Yamagen at QT Gold Coast Inducted into Hall of Fame
EVT Hotels & Resorts is proud to announce that Yamagen at QT Gold Coast has been inducted into the prestigious Queensland Hotels Association (QHA) Hall of Fame. The highest honour in Queensland’s hotel industry, the induction recognises Yamagen’s sustained excellence after securing the QHA’s Best Restaurant – Accommodation Division award for three consecutive years: 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The acknowledgement extends beyond Queensland. In 2025, Yamagen was also named Best Restaurant – Accommodation Division at the Australian Hotel Awards, cementing its status as a benchmark for hotel dining at a national level.
At QT Gold Coast, Yamagen has become a defining example of what exceptional hotel dining can achieve. Led by award-winning Executive Chef Adam Lane, the modern Japanese restaurant has earned a reputation for refined technique, contemporary interpretation and outstanding execution, drawing both hotel guests and a loyal local following.
Yamagen’s success is the product of a deliberate, long-term food and beverage approach that sits at the heart of EVT’s Hotels & Resorts. At EVT, F&B is not treated as a support function to rooms revenue, it is a core commercial and brand driver, delivering margin, differentiation and memorable guest experiences in equal measure.
This approach is built on:
• Culinary innovation and menu engineering
• Curated signature-led beverage program
• Strategic chef and people appointments and capability investment
• Market leading AI for technology-enabled upsell and operational efficiency
• Infrastructure investment to support venue ambition
• A relentless focus on quality, consistency and creativity
• Clear focus on personality-driven service
Building on this momentum, Yamagen has evolved into a multi-market brand with the opening of Yamagen at QT Melbourne at the beginning of this year. The venue is led by a highly experienced culinary team, with the precision of classically trained Japanese Head Chef Yosuke Hatnaka, working alongside Sous Chef Misaki Maniwa, whose contemporary approach adds energy to the offering. The success of Gold Coast and Melbourne proving Yamagen’s broad market appeal and commercial strength, delivering strong potential for expansion of the Yamagen brand.
Yamagen sits alongside a portfolio of standout award-winning signature venues such as Gowings at QT Sydney, Esther in Auckland, QT Perth’s Santini Bar & Grill and Yamagen in Melbourne, alongside the Rooftop at QT venues.
Each venue is designed to reflect the brand and location in which it operates, embedding into their communities, while cultivating strong local customers and hotel guests.
Yamagen’s Hall of Fame recognition reflects a broader truth across EVT’s operations: when the right people, product, infrastructure and strategy come together, F&B becomes a powerful engine of performance, brand distinction and long-term value.
Dominic Rose, EVT Group General Manager of Hospitality Performance, is proud of his team’s much deserved recognition, saying:
“Yamagen’s Hall of Fame induction is a testament to what’s possible when culinary vision, operational excellence and brand integrity are brought together with genuine commitment. This recognition belongs to every person who has contributed to making Yamagen what it is today.”
As EVT continues to grow its hotels and experiences portfolio, its commitment remains clear, to create restaurants and bars that stand on their own merit, resonate with locals, and consistently elevate the guest journey.
