Camélia’s Sweet Potato Gratin

At Camélia in LA—one of our Best New Restaurants of 2025—chef Charles Namba reimagines comfort classic sweet potato gratin through a French-Japanese lens. “When I was little,” says Namba, “my mom prepared Japanese sweet potatoes by cutting one in half, shoving cold butter between the slices, and microwaving it.” Inspired by this trick, Namba built a dish as nostalgic as it is modern.

Instead of the thin orange layers of potatoes found in most sweet potato gratin recipes, his version starts with large chunks of cream-colored Japanese sweet potatoes, boiled until tender and lightly mashed with salty-sweet miso butter. Slightly sweeter than other varieties, Japanese sweet potatoes have a naturally starchy, buttery texture that adds luxurious body without extra fuss. (In a pinch, standard sweet potatoes or garnet yams will work just fine.) And skipping the mandoline slicer and all that layering means minimal prep time.

You’ll spread the potato mixture into a casserole dish before finishing it off with a scattering of cheese and a final flourish of chives and nori. Namba’s sweet potato gratin delivers golden brown, crispy edges with layers of savory umami and creamy richness, making it an easy, flavor-packed side dish worthy of any holiday feast.

Chef’s Note: Japanese sweet potatoes can be found in most well-stocked grocery stores or international markets. They have a slightly sweeter flavor than their orange-hued counterparts and boast a starchier, denser texture; if you can’t get your hands on them, a standard sweet potato will work just fine.