I am NOT a sushi snob, er, experienced diner, and this place fit me well. Fortunately, if you do have a seasoned sushi pallet, you will find anything and more here. If you're like my wife and I, she's traveled and refined, and I'm all Applebees, then Kuro has something for both of you. I'm a devotee of Discovery channel's "How it's made" and I consider myself a proud DIYer. I think that's why I LOVE restaurants where the chef greets the patrons (See my review for Froggy's). That also happened here. I asked for sushi rolls with rice, with a mix of raw and cooked. The bar/front of the house manager ordered for me, and the master sushi chef checked in on me later, too. IMO - Sapporo is the only beverage for sushi, and Kuro has it in two sizes. I had a great time here, and enjoyed revisiting stories of home with the front of house manager, a MN transplant. She assured me my sampler sushi platter and apple/pear tart barely scratched the surface of the selections. I am anxiously awaiting another trip to the home office and another night at Kuro. read more

This restaurant is magical. Amazing dishes that are beyond flavorful and perfect. We always have some of our favorite meals EVER when we come here. My husband is a vegetarian and I do not eat meat besides fish but we do not feel left out with how good the food is. We haven't had any of their meat dishes - but we are SURE they are amazing!!!! We love their vegetable fried Gyoza with their HOMEMADE chili ponzu sauce, their pan stir fried noodles with vegetables and tofu. For sushi, I recommend their Boston roll, spicy scallop roll, and their king crab, sake salmon, and smoked salmon nigiri. We come here about once a month and are always amazed. The entire team pitches in and remembers us. Kuro Bistro always makes us feel like a priority and that they want the experience to be executed to magnificence. Just a few beautiful photos from tonight. read more

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A small restaurant with modern decor and relaxed atmosphere. The service was prompt and attentive. We had the sushi pizza, gyozas, 2 choices of sushi, donburi, the duck and warm sake. The pizza sushi was surprisingly tasty, the Shicago and KariKari sushi bold, flavorful, and fresh; the donburi playful and delicious; however, the duck was a mixed bag. Some of the pieces of duck breast were very chewy, the skin was not crispy, the cabbage on which the duck was placed inedible; however the lentils surprisingly pleasant and complimented the duck meat well. Overall, a very good choice for sushi and donburi. I would stay away from the duck read more

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The food is AMAZING. We go here all of the time. It is so cozy and classy inside. The service is excellent and friendly staff. Such good presentation. read more

We dined here Saturday night for the first time, and we will definitely be coming back! The food was delicious, the service was some of the best we've ever experienced, and the ambiance was great! Highly recommend! read more

This place is better than great! I've been a frequent visitor to Japan and have a high standard of what great Sushi should be. Amazingly Kuro Bistro equals the best Sushi in Tokyo and Kyoto. But it's even better than that because the head chef is fabulously Creative and has dishes that I have never seen before in Japan. There may be better sushi restaurants in the United States, but I have never been there Highly recommended read more

OMG! The sushi at Kuro Bistro is the best I have ever had. They use the best quality fish and all of their sauces are homemade. The owner and staff are really friendly and the service is always good. I feel so lucky that I can walk to this restaurant! read more

Great sushi excellent service, reasonable prices. Best sweet potato rolls I've ever had. Spicy shrimp tempura excellent also. While it might be weird to order a burger at a Japanese restaurant, they are amazing and very creative. On the negative side, they use firm tofu in their miso soup which is kind of weird and gross, but everything else is excellent. read more

Glad to see a good restaurant in this location - lots of turnover over the years. Great sushi and entrees. Recommend sharing fried rice read more

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My order-to-go was made promptly and packaged carefully. No spills on the way driving home. Each speciality roll came with a miso soup. Out of the three rolls I tried, the best one was wrapped in cucumber. I would not reorder the Kuro roll. The texture of the fish was mushy. The point of improvement would be NOT to use styrofoam bowls to pack the miso soups to protect the environment. The fish was fresh. The rolls were artfully presented. You can park on their private parking lot. read more

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We walked by the Kuro Bistro back in September of 2019, just when it did its soft opening and stopped in to chat with the new owner. Though we have been meaning to go back to dine there ever since, we didn't manage to do so until last night. To make a long story short, we won't be waiting months to go back. We're from the area, and like to support local businesses. Sadly, the community didn't get on board for the last restaurant at this address, the Westwood Bistro. Or the other relatively short-lived but fabulous seafood restaurant (the Fish House?). We frequented both and were sad to see them fail. Heck, even MLG didn't make it. What's up with that Lake Forest and Lake Bluff? but I digress... In its place we now have the Kuro Bistro. And let me just say, Bravo. Now, we only sampled four items on the menu, some Hamachi nigiri, the Shumai appetizer, the Chilean Sea Bass entrée and the Salmon Select plate. OMG! Everything was outstanding. Service was excellent, portions (especially the Salmon Select plate) were huge, and the seafood was as fresh as you can get around here. Seating is comfortable and the ambiance is very pleasant. Prices are moderate. There's something on the menu for just about everyone. Offerings beyond the traditional sushi and hibachi restaurant fare include two steak options, lamb, duck, lobster, salmon and seabass. Kuro Bistro is now our favorite in Lake Forest. Here's hoping the Forest and Bluff denizens come out to support this new establishment. For a sushi restaurant, it beats the pants off the other options in the area - (Highwood, Vernon Hills, Libertyville and the other place in Lake Forest) Try it, you'll like it. read more

