Chef
Charles Namba
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Los Angeles, California, United States
- Venue
- Camelia · Restaurant
i. Biography
In Los Angeles, Camelia is built on a few clear trades: classic French cuisine as structure, Japanese flavors threaded through it, and seasonal California produce giving the cooking its pace, brightness, and local register. For Charles Namba, that approach reads as the result of years spent moving through different rooms and disciplines, accumulating technique one service at a time.
Coming Up
Movement across kitchen formats is the throughline in Charles Namba’s early work. Mulberry Street in Beverly Hills put him in the role of pizzeria worker; EN Japanese Brasserie in New York City, from 2004, brought him into an opening team and deeper restaurant life. At Chanterelle in New York City, he worked as cook / trainee in classical French technique, where the demands of the line and the discipline of the training sharpened his sense of timing, structure, and restraint. Opening work under pressure became another part of that foundation. From 2010, Charles Namba served as assistant to Chef Thomas Keller for the opening of Bouchon Beverly Hills at Bouchon Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, adding the tempo of launch work and the requirement for consistency to an already broad base. The role sits alongside the earlier kitchens as part of the same education: exacting standards, close attention, and steady repetition. Today, Charles Namba is chef/owner of Tsubaki (since 2017), owner of OTOTO (since 2019), and chef/owner of Camelia, a set of roles that shows range without losing discipline. Read together, they point to a chef working across formats while keeping the work anchored in memory, technique, and control.
Where They Are Now
Since 2017, Namba has been chef/owner at Tsubaki in Echo Park, Los Angeles. The role marked an ownership step that placed him inside both the kitchen and the restaurant’s larger direction, with the point of view clearly his. Since 2019, he has also been owner at OTOTO in Echo Park, Los Angeles. Together, those roles locate his work on the east side of the city while Camelia extends that presence into Los Angeles, keeping the throughline of the cooking intact. At Camelia, he serves as chef/owner. The menu rests on classic French cuisine with Japanese flavors woven in, alongside seasonal California offerings; the cooking draws from his Beverly Hills childhood and his mother’s homemade Japanese dishes. That mix gives the restaurant its personal register, with memory and technique meeting in the same plate.
In Their Words “Rice and something with Japanese yakitori—the sweet soy sauce kind of thing—made by my mom.”
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Charles
What is Charles Namba's current role?
As of 2026, Charles Namba is Chef/Owner.
Where did Charles Namba work before?
Charles Namba's earlier career included Mulberry Street, EN Japanese Brasserie, and Chanterelle.
What is Charles Namba known for?
He blends Japanese heritage with classical French training, creating thoughtful, layered cuisine.
