Sam's Visit
With a delayed arrival into Los Angeles the night before, combined with some rideshare driver shenanigans, and having to work today... didn't see Sam until dinnertime. Which worked out pretty good, as he was able to catch up with our friends Carley and Grace for all you can eat Korean BBQ-- I absolutely could not handle so much BBQ two days in a row!
Sam for some reason made a request to go to n/naka, and as he'd made the request far enough out, I was able to snag us a reservation. Chefs Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama manage a top-notch kaiseki experience, and they manage to deliver. every. single. time. The art that is the first dish, saizuke, is a great opener, and their signature dish, abalaone truffle pasta, remains amazing. The modern zukuri-- ocean trout sashimi with white asparagus, snow miso, and presented with a flourish of dry ice, is beautiful, as is the entire meal. Dessert runs several different courses, and this time around, the presentation of the first dessert course, mizumono, was particularly artful.
Always a superb meal, and well worth the time and effort if you have the means.
After dinner, basically drove Sam straight to the airport so he could catch the next segment of his round-the-world trip. Always good to catch up!
n/naka menu:
Saizuke: emulsified carrot and Maine lobster, carrot, onion, milk bread. Recreation of OG dish.
Zensai: Dutch white asparagus shira ae, strawberry and shisho kanten, waygu A5 tsukune, Tasmania ocean trout sashimi tartlet, ika tempura, potato + caviar shisho foam, peas + wasabi.
Modern zukuri: Spring ocean trout, Dutch white asparagus, and brown butter snow miso.
Owan: Manila clam soup, dashi broth, fennel.
Otsukuri (sashimi): clockwise from bottom left, kinmedai (golden eye snapper), sawara (Spanish mackerel), ika, and chutoro. Fresh wasabi from Japan.
Yakimoko: Channel Islands vermillion rockfish, giant kelp. Snap peas, daishi, butter, and cherry blossom oil.
Mushimono: Hokkaido bafun uni, egg white meringue, taro, yuzu, Dungeness crab.
Shiizakana (signature dish): spaghetti, Australia winter truffle, mentaiko, Monterey Bay abalone, kaiware (daikon).
Niku: Miyazaki A5 waygu, smoked cream potatoes, masago arare, pickled pearl onions, black vinegar + ponzu.
Sunomono uf: raspberry, orange, tapioca pearls, kiwi, and lemon verbena.
Shokuji (nigiri): Japanese tai (sea bream), soy marinated tuna, Japanese butterfish (managatsuo). Young amberjack, aburi beltfish, Hokkaido uni and ikura.
Mizumono: Autumn crisp grape sorbet, tarragon, konnyaku jelly.
Tanaka family farms strawberry - strawberry buttermilk ice cream, buttermilk cookie crumble. Warabi mochi, tres leches cake.
Uji matcha. Passionfruit marshmallow. Bon Bons yuzu and black sesame. Blueberry and white chocolate, elderflower jelly.
Rhubarb and raspberry jelly.