Kuro Bistro - Chilean Seabass Crusted pistachio, fennel, celery, onion, baby arugula, browned butter, black rice and red wine sauce. - Japanese Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

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Stopped in here on a Monday over lunch. It's one of the few places open in the area. Sooo glad I stopped. The freshness of each dish was superb. The atmosphere was cozy, hip, and quaint. I tried several things in the menu, but my favorite was by far the fire tuna. There were so many complexities in flavor I wasn't expecting. Normally sushi rolls for me can feel very one note on flavor, while everything here left me guessing what I was tasting (in a good way). The oysters were nice, especially with the scallions. Hamachi Ponzu was also on point and was a generous slice, instead of the paper thin pieces I've seen elsewhere. I 100% recommend giving them a shot. They was fast, fresh, friendly, and fun. read more

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Easily the best place to find Japanese food in the north shore! Let's start here: The atmosphere. Modern, contemporary, spotless. Extremely comfortable and a lovely booth. The Food: Fresh fish, delicious entreé's. You can't go wrong with any option. I've really enjoyed the chirashi (very generous) , yaki udon, and they use expensive high-quality meats in their entreé's as well. (the owner divulged that information and I could taste it) The service: Very friendly. Nice personal touch with the staff here. Soon to be new regular at the Kuro Bistro!!! read more

Kuro Bistro - Japanese Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

This might be the best sushi spot in the Lake Forest area! I've never dined it inside the actual restaurant. Came here on a Monday night right before the closed for outdoor seating which was gorgeous and cozy. They were kind as to not kick us out even past closing time haha. The food is GOOD. I don't have very high expectations for sushi restaurants outside of the city but this one exceeded them. The way the food is plated and presented is beautiful. Even a simple fresh salad. They have a large selection of drinks (sake, beer, wine) but nothing that really caught my attention. I do think the service could be better. It felt a little awkward and effortless. I'm assuming they're new to their job(??). An employee, who I'm guessing is the manager, was a young guy and was very good at following up after the dinner and making sure we felt taken care of. Would love to come here again. The food is so much worth the tad awkward service. read more

Kuro Bistro - Kuro Fresh Salad, Red Dragon, Hawaiian Tacos - Japanese Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

Kuro Bistro comes highly recommend. This restaurant offers a wide menu range curated with the highest quality ingredients. Everything tasted fresh and the combination of flavors were unlike anything else I have tasted in Chicago. Umami was achieved in every bite. From the service, to decor and to the food, it is apparent that this is a craft for the owners and the passion shows in their environment. Worth the trip that we took out of the city for some quality Japanese cuisine. Everything we tasted on the menu was delicious from the Polpo, Hamachi Ponzu and Soft Shell Crab to the sashimi and wide variety of maki rolls. read more

It was my first time dining there tonight and it was absolutely an amazing experience! I was recommended by a friend and I can understand why they loved it so much! The restaurant has a very relaxing and intimate atmosphere. It was super clean and comfortable to fine there! Also, the owners and servers are very friendly and attentive. Naomi walked us through the menu and gave us excellent recommendations! We enjoyed the Crazy Salmon Roll, Polpo, Kuro Roll, Chicken Yakitori, and Toro Nigiri! The quality of the fish is so fresh and buttery! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Crazy Salmon Roll, Polpo, and Toro! Everything was fantastic and will be returning again soon! read more

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Hot and new sushi restaurant in lake forest! Food is fantastic and a very inviting and cozy environment for lunch or dinner! Lunch special even on Saturday!! That's awesome! If you like grilled octopus, definitely try the Polpo appetizer! Well seasoned and very tender! For the traditional sushi lovers, get the Chirashi! Very generous portions of fish and very beautifully assorted! The best part about this place, family owned and operated! Love it! Will come back! read more

Kuro Bistro - Chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

this is not only the best sushi in the suburbs by miles, but it's the best sushi in the whole Chicagoland area. the other non fish/sushi options are fantastic too, which is very rare. 10/10 must. read more

