It is not every day you find a restaurant that fuses an unconventional mix of flavour profiles, but Akira Back at JW Marriott Singapore South Beach is one of those places that prides itself on its unique approach and sets itself apart from the rest of the pack in more ways than one.
The restaurant by celebrity Chef Akira Back features innovative dishes centred around modern Japanese cuisine with Korean accents. Kicking off its new weekend brunch menu, guests will be enticed with an unlimited variety of appetising tempura and sushi rolls in addition to their stellar 3-course meal.
Available at S$98++ per person on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 3pm (last order at 2.30pm), Akira Back’s brunch menu offers four new options for mains and two desserts to choose from (one of each per pax), allowing guests to mix and match elements encompassing different flavour accents and cultural influences so as to achieve a customised and delectable meal.
Through his many travels, Chef Akira Back has acquired a multitude of culinary inspirations which he applies to the food he creates, dishing out incredible and whacky creations that intricately fuse elements from the places that he has visited, without being too overbearing on the palate.
Look forward to a bit of excitement and adventure when you dine in this signature restaurant at JW Marriott Singapore South Beach because you will not find an experience quite as exquisite as this elsewhere.
STARTER – AB PIZZA (TUNA OR MUSHROOM)
The weekend brunch menu kicks off with a starter of the highly acclaimed AB Pizza which you can have topped with either tuna or mushroom. Created by Chef Akira himself to help ease Americans into eating raw fish, this fusion of East and West is truly one of the best things you could ever put into your mouth.
The pizza comes on a thin, crisp tortilla base spread with an umami aioli, topped with thinly sliced tuna and a dash of truffle oil. Fine sprigs of micro shiso are also added to enhance the visual appeal of this dish.
Every bite fills the palate with robust umami-packed goodness, which is nicely underscored by the gentle crackling of the thin crust.
MAIN OPTION 1 – HAMACHI KAMA
Hamachi Kama refers to yellowtail (Hamachi) collar, which is the fattiest and juiciest part of the fish. It is usually grilled or broiled, allowing the fat to render so as to achieve perfectly crisp skin.
Here at Akira Back, this dish is done to the utmost perfection. The flesh is tender enough that you can easily scrape it off the cartilage with chopsticks, and the ginger balsamic dressing that comes served on the side does well to cut through the richness of the fish collar.
MAIN OPTION 2 – CHIRASHI DONBURI
Neatly and intricately placed atop furikake brown rice, we were impressed by the colourful assortment of cubed sashimi, tamago, fish roe and avocado. The chunks of fish are much thicker than you get in most places and the addition of avocado, although not uncommon, adds a creamy buttery texture to the dish that we really enjoyed.
MAIN OPTION 3 – SPRING CHICKEN
The Spring Chicken is the ideal main to have if you want something relatively light without sacrificing flavour. The chicken pieces are marinated overnight in miso, resulting in tender and outrageously succulent meat. It is glazed with yuzu kosho—a fermented condiment made from green chilli, salt and the juice and peel of the yuzu fruit.
The miso really tenderised the chicken and added enhanced its flavour without being too salty; the glaze brightened up the flavours of the dish with its citrusy notes while giving it a subtle spicy kick at the same time.
MAIN OPTION 4 – PORTERHOUSE STEAK
The Porterhouse Steak (available with a supplement of S$20) is one that will delight steak aficionados. A generous bone-in, Porterhouse cut of Australian Angus beef is seasoned with a house-innovated coffee-spice blend that, once grilled, boasts a deep earthy and smoky flavour.
As much as the steak tastes amazing on its own, try it with the bordelaise sauce, which is made with fermented black garlic, for a heightened umami note.
This massive steak is ideal for sharing between 2 people (hence the one-time supplement of S$20) and steak lovers should know that you really get bang for your buck with this cut. It was the highlight of our brunch and it would be yours, too.
FREE-FLOW TEMPURA AND SUSHI ROLLS
The best part of this stunning brunch is the wide variety of unlimited cooked-to-order tempura and sushi rolls that come as part of the brunch menu.
Take your pick of seafood and vegetable tempura such as the classic ebi (shrimp), ika (squid), anago (conger eel), shiitake, enoki and loads more.
And if you are really out to indulge, go for the nine different varieties of sushi roll types, from the hosomaki—the humble thin rice rolls containing one singular ingredient —to the uramaki, inside-out rolls otherwise commonly known as California rolls.
One of our favourites is the signature Godzilla Roll, which filled with unagi, and topped with sliced avocado and bits of diced strawberry. It took us a while, but we soon figured out how this unassuming dish bore a resemblance to the iconic dinosaur-like monster—think avocado as its green skin, and the strawberry signifying Godzilla’s frenzied eyes.
DESSERT OPTION 1 – AB CHEESECAKE
No brunch would be complete without rounding off with a sweet treat, but at the same time, you would not want something too heavy. Which is why, the menu has been carefully and thoughtfully planned out to include two desserts—the AB Cheesecake and the Pillow. You have a choice between both.
The AB Cheesecake is as rich as a cheesecake should be but the mild acidity from the coconut-lime sorbet and the apricot compote does well to cut through that.
DESSERT OPTION 2 – PILLOW
The Pillow, on the other hand, is essentially an Earl Grey-perfumed white chocolate mousse with morello cherry that is served with chocolate ice cream and a honey-nougat wafer–the perfect indulgence for chocolate lovers.
Weekend brunches are always something everyone looks forward to and with this enticing line-up at Akira Back, there is no questioning where you should be headed to this weekend.
Enjoy this stellar weekend brunch at S$98++ (per pax) on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 3pm. Alternatively, you can drop by Akira Back during weekdays for their lunch, as they have also introduced new 3-course set lunches as well.
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Akira Back
30 Beach Road
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach
Singapore 189763
Tel: +65 6818 1914
Sun to Thu: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 10.30pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 3pm, 6pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Esplanade/ Raffles City
This post is brought to you by JW Marriott Singapore South Beach.