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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Chef Charles Namba blends Japanese heritage with classical French training, creating thoughtful, layered cuisine at his Los Angeles restaurants—including Tsubaki, OTOTO, and the French Japanese bistro Camélia.