High End Sushi at its best! Wait staff is amazing at both top notch service and menu selections. Our overall dining experience has been in out top 5 of the year. Highly recommend as a local favorite or for out of town visitors. read more

Kuro Bistro - Chu-Toro and Yellowtail - Japanese Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

This is real Japanese food. I think the food here is perfect if not better. I wish they had more hours my new work schedule makes it impossible for us to eat here like we used to nearly 2 times a week. No better fish or sashimi anywhere. Service is perfect. read more

Great sushi. Highly recommendable. One of the best in North shore. Outstanding quality. Takeout works seamlessly. read more

Kuro is a sushi gem! The yellowtail is very fresh and just melts in your mouth. The Kyuuri cucumber rolls are very refreshing and a burst of flavors. The grilled octopus is also another dish I would recommend! As for the restaurant itself, it is very modern and clean. Naomi was our waiter; she is such a cool person and very welcoming. Would definitely recommend anyone in the Chicago area to stop by! read more

Kuro Bistro - Grilled Octopus, Kyuuri, Sushi Sampler, Negi-Hama Roll - Japanese Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

Great food and drinks. The service was really good as well. They are always checking to see if you need anything and constantly refilling you water. read more

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Great food and owner--Nami--is so kind! The fish is fresh. The sauces are homemade with Korean flair. A really delicious meal. We live in Hyde Park, Chicago, more than an hour away, but have made the trek up here twice for the food and the hospitality. read more

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Great quality! Great service! Great food! Everything was really fresh. Food came out in a timely manner. Staff was well mannered and professional. This is my go to sushi spot every time I'm in the area. read more

Kuro Bistro - Rainbow Green Salmon - Japanese Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

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Eh'. The food was good but the service was so bad, it isn't necessary to return, the food wasn't unique or good enough that you can't find a better experience elsewhere. We had 8pm reservations for 8 people. They called us at 745 to ask if we're still coming, yes, we were on the way. There where 3 other occupied tables when we got there and another 2 were seated while we were there. On a Saturday night; very telling. The server came to take our drink order but there was one drink menu for 8 people so we were not ready due to having to pass around the menu. We asked her for another minute. She left and returned in literally one minute. We still weren't ready so we asked for more drink menus. She brought them and immediately asked if we were ready. As we were ordering our drinks and appetizers, I asked her if we can have separate checks as there were 4 couples. Nope. No separate checks on the weekends. Our friend asked for a manager. Eventually a very young man came to our table and asked that we wanted separate checks. When we said yes, he said he will do one check but split it evenly amongst 4 credit cards. Um, NO! We clearly didn't want to do it that way (some people were having drinks, some weren't, one was only having an appetizer one couple was getting several types of sushi). So he finally agreed to do separate checks. At one point, Tammy, our server said directed at me "is she ok, she looks like she wants to bite my head off" uhhhh, um excuse me?? My friend sent his Sake back, the expiration date on the bottle was from February. My drink tasted like cough medicine, it was aweful. The miso soup was white, milky looking and was terrible. The filet that was ordered medium came rare and was sent back. The sushi was good, not great. The vegetable tempura was good. The shrimp app was good. The tofu entree was good. After dinner was cleared more drinks were desired but the bills were laid down in front of us as if they just didn't want us to order anything more. We found the staff rude, rushed and not customer service orientated at all. The restaurant itself was very bland, just a square room with no decor, no ambiance. We were excited to try this place after seeing the great reviews but unfortunately it totally missed the mark for all 4 couples. read more

The best sushi on the North Shore! Beautiful, fresh, big pieces and unique rolls. Amazing chef. We don't eat sushi anywhere else since we started coming here! Friendly staff, good service and ambiance with comfortable seating. Lucky to have in town. read more

By far the best sushi in the Northern Chicago area, and some of the best sushi you'll ever have. They have an extensive menu so there are plenty of other options besides sushi as well. The fish is always fresh and always top quality. Don't waste your time at other sushi restaurants! read more

Outstanding meal! Our martinis were strong and delicious! We loved the gyoza & golden shrimp to start with and then moved to the very delicious stir fried noodles with a variety of veggies and a couple different sushi rolls which were excellent in their own right. Local business & so friendly welcome--we love this local. read more

Good sushi not great. Kuro is a neat spot with a cozy patio in Lake Forest. The service was alittle slow, but in their defense they were busy and the staff was hustling. I'll be be back hoping to add that extra star. read more

The food and service is phenomenal! Highly recommend the Chilean Sea Bass! Truly amazing! Don't pass this place up!

