n/naka

uh. there really isn't much more to say than "holy sh*t".

I was lucky enough to be treated to a meal at N/Naka as a late birthday dinner. I didn't get the pairing, but my brother in law did. Each course is meticulously crafted, underscoring chef Niki's dedication and passion. Menu's change with the season -- there was one particular dish where I had to set my manners aside and literally lick the plate clean.

The ambiance of the restaurant matches the dishes and the staff ensure each guest has an amazing dining experience. Shoutout to devin and chan, who were hilarious. Dinner ended just past midnight and we found that it Chan's birthday!

Definitely looking forward to going back again.

I'm here to tell you how you can get a reservation -- after 2-3 years of trying to get one on every special occasion, I finally nabbed a reservation and got to try this elevated restaurant that I'd been driving past on my way to work for way too long without being able to step in.
TIPS ON HOW TO GET A RESERVATION:
-- use a desktop computer (or a laptop if you don't have one), do not use your phone; being on a widescreen monitor means you can easily click on the link to the week's reservation without spending valuable time scrolling
-- be ready to refresh your screen right before the Sunday 10am release time; login before and familiarize yourself with the Tock website
-- know exactly what date and time you want, including first, second, third choices etc so you don't waste time deciding at 10am; there are two seatings at 5ish and 9ish; discuss ahead of time with others of your party if you are all trying to get reservations, you can always release unneeded reservations
-- if at first you don't succeed, try again...in 5-10min; if a reservation is in someone's cart but they don't go thru with it, it will get released after that time frame, so keep checking every 5-10min (I have seen Saturday night reservations show up that way)
-- if you have a lux credit card with concierge service, call them up and see if they can get you first dibs on the wait-list; this is applicable for sure on the Amex platinum
-- add yourself to the wait-list; I had no luck with this as I never saw the email notifications in time but maybe you'll be lucky

Now onto the review:
What can I say that hasn't already been said by the multitudes of accolades, articles, and awards n/naka has received; in short, it is amazing.

FOOD: impeccable, served on pretty pottery that the waiter told us had been collected over the years. Only complaint was 1-2 dishes were mediocre and at this price point and how much it's been built up, you kinda want to be blown away by every dish

SERVICE: again impeccable, I noticed one waiter was really good at explaining the background behind each dish whereas ours was straight and to the point, but nothing wrong with the service

AMBIENCE: small intimate setting, almost felt like dining in a friend's house (well, a really fancy and amazing cook friend's house); chef showing up at the end of the meal to greet and talk to us was a special touch and much appreciated

PRICE: $310 Kaiseki. Having tried our fair share of fine dining around the world, we are definitely paying a premium in LA and for the 2 Michelin stars.

PARKING: valet or street parking in the neighborhood on the same street

Nice ambiance
Nice food
Amazing service
All round good place for nice experience. Would recommend!

N/naka is exactly what you except it to be. Michelin star upscale Japanese tasting menus prepared by chef Niki Nakayama & served in a modern setting. Crafted through the Japanese culinary art form of kaiseki, n/naka's modern interpretation presents the very best seasonal ingredients from both California. Thirteen courses $315 per person. Vegetation option is spectacular including shabu.
Chef Niki was so friendly and came out and took a picture with us. What an incredible dining experience right at the heart of Los Angeles.

N/naka was phenomenal. The level of service, food quality, and experience was top notch which explains the stars they received. We loved how each kaiseki dish was so detailed with creativeness. This place is definitely something you want to experience for yourself. Also, their green tea is the best one I have ever tried. I believe they make it themselves.

Checked this off my bucket list! Loved up to every expectation. Impeccable food and service. Clean simple interior. I had the best torro of my life. The chef came out to give me a signed menu I wanted and she was so sweet and spent a few minutes of her time with us. I hope to go back again!loved the extra touch they do at the end giving a to go box with a yummy pastry that I got to eat the next morning.

Pinch me hard. I'm dreaming .... Did I really have an incredible meal at n/naka and got to meet Chef Niki Nakayama? wait, wait, wait .... Don't wake me from this dream.

If you're lucky to score a reservation, then your Michelin star experience starts there. IMO, the price you pay is well worth the quality of the dishes and service. Although they say it's 13 courses, it's realistically 15-16 courses.

The staff are very attentive and accommodating to ensure you have a great experience. The staff reached out to me for allergies in our party from multiple times including when we sat down for dinner. Our server was attentive and explained every course to us.

The experience.
The dining space is cozy. The place settings were simple yet classy. Every dish that came out was artistically crafted in both taste, aesthetics and told a story. The tale was taking me on a grateful and fulfilling journey, appreciating the sweet, hearty, bountiful treasures of summer (my personal interpretation). Also, unlike other fine dining experiences, the pacing was well executed. We did not encounter long breaks in between courses wondering when the next dish is coming or if I should walk around the block while I wait.

