Niki Nakayama’s cooking is driven by intuition. At her two-Michelin-starred restaurant, n/naka in West Los Angeles, she masters modern kaiseki, a Japanese dining discipline focused on taste, texture, and presentation. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Nakayama began her culinary career at Takao restaurant in Brentwood and refined her skills in Japan. She later opened Azami Sushi Café, gaining fame for her omakase menu.
At n/naka, Nakayama creates exquisite, seasonally-inspired dishes, making it one of L.A.’s toughest reservations. The restaurant has been on the Los Angeles Times’ “101 Best Restaurants” list annually since 2013 and has garnered widespread media attention. Nakayama was a James Beard Foundation Award finalist for Outstanding Chef in 2023.
Sustainability is key at n/naka, with 70% of ingredients sourced locally. Nakayama’s kaiseki philosophy highlights natural flavors and seasonal purity. During the pandemic, Nakayama and her wife, Carole Iida-Nakayama, launched n/soto in West Adams, starting as a takeout restaurant and later becoming an izakaya-inspired eatery.
***
CHA-CHING! Customers are rushing to your store. Do you have a point-of-sale system you can trust or is it (ahem) a real P.O.S.? You need Shopify for retail.
Shopify POS is your command center for your retail store. From accepting payments to managing inventory, Shopify has EVERYTHING you need to sell in person. Get hardware that fits your business. Take payments by smartphone, transform your tablet into a point-of-sale system, or use Shopify’s POS Go mobile device for a battle-tested solution.
Plus, Shopify’s award-winning help is there to support your success every step of the way.
Do retail right with Shopify. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at www.shopify.com/founderhour. Once again, go to www.shopify.com/founderhour to take your retail business to the next level today.
***
The Founder Hour is brought to you by Outer. Outer makes the world’s most beautiful, comfortable, innovative, and high-quality outdoor furniture - ALL from sustainable materials - and is the ONLY outdoor furniture with a patented built-in cover to make protecting it effortless. From teak chairs to fire pit tables, everything Outer makes has the look and feel of what you’d expect at a 5-star resort, for less than you’d pay at a big box store for something that won’t last.
For a limited time, get 10% off at www.liveouter.com/thefounderhour. Terms and conditions apply.
***
Follow The Founder Hour on:
Instagram | www.instagram.com/thefounderhour
Twitter/X | www.x.com/thefounderhour
LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/company/thefounderhour
YouTube | www.youtube.com/@thefounderhour
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.