Two-Michelin-star N/Naka reopened Friday, May 17, after a six-week temporary closure, its first major interior overhaul since opening 13 years ago. The celebrated California kaiseki restaurant from chef Niki Nakayama and her sous chef and wife Carole Iida-Nakayama now features a dramatic new interior design by Minoru Oyamatsu of Oyamatsu Design Studio and builder Beau Laughlin of Framework. A new seasonal menu rounds out a rejuvenated experience that encapsulates Nakayama and Iida-Nakayama’s California approach to the 13-course Japanese tasting capped by six nigiri and two desserts.

Establishing in 2011 as one of the most special Japanese restaurants in Los Angeles, N/Naka has been lauded by the Los Angeles Times, Michelin Guide, and among many others. Nakayama began her career cooking at her family’s ryokan in Japan, learning sushi at Takao in Brentwood, and kaiseki at Shirakawa-ya Ryokan. She went on to open the all-female-staffed Azami Sushi Cafe, selling the restaurant after a few years to help finance N/Naka. (The chefs also opened the more casual N/Soto, which began as a pandemic-era pop-up, in 2022.) Rooted in California’s ingredients and seasonality, N/Naka represents a pinnacle of Los Angeles cuisine told through a Japanese American lens. And now it has entered its next chapter.

The restaurant’s most prominent addition is the tobi-ishi-style walking path that winds into the main dining room, with thin wood slats bordering a new circular four-top to the side. “One of the restaurant’s goals is to reset people’s minds, and allow them to escape things. It’s a transition and a way to be reminded of beautiful things,” says Nakayama. A dark gray shikkui lime plaster covers walls that avoid any sharp edges or hard lines, an illuminated wave pattern glowing along the far side of the room. A serene, textured wall of hand-applied Kurotani Washi paper adds yet another element of visual interest. Prior to this renovation, the interior might’ve been appropriately described as minimalist and tranquil, but not quite daring in the way that it is now.

The chefs had considered this transformation for a few years, but the move came after they experienced burnout in the post-pandemic period. “We were so burned out after COVID but we kept going and going. We reached a certain point where we needed to step back and think about where we are,” says Iida-Nakayama. “After 13 years it was about time to refresh, not just for our guests but for ourselves. We thought it was going to be a great time for a rebirth for the whole team, and the guests to experience something different, and something new,” Nakayama adds.

Zen Sekizawa

Zen Sekizawa

Zen Sekizawa

The new entrance and interior look will likely resonate with design nerds who may appreciate Oyamatsu’s thoughtful details involving lighting, texture, and color. The customer experience extends to the beautifully milled walnut furniture handbuilt by Mano Ya, a collaboration between artists Zen Sekizawa and Mario Correa. The chairs and tables, which update the more angular previous set used by the restaurant, lend to the experience.

Gone are the restaurant’s Japanese shoji windows made famous by Nakayama’s episode of Chef’s Table, which, while iconic, weren’t really a regular part of the experience. “It was time to get rid of the shoji screens and whatever past we had. We’re not a counter kaiseki place, so wanted to give this new wall meaning with the light and wow-factor,” says Iida-Nakayama. “It’s not a solid wall, so it still reminds you of what was once here,” Nakayama adds.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the intricate, extraordinary execution of the food, starting with sakizuke (appetizer bites), zensai (amuse), owan (soup), and yakimono (seasonal fish) courses that weave in top-level ingredients like wagyu, raw scallop, lobster, uni, vermillion rockfish, and snow crab. The 10 savory courses progress through Nakayama’s signature shiizakana‚ a spaghetti with abalone, pickled cod roe, and truffle, before a rich sliver of A5 Miyazaki wagyu served with Weiser Farm sunchoke. Typically, a rice dish caps off the savory portion, and the chefs serve two trios of nigiri to finish this stage. Desserts finish with cherry sorbet with umeshiso and toasted rice butter with strawberry buttermilk ice cream.

Jakob Layman

Jakob Layman

Jakob Layman

Jakob Layman

Jakob Layman

The chefs appreciated having the ability to take a breath and reimagine the experience from the ground up without too long of a hiatus. “When you’ve been doing something for so long, you’re celebrating craftsmanship and trying to achieve something. That, in and of itself, is artistry because you’ve taken the time to develop. Instead of going wider, it’s always amazing to be doing deeper,” says Nakayama. The updates did require a reduction of two seats, and a price increase from $310 to $365 a person before drinks, tax, or tip. “We still want people to have that value, and not ever feel like it wasn’t worth the experience,” says Nakayama.

With a fully realized design that resonates with the cooking, further accolades could be in store for N/Naka — perhaps a third Michelin star or World’s 50 Best ranking. But Iida-Nakayama demures when this prospect is surfaced. “I feel like with three Michelin stars, there’s a grandeur that feels like it’s not who we are. There’s often a hotel that people travel to. We’re in Palms, and we’re so small. There’s a 7-Eleven across the street. We’re not Napa,” she says. “We would be blown away [if we received it], but we’ve never said that was our goal. We’re just going to keep doing what we want in the way that feels right to us.”

N/Naka serves two 13-course kaiseki menus, a modern California and a vegetarian, for two seatings a night from Wednesday to Saturday. Reservations are released 30 days in advance at 10 a.m. PST, and are available on Tock.