Credit: Wyatt Naoki Conlon

Inside the Kitchen: Seven Questions with Camelia's Charles Namba

5 Minute read

16 May 2025

Jillian Dara

Journalist

Celebrated chef Charles Namba of Camelia shares his philosophy on fine dining, and unforgettable food moments—from his ultimate comfort meal to the one restaurant he's dying to try.

What Is Your Deserted Island Meal?

Rice and something with Japanese yakitori—the sweet soy sauce kind of thing—made by my mom.

What’s Your Most Poignant Food Memory?

My mom made dumplings growing up but then at En Japanese Brasserie they showed me how to professionally make dumplings and the difference of it. All the chefs from Japan really took me under their wings. I was living in NY by myself with no furniture—they took me out every night, for original soup dumplings, Chinese hot pot and showed me things I’ve never eaten before. I was young and couldn’t pay for it but they took me to experience it. I always think about those times.

What Does Fine Dining Mean to You?

It’s a place where you can experiment more and as a chef, I feel we need that element of experimentation to try more things and push culinary boundaries. I love that it exists but I really do enjoy the more casual atmosphere and food being more of a fun thing.

What Are Your Restaurant Goals or Dreams?

As I get older, I want to create smaller restaurants where I cook everything. Or I’m trying to decide if I should incorporate and open multiple places. I enjoy the team aspect and think I want to explore that—to do something bigger than me. I’m deciding that right now.

What’s On Your Restaurant Bucket List to Visit?

I want to go to Addison in San Diego—everybody’s talking about it.

What Is Your Food/Cooking Philosophy?

It sounds cheesy but I really do feel like nature makes food good; we as chefs are just helping it taste better. I really like the simplicity of leaving ingredients alone and letting it taste how it should taste—I don’t want flavors to get lost.

What's Your Comfort Food?

A cheeseburger. I always loved them as a kid and I try not to eat them too much now but it’s always a good feeling when I do. If it’s a steakhouse burger, I want sauce, cheese, and bread. If it’s a backyard burger, I love the classic tomato, onion, lettuce toppings.

The Chef

Charles Namba was born and raised in Beverly Hills after his parents moved to Los Angeles from Japan in their early twenties. Though his career took him across the country, Namba eventually returned home to open his first restaurant, Tsubaki, in Echo Park in 2017 with his business partner, Courtney Kaplan.

Having grown up immersed in Japanese culture and cuisine, Namba paid homage to his heritage with the opening of the classic izakaya and, later, its sister sake bar, OTOTO. But his path to that point wasn’t linear. “In high school, I worked at a pizzeria in Beverly Hills called Mulberry Street,” he recalls. Though he always loved Japanese food—his mother nearly had a cooking show of her own—he enjoyed exploring other culinary traditions.

In 2004, Namba moved to New York City and joined the opening team of EN Japanese Brasserie. He later shifted gears to study classical French technique at Chanterelle. “I wanted to learn more about French cuisine,” he says. “Everyone working there had been there for 20 to 30 years. It was a great family environment that I now base my restaurant culture on.” Working alongside Chef David Waltuck, Namba absorbed lessons he carries into his kitchens today.

In 2010, he returned to Los Angeles to assist Chef Thomas Keller in opening Bouchon Beverly Hills, before launching Tsubaki in 2017.

His newest restaurant, Camélia—a French Japanese bistro in Downtown Los Angeles—represents the culmination of his wide-ranging culinary journey. “The food is elevated, but the environment is comfortable,” Namba says. “Like a French bistro with a raw bar and Japanese sashimi.”

16 May 2025