I've been looking for a new go-to sushi place and this is a top contender. I recommend the fire tuna, crazy salmon and shikago. The salmon tartare and miso soup were good choices. The staff was very good about following COVID guidelines--seating was distanced and everyone was masked. We made a reservation about an hour before we went (I'm not too sure about how busy they usually get, but it was on a Monday evening so it worked out). read more

This is the restaurant we frequent most in Lake Forest. It's nice to have a local restaurant where they know you by name and our order. My husband has a drink named after him! If you're looking for a freshly muddled cucumber Hendrick's gin martini, then ask for "The James"! Their sushi combinations are unique and the flavors are complimentary. Favorites are the Hawaiian Taco, Summer, KariKari, and DokiDoki. My daughter often orders the hibachi style half filet mignon and devours it. We have taken family, friends, and sushi connoisseurs and they have all said this is the best sushi ever! Their service is prompt and focused on making sure you have what you need. The owner is always making sure service is flawless. We often order takeout as well. Our experience is always enjoyable and I highly recommend Kuro! read more

Kuro Bistro - Summer Maki - Japanese Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

The food. Excellent! The service & accomodation. Great! The vibe of the establishment. Awesome and very modern! As someone who have worked in the service industry for a few years, for one, I believe the other folks who may have given a negative review have either: - Never worked in the service industry. - Have no understanding of patience for those who work in the service industry. - Racist (LOL) But back to the food: the food is really savory & the fish they serve tastes very fresh in comparison to a lot of spots downtown. +*+THE CRAZY SALMON ROLL I SOOOOOOO GOOD+*+ The White Dragon Roll (photo attached) - if you enjoy eel, is a must! The Rainbow Roll (photo attached) - if you're looking for a roll with a variety, this is the one. P.s. the appetizers/ like the hawaiian taco or calamari are quite mouth watering and delicious! Overall, for having just opened, I would give them a 10/10 and DEFINITELY go to eat again! read more

Kuro Bistro - Rainbow Roll - Japanese Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

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We recently ordered takeout from Kuro. A variety of sushi rolls, and everything tasted very fresh. One thing I really appreciate about this restaurant is that they clearly state the covid mitigations they are implementing in their restaurant, and it is clear that they take covid seriously. So far, this is the best sushi I have eaten in the area! read more

Last week my wife and I had an early dinner at the bar...our first time at the restaurant. WOW!! Everything exceeded our expectations. Standouts included the Softshell Crab appetizer, Kuro Bistro Maki, O-Toro and Uni Sashimi Nigiri along with multiple other items. Our bartender/server "Alvaro" was fabulous.. knowledgeable, and fun to be with. Some of the freshest and delicious sushi we've had ...and we eat a lot of sushi!! Can't wait for a return visit. Richard & Carol read more

This place is hands down the best Japanese restaurant in the area. I came here with my husband for dinner and we tried the white dragon roll, chirashi bowl, and Habashi style filet mignon. All the entrees were really good. Fish was very fresh. I especially liked the filet mignon -- very tender and flavorful. The interior is very modern, spacious, and high-end. On top of the dining area, there is a bar and outdoor seating next to a fire pit. Service was phenomenal. We're definitely coming back! read more

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I agree with the other reviewer on here that this is the best Japanese restaurant in the area. We ate here a little over a week ago, during their soft opening. The menu had a lot of great food choices and we tried quite a few things. Our favorites were: polpo (we asked for it extra spicy and they delivered!), fried soft shell crab (delicious!) and my favorite was a salmon roll that I forget the name of but it was one of my favorite sushi rolls ever. The owners and the staff were also excellent. Naomi and Jo are incredibly nice and always welcome their guests and will offer fresh fish recommendations if you are interested. We used to frequent their Highland Park restaurant, which is by far the most underrated and delicious place around. Needless to say we are thrilled to have them in Lake Forest in this space that has a lively and more elegant atmosphere. We can't wait for the weather to be agreeable again so that we can enjoy that lovely patio the restaurant has. read more

I tried Hwe Dup Bap the first time I went into the restaurant. It is my favorite and it is pretty much a sushi salad with sushi rice at the bottom. It comes with a sweet spicy sauce I had on the side that is amazing. I already went back a second time and tried the Chirashi and it was just as lovely. It is very elegant inside and the staff is very nice and attentive. read more

Kuro Bistro - Hwe Dup Bap. - Japanese Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

Brand new sushi restaurant located in Lake Forest! I came last Saturday night and it was decently filled. I would say that they did a wonderful job giving us our order in a timely manner. We were a group of five, we all wanted sushi. So, we ordered a bunch of rolls but we were so hungry that I only snapped two pictures from that night. We had the Texas roll, Fire Tuna, King Lobster, and Baby spice roll. Wow! All four of these rolls were mind blowing. Never had such good rolls out here. We also order shu mai and shrimp fried rice for apps. We're coming back next week for more food. So worth the try! read more

Kuro Bistro - Japanese Near