Two-Michelin-starred N/Naka reopened on Friday, Could 17, after a six-week momentary closure, its first main inside overhaul since opening 13 years in the past. The well-known California kaiseki restaurant from chef Niki Nakayama and his sous chef and spouse Carole Iida-Nakayama now incorporates a dramatic new inside design by Minoru Oyamatsu of Oyamatsu Design Studio and builder Beau Laughlin of Framework. A brand new seasonal menu completes a renewed expertise that encapsulates Nakayama and Iida-Nakayama's Californian strategy to the 13-course Japanese degustation with six nigiri and two desserts.

Established in 2011 as one of the vital particular Japanese eating places in Los Angeles, N/Naka has been praised by the Los Angeles Instances, Michelin Information, amongst many others. Nakayama started his cooking profession at his household's ryokan in Japan, studying sushi at Takao in Brentwood, and kaiseki at Shirakawa-ya Ryokan. She went on to open the all-female Azami Sushi Cafe, promoting the restaurant after just a few years to assist finance N/Naka. (The cooks additionally opened the extra informal N/Soto, which started as a pandemic-era pop-up, in 2022.) Rooted in California substances and seasonality, N/Naka represents a pinnacle of Los Angeles delicacies informed by a Japanese American lens. . And now he has entered his subsequent chapter.

The restaurant's most distinguished addition is the tobi-ishi-style hearth that stretches into the principle eating room, with skinny wood slats bordering a brand new round body on the facet. “One of many targets of the restaurant is to reset individuals's minds, and permit issues to flee. It's a transition and a method to bear in mind lovely issues,” says Nakayama. A darkish grey shikkui lime plaster covers the partitions avoiding any sharp edges or onerous strains, an illuminated wave sample that glows along side the room. A serene, textured wall of hand-applied washi paper by Wataru Hatano provides one other component of visible curiosity. Earlier than this renovation, the inside may very well be appropriately described as minimalistic and quiet, however not fairly as daring as it’s now.

The cooks had thought of this transformation for just a few years, however the transfer got here after experiencing burnout within the post-pandemic interval. “We had been so burned out after COVID, however we saved going and going. We reached a sure level the place we have to step again and take into consideration the place we’re,” says Iida-Nakayama. “After 13 years it was time to refresh, not just for our friends, however for ourselves. We thought it might be a good time for a revival for the entire staff, and the friends to expertise one thing completely different, and one thing of once more,” provides Nakayama.

A stone fireplace resembling a Japanese garden at LA's N/Naka restaurant with slate gray walls.

The doorway to the tobi-ishi fashion path at N/Naka.
Zen Sekizawa

A dark gray walled dining room with vaulted ceiling, walnut furniture and dramatic lighting.

A eating desk with arched ceilings in N / Naka.
Zen Sekizawa

A dramatically lit modern Japanese dining room.

A eating desk, cupboards and flower decor in N/Naka with a paper artwork component on the left.
Zen Sekizawa

The brand new entrance and inside look will probably resonate with design nerds who could respect Oyamatsu's considerate particulars involving lighting, texture and shade. The client expertise extends to the gorgeous hand-built milled walnut furnishings by Mano Ya, a collaboration between artists Zen Sekizawa and Mario Correa. The chairs and tables, which replace the earlier extra angular set utilized by the restaurant, lend to the expertise.

Gone are the restaurant's Japanese shoji home windows made well-known by the Nakayama episode Chef's Desk, which, whereas iconic, weren't actually an everyday a part of the expertise. “It was time to eliminate the shoji screens and all of the previous we had. We aren’t a kaiseki place, so I wished to present which means to this new wall with gentle and the wow issue,” says Iida-Nakayama. “It's not a strong wall, so it at all times reminds you of what was as soon as there,” provides Nakayama.

One factor that hasn't modified is the intricate and extraordinary execution of the meals, beginning with sakizuke (appetizer bites), zensai (amusements), owan (soup) and yakimono (seasonal fish) that intertwine into substances of first degree like. wagyu, uncooked scallops, lobster, uni, vermilion rock and snow crab. The ten savory dishes progress by Nakayama's shiizakana, a spaghetti with abalone, marinated cod roe and truffles, earlier than a wealthy slice of A5 Miyazaki wagyu served with a Weiser Farm sunchoke. Sometimes, a plate of rice covers the savory half, and the cooks serve two trios of nigiri to complete this stage. Desserts finish with cherry sorbet with umeshiso and toasted rice butter with strawberry ice cream.

A gold plate and a small shell-shaped plate with Japanese kaiseki dishes, wooden chopsticks and a gold spoon

Sakizuke course in N/Naka with hime sazae (bamaca), snow crab and caviar.
Jakob Layman

A fanciful dish of scallops with white asparagus and pink sauce.

Trendy zukuri: Reside scallop with white asparagus and kimo aioli.
Jakob Layman

A pale green soup with peas and seared fish.

Owan: a light-weight soup to cleanse the palate with vermilion shell, broccoli, sakura flower, fingerling potatoes and pink peas.
Jakob Layman

A square dish with a round top with melon and tomato in a light sauce.

Sunomono: Melon and tomato in apricot dashi.
Jakob Layman

A piece of grilled beef with wasabi and sunchoke on the side.

A5 Miyazaki beef with arugula wasabi and Weiser Farm sunchoke.
Jakob Layman

Cooks respect being able to take a breather and reimagine the expertise from the bottom up with out too lengthy of a break. “When you will have carried out one thing for a very long time, you have a good time craftsmanship and attempt to obtain one thing. This, in itself, is inventive since you took the time to develop it. As a substitute of going wider, it’s at all times superb to do deeper”, says Nakayama. The upgrades required a discount of two seats, and a worth enhance from $310 to $365 per individual earlier than drinks, tax or tip. “We at all times need individuals to have that worth, and by no means really feel just like the expertise wasn't value it,” says Nakayama.

With a completely realized design that resonates with the kitchen, different awards may very well be in retailer for N / Naka – maybe a 3rd Michelin star or 50 Greatest rating on the earth. However Iida-Nakayama demurred when this prospect appeared. “I really feel like three Michelin stars, there’s a greatness that appears not who we’re. There may be usually a lodge that individuals journey to. We’re in Palms, and we’re so small. There’s a 7-Eleven throughout the street. We're not Napa,” he says. “We will probably be blown away [if we received it], however we by no means stated that was our objective. We're simply going to maintain doing what we would like in the way in which that feels good.”

N/A serves two 13-course kaiseki menus, one trendy California and one vegetarian, for 2 per evening from Wednesday to Saturday. Reservations are launched 30 days upfront at 10 am PST, and can be found contact.

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