A few things that surprised me:

Aged miso - we had a 3 year aged miso as part of our modern zukuri course. It tasted like port wine and paired really well with the fish.

Corn dashi - was surprisingly delicious. It was mellow, sweet, and refreshing.

Amazake - plum sake was light, sweet, and refreshing. I think I tasted a hint of strawberries and lychee?

Burnt honey ice cream - was delicious. The creamy soft texture paired well with the brown butter crumble.

Chef Niki came out and greeted every table personally! She did this without being asked. I was humbled by her kindness and gratitude.

Tips.
To get a reservation, be on top of reservation release times. Set up a tock account with your payment information. Larger parties are easier to secure a reservation.

Parking.
Valet is best because it's surrounded by restricted parking in a residential neighborhood. $12 charge.

Bon appetit yelpers!

Two Michelin Stars modern kaiskei restaurant. Truly exceptional, totally flawless, absolutely exquisite. The menu Niki Nakayama created is like a philosophy journey. It's a gradual step-by-step progress. Everything is balanced and well-connected with perfect portion and variety. She is very humble and down-to-earth. Pasta is her signature dish. It's unusual to incorporate "foreign" dishes in traditional kaiseki, but she's determined to include her signature pasta. That's why it's modern kaiseki.

Devin the humble sommelier, the sweetest person. He went above and beyond. Since I already had wine pairing last time, I opted in for 2 bottles of sake this time. The Nabeshima sake was nice. The dinner took about 3 hours. The Course was $310 per person. Limited free street parking or valet.

Absolutely elated that I was able to score the very coveted reservation at two Michelin modern Kaiseki restaurant, @nnakarestaurant, to celebrate my 36th birthday. Each course (13 total) was wonderfully delicious and the service was top notch.

Special shout out to Chef's + Partner's Niki Nakayama @nikinakayama and Carole Iida Nakayama @carolerikaiida for feeding my very hungry tummy with a spectacular meal and for all of the extra love shown to me and my hubby. We truly appreciate the special kitchen tour we got at the end of the night, wishing me a very happy bday at my table, and making my foodie bucket list dreams come true.

For my foodie friends asking if n/Naka deserves its 2 Michelin stars and is worth splurging for ($310 per person), I'd say, "Yes, absofuckinglutely". But definitely go for a special occasion like a #birthday, #anniversary or perhaps a special out-of-town bucket list treat.

How to Book: via @exploretock . Reservations are released on Sunday's at 10am. Note: They get booked up in a blink of an eye so it is quite hard to win the golden ticket.

My brother, Jason, has been trying to dine here for years! Finally books a rezo and off we go!

First and foremost, our server, Devin, was amazing. Well rehearsed with detailed descriptions, well armed with light anecdotes, and with a warm, interested and engaged character while we dined.

9pm seating on a Thursday night. 7 table restaurant by my culinary hero, @nikinakayama . Opted for wine/sake pairing as well. Course after course, glass after glass, we were presented with familiar ingredients, masterfully processed and composed on elegant canvases. The light, delicate textures, the mildly sharp acids... the deep, rich, warming broths... the scent of dashi everywhere.

My absolute favorite was the unagi (fw eel) preparation, with Sakura smoked cherry tare. Warm and tender flesh, light and crispy skin and the depth of the sweet cherry sauce... God.

The plating on the Mushimono course following was pleasing as well, with the black cod and dashi broth served in the turbin shell.

Dinner began with a cup selection. Reminded my brother, Jason, of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where they selected Jesus' goblet.

The restaurant's famous dish is the Shiizakana- spaghetti with abalone, cod roe and truffle. It was rich and flavorful. The cod roe adds both texture and light saltiness that I appreciated.

A5 Miyazaki wagyu. The squashini preparation stood out for me as well as the obvious wagyu.

The Sunomono course was one of my other favorites. The "su" refers to vinegar, thus "su-shi." White peach with shiso and use (plum) gelee. The gelee was so delicious that I kept thinking about it for days afterwards.

There were additional courses served to help fill our appetites like a blue crab handroll and match green tea, which were consumed gratefully.

Dessert course was perfect. Sweet, but pleasantly sweet. Light and revitalizing. My style. Japanese yogurt sorbet. Mint pearls. Burnt honey ice-cream. Grilled corn chimaki. Honeycomb. Apricot. Pluot. Brown butter crumble.

I really appreciate where Chef Nakayama comes from. Both her California upbringing to her family sushi background, the dinner really sparked more inspiration and creative possibility in me.

Thank you, Chef, for your hard work and the delicious meal.
Gochisousama-deshita!