Tyler Akin
Stock Restaurants | Philadelphia
APRIL 2019
Tyler Akin, a Wilmington, Delaware native, enrolled in law school after college, but soon realized he wanted to follow a path outside corporate offices. He moved to the Washington, D.C. area and apprenticed at the Bread Ovens at Quail Creek Farms, spending two years learning the craft. Eager to expand his knowledge base beyond bread, Akin enrolled at L’Academie de Cuisine just outside D.C., and staged at José Andrés’ award-winning Minibar. His first jobs out of culinary school were at Michelin-starred, Mediterranean-inspired restaurant Komi and as part of the opening team of it’s sister spot Little Serow, which specializes in northeastern Thai cuisine.
Recruited by Chef and Rising Stars alum Mike Solomonov, Akin moved to Philadelphia for a position as sous chef at landmark Israeli restaurant Zahav. In 2014, a few years after meeting his wife Nicole Reigle, a server at Zahav, the duo opened Stock, a southeast Asian soup and noodle shop in Fishtown. In late 2016, Akin opened Res Ipsa Cafe, an all day cafe with ReAnimator Coffee owners Mark Corpus and Mark Capriotti. With fellow Rising Star Chef Michael Vincent Ferreri running the kitchen, Res Ipsa Cafe serves breakfast sandwiches in the morning and Sicilian cuisine by night. In August 2018, Akin opened a second location of Stock in Rittenhouse Square, serving bright, herb and chile-laced dishes with roots in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, and further afield in Southeast Asia.
