Kuro Bar and Dining is a Japanese fine dining restaurant in Sydney. We were looking forward to their Anniversary Menu (November only) last night but after the experience we had and for the price we paid, we were very disappointed 😔. The service was mediocre, described below. And this menu was not worth it.
The Anniversary Menu was $180 per person.
The Anniversary Menu was $180 per person.
Entrée
All the entrées arrived together.
This was the Black River Siberian Caviar tart and was one of the favourite entrées out of the lot. It was a little crispy black tart with a cold, mildly-flavourful fish filling covered by a teaspoon scoop of caviar. The spotlight was definitely on the caviar with its boujee oceanic taste 😍. It was a creamy and satisfying bite that ended too soon.
This was the Black River Siberian Caviar tart and was one of the favourite entrées out of the lot. It was a little crispy black tart with a cold, mildly-flavourful fish filling covered by a teaspoon scoop of caviar. The spotlight was definitely on the caviar with its boujee oceanic taste 😍. It was a creamy and satisfying bite that ended too soon.
The oyster with apple dashi and ginger was fresh and creamy 🦪. It was slightly briny but not too noticeable. The apple dashi and ginger were subtle, highlighting the oyster’s creamy body. We only had one each though.
This was the KURO chiffon with salmon roe and nori creme fraiche and wow, the presentation surprised us. We thought it was a solid rock at first but the chiffon was actually a really soft, fluffy sponge. The mild base elevated the salty umami flavours of the nori creme and salmon roe, creating a delicious bite 🤤.
Next on the entrée menu was the Hokkaido scallops with consommé. This beautiful shellfish had a cold, gelatinous texture. The consomme was mild with notes of acidity. It didn’t really taste like ‘soup’ but more of a jelly substance that masked the sweet and buttery flavours of the scallop 🐚.
This was the KURO fried chicken with ume and bonito and it was juicyyyy 🍗. The meat was savoury and filling, hidden underneath a thin layer of black skin. We were wondering what the black colouring was because it didn’t alter the taste of the chicken at all. We thought it might have been squid ink mixed into the batter 🤔. The ume and bonito were very delicate. It made this bite resemble fire on a piece of charcoal.
We found the okoge rice, potato and caramelised Chardonnay vinegar average. It was like eating bland and dry cocoa puffs. The potato and vinegar sauce on top was very subtle, making this bite flavourless and boring 🙁. It was the least favourite. And sorry, these was the best photos I took.
The last entrée was the duck leg confit tartlet with yuzu cream and chipotle. This was a lot more flavourful, with a savoury filling and small hints of sweetness. It had a creamy texture, contrasted by the crispy tart (similar to the caviar tart).
Main Course
Today’s raw fish: tuna and kingfish 🐟 arrived together.
The tuna was styled like a tartare but it was really a negitoro; the leftover scraps from the sashimi cutting (from a different menu). The tuna was very fresh and creamy, mashed together with salt and pepper. The nori crackers were crispy. It was satisfying to dip and eat however the portion was small. This plate was shared between three of us.
The tuna was styled like a tartare but it was really a negitoro; the leftover scraps from the sashimi cutting (from a different menu). The tuna was very fresh and creamy, mashed together with salt and pepper. The nori crackers were crispy. It was satisfying to dip and eat however the portion was small. This plate was shared between three of us.
The kingfish was served sashimi style with finely-thin slices of radishes. Each piece was displayed beautifully around the acidic soy sauce in the centre. There were some salt and pepper sprinkles along the skin. The kingfish was also fresh and delicate however we thought the slices were too thin. We only had 3 pieces each 🥺.
We were supposed to be served the Kagoshima Wagyu nigiri in 2 different ways however the server told us it was actually an Australian Wagyu MB8+ (left) and the Kagoshima Wagyu MB11+ (right). We felt ripped off because we got a slice of lower quality meat than what was expected… 😒
This was supposedly the Australian Wagyu MB8+ with egg yolk. The meat striations were subtle and the flavour was mild. It wasn’t as savoury and soft as we would have expected. A bit of chewing was required. The yolk made the bite more creamy. It was still good but there was no distinct beef flavour.
If only we could have 10 of the Kagoshima Wagyu nigiri 😭 THIS WAS SO GOOD. The meat was tender and melted on our tongues, dancing with our tastebuds and sending us to Japanese heaven. The wasabi elevated its beefy juices. We could definitely tell this was the real deal, rated number 1 in Japan. We didn’t think it was worth adding the white truffle for $25, considering the price tag, portions and quantity of this menu.
We felt conned. This was our ‘mains’, the Full Blood Australia Wagyu MB8+ (black plate) and the A5 Kagoshima Japanese Wagyu Sirloin MB11+ (white plate) AND LOOK HOW BLOODY TINY THE STEAK WAS! 😭 The two steaks were sliced into roughly 1 or 1.5 pieces per person and served with a salad and flakey potato stick.
So the Full Blood Australia wagyu MB8+ was delicious. It was very meaty with fine striations when served as a ‘steak’. Since it was served medium rare, once we bit into it, the oils and juices of the meat oozed out and coated our mouths. We definitely needed the salad to cut through the fattiness.
The main star of the night, the A5 Kagoshima Japanese Wagyu Sirloin MB11+ was fucking divine 😍. The meat was sooo tender with all its perfect striations and marbling. All those hours massaging the cow was worth it. Despite being a tiny bite, its juices were very savoury and flavourful.
We were disappointed by the serving. On this white plate was 3 people’s serving so one of us got the tiny little triangle end piece and honestly, paying $180 PER PERSON and getting a smaller piece sucks.
We were disappointed by the serving. On this white plate was 3 people’s serving so one of us got the tiny little triangle end piece and honestly, paying $180 PER PERSON and getting a smaller piece sucks.
This tomato salad was very refreshing and much needed with all the rich meat we were eating. It was mildly acidic and sweet. I’m not too sure what those grains were but the dry puff-like textures created a dimensional bite.
This was a piece of potato, baked and charred to give it a flakey texture. There were only 3 pieces, all about a finger-length long, to be shared among 5 of us 🥺.
These were some of the other condiments we had with the steaks. On the left were the wasabi, pepper, salt and an umami-flavoured salt. On the right was pickled radish.
Dessert
This was the coconut lemongrass blancmange with toasted milk ice cream and pineapple and it was really good 😍 The ice cream was refreshing and mildly sweet. It was well balanced by the vibrant sweet and sour pineapple and fruits. The coconut blancmange had a silken, soft texture that was fun to eat. It was a great dish to end the night however I was disappointed we only had one dessert (it looked like two on the menu).
Service
From the moment we walked in the door, we did not feel welcome.
We arrived exactly at our reserved time (at 8:15 PM). We were asked to scan our QR codes (Covid) and as we were doing so, the front-of-house (or maybe a server because the staff seemed to have multiple roles) disappeared for 15 minutes, while another server ignored us and greeted the guests who arrived after us. It was awkward standing in the doorway and also uncomfortable, as it was 39°C last night. It wasn’t until we started peering around to see what was up did our original server return to tell us our table was ready (at 8:35 PM).
Once seated, we started over with our first impressions because ya know, the staff could be having a bad evening 🤷🏻♀️. A few minutes past and we were talking among ourselves when a server (or chef, as indicated on their Instagram) arrived. He didn’t say hi or introduce himself. He simply dropped the menus on the table, told us he’ll give us time to decide and asked what table water we would like. It was awkward.
We felt like the staff were all over the place with a lack of communication among them. One server would pour us water and then a few minutes later, another server would pour us water when the glass was already full 😳.
The only reason we werefull not hungry by the end of our dinner was because the wait time between each course was 20-30 minutes.
We arrived exactly at our reserved time (at 8:15 PM). We were asked to scan our QR codes (Covid) and as we were doing so, the front-of-house (or maybe a server because the staff seemed to have multiple roles) disappeared for 15 minutes, while another server ignored us and greeted the guests who arrived after us. It was awkward standing in the doorway and also uncomfortable, as it was 39°C last night. It wasn’t until we started peering around to see what was up did our original server return to tell us our table was ready (at 8:35 PM).
Once seated, we started over with our first impressions because ya know, the staff could be having a bad evening 🤷🏻♀️. A few minutes past and we were talking among ourselves when a server (or chef, as indicated on their Instagram) arrived. He didn’t say hi or introduce himself. He simply dropped the menus on the table, told us he’ll give us time to decide and asked what table water we would like. It was awkward.
We felt like the staff were all over the place with a lack of communication among them. One server would pour us water and then a few minutes later, another server would pour us water when the glass was already full 😳.
The only reason we were
I’m mostly annoyed by their marketing and communication. On their Instagram, the booking website and the confirmation emails, they made it very clear that:
If this was the case then why was the table before us allowed to stay past their dining time?
And why bother advertising this Anniversary Menu as some sort of exclusive menu when they ended up offering it to every single table anyways? 😑 In doing so, they’ve lost full credibility.
- patrons had to leave by the end of their dining session (2 hours) and,
- to get the ‘Anniversary Menu’, mention it in the comment section of booking
If this was the case then why was the table before us allowed to stay past their dining time?
And why bother advertising this Anniversary Menu as some sort of exclusive menu when they ended up offering it to every single table anyways? 😑 In doing so, they’ve lost full credibility.
Review
Overall, the quality of food was high but the quantity, gastronomy and creativity were lacking. This particular ‘Anniversary Menu’ relied solely on the Kagoshima Wagyu but for such an expensive menu at a self-acclaimed fine dining restaurant, there should have been more variety and amount. The entrées were great.
I was hyped up for this restaurant, seeing it advertised on Instagram by some reputable foodies but I’m sad I left disappointed. We thought the portions were going to be bigger, considering the price… We could have gone to any other restaurant in Sydney and would have left in a food coma 😐.
Our final verdict is if you’re considering trying Kuro, go for their $80 or $120 menu. Anything more and it’s just not worth it.
Thanks for reading! Happy eating 💕
I was hyped up for this restaurant, seeing it advertised on Instagram by some reputable foodies but I’m sad I left disappointed. We thought the portions were going to be bigger, considering the price… We could have gone to any other restaurant in Sydney and would have left in a food coma 😐.
Our final verdict is if you’re considering trying Kuro, go for their $80 or $120 menu. Anything more and it’s just not worth it.
Thanks for reading! Happy eating 💕
Llevo tiempo en busca de una hidrolimpiadora de buena calidad y a un buen coste, me he encontrado con esta pagina experta en hidrolimpiadoras esta, que os da la sensacion?
Wow, superb weblog structure! How long have you ever been blogging for? you make blogging glance easy. The total look of your site is great, let alone the content material!!
Wow, fantastic weblog layout! How long have you been blogging for? you make blogging glance easy. The whole glance of your website is wonderful, as smartly as the content!!