In a press statement, the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair confirmed that Back concluded operations at the luxury Hanover Square hotel on 29 July, little more than a year after launching his eponymous restaurant there.
The space that previously housed Akira Back London is set to officially relaunch this Thursday (14 August) as The Restaurant at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, which is billed as a ‘refined yet relaxed dining concept’ that will fuse Mediterranean cuisine with Japanese and Korean cooking techniques.
Signature dishes will include scallop carpaccio with miso brown butter; burrata with kimchi; and gochujang-glazed octopus.
Dosa by Akira Back, the 14-seat chef’s table that opened within the hotel in September last year, has already relaunched under a refreshed name and menu led by chef Jihun Kim.
Somssi by Jihun Kim serves a tasting menu that’s described as ‘blending traditional Korean techniques with modern precision’.
Back also oversaw the Mandarin Oriental Mayfair’s in-room dining offering, as well contemporary cocktail bar ABar Lounge and its rooftop sibling ABar Rooftop, all of which are understood to have been brought in house.
The chef retains a presence in London through his partnership with the Montcalm Mayfair hotel, where he operates Lilli by Akira Back, which launched earlier this year.
Born in South Korea and raised in the US, Back operates a global portfolio of more than 25 restaurants.