After first opening in Jakarta in 2014, Chef Akira Back has brought his namesake restaurant back to the capital, this time on the 100th floor of Autograph Tower at Thamrin Nine. The new Akira Back Jakarta combines the chef’s contemporary Japanese cuisine with panoramic views of the city, in what the restaurant describes as Indonesia’s highest dining experience.
The 60-seat restaurant marks a new chapter for the brand in Jakarta, with 52 seats in the main dining room and a private VIP room for up to eight guests. The elevated location is central to the experience, with guests traveling to the top of the tower before arriving at a dining room overlooking Jakarta.
“Returning to Jakarta, at its very highest point, is an honour. This city has always held a special place in my heart. Now we celebrate it from above everything,” said Chef Akira Back, founder of Akira Back.
Contemporary Japanese Cuisine With Global Influences
The menu brings together Japanese techniques with influences from Chef Back’s Korean and American heritage, as well as his international culinary career. The selection spans sushi and sashimi, seafood, robata-grilled dishes and signature creations that combine Japanese ingredients and techniques with global flavors.
Among the restaurant’s signature dishes is the AB Tuna Pizza, which pairs a crisp base with umami aioli, micro shiso and white truffle oil. Other highlights include Kanpachi Goma, featuring Japanese kingfish with yuzu goma, citrus and herb oil, and the Brother From Another Mother Roll, combining freshwater and saltwater eel.
The menu also includes Rock Shrimp Tempura with gochujang mayo and chives, Grilled Octopus with shiso verde, anticucho and smoked potato foam, and 48 Hour Short Rib, reflecting the kitchen’s focus on extended preparation and technique.
For a more indulgent selection, guests can opt for Toro Caviar with gochujang miso, jalapeño and Oscietra caviar; Wagyu & Eringii Hot Rock Ishiyaki, with wagyu seared tableside on a hot stone; and Signature Tartare served with umami salt, ginger gel and dashi aioli.
Dessert continues the playful approach, with the Truffle Ice Cream Pizza reinterpreting the restaurant’s signature pizza concept as a sweet final course.
From Professional Snowboarding to the Kitchen
Born in Seoul and raised in Aspen, Colorado, Chef Akira Back initially pursued professional snowboarding before turning to cooking and joining a Japanese restaurant in Aspen.
He has since developed an international restaurant portfolio spanning cities including Seoul, Bangkok, Toronto, Dubai, Hong Kong and Istanbul. His cooking draws on this experience, combining Japanese culinary techniques with flavors and influences encountered throughout his career.
His return to Jakarta also reconnects the chef with a city where his restaurant first arrived more than a decade ago, now in a significantly different setting at the top of Autograph Tower.
“Akira Back Jakarta reflects our conviction in this city and in the depth of Indonesia’s appetite for world-class hospitality,” said Irawan Sukma Nugraha, Business Director of Akira Back and Chief Strategic Officer of Adhya Group. “This is a significant, long-term investment in the guest — in the belief that discerning diners here expect, and deserve, the very best.”
The restaurant positions itself as a destination for celebrations including anniversaries, proposals, birthdays, family gatherings and career milestones, while also aiming to accommodate occasions that simply call for a meal together.
Akira Back Jakarta
Autograph Tower, 100th Floor, Thamrin Nine
Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 10, RT.14/RW.20, Kel. Kebon Melati, Kec. Tanah
Abang, Central Jakarta, DKI Jakarta 10230
