Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Aspen, Colorado, Akira Back was training to reach the pinnacle of professional snowboarding. An injury made him switch course, but it didn’t prevent him from scaling great heights—he now owns 28 restaurants around the globe and just opened his very first spot in San Francisco, ABSteak by Chef Akira Back.
Back and his restaurants have won raves for his modern style of Japanese and Korean cooking, including a MICHELIN Star in 2018 for his Seoul fine-dining restaurant Dosa (now open in London). The new SF restaurant marks the second California location of his popular Korean steakhouse—the original in Beverly Hills counts stars like Taylor Swift among its fans.
“San Francisco is so unique,” Back says. “It’s a really cool place. I always wanted to be here.” And he’s betting big on the return of Union Square, where the restaurant is located. “My style is big gambling,” Back says. Plus, it’s an exciting and vital addition to the burgeoning Korean food scene in the city.
Read on for everything to expect at ABSteak by Chef Akira Back, and make a booking on OpenTable.
What to eat
It’s all about steak here, naturally, with smokeless grills serving as the focal point at each table. Choose from steak both local and flown from abroad, including American Angus and Australian Wagyu—Back is partial to the latter, which he says comes closest to the Korean flavor with a little more lean grassiness.
The meat is extra special here because the team dry ages it in house for 30 to 45 days depending on the cut. Don’t miss the marinated galbi, which is soaked in bone broth for 12 hours for an extra depth of beefiness. Build on that with banchan and a noodle or soup dish like the spicy jjigae with silken tofu or buckwheat noodles in a North Korean-style broth—and make sure to leave room for the cow-shaped cake with marmalade and crunchy tuile.
What to drink
There’s something for everyone with the drinks at ABSteak. Asian spirits are the stars among the cocktails overseen by the restaurant’s director of operations Steven Kwon. Go for the Aye Bae Bae with Korean pear and the Japanese plum liqueur umeshu or the Obi Wan Ken-Ube with horchata and salted ube if you’re looking for something N/A. There’s also an exciting Korean and Japanese beer selection, including a citrusy lager and a red rice ale. Or go all out on a celebratory meal with a bottle of Champagne or Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
Where to sit
ABSteak is hidden past a discreet doorway to the right of Hotel Fusion, just one block from the Cable Car Turnaround in Union Square. Head down the black marble staircase to an underground lair that’s an abstract interpretation of a cow’s belly with oxblood red marble and rib cage-like arches throughout the space.
Gleaming glass displays with dry-aged steaks and bottles of wine are at the center of the sprawling dining room designed by Kinney Chan & Associates that seats 130. Personal touches like Back’s mom paintings on the back bar and across the menu have made the SF spot feel extra special to the chef who describes it as “bigger” and “prettier” than the original LA outpost. “It came out stunning,” he adds.
Slide into one of the luxe leather banquettes set around glossy black tables kitted out with the fancy tabletop grills. Then, just sit back for a memorable evening—servers come around with long chopsticks and scissors to expertly sear and slice your steak.
“I grew up eating Korean food, and also, I love steak,” Back says. “So I really wanted to open a Korean barbecue concept, how I eat with my family and friends.”
Becky Duffett is a food writer living and eating in San Francisco. She was the deputy editor at Eater SF and has written for The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Bon Appétit, among other places. Follow her on Instagram at @beckyduffett.
