A letter from Palms
n/naka
Thirteen courses of modern kaiseki, behind an almost-unmarked door in Palms
A room without a sign
Niki Nakayama grew up in Los Angeles. She trained in traditional kaiseki in Japan and, when it was time to open her own room, deliberately did not open it in Beverly Hills. She didn't open it downtown either.
She opened it on a quiet stretch of Overland in Palms — a residential street, a small building with barely any signage on the front. Twenty-six seats. Because she wanted a place that felt like a Japanese ryotei, not a scene.
Kaiseki with a California hand
The meal is thirteen courses, roughly three hours, and it follows the traditional kaiseki arc — shokuzen at the start, mizumono to close, all the ceremonial beats in between. What makes it n/naka is what happens in between the beats.
The vegetables come from her own garden in Culver City. The signature shiizakana course is a plate of house-made spaghettini with abalone and Burgundy black truffle — a dish that breaks kaiseki rules entirely and has never left the menu.
A dish that breaks kaiseki rules entirely and has never left the menu.
Together, in the kitchen
Carole Iida-Nakayama joined the kitchen after she and Niki married. She's the co-chef now, and the two of them run the room as a chef-owned pair. Every menu is built for the table it's going to — dietary preferences, celebration or quiet weeknight, first visit or fifth.
There is no second n/naka. There has never been one. There will not be one.
With gratitude,
Niki Nakayama & Carole Iida-Nakayama
Chef-Owners, n/naka
Order this
The dishes that made n/naka
Spaghettini with abalone & black truffle
The 'shiizakana' course. Monterey abalone, Burgundy truffle, mentaiko. Has never left the menu.
Modern zukuri
Niki's non-traditional sashimi — a recurring composition is Japanese scallop, English peas, yuzu foam, ponzu.
Charcoal-grilled A5 wagyu
The niku course, late in the arc, seasonal garnishes. A showcase for Carole's grill.
Good to know
n/naka, answered
How do you get a reservation at n/naka?
Bookings open on Tock exactly one month out at 12pm Pacific. It's a lottery-like scramble — set a calendar reminder and be ready to click. Only 26 seats.
How long is the n/naka tasting menu?
Thirteen courses, roughly three hours from shokuzen through mizumono. Block the evening.
Can n/naka accommodate dietary restrictions?
Yes — but tell them at booking, not at the table. Niki and Carole build a custom menu per guest and they need the notice to source and prep properly.