Thank you Kuro Bistro for giving us some unexpected joy in the midst of the coronavirus lockdown! As the days start blending together and monotony starts settling in, the meal we had last weekend gave us a delightful surprise. We have tried most of the sushi restaurants in the North Shore and have only found less than a handful that we loved. There are two in Highland Park that we like, one of which is no longer open. Our most recent go-to in Northbrook disappointed us with terrible fish the first weekend of sheltering in, which we attributed to potential disruptions in the supply chain. Excuses or not, we could not order from there again. A bad fish experience is hard to get over. Last weekend we found Kuro Bistro on Grubhub and decided to give them a try. We were very impressed by the quality of the fish, but we were blown away by the wasabi. Yes, the wasabi. The wasabi that came with the Sashimi Platter was not your run of the mill green paste. It seemed to be fresh wasabi to us, as you could smell the horseradish and see the grated bits. It was so good that we were sorry that we wasted so much in our soy sauce. It was good enough to eat on its own. If you've ever had fresh wasabi, you know that it is nothing like the paste you usually get. It's heady, fragrant, and delivers just the right amount of kick. Aside from the wasabi, the fish was very fresh. The sashimi slices had amazing texture, taste and appearance. The rolls had the right proportion of rice to fish and the rice was cooked right. For those who love sushi, you know what I'm talking about. You can judge the quality of a sushi restaurant by how they cook their rice. Outside of the food, I was impressed by the customer service. We had looked forward to ordering again (yes something to look forward to!) and I mistakenly used Ubereats to place an order, not knowing that customer service was basically non-existent in the pandemic. Well, I botched my dinner order as it was placed for delivery early afternoon and I couldn't cancel the order or speak to anyone at Ubereats. I called the restaurant and they helped me fix everything. They were probably the most pleasant people I spoke to all day. We highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves sushi. Sashimi lovers, you will not be disappointed! read more

We were in from out of town. And wanted to treat the boys to a nice night out. The menu was Amazing. We enjoyed everything we tried! The Udon and sushi pizza were exceptional! read more

We had a fabulous dining experience. I lived in Chicago for 25 years, have been to many sushi restaurants, and can say the sushi here is fantastic. Our server was very attentive and very informed about the menu. The owner took time to check in with us and was very friendly. A full bar with many drink options. I highly recommend this place! read more

Ordered through DoorDash... expected delivery time was 45 minutes. Two hours later the food was still being prepared. Called the restaurant and they were very rude - blaming DoorDash for unrealistic delivery times but how many places even at their busiest take 2 hours to prepare? The filet hibachi was between rare and medium rare even though medium well was requested and was the fattiest block of meat I've seen called "filet mignon" before -it was pretty much inedible. Also had a $2.25 up charge for extra sauce which was a bit insulting for an $100+ order. Chicken hibachi was good as was the sushi roll but there are too many other good options in the area to continue to reward a business that can't simply apologize for a far longer than anticipated wait for an order and wants to nickel and dime that much for an extra side of sauce. read more

Today the restrictions eased and we wanted to find a sushi place that had patio seating. After calling around we decided to try this place. While the sushi pieces we ate were alright, there were a few serious hiccups. They brought us smoked salmon when we ordered white tuna. Rather than just leave them and bring what we ordered, they took the entire platter back to remove the smoked salmon. Then the white tuna they served unfortunately was slightly frozen! The entree portions were small for the price. The service was subpar IMHO. Could use some pointers when it comes to customer service. Might be related to the shutdown but unfortunately we won't be coming back. read more

Love Kuro's sushi and the hibachi dishes are amazing! The food is great every time we order take out! Best sushi in the area and super nice staff. Try it! read more

We had the best experience in Kuro Bistro. The food is worth more than 5 stars and tasted really fresh. We ordered more than 10 different kinds of rolls and each and one of them were amazing in their own different way. Crunchy, chewy, and fresh. The owners are the friendliest people that will serve you and they know what they're recommending. Would highly recommend to family and friends! read more

Aside from how great everything tasted, the service here is absolutely amazing. I'm not from the state, but the service here makes me want to come back. Regardless of how new the store is, the service is impeccable, going above and beyond to provide an unforgettable experience. Specifically PV and the waitress whose name I forgot to ask for. This place is a definite must-go for anyone visiting Lake Forest, or even Chicago in general. If yall are reading this, thank PV for me one more time, please and thank you. read more

I just went here for the first time with my family and the atmosphere was wonderful. The hibachi shrimp and chicken was very good. The gyoza and vegetables were mediocre. Do not order desert. We were told it would be 6 dollars for dessert so we ordered 2, but when the bill came it was $12 for 1 apple pie with ice cream. They charged us twice as much and wouldn't fix the issue. It was not apple pie it was some type of very hard torte that I was unable to cut with a knife. My recommendation is if you are going to offer a premium price than you should have a premium product. read more

Sushi was excellent, and I'm so glad to have somewhere like this in the neighborhood. Consistently high quality and tastes great. Fried rice is a highlight on the menu. read more

Finally!! An amazing new sushi restaurant in Lake Forest with such a great atmosphere and fantastic food. Will customize anything for those who want to be a little creative, and service is friendly and accommodating. The owner is so sweet and eager to please. The food is fresh and delicious, plenty of options and all of the sauces are 100% homemade in their kitchen. So glad to have a new sushi spot!! read more

I am very impressed by their quality of fish for the price. We have never been there to eat in person, but take out has been great and look forward to dining in soon. read more

I hate giving them a low review. Have eaten there a few times pre Covid and fish is fresher than other sushi places in the area. Last night we did check out. Was very disappointed that they have slacked on packaging and give take out in styrofoam. Certainly don't expect an expensive restaurant to serve soup and hot food especially in styrofoam. Really makes it seem cheap. Rice for the hibachi was missing so had to cook rice ourselves when we got home and then the hot food was cold. We like Kuro bistro but Not convinced With their take out. read more

I have visited 4 times now and have been very happy every time. Easily the best Sushi around. The fish not only looks fresh but tastes wonderful. They haven't opened offixiallybeand The owners are lovely and very receptive to hear feedback. read more

Same owners I think as mizuki- different location. Quality of fish is incredibly inconsistent. If you like fresh sushi find something else

This place is the best sushi place in the Midwest. I have always enjoyed my experience and the food is very fresh. I definitely could eat it every day. read more

We have now eaten here several times. It is amazingly consistent in quality and service. Food is fresh, delicious and presented exceptionally well. They are very accommodating / flexible and aim to please. Excellent operation. read more

Best sushi in the North Shore! Everything was fresh and delicious and delivery was timely and easy.

Great Sushi. Also got the Chicken Teriyaki which my wife really liked. They have a lot of non Sushi options. Great service as well. Really nice place. read more

Great food, great service, happy we have another restaurant here in lake forest. I look forward to our next visit to try something new off their menu. read more

This is a nice atmosphere and amazing sushi . We went on the one month from opening and it was a bit slow ... but I think that's to be expected from a soft opening for a restaurant to get fully up and running .... so for now , go when you can relax and take your time and enjoy the atmosphere and amazing variety of rolls and sushi. Several no rice rolls which was wonderful ! read more

We went for Valentines Dinner and it was really good. Waitress, owner and everyone else made us feel at home. The food was delicious. I had the Sea Bass and everyone else had something different. Will definitely return ! Bb read more

Amazing Sushi and great atmosphere. Best Torro Tuna around. My family and I were recently there on a Saturday. Busy place and staff was very attentive. I am looking forward to my next visit. My kids loved the special Japanese sodas. The layout is great for parties of all size and the bar and waiting area is a nice addition. read more

I stopped in the other day and had a great meal. I was surprised at the detail and color of my plate and that of my friends. The food was delicious, the staff and service were great, I'd say give them a try, you won't be sorry! read more

We've been ordering out from different places during the pandemic. We looked up Kuro Bistro and decided to get delivery rather than pick up. The food arrived hot, fresh, and very good! My husband ordered traditional sushi rolls and sashimi, my son ordered chicken teriyaki, my other son a filet, and I ordered noodles. The 3 entrees came with miso soup- very good as well! Overall, all of us were impressed- I can't wait to go to the restaurant when things go back to normal! In addition, they gave us a free piece of cheesecake just for ordering. Love this place already! read more

Very good establishment in a very nice area! The staff is extremely friendly and the food is top notch. 10/10 would recommend!!!!!

Great sushi, highly reccommended if you are in the area. Service was alittle slow but overall it was great

The Baby Spice roll (spicy tuna, cream cheese, tempura, avocado) is out of this world good. Ordered one then had to order another. Will be back. read more

Had dinner at Kuro Bistro by chance. Went back the next day for lunch on purpose. The very friendly and knowledgeable staff, the inviting decor and the excellent quality of the food all add up to a wonderful experience. Definitely worth your time and money. read more

Our recent dinner there with a few friends was fantastic! We started off with cocktails before moving on to sake with our excellent dinner. The Hawaiian tacos were amazing and their generous signature rolls were delicious! We also had sushi and sashimi which were really fresh and expertly made. The restaurant was spacious and comfortable accommodating a wide range of patrons from young couples to families with kids. We are definitely going back! read more

Great food, poor covid safety practices. I don't normal write reviews, but this is important from a health perspective. Upon calling to make reservation, they ran through some safety rules, including that all guests need to wear masks unless seated and eating - great, totally agree. On arrival they provide hand sanitizer. We sat on the patio adequately distanced from another 4 parties, and they even had umbrellas, as it was threatening rain. The staff outside wore masks, were very professional. We had delicious food and drinks. Before leaving, I went inside to the restroom and realized that NONE of the four people around/behind the sushi bar, preparing the food, in front of all the open ingredients that are about to be served raw, as well as the person running the food out to the servers, none were wearing masks at all. When I brought this up to the manager, who was actually the man running the food, he swore they have the highest health standards and only slipped this once at this time, because "it's hit or miss when it isn't very busy", which of course doesn't make much sense. Regardless, I'm not sure how any explanation would have excused this irresponsible behavior. In my experience, the bare minimum standards of safety were not actually being met by them, even though they required them of the patrons. We left disappointed and concerned about our health and that of the other diners. read more

Four of us had two course dinners last night, each ordering different foods -- some Asian, some Continental -- such as Scottish salmon with Champagne sauce, hibachi shrimp, Chinese fried rice, miso soup, roasted Maple leaf duck breast, and Crazy Salmon. We were told each item on the menu was made in their kitchen -- and all that we had were excellent, including the side dishes, such as Chinese black rice. The service was prompt, informative, well trained, and friendly. We did not use the sushi bar or sit in the separate cocktail area with its bar and TV, but the dining area was conversation friendly. A variety of seating options was available, such as leather booths, banquet tables, and free standing tables. For a restaurant open only 17 days, it was quite a feat to achieve such excellence. We will definitely be back. read more

Just opened in north downtown Lake Forest and I am pumped. Sunday night dinner at the bar. The layout of the restaurant is perfect as the bar is in a separate room from the dinning room and sushi bar. Not that i dont like kids, i just don't like other folk's kids. Totally kidding. Two nice TV's at bar so Sunday night football was on. The service was fantastic. One of the owners tended bar and she explained the menu and made recommendations. She gave me a lesson on grades of sushi and the different cuts of the fish. Pretty cool. Great miso soup and veggie fried rice. The veggie fried rice was my call , as i just felt like Sunday night rice. Childhood memories i guess. Had the Hawaiian taco. Excellent flavor with a hard shell. Very good. The highlight was for sure the sushi. The Toro was amazing! It was melt in your mouth grade. Didn't eat a ton of food as it was late, but going back this week to sample more. I love that it's family owned and meeting everyone was cool. Definitely try this spot. It has been open for 5 days so there may be a few kinks they are still working out. Great food! read more

Dined in with my mother for dinner. Really friendly staff and owners. We sat at a table but noticed the really good interactions between the owners and customers sitting at the sushi bar. We had a variety of rolls and enjoyed them very much. Although we dined during the first night of their soft opening, they had everything on the menu ready to go. Enjoyed it greatly - will be coming back. read more

Very tasty! Great restaurant add to downtown LF! Love the Signature Salmon roll. Nice staff

Just went there for the first time, overall food was very good. Only complaint is that the gyoza wasn't as crispy as I like it, but other than that I had no problem with the other dishes. The asparagus wrapped beef appetizer was extremely good. I would recommend at least coming by and trying out the food as there's a pretty good chance you'll like it. read more

I really want to love this restaurant because it's a neighborhood place. I've eaten here twice and while the service is excellent and attentive we found one of our speciality rolls (Texas) to be very mediocre and the other two speciality rolls to be just good-not great. The menu offerings are interesting and I like that they offer rolls without rice but there are curious omissions too. They need more sushi combos where they mix sashimi, sushi and a roll and offer more than just Chirasi. I'd also like to see a good lunchtime sushi bento that includes sides as do the cooked fish and meat bento boxes. I think Kuro Bistro is on its way and I will go back to see if they continue to improve. That said, we have two favorite sushi restaurants, one in VH and one in LV and I'd love Kuro to equal those restaurants but it has some ground to cover before that happens. Kuro is not yet in their league but I remain hopeful that it will catch up. read more

4 of us decided to change our initial dinner plans to try out the "new place" in lake forest last Friday night. Mistake. There were maybe 8 other tables so this place was not by any means slammed. Unfortunately, we waited... and waited... and waited some more. Our initial drink order which was two glasses of wine and two cocktails took over a half hour. On the good side of it, the cocktails were quite tasty! The appetizers that we ordered at the same time as the drinks didn't get there for about an hour. And they weren't memorable. We continued to wait for our rolls and finally, after two hours, they were ready. We talked to the manager. She had nothing but excuses. "We weren't supposed to be open yet". Well then don't seat patrons. "We were still training a new sushi chef". Well I advise you to keep training as I'm sorry to say sushi from Jewel may be better. The only redeeming part of the night was that we got our drinks comped! If this trend continues we're gonna be looking for yet another restaurant on that corner in Lake Forest. Too bad, as we had high hopes. read more