Chef Akira Back AKIRA BACK

kira Back is all about change. When creating dishes for his international portfolio of restaurants, he seeks to open people’s ideas of his modern Japanese cuisine. Lucky for us, he opened his namesake restaurant at The Ray hotel last year, bringing his interpretation of Asian cuisine to the sands of Delray Beach. Born in Seoul, Korea and raised in Colorado, Back’s first career was as a professional snowboarder. But he would moonlight at a Japanese restaurant, and that’s where his passion for cooking started to blossom. Throughout the years, he’s traveled, worked and eaten around the world, opening his eyes to endless culinary possibilities. His concept of Asian cuisine is always evolving—into a melting pot of much more than just Asian dishes and ingredients. While he uses hints of local influences or Korean flavors to enhance his childhood favorites (like his favorite, Korean fried chicken), his cooking style is traditional Japanese, an undying nod to his masterful training.

When bringing his cuisine to Delray Beach, Back’s goal was to bridge the gap between Miami and West Palm Beach. Back wanted to showcase what he could do at a boutique hotel that would allow him to focus on the food, its ingredients and stellar service. Signature Akira Back dishes include the AB tuna pizza, a paper-thin wafer topped with tuna and drizzled with umami aioli, white truffle oil, micro shiso, marinated masago, or roe, and chojang, a sweet and spicy Korean sauce.

These days, Back doesn’t have to be in Asia to enjoy amazing Asian food. He attributes this to society’s craving for healthier, light cuisines— like Japanese and Korean—that are still packed with flavor.

“The idea that someday we as a collective can grow to a point where we all share the same love for one another’s traditions and food shows me just how open we all can be to new ideas and new flavors,” he says.“I can’t wait to see the next 50 years.”

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WEB EXTRA:

For more on signature Asian dishes, please visit BOCAMAG. COM/MAY-JUNE-2023.

Courtney Jones