Akira Back is all set to open its doors in Riyadh this month
The professional snowboarder-turned-celebrity chef’s eponymous outpost will be located in the Diplomatic Quarter…
Can’t get enough of Japanese food in Riyadh? Professional snowboarder-turned-celebrity chef Akira Back will be opening his namesake restaurant within the new 1364AH Complex in the Diplomatic Quarter.
Due to open on Monday September 29, the nouveau Japanese eatery offers a contemporary take on a much-beloved cuisine.
If you’re familiar with the concept, Akira Back features modern Japanese cuisine with a Korean flair while emphasising seasonal produce. So, don’t come in thinking that you’re going to get traditional Japanese fare.
Plus, with any Akira Back dining experience, you’d know that drama is a given – from the interiors right down to the menu.
Expect a luxuriously designed space at Akira Back Riyadh, which has barely anything to tell you it’s a Japanese place – not the marbled tables, not the glossy gold accents, and definitely not the abstract art scattered on the restaurant’s main floor.
Tables will be split between cushy velvet booths and lower-level tables that look out through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Think chic, stylish and lively ambience.
As for the food, diners can look forward to indulging in mouth-watering and bold fusion dishes, which are all designed to be shared.
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One of the dishes that quickly became a signature on the Akira Back menu is the AB Tuna Pizza, which perfectly encapsulates the chef’s culinary ethos: sexy and easy to eat, served on custom plates printed with his mother’s abstract artwork.
Then, there are the inventive and eclectic sushi rolls, which pay tribute to Chef Back’s American legacy. You can order the more traditional Japanese-style nigiri, but we’re told that the fun sushi rolls are where it’s really at.
Born in South Korea and raised in Aspen, Colorado, Chef Back enjoyed a successful career as a snowboarder before an unfortunate accident at the age of 22 led to his biggest obstacle yet: a career jump. He currently presides over a global empire of 20 restaurants and counting in cities such as Paris, Las Vegas, Dubai, Toronto, and Singapore.
He has also opened two restaurants at The Esplanade in Riyadh: Namu, a swish joint serving up the finest cuts of meat alongside traditional Korean barbeque, and the now-defunct modern Chinese restaurant Dasha.
And as far as Japanese food is concerned, the Riyadh restaurant scene is already rather saturated. So, what can Akira Back restaurant bring to the table that isn’t already here?
There’s only one way to find out… save the date for Monday September 29.
Opening Soon: Akira Back, 1364AH Complex, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh. @akirabackriyadh
Images: Social