Akira Back

The chef of this eponymous restaurant was born in South Korea and raised in the US state of Colorado. His heritage is evident in the Korean-influenced Japanese fare served here, which comes with a heavy twist of Americana. Take the tuna pizza, which is topped with slivers of fresh tuna, dabs of ponzu mayonnaise, and a drizzle of truffle oil. There’s also the grilled Alaskan king crab, blanketed in a mildly spiced “dynamite sauce”, and the sushi rolls, slicked with a sweet teriyaki-esque glaze. With bold, glossy furnishings and dark tinted windows, the dining room has a Vegas vibe to it—a nod to chef Back’s home base, where he is an executive chef and partner of the Hakkasan Group.