n/naka

Some of the essential tools of the n/naka kitchen and ones we use daily. Do you have a favorite knife or tool you can't imagine cooking without? @secretstan

We put Chef @carolerikaiida in the hot seat with a set of rapid fire questions so you can get to know a bit more about the woman who works side by side with Niki and the @nnakarestaurant team, keeping everyone organized and working to bring many of the creative ideas in Niki’s brain to life.

Our Michelin stars arrived and we are so grateful to our team, customers and supporters for helping us achieve this honor. It will hang near our entrance as a reminder that everyone who walks through our doors has played a part in this acknowledgment.

Our current Yakimono (grilled item) is a crispy-skinned branzino with shiitake mushroom, sunchoke and sudachi - a citrus we grow in our home garden. While not as well-known as yuzu, sudachi has a refreshing scent and mild acidity that goes particularly well with mushrooms. It's also lovely in drinks and lends a beautiful aroma through its dark green skin.

I think there’s something very meaningful about experiencing something when you’re not distracted by things that are not of this moment. So much of our lives are focused on either the past or the future. We’re constantly busy, but once in a while we’re able to be steeped in one particular moment. The pleasure of kaiseki comes from forgetting everything else and getting lost in that experience. Thank you @magnifissance for the opportunity to share the beauty of kaiseki.

Our California Ekiben celebrates some of the most amazing people that make California products so special. Orders for next week available from 10am Saturday morning. Every bento helps the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund. Thank you for your support. . .... . #unite #collaborate #give #bettertogether See more

It is such an honor to be named one of @fastcompany’s inaugural Queer 50. To be included in such an incredible group of inspiring, accomplished and groundbreaking entrepreneurs, activists, artists and executives is so meaningful and I am truly grateful. #FCQueer50

Starting today and until May 10th, I will be banding with 30+ other Los Angeles chefs for #AskChefsAnything, an online auction to raise awareness and feed the immigrant workforce in restaurants, many of whom have been severely impacted by the industry's current crisis. Each of us will be auctioning off 30 minute video calls to share our favorite recipes and cooking tips, whichever you decide! Help this important cause and bid via @askchefsanything

On May 6-10, a team of LA chefs and food experts will be taking part in the #AskChefsAnything auction, aiming to raise awareness and funds for the immigrant workforce of our country's restaurants. Each participant will auction off 30 minutes of their time to share their favorite recipes and cooking tips. The money raised will provide food for 250 vulnerable households in the LA county. Find out more @askchefsanything.

We’re excited to announce we are participating in The Grand GELINAZ Stay in Tour, a worldwide culinary event that sees chefs from 138 restaurants from 38 countries swap recipes with each other for one dinner on one special night. Chef Niki and Chef Carole will be serving their interpretation of a menu from a restaurant across the globe, the name of which will not be revealed to the chefs or diners until after the dinner. Tickets available now: https://www.tickettailor.com/eve...nts/gelinaz/316144 The Grand Gelinaz! Shuffle Stay In Tour 8 courses - $435/person (tax and gratuity included) Optional wine/sake pairing $125/person #gelinaz #gelinazshuffle #michelin #nnaka #nikinakayama #nnakarestaurant

We are so honored to be among Food & Wine and Travel + Leisure's World’s Best Restaurants. We are thrilled to be in such incredible company!!!! Thank you so so much Besha Rodell, Hunter Lewis, Jacqueline Gifford and their teams for the acknowledgment. A big thank you to our n/naka team for all of their hard work, as well as our diners for all of your support over the years. We are grateful! Check out all the other great restaurants that made the list. See the other great restaurants on the list!! Link in bio #FWTLWorldsBest #kaiseki #michelin #nnaka #michelin2stars #japaneserestaurants #foodandwine #travelandleisure

Thank you @mrsdonabe and the @toirokitchen team for hosting us yesterday! What a wonderful experience and meal you prepared for us, using all different types of donabe! Thank you so much! . #la #westhollywood #japan #japanesepottery #japanesefood #food #lunch #smoke #steam #roast #hotpot #toiro #donabe #artisan #handmade #pottery #arigato @ TOIRO

Thrilled our Beverage Director and General Manager Jeffry Undiarto is featured as one of "The Sommelier Stars of Los Angeles" by Matt Kettmann in Wine Enthusiast, in such great company as Matthew Kaner, David Osenbach, Taylor Grant and Daniel Veit. Kampai!

Hope you'll join us as Chef Niki, along with chefs Susan Feniger, Jessica Koslow and moderator Melissa Clark discuss the state of dining in California, the #metoo movement and the future of American restaurants at this special The New York Times Food event at the The LINE Hotel next Tuesday, April 10th at 7pm. Click below for tickets and additional information!

We are so honored to have our food captured in such a beautiful way by our friend, photographer Zen Sekizawa, who shot all 13 courses for this article that appears in this month's issue of Robb Report. #nnaka #kaiseki #modernkaiseki #zensekizawa #robbreport

Take a peek into our home garden, from which we source about 40% of the produce we use at n/naka, in the March 2018 issue of Sunset. We want to thank Dan and his team at Farmscape for their wisdom and work in helping our garden grow...literally!

We're very excited to announce we'll be collaborating with Chef Dominique Crenn for her "Women in Food" series and will be cooking with her at Petit Crenn in San Francisco on Tuesday, May 29th! Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 2nd. #womeninfood #chefstable

#Repost @carolerikaiida Traditional sashimi 2017 NYE: kanpachi, kinmedai, lobster. #sashimi #oshogatsu #japanesetradition #kaiseki #artculinaire