Vegilicious, Akira and Ana Nakao’s ode to organic vegan dishes with a Japanese bent, has officially closed its doors in Huntington Beach. Its final day was Monday, July 8.
Opening in 2012 at the Huntington Harbour Mall, Vegilicious was a small eatery from husband-wife team Akira and Ana Nakao, who hail from Japan. The couple operated the place themselves for more than a decade.
“We would like to say thank you very much to each and every one of you,” the couple posted to the restaurant’s Facebook page before closing. “It was a great pleasure to serve our food to such wonderful people like you here in Huntington Beach”
Following the announcement of the restaurant’s final day, fans of the modern Japanese restaurant posted messages of appreciation. “You spoiled us with such a tasty and healthy menu. You will be missed, blessings to you both on your next adventure,” wrote Karen Kimberly-Topolewski. Leah Gomez Jovellanos commented, “Thank you Akira and Ana for your passion in spreading love, positivity and awesome food.”
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In January, 2022, Ana Nakao suffered serious burns after coming in contact with a patio heater at the eatery, which, in addition to her skin grafts and surgeries, resulted in a 10-month closure. “Since then we had been running the restaurant for shorter hours while she was still working on rehab and treatment until July 8th, 2024 when we closed our doors permanently,” said Akira.
Although Vegilicious closed on July 8, Akita and Ana opened the eatery’s door one last time on Sunday, July 14 to give away free barbecue bowls and desserts one last time to their loyal customers.
Although the couple’s Huntington Beach location has shuttered, the duo plan to keep Vegilicious’s plant-based vision and menu alive with a new concept and a new location. “We will be moving back to Japan to open a ‘dinner, bed and breakfast’ for a single group, named Auberge Vegilicious, on Kouri Island, Okinawa, a scenic island in the far south of Japan,” he explained.
