WAR IN THE KITCHEN
Akira Back
GORDON RAMSAY’S short temper may have made him feared by chefs all over the world, but the “Hell’s Kitchen” creator looks like a pussycat next to Akira Back. “Whenever I check on any of my restaurants, my staff will go through a nightmare,” warns the founder of a growing chain of upscale eateries that bears his name, including one at MD Place in Setiabudi. “I’m very, very strict and I don’t take excuses,” Chef Back goes on. He describes his leadership approach as “military style” with “no bullshit” allowed. He thinks it is normal to be temperamental in the kitchen because it is “as tough as warfare in there”.
But, like Ramsay, Chef Back has a heart of gold and a warm way of charming people. He points out that most of his team members have stayed with since he started his business empire seven years ago. Andri Dionysius, Head Chef at Akira Back Jakarta, hails from the Indonesian capital and has played a pivotal role in opening all of Chef Back’s restaurants, which include the famous Yellowtail in Las Vegas. “I have the best team behind me. That’s another key to my success - only hiring chefs who are better than me,” Chef Back chuckles.
Born in South Korea as Sung Ook Back, and raised in Aspen, Colorado, Chef Back brings a sense of adventure 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, he launched Akira Back New Delhi and, most recently, Akira Back Jakarta. Looking ahead, Chef Back is launching a new restaurant in Los Angeles, followed by further openings in South Korea, Dubai, Shanghai and Mumbai.
Chef Back spent his young adult years as a professional snowboarder in Colorado. “I was one of the only Asians when my family moved to Aspen,” he recalls. “I had to find a way to blend in. Then I saw the trendy kids with blue hair carrying snowboards, and I decided to take it up.” He worked in local restaurants to supplement his income. After seven years on the pro-snowboarding circuit and suffering several major spills, he realised that he was enjoying the same thrill in the kitchen as he did on his board. “I was so spoiled and had never cooked before,” he recalls. But then he chanced upon the renowned sushi restaurant Kenichi in Aspen and was mesmerised by the food’s quality. Chef Back went on to study at the International Culinary School at The Art Institute in Colorado.
In 1993, he joined Kenichi as a sushi prep cook. Determination is one of the keys to his success. “I went to see Kenichi Kanada to ask if I could work and learn there,” he says. “I thought it’d be really cool. But I was told that I would have to shave my blue hair off first before he would talk to me. I did, and I went back the next day and the day after. They took me in on the seventh day of asking. I didn’t want to quit, even though I was having a tough time. I persevered not because I loved cooking, but because I didn’t want my dad to say: ‘I told you so’. After two years at Kenichi Aspen, Chef Back felt that he had what it took to make cooking his calling.
Having mastered the traditional art of Japanese food, Chef Back likes to throw in his own surprise elements. In his hands, dishes like tuna pizza and yellowtail jalapeno become zesty treats that pack a punch. “What I try to create are dishes that reflect my personality,” he explains. “They may look simple on the outside, but you have to try them to experience the dynamics in them. When I create dishes, I always keep the Chinese yin and yang principle in mind. It’s the most basic and most useful concept of balance that every cook should know. For example, if you’re cooking tempura, you need to find an ingredient that neutralises the greasiness. The Japanese use daikon radish. It’s a traditional method, and I use it in my own cooking to pay respect to the tradition.”
Consistency is essential, too. “If a customer comes 10 times to the restaurant, he or she has to get equally fine food on each visit,” says Chef Back. “If not, we’re in big trouble. Quality is the most important thing for a restaurant. If the quality goes down, it means the end. I like to work with my team in the kitchen, humming songs and concentrating on what’s in front of me. If something goes wrong, I go nuts.”