N/Naka
Tinseltown Los Angeles, glamorous in so many ways, yet must be regarded as gastronomic backwater by the Michelin inspectors. If not, how come there’s no single Michelin restaurant in the 2rd biggest city in the States while 57 restaurants are awarded at least one star in the Bay Area.
Only Michelin got it wrong.
Luckily N/Naka shot to fame after Chef’s Table season 1. Run by chef Niki and her partner Carole, N/Naka is effortlessly Japanese inside out. The restaurant is housed in a building with ambivalent colour and shape on the Overland Avenue. There’s no name indicating the restaurant (just like our all-time favorite Kamo in Brussels). A small bonzai garden walled restaurant window creating a piece of Zen. Inside the restaurant, the décor is modest and again a small garden on the centre of table with fresh-
scented cedar branches and apple.
Then started the feast.
Keiseki showcases different techniques and seasonal ingredients in a succession of small plates that creates the ebbs and flow on your palette and Chef Niki’s keiseki was no exception. Why should it be? An impeccable philosophy food-wise. Yet she also leashed certain liberty in her approach and was able to play some rule outside game and hence the amazing spaghettini with abalone and truffles, a perfect marriage between umami and heady aroma. Even Felice, proud as an Italian can be, acknowledged it’s the best pasta he has ever tasted!
We were gracefully welcomed by general manager Jeffery through and through who has such a pleasant demeanour to make you feel absolutely at home.
Later chef Niki came out of the kitchen. She greeted all customers; her face glowed with appreciation.
I suddenly remembered this happened so rarely nowadays in our many trips visiting all the big name restaurants; we’d be pretty lucky if the chef is actually in the kitchen, let alone steps to our table and wonders if we’ve got a jolly good time.
