatal ICU nurse. She spent her high school years in Saratoga, so returning to the area is special for us. We met while attending culinary school, and while she ultimately pursued nursing, baking remains her true culinary passion, especially sourdough.
Our son, Mattox, is a high school senior and will be attending Arizona State University in the fall. Much of our free time revolves around his activities and attending water polo and baseball games. He’s recently picked up indoor rock climbing with his friends and has really taken to it. He enjoys the physical challenge, building both strength and endurance as he works his way up the walls.
I love being outdoors and take every opportunity I can to get out on the golf course. I also enjoy attending sporting events, concerts, comedy shows and traveling whenever I can with my wife.
At home, I love to use my smoker and sous vide. I love getting out and trying new restaurants, flavors, and ingredients whenever I can. I’m always searching for new inspiration and ideas that I can bring back to the club, whether it’s a unique technique, an unexpected flavor combination, or a product I haven’t worked with before. That constant exploration is one of the things I enjoy most about being a chef.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a great team at Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club and excited about the future of the club.
