n/naka — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Today after many attempts at getting a reservation, I was finally able to dine at n/naka, the only double Michelin star restaurant in LA. The restaurant is located in the west side of LA, on Overland Avenue, and sits inside a discrete non-labeled building.

Inside is a cozy modern dining room featuring exactly 26 seats, among tables for 2, 4, or 6. The tables and chairs are custom and beautifully crafted, and an elegant display of wine and sake is prominently featured on an entrance wall.

Upon being seated, at each table is a wooden placemat, a napkin, a hand towel, a pair of chopsticks, and an appetizer spoon. The current price per meal is $285/person, with an optional sake pairing at $150/person.

Throughout the meal, I decided to focus on the food and the experience rather than writing down the details of each serving. Thankfully, the restaurant provides a listing of all of the dishes and drinks as a parting gift before you leave.

Here is a list of the 13 servings and their descriptions as provided by n/naka.

SAKIZUKE Uni, Cauliflower Puree, Carrot Coconut Ice, Trout Roe, Nori Sable

ZENSAI Ni Yasai, Corn Tofu, Oyster Lime, Shishito White Fish Tempura, Unagi Avocado, Fig, Waygu Nikogori

MODERN ZUKURI Hirame, California Nori, Pistachio

OWAN Tai, Eggplant, Beans

OTSUKURI Traditional Sashimi

YAKIMONO Tasmanian Sea Trout, Artichoke, Preserved Meyer Lemon

MUSHIMONO Tomato, Lobster Shinjo, Tomato and Fennel Mochi

SHIIZAKANA Spaghetti, Abalone, Pickled Cod Roe, Truffles

NIKU A5 Miyazaki Waygu Beef, Corn

SUNOMONO Nopales, Golden Kiwi, Cucumber, Aloe, Chia Seeds

SHOKUJI Nigiri Sushi

MIZUMONO Lychee Sorbet, Shiso Lime Granita

Ginger Poached Plum, Lavender Ice Cream, Warabi Mochi, Honey Crumb, Tuile

Here is the wine and sake pairing that was served with certain dishes

WINE/SAKE PAIRING

CREMANT DE BOURGOGNE Victorine De Chastenay, Burgundy, France

GENTIL Hugel, Alsace, France 2018

SHICHIDA NATSU JUNMAI Tenzan, Saga, Japan

KIT JUNMAI Heiwa Shuzo Brewery, Wakayama, Japan

CHOGETSU JUNMAI GINJO Kodama Shuzo, Akita, Japan

CHENIN BLANC Badenhorst “Secateurs”, South Africa 2019

BARBERA D’ALBA Giovanni Rosso, Piedmont, Italy 2016

YUZU OMOI Yamamoto Brewery, Kyoto, Japan

SOHOMARE “INDIGO” JUNMAI GINJO Sohomare Brewery, Tochigi, Japan

BEERENAUSLESE CUVEE Kracher, Burgenland, Austria 2017

The dinner service throughout the meal was superb. My water glass was never empty throughout the entire meal, and given how much water I drink, this is a good metric of good service.

Each serving was served on a unique dish, and anything that required utensils were provided along with the serving. A different spoon was provided with each dish that required one, and soy sauce and drinks were sometimes provided with the dishes that they accommodated.

Every serving was a beautifully presented spectacle, and a good description of all of the ingredients or drink pairing was provided.

Finally, I was surprised and impressed by the parting gift, a scone and a custom blend of sencha tea to take home for breakfast the following morning.

The entire dining experience was superb, and the food tasted as beautiful...

Having lived in Palms for some 11 years, we first heard about the n/naka when the Chef's Table episode featuring Chef Nakayama came out and stunned us with the knowledge that our humble neighborhood has a world-class restaurant like n/naka and such an amazing chef. n/naka has held a special spot for both of us long before tonight and what a treat to finally get the experience for ourselves!

In the last 9 years, we've been to many fine dining & recognized restaurants in LA and around the world but never back to our hometown hero and in fact ended up planning a trip to Japan in 2023 as it was just so dang hard to get a table at n/naka!

Tonight we found out why: humility and formality carried from Japanese kaiseki are delightfully coupled with the Chef's innovation and amazing cuisine. She and her team bring a clear story of tradition, but delightful liberties and creativities means both an elemental Japanese deference, but also a playful spirit.

And food! Unwavering attention to detail in visual presentation and ingredient quality across every dish. Texture, temperature, shape, flavors, tools - all adding to beauty. Only one soft-spot: a chestnut dessert that tended too sweet without really sticking the landing for us. But that was easily forgiven with incredible sukiyaki-style beef, a spiny lobster 'meatball' in broth we will continue to dream about, perfectly cut and selected fish for sashimi and nigiri. Stunning ingredients, rich broths, decadent plating and vibrant colors continuously impressed, but a subtle formality and eye to restraint maintained an undercurrent of humility.

The staff were thoughtful and attentive, getting out of the way, but also constantly ready to help, answer a question, extend a smile: among the best we've had in LA. We were greeted at the front door by name. Our host and server seemed to know us. The sweet smiling Chef even came to our table, knew our names, and engaged in conversation. The attention to detail paid to help guests feel truly honored is truly impressive here!

Thank you for a lovely birthday dinner. We appreciate you, Chef Nakayama, alongside what is clearly a...

N/Naka is an atmosphere that truly envelopes one and nourishes the body as well as the soul. The service, attention to detail, and warmth of the team are truly world class.

The refinement of flavours as well as the complexity of the dishes visually and from a gustatory perspective are refined in a way that gently invites one into the beauty and sheer deliciousness of each ingredient and dish.

The entire team is truly spectacular, and we were very fortunate to have Emily as our presenter and host. Her encyclopedic knowledge and kindness in maximizing every bite was truly a game changer. The seasonal dish highlighting various elements indicative of the summer season was one of the most sensory rich experiences I’ve ever had at a restaurant.

The wine and sake pairing is a perfect complement to each dish and there is a really nice balance of different kinds of sake and wine. The piedrasassi Syrah with Wagyu as the lone red wine in the pairing was a perfect selection opting for flavor and elevating each piece of the dish with a tangible connection to the wine maker rather than a brand name. Herein lies the beauty of the experience, world class Kaiseki and service, but with the warmth of going to a family member’s house. N/Naka is emblematic of its Chef: simultaneously unassuming in being so inviting and kind, yet utterly transportive beyond the medium of taste.

Chef Naka is an incredible chef, and an amazing person. Her talent and humility are ubiquitous in the food, the ethos of the restaurant, and the genuine care of the entire team. All of these elements create what is perhaps the finest restaurant in Los Angeles and...