AKIRA BACK

Panning across two levels of the hotel, this signature restaurant specializes in Japanese cuisine with Korean essence and Stands out in its effort to merge visual arts with gourmet art …

LOWDOWN

This is an impressive establishment for entertaining. With chic design blended with an eight-metre tall sake wall which houses some of the finest sakes and wines in the sub-continent, the ambience is simply stunning. Akira Back imbues flavours from the ancient back alleys of Tokyo and metamorphoses them into a contemporary gastronomic experience. Replete with a robatayaki grill which originates from a centuries-old country style of cooking by Japanese fishermen, the restaurant distinguishes itself. One can also enjoy an evening of flavour and flair at the restaurant’s al fresco dining in the inner courtyard. For those who do not know, Chef Akira Back is a Korea native and former professional snowboarder who was raised in Aspen, Colorado, and brings his sense of adventure and boundless creativity at his namesake restaurant Akira Back, an innovative Japanese restaurant with Korean essence.

WHAT’S ON OFFER?

Specially designed for the restaurants, diners also get to watch chefs in action while they dip their meat in sauce. The cooking methods are true to thousands of years of oriental tradition, yet the flavours are quintessentially twenty first century – modern, subtle and thrilling.

Chef back has tailored traditional, regional spirit to the modern gourmet with the accomplishment of an enthusiastic chef in search of new experiences and has created dishes like Tuna Pizza, seared Foie gras, wasabi pepper tenderloin to name a few. Sashimi is the restaurant’s forte clearly; obviously not only the freshest sea-food will do, but also the best quality, served beautifully. The tasty morsels of ‘maguro’ (tuna) are delicately smooth and ‘shake’ (salmon) is divinely creamy in texture and taste. If you are a soup lover go for the Miso soup, it’s truly decadent. A speciality here is also the Sake steamed flounder; the soft flesh of the fish is steamed with a black bean yuzu soy sauce and is most tender. I was mesmerised by the style and plating of the dishes, influenced by the origin of the dish, each offering is carefully arranged on beautifully handcrafted dinner ware. For dessert try the yuzu tart its superlative. All in all, for top-notch food, service, view and ambience, Akira back is a restaurant to patronise.

CHECK IT OUT

Akira Back is at JW Marriott, Asset Area 4 - Hospitality District, Delhi Aerocity,

New Delhi - 110 037 

For Reservations: +91 (0)11 45212121

Meal for two: INR 4,000 without alcohol.

Timings: Lunch: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. & Dinner: 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

ABOUT CHEF AKIRA BACK

Chef Back’s love of travel and culinary exploration took him to Japan and throughout Europe where he worked under world leading celebrity chefs. When he returned to the US, then he was named the first Korean to be the Executive chef of Nobu Matsuhisa in Aspen. Following the famed Yellowtail by Akira Back at the Bellagio, Chef Akira is spreading his culinary wings with 3 new restaurants. Kumi by Akira Back at Mandalay Bay, Akira Back New Delhi JW Marriott Aerocity, and on early this year Akira Back Jakarta will be the new outpost for his culinary journey.

 published in tlf

MISO, GURGAON

CHILL ZONE

The Lowdown – This restaurant serving superlative food without any nouveau pretension is so popular that making reservations are advised. An extensive a la carte menu offers a comprehensive choice of the finest Korean fare. The highlight is the cooking of your own meats and piping hot food on your own little grill, a neat change to the run of the mill point and order joint. There are nine ‘Banchan’ (side dishes) with every meal you order and all of them have their own flavours, and are amazingly delicious, the standards being cabbage kimchi, bean sprouts and sweet potato and the rest change. And yes fruit is served on the house as ‘dessert’. Many of the ingredients and spices are brought from Korea, ensuring authentic dishes and the owner ‘Mi Hwa Park’ is the chief chef too.

The owner & chief chef Mi Hwa Park

Ambience- Exquisite rosewood furniture coupled with intricately detailed wooden panelling and local paintings add to its elegant ambience matched by food that is equally refined and refreshing. One is seated in a booth on the wood floor on low wooden tables, after taking off one’s shoes to eat in traditional Korean style. The tables are big enough to seat large groups of people, and are also big enough to place a large amount of dishes. They also have buttons on the table to alert your waiter/waitress if they are not around. 

Lip-smacking- Traditional Korean BBQ is one of the restaurant’s specialities including ‘Bulgogi’ (tenderloin beef BBQ) and ‘Daeji yangnyeom Galbi’ (seasoned pork ribs). ‘Kimch jigae’ (spicy Hot Korean kimchi with tofu and pork) served with sticky rice, ‘Bibim Bap’ (rice with vegetables, meat and a fried egg, which is to be mixed with a fruit based sauce), ‘chicken gas’ (fried chicken) and ‘Haemul Tang’ (spicy sea-food soup).

Don't even go there –If you are uncomfortable sitting cross-legged on the floor and dining.

'Man’ speak –I was craving something refreshingly new for my slightly overdone palette and this proved to be an exciting dining experience.

How to get there – Unit 11, Ground Floor, Global Foyer B/D, Golf course road, sector 43, Gurgaon. Next to the Mercedes Benz showroom, the nearest metro station is sikanderpur.

Tel- 0124-4086128 / 4086130

Timings- Open for lunch and dinner.

Cost – A meal for two would be approx. 2,200 without alcohol.

-RUPALI DEAN

 Published in The Man