Akira Back Restaurant — Restaurant in Toronto

I've been wanting to try this place for a year and I finally came with my boyfriend to celebrate our anniversary. The decor, ambience and service were beautiful and fantastic! We were underwhelmed with the food, though. Considering how small every dish was, they left us feeling overly heavy and wishing for hot sauce.

AG WAGYU BEEF TACOS: It was just sweet bulgogi. The ground wagyu was tender, but the taste was just bulgogi and not much else. It said 'bulgogi marinade' in the description, but we expected some other flavours to come into play, such as the tomato compot or onions... My boyfriend said it tasted just like the bulgogi I made the other day and I agreed.

CRISPY RICE: the rice was horrid on this. It wasn't a nice crispy, it was a hard crispy, as if over-fried. Once we bit into it the rice was extremely sticky and gooey, and stuck to our teeth! The description said 'deep fried sushi rice' but sushi rice isn't supposed to be sticky! The seared tuna on top was alright, although the black pepper was overpowering all other flavours. There was a surprising kick to the dish which was a nice surprise.

TRUFFLE 'BOMB' CROQUETTE: This dish was the best thing we had. The sweet shrimp, uni and truffle infused purée worked wonderfully with the lightly fried croquette. It was sadly small (everything fit onto a teaspoon) but I guess that's nothing new with fancy restaurants.

ROCK SHRIMP: DO NOT GET! This was the worst dish we had. Imagine popcorn shrimp with over fried chicken ball batter. We got the creamy gochujang sauce and there was practically no flavour. We were starving and knew this place was expensive so we tried our best to eat it all... But we really couldn't take another bite and we returned it to the server. She admitted she never suggests that dish because it's really just overpriced popcorn chicken and it's not even good. We felt really gross and heavy after a few bites of this dish.

SEARED U10 SCALLOP: This one was pretty good. Although the scallops came out slightly over seared (thus, making the seared part kind of hard) this dish was on the top 3 for my boyfriend and I. The orange added a refreshing surprise to the scallop and the cream based soup. We didn't finish the soup though.

FRIED OCTOPUS: This didn't live up to our expectations. Again, overly fried and greasy, the red and green sauces that came out with it didn't add much flavour to the dish. Eventually we scraped off the batter in an attempt to eat the octopus by itself. The vegetables were the best part of the dish.

ALASKAN CRAB: we had 1 each and couldn't eat the rest 4 pieces... It was so heavy and overly creamy. We love crab and I love creamy, cheesy goodness... But this was so hard to finish... Both of us struggled to finish 1/2 of a leg... We took this to go, though, because we already sent a dish back and though perhaps if we added some chojang (tangy gochujang dipping sauce) at home it might be better.

SHOW ME THE ROLL: This was alright. The flavour and texture of the fish inside the roll reminded me of when I make a tuna sandwich. Just overly simple and thus underwhelming. Perhaps if we weren't feeling so heavy and greasy from the dishes we had before, this might've been easier to eat. Definitely needed a kick to it... After trying 1 each we packed it to go as well to see if we can make it taste better at home.

DESSERT: I can't remember exactly what it was, but the server brought out a complimentary dessert bread for us. The taste reminded me of a sweet pineapple bread. This was pretty good and it really helped us feel better about celebrating our anniversary at Akira Back.

Overall, everything was really nice about this place except for the food. Considering it's a fancy place, we were surprised at how heavy and greasy everything felt. Yes, we got deep fried dishes, but there's a heavy, greasy, overly-fried way to do it, and a light, crispy and nicely-textured way.

I wouldn't come back again nor would I recommend... It's just not...

After the experience I’ve had tonight I would not come back here which is unfortunate as I had come jere prior twice and had good experiences but the quality and customer service this time around shows a clear decline. Ordered our dishes and something was off about the quality this time around but, it was tolerable till it came to the crispy rice which was drowned in sauce without us even being asked and I’ve had this dish before and have had the courtesy of being asked if we want sauce or not and I’ve always gotten it on the side but never even used it. The sauce ruined the quality of the dish it made the crispy rice soggy and overpowered the entire taste of the dish with straight salt. I then asked the waiter if we could get the dish without the sauce as it was too much, she did not hear the part where we said it was too much and brought around another plate without even asking why. Once the bill came around they charged us for both dishes while the plate with the sauce was still full and only two bites taken out. So ofcourse I mentioned this and the waitress looked confused then she brought around the Asian manager who proceeded to ARGUE with us and accuse us of wanting two dishes for the price of one. When I explained to him what was wrong with the dish instead of taking the constructive feedback he was confused offended and RUDE. He said salty? Soggy? That’s weird never heard of that. As if his taste buds are the only ones in the world. There was a clear lack of miscommunication with the waitress and her mishearing our judgement and assuming we just wanted two dishes, why would two people order another whole dish without sauce while one was not even finished clearly there is something wrong right? Even when mentioning we did not like the sauce. It’s not about paying for a $20 dish our bill was around $200 we do not care about $20 at that point it’s about the principle and him arguing with us and trying so hard to prove us wrong? Like even with us tipping the bill was the same price. Where was the customer service or empathy. Honeslty his behaviour was a huge turn off for this entire establishment and I will not be returning. I’ve dined at MANY establishments and have had no such issues like this. To the point of arguing for 15 minutes because you refuse to take one time off the receipt or take constructive feedback is weird. No chef in the world is perfect you can make mistakes. And if a situation like this occurs common courtesy is to extend an apology and take the item off the...

During a recent visit to Akira Back in Toronto, nestled in the heart of the city's bustling dining scene, my party of four embarked on a culinary journey that was both impressive and intermittently disappointing due to service issues. Our dining adventure coincided with a major conference, bringing us to this establishment as walk-ins amidst a sea of reservations.

On the culinary front, Akira Back shines. The tacos were a delightful surprise, packing a punch of flavor and creativity, easily becoming a highlight of our meal. The corn tempura was another standout, its delicate crispiness and sweet flavor perfectly executed. The Pop Rockin' roll was an absolute showstopper – a fusion of taste and fun that left us wishing we had ordered double. The Jidori chicken provided a comforting, delicious reprieve from the more adventurous selections, underscoring the kitchen's versatility and skill.

However, not every dish was a hit. The crispy octopus fell flat, lacking the vibrancy and excitement found in the rest of the menu. It was a rare misstep in an otherwise delightful meal.

The service, while friendly and well-intentioned, was marred by the restaurant being understaffed for the occasion. Our server, despite her best efforts, appeared overwhelmed, leading to prolonged periods where we were left with dirty plates and no attention. This was attributed to the unexpected influx of walk-ins during the conference, a scenario the restaurant seemed ill-prepared for.

This experience underscores the critical balance between kitchen excellence and front-of-house efficiency. Akira Back undoubtedly excels in delivering culinary delights but was momentarily let down by service delays. I would encourage the management to take note of local events, such as the annual conference that coincided with our visit, to better anticipate staffing needs. Such foresight could significantly enhance the dining experience, ensuring that the service matches the high quality of the cuisine.

In conclusion, while the meal was memorable for its flavors, the service aspects left room for improvement. I remain optimistic, however, that this feedback will prompt adjustments, making Akira Back not just a destination for fantastic food but also for impeccable service. Despite the hiccups, I would recommend this restaurant to fellow food enthusiasts, with a gentle reminder to maybe steer clear of the octopus and to brace for potential service delays...