Akira Back Jakarta MD Place Penthouse Setiabudi Jakarta

July 24th, 2014. I went to Akira Back Jakarta. Well, I've heard about this restaurant a month ago, when fellow bloggers went there. They said to me that "all the food are delicious, you should try!!" So, I made a promise to myself that I should try the new restaurant. A couple days ago, one of my junior high school friends (Andry) asked me about my job as a blogger. Then he asked me, "Have you heard about Akira Back?" And I answered to him, "Yes, of course, my friends told me that it was so good. One day I will try the place." Then he gave me a number, "Please arrange a meeting with Ms Susan, try the food, and review it." So, I did what he told me. And voila, I made a reservation there.

Located at the 12th floor of MD Place Building which is called Penthouse, Akira Back Jakarta was quite tremendous with capacity for around 250 people. It was very luxurious but not intimidating. They decorated the place with many splendid things. I love the paintings and the lights all over the place. Simple, but looks stunning. And be prepared for the warm greetings from the whole people there, when you enter the place. Ms Gaby as marketing and promotion there, greeted me with her beautiful smile. And everyone was polite, friendly and warm. Such a lovely place to enjoy your moment.

Let me show you around the place. Actually I'm in love with the hexagon shape on the wall. It was like beehives. Very cute. The floor was actually divided into 2 separate places. On the right wing, it was the restaurant. On the left wing, it was bar and private VIP room. Both of the places were cozy and comfortable based on their function.

The right wing.

The left wing.

About Chef Akira Back

picture courtesy of the website

A Korea native and former professional snowboarder raised in Colorado, chef Akira Back brings his sense of adventure and creativity into every dish. Born in Korea and raised in Aspen, Colorado, Chef Akira Back brings a sense of adventure and boundless creativity to his culinary creations. Following the success of Kumi Japanese Restaurant + Bar at Mandalay Bay and the famed Yellowtail Japanese Restaurant & Lounge at Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Chef Back is now set to open Akira Back New Delhi later this year, and Akira Back Jakarta in 2014, featuring his inventive and enticing menus that embody classic Japanese cuisine and always feature innovative dishes that use the freshest ingredients from the world’s top purveyors.

Suddenly, Ms Susan came and greeted me. And I found out that she is Andry's eldest sister. OMG! "So sorry, Andry never mentioned it before hahaha." I felt honoured that I could meet her. She is such a warm and nice lady. Thanks to Andry hehehe.. We talked about many things. I had so much fun talking to her and Gaby.

I'm in love with their emboss logo on the dining plate. Simple, but looks exquisite. The plate was white, and the name Akira Back was black with the red dot that make it not only catchy but also remarkable.

Ok, let's start the hedonism hahaha

Cold Ocha

COLD SHARED

Tuna Pizza 195k

Ponzu Mayo, Shiso, Truffle Oil

First, I thought this was just an ordinary pizza. Very thin and light. But after I tried it, I was like, OMG!! Well, the good thing about this pizza was the truffle oil. The truffle oil was all over the pizza. It's like I ate truffle oil with pizza, not the other way hahahaha.. The pizza dough was thin and outstandingly very crispy and delicious in every bite. Topped with ponzu mayo and a layer of tuna, this pizza was the best pizza ever! And believe it or not, I finished it all by myself. All of it. Got it? All of it. Hahaha.. It was very pretty with shiso as the garnish.

Ponzu (ポン酢) is a citrus-based sauce commonly used in Japanese cuisine. It is tart, with a thin, watery consistency and a dark brown color. Ponzu shōyuor ponzu jōyu (ポン酢醤油) is ponzu sauce with soy sauce (shōyu) added, and the mixed product is widely referred to as simply ponzu.

Shiso (/ˈʃiːsoʊ/, Japanese: 紫蘇 or シソ, [ɕiso̞]) is the now common name for the Asian culinary herb, seed (spice), or entire annual plantof Perilla frutescens variety crispa, belonging to the mint family.

Hirame Carpaccio 170k

Crispy Shallots, Nanbazu

Thinly sliced fluke, garnished with crispy shallots. It was served cold. I was a little hesitant to eat this dish. But, after a slice, I couldn't wait to finish it. It's like swallowing a beautiful wave of the sea. So smooth with delicate texture and savoury taste. Ugh, delicious..

Carpaccio (/kɑrˈpɑːtʃi.oʊ/ or /kɑrˈpɑːtʃoʊ/; Italian pronunciation: [karˈpattʃo]) is a dish of raw meat or fish (such as beef, veal, venison, salmon or tuna), thinly sliced or pounded thin and served mainly as an appetizer.

Hotate Kiwi 135k

Hokkaido Scallop, Truffle Yuzu Soy

Hotate Kiwi is a scallop with kiwi fruit. For the sauce, they used truffle yuzu soy. The hotate was very soft and chewy. I found it so difficult to resist. Kiwi and yuzu were sour, but when you combine it with scallops (the flavour of scallop is a bit sweet and light, very delicious), it added the unique flavours to the scallops.

Scallops are some of the most treasured sushi delicacies. Hotate (scallop) is a large bivalve that has a rich, sweet taste and soft consistency. In the world of sushi, scallops are usually eaten raw, often butterfly cut down the middle and served with rice, as nigirizushi. It's not unheard of to lightly sear the scallops as well, as it can bring out the natural sweeetness.

Tartare Toro 360k

Wasabi Soy, Caviar

This is the most beautiful dish. The toro (fatty tuna) was pretty, topped with caviar, served on top of ice. The beautiful thing was there's a light under the ice, behind the straw arrangement. How to eat the dish? Mix the toro with wasabi soy, then eat with the crackers. It was heavenly delicious. I thought the wasabi will be spicy, and I didn't mix it with the toro. But, they told me that it was more tasty when you mix it together. So I tried, and they were right. It was unbelievably superb!!

HOT SHARED

Duck Prosciutto 135k

Arugula, Pickled Red Onion, Amazu Butter

The duck prosciutto was thinly sliced and very tasty. It had a delicate and buttery texture. It must be eaten instantly, so it won't become dry. So I took pictures very quick, that's why only 1 picture below hahaha.. I ate the duck prosciutto in a hurry because it tasted really good. It was gone in a flash, slice by slice. Like a blink. The amazu butter was the one that make the duck prosciutto a little bit sweet and a little bit sour. The flavour mixed perfectly.

Prosciutto (/prəˈʃuːtoʊ/, Italian: [proʃˈʃutto], Italian ham) is a dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked; this style is calledprosciutto crudo in Italian and is distinguished from cooked ham, prosciutto cotto.

Arugula is a pungent, leafy green vegetable resembling a longer-leaved and open lettuce, rocket is rich in vitamin C and potassium. In addition to the leaves, the flowers, young seed pods and mature seeds are all edible.

MAINS

48 Hrs Wagyu Short Rib 450k

Baby Root Veggies, Quail Egg

The presentation for me was not super gorgeous. It was simply beautiful. But the taste.. Hmm.. How to describe it.. Hmm.. Superb? No. It was more than superb. It was more than any other outstanding words. I wasn't exaggerating. Took one huge piece into my mouth, and I was spellbound. It was tender, juicy and melt in your mouth. I took one by one until they were gone. Ugh, I hope they do free refill for this wagyu short rib.. *yeah rite, in your dream, yen!!!* hihihi.. It was so delicious, I wanna go back right away! Curious? Just go there and try for yourself. You won't be disappointed!

Wagyu (和牛 Wagyū, literally "Japanese cow") refers to several breeds of cattle, the most desired of which is genetically predisposed to intense marblingand to producing a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat. The meat from such wagyu cattle is known for its quality, and demands a high price. In several areas of Japan, wagyu beef is shipped carrying area names. Some examples are Kobe, Mishima, Matsusaka, Ōmi, and Sanda beef.

Short ribs (UK cut: Thin Rib) (Commonly known in UK as 'Jacob's Ladder' ) are a popular cut of beef. Beef short ribs are larger and usually more tender and meatier than their pork counterpart, pork spare ribs. Short ribs are cut from the rib and plate primals and a small corner of the square-cut chuck.

Thank you so much Akira Back for your breathtaking dish and your friendly staffs. Definitely will come back again. Special thanks to Andry, Ms Susan and Gaby. Cannot wait to meet y'all again.

Akira Back Jakarta
MD Place Building/Penthouse, Level 12
Jl. Setiabudi Selatan No. 7
South Jakarta
Phone: 021-2904 0777 / 0857-7778-8777
FB Fan Page: Akira Back Jakarta
twitter: @akirabackjkt