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    Chef

    Niki Nakayama

    Chef, n/naka

    Discipline
    Chef
    Venue
    n/naka · Restaurant

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    Awards & recognition

    2 total

    verified records

    James Beard Award logoJames Beard AwardNomineeOutstanding Chef2026James Beard Award logoJames Beard AwardSemifinalistOutstanding Chef2026
    Portrait of Niki Nakayama

    Portrait of Niki Nakayama

    i. Biography

    Niki Nakayama is a Los Angeles-born chef known for modern Japanese kaiseki, and she is the chef behind n/naka in Los Angeles. n/naka was opened in 2011 and has been recognized by the MICHELIN Guide, while Nakayama has said her career began at Takao in Brentwood before a formative apprenticeship in Japan and later opening Azami Sushi Café in Los Angeles.

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