We welcome back our good friend Akira Akuto to the show. Akira is the Los Angeles–based chef who was behind the acclaimed LA sandwich and pastry counter (and so much more) Konbi, which closed up shop in early 2023. In this episode we speak with one of the more clairvoyant voices in the restaurant world. Akira is brutally honest about why a seemingly successful restaurant was anything but. We talk about the difficulties chefs and operators face on a daily basis and why California in particular is a challenging landscape for small-business owners. We also chat about what he’s been up to recently and the Japanese citrus he’s backing in a major way.  Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We’d love to hear from you. MORE FROM AKIRA AKUTO:Konbi, Home to the Best Egg Salad Sandwich in L.A., to Close Both Locations [LA Times]America's Best New Restaurants 2019 [Bon Appetit]This Is TASTE 164: Akira Akuto [TASTE]

444: Restaurants Are Broken with Akira Akuto

core/paragraph

usesLabels

hasHeading

reviewHeading

itemLabel

itemValue

lede/review-card-item

lede/review-card

core/audio

core/classic-editor

Nick Dawson talks with filmmakers, musicians and comedians whose work he loves, avoiding the mundane, predictable questions they&#8217;ve heard numerous times and instead asking substantive, thoughtful questions that get to the heart of who they are.

Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That

Podcast

Nobody’s Ever Asked Me That: Stephin Merritt

806: Lydia Pang Argues “Stinky” Is a Great Thing

*Q&A and 7th Season Announcement*

969. – Chris & Jason

Finding Dory with Zach Cherry

805: Real Talk About Drinks Writing and Trend-Chasing Bars with Echo Lake’s Chloe Frechette 

Creative

Footer Legal

Main

NavBar

Sections

Topics

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Register to continue

Talkhouse

Joshua Bailey is a documentary filmmaker whose latest film, Stolen Kingdom, delves into the history of mischief, scandal, and theft at Walt Disney World

Joshua Bailey

Brendan Canty is a musician and filmmaker.  He was originally a member of Fugazi and his current band Deathfix can be found <a href="http://www.deathfix.com/">here</a>.  His film production company Trixie can be found <a href="http://www.trixiefilm.com/">here</a>.

Brendan Canty

Music

Joshua Bailey and Brendan Canty on the Punk Origins of Stolen Kingdom

Actor and singer-songwriter’s Alicia Witt’s forthcoming album <a href="https://30tgrs.ffm.to/betweenheavenandearth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Between Heaven and Earth</a>, is out August 28 via Thirty Tigers. Produced by Joe Henry, the album was inspired by filmmaker David Lynch, whose four-decade friendship and creative relationship with Witt shaped its exploration of love, intuition, fate, grief and the unseen connections that bind people across time. The second single from the album, &#8220;Freeze Frame,&#8221; is out now. Witt has been acting since the age of seven, when she made her film debut in David Lynch’s sci fi classic Dune. Her many screen credits include Showtime’s third season of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks and films such as Two Weeks’ Notice, Last Holiday, The Upside of Anger, Mr. Holland’s Opus, Urban Legend, Four Rooms, 88 Minutes, Urban Legend and Vanilla Sky. Long celebrated for her work as both an actor and musician, Witt has released multiple acclaimed albums, performed around the world – including at Nashville&#8217;s Grand Ole Opry – and opened for Ben Folds Five, Rachel Platten, Bob Schneider, Jimmy Webb, and John Fulbright. A classically trained pianist, her music has been described as “sharply personal, boldly melodic pop originals” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, while Broadway World praised her “rangy, honeyed voice, clear as crystal, pretty as a stained-glass window,” calling her “a voice to treasure.” Witt also spent five weeks on Billboard&#8217;s Top 30 Adult Contemporary chart with the 2021 piano power ballad &#8220;Chasing Shadows,&#8221; from her self-co-produced album The Conduit. (Photo by David McClister.)

444: Restaurants Are Broken with Akira Akuto

Episode Info

Tagged:

Stay in touch

Related Stories