Akira Back — Toronto, Canada

With equal measures of great stealth and taste, Akira Back restaurant is quietly building a burgeoning culinary empire that stretches from Singapore and New Delhi to Las Vegas, Seoul and, now, Toronto’s Bisha hotel.
For his first Canadian outpost, the Korean-born, Colorado-raised chef tapped local interior designers Studio Munge for the 3,000 sq ft cocoon. De rigueur is a pre-prandial Kinoko martini of shitake-infused vodka and peanut oil at the bijou black marbled bar, lined in velvet and marble pillars and trimmed with gold shelves. The main attraction is, of course, the dining room which Studio Munge has furnished with dark stained wall panels, glossy gold accents, a dreamy cloud-like ceiling of hand-painted indigo petals, and an undulating mobile that encases original artwork by Back’s mother.
It’s a suitably dramatic setting for Back to showcase his repertoire of Korean-Japanese fusion dishes like toro caviar and kojuchang miso, and jidori chicken shimmering with a maple teriyaki glaze.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Bisha Hotel
2nd floor
80 Blue Jays Way
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
The artistry of Japanese wine
Fine wine from Japan may not yet register highly on the radars of most oenophiles, but for those who know, it's a hugely rewarding and rich tapestry of flavour. Drinks expert, Neil Ridley visits London's Luna Omakase for the launch of a new dedicated Japanese wine pairing menu
-
In Los Angeles, Darling doesn’t want to be your average dinner spot
Vinyl, live-fire cooking, and California’s finest ingredients come together in this immersive new concept from a celebrated Southern chef
-
Ashlyn, the quietly romantic New York label from a Yohji Yamamoto alumna
The focus of our latest Uprising column, Seoul-born Ashlyn Park worked for fashion greats before starting her own label in 2020. Showing her S/S 2026 collection at NYFW yesterday, she talks to Wallpaper* about marrying Japanese influences with the romance of Parisian savoir-faire
-
Has the ice cream parlour come of age?
A global wave of architecture studios is treating the scoop as spectacle, turning parlours into immersive social spaces
-
The ultimate amenity in this Canadian apartment building? A trio of scene-stealing restaurants
Part of Citizen on Jasper, a new residential tower, Va!, Olia, and Mimi offer a thrilling day-to-night dining experience
-
Six brilliant bars for your 2025 celebrations, hot off the Wallpaper* travel desk
Wallpaper’s most-read bar reviews of the year can't be wrong: here’s inspiration for your festive and new year plans, from a swanky Las Vegas lounge to a minimalist London drinking den
-
Montreal Navigator: a guide to the city, from modernist marvels to gastronomic gems
Montreal, Quebec’s largest city, is a creative whirlwind, offering up a vibrant mix of arts and design venues, great restaurants, and a crowd-pulling cultural calendar
-
Vancouver restaurant Elio Volpe evokes a sun-drenched Italian beach club
Experience the laid-back feel of coastal Italy in Elio Volpe, a transportive new restaurant designed by Ste. Marie Studio
-
Take off with Wallpaper* June 2024: The Travel Issue
The Wallpaper* June 2024 Travel Issue is on sale now, ready to whisk you to the best of Ho Chi Minh City, Caracas’ modernist marvels, classy Canadian cabins, a Swiss sleep retreat, and more
-
Ama Bar, in Vancouver, is sexy and a little disorienting
Ama Bar features ‘Blade Runner 2049’-inspired interiors by &Daughters
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico