ChefNiki Nakayama
Los Angeles
About Niki Nakayama
Niki Nakayama is the chef/co-owner of N/Naka. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began her career at the renowned Takao restaurant in Brentwood, working under the guidance of esteemed chefs Takao Izumida and Morihiro Onodera. Committed to exploring new techniques, she embarked on a three-year working tour throughout Japan, sampling her way through different regional flavors and immersing herself in the essentials of Japanese cuisine, both traditional and cutting-edge.
My Venues
- N/Naka
- 3455 Overland Ave
- Los Angeles, CA
Accolades
- 101 Best Restaurants 2014LA Times
- Four StarsLA Weekly
- LA's Best SushiFood & Wine
- Must-Try Tasting Menus in LAZagat
- Rising Star Chef 2014Star Chefs
- Best Chef: West Nominee, 2018James Beard Foundation
Where I Go Out
French toast
$$, Modern, American, Breakfast, Little Armenia
"This is my favorite French toast in Los Angeles. They offer different toppings and sauces but my favorite is always the seasonal fruit with a variety of nuts and vanilla whipped cream. Delicious!"
Carne asada taco
$, Mexican, Food Truck, Burritos,
"This is the best taco truck near my house and the carne asada tacos and huaraches al pastor are some of the best in town. It’s the perfect spot to go after a work when I just want to fulfill a craving and be really satisfied."
Braised mackerel
$$, Korean, Koreatown
"This is one of the most delicious preparations of mackerel I’ve ever had. It’s deliciously braised with large Korean daikon radish and spicy pickled kimchee. It’s delicious with a beans with rice mix that’s red, which they call “brown rice.”"
At My Venues
A5 wagyu beef and Hudson Valley foie gras slow-cooked and seared over binchotan charcoal
$$$$, Japanese, Palms
"A5 wagyu beef • Hudson Valley foie gras • slow-cooked and seared over binchotan charcoal tableside, at meghanpatke"
Uni served in oyster
$$$$, Japanese, Palms
"Two of our favorites from the ocean reuniting in perfect harmony on land: #eattheworld"
