Michelin-starred chef Akira Back will introduce his namesake restaurant at the Chateau Laurier in the new year, bringing high-end, modern Japanese cuisine to Ottawa.
“I’m excited to bring my culinary vision to Ottawa,” Back said in a news release Wednesday. “It is thrilling for me in a city so rich in culture and history while also being the nation’s capital. My goal is to create a dining experience that feels both refined and unexpected, a place where guests will discover something exciting every time they visit.”
The restaurant, expected to open in early 2026, will “blend high-end dining, elegant artistry, modern Japanese cuisine with global influences,” according to the release.
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The menu will feature some of Back’s signature dishes, including AB tuna pizza, which consists of a wafer-thin crust, umami ponzu aioli, tuna sashimi and micro shiso; 48-hour short ribs, made with Australian wagyu beef and cooked for 48 hours in a traditional galbi jjim marinade; and the Nazo nine, a mystery box experience featuring nine chef-selected dishes, revealed tableside.
“Akira Back Ottawa will reflect the type of thoughtfully crafted experience we strive to bring to the property,” said Genevieve Dumas, general manager of the Chateau Laurier. “The combination of Chef Back’s visionary approach, the Fairmont’s historic elegance, and the restaurant’s striking contemporary design will deliver an unforgettable experience for guests and locals alike.”
The restaurant will seat 109 guests in a space anchored by a sushi bar, with two private dining rooms for groups of 12 to 16. The space will be in line with Back’s “moody, but elevated aesthetic” found in his 28 locations worldwide, including in Paris, Hong Kong, Dubai, London, San Francisco, Toronto and Seoul.
Back was born in Seoul and raised in Aspen, Colo., and was a professional snowboarder before becoming a chef.
The Chateau Laurier also recently opened its 1912 bar in partnership with Vankleek Hill-based Dunrobin Distilleries. The speakeasy is a permanent nod to the hotel’s heritage, named for the year the Chateau Laurier opened.
