N/naka - Los Angeles

More than a decade after opening, with one of the most expensive menus in town, n/naka is still a hot ticket. The many regulars get priority, so you either have to snipe reservations the second they open, or maybe know a guy who knows a guy. I ended up going the latter route. Turns out my dad is a guy who knows a guy, and they booked a table for me and my mom at the end of last month. My parents had just taken our kids while we went to Japan, so this was a fun way to thank my mom while also enjoying an evening of post-vacation decadence in my hometown. I had an amazing time in Tokyo and Kyoto, and it sure was nice to find I can have this level of kaiseki dining seven miles from my house. Our reservation was at 5:30, and of course we underestimated traffic and showed up at 5:45. Thankfully, there was a convenient valet, and the staff welcomed us as if our lateness were no problem at all. I liked the restaurant before we even sat down. It was less fancy than I expected, with simple, clean decor and a comfortable, homey atmosphere. Service was impeccable in a very L.A. way--warm, friendly, and informal in tone; attentive and professional in every detail. Chef Niki Nakayama even made the rounds, stopping by each table to greet and thank her guests. n/naka only offers two menu options, and really just the one if you 're not vegetarian: the 13-course modern kaiseki. We made our choice with our reservation, so all we had to decide at the restaurant was what we wanted to drink. We opted to share one wine and sake pairing (my mom took a few sips here and there), and this was excellent. We were welcomed with a refreshing little cup of oolong tea with white peach, then got Pierre Gimonnet Fils champagne to go with our starting courses. First was the sakizuke, Japanese scallop with autumn carrot, sunflower seed, tosazu gelée, dill, and kombu oil. Then, an assortment of zensai: baby corn with sweet sumiso, ume somen, roasted eggplant with smoked dashi, wagyu beef curry with puff pastry, plum salad with Japanese pistachios and toasted onion dressing, mirugai and wakame sunomono, and hagatsuo tsumire, a panko-fried ball of shiitake, miso, ginger, and the season 's first bonito. Next up was Chef Nakayama 's modern zukuri: hagatsuo tataki, hay smoked and lightly seared, served with cucumber, myoga, garlic blossom, tosazu jelly, and the chef 's own soy bean hatcho miso, which she 'd been fermenting at home in lieu of sourdough since the early days of COVID. This was paired with Shichida Junmai 75, which also went with the owanmono, a bowl of baby corn dashi with poached shrimp, baby corn, and lightly salted Tokyo negi. Traditional otsukuri brought a Fat **** oyster, wild-caught tai, toro, and Santa Barbara uni sashimi, along with Sylvain Cathiard Bourgogne Aligote. Then we had the yakimono, charcoal-grilled unagi shirayaki with sakura-smoked cherry tare, sansho, and eggplant, cucumber, and myoga tsukemono. This was one of my favorite dishes, served with Kaze no Mori Tsuyuhakaze 807 junmai. Mushimono was a Californian take on escargot: local black cod and sazae, or whelk, with tofu skin and shiitake in a traditional dashi amped up with yuzu, garlic, and butter. It came with a pour of Masumi Sanka junmai daiginjo. Next was the shiizakana, n/naka 's signature dish. This was amazing, a rich, flavorful twirl of spaghetti with abalone, pickled cod roe, and truffle, paired with Daishiki Shoka Kimoto junmai daiginjo. Niku was a tender strip of binchotan-grilled A5 Miyazaki wagyu beef with squashini, nasturtium, and tomato from the chef 's garden. This came with a Napa Bordeaux blend, Cain Concept 's The Benchland. A palate-cleansing sunomono course brought white peach with junsai and shiso plum gelée, as well as a shot of Wakayama umeshu mixed with peach pulp. In lieu of traditional shokuji, there was nigiri sushi with a bowl of miso soup and a pour of Wakabotan Yamadanishiki 50 junmai daiginjo. n/naka is not a sushi bar, but the nigiri was quite good. The first round brought ishigakidai (spotted knifejaw), toro, and saba with kombu; then there was seared kamasu (baby barracuda), mirugai, and a gunkan nigiri flush with uni and ikura. At this point, we were asked if we wanted blue crab hand rolls to top us off. We did not decline. A light mizumono of Yakult-inspired Japanese yogurt sorbet with pluot granita and mint pearls took us into dessert. There was grilled corn chimaki, a toasted sweet corn mochi; burnt honey ice cream with toasted honeycomb and a fermented rice koji brown butter crumble; apricot and apricot jelly; and a splash of Moscato Giallo Passito Alpinæ. Finally, dainty strawberry and white bean wagashi with a bowl of Uji matcha, and a parting gift of rum raisin cookies and sencha tea. This was a spectacular dinner, a wonderful experience full of beautiful, innovative food. n/naka is one of the best restaurants in L.A. I hope to go back for another taste of Chef Nakayama 's marvelous modern kaiseki.

Well deserved Michelin Stars a truly memorable meal. One of if not the best meal we have had in our lives.

I had a nice evening, and they were very fast with my order! Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

Wonderful service and even better food. I'm so happy we scored this reservation for my birthday because it was easily one of the top 3 meals of my life!!! I hope we get the opportunity to dine again. Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $100+ Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

We enjoyed the food we ordered. The service was excellent and the atmosphere was pleasant. I would definitely visit again and even suggest it to a friend.