Chefs

Niki Nakayama's Refined Cuisine is Rooted in Japan and Los Angeles

Jacqueline Raposo

Niki Nakayama is a Japanese-American chef who is comfortable in both cultures. Born and raised in Los Angeles to Japanese parents, she attended culinary school in Pasadena and immediately started working locally with Japanese cuisine. During a three-year cooking tour around Japan, she focused her studies at Shirakawa-Ya Ryokan in Tokamachi, where she learned the skills required for kaiseki, traditional multicourse dinners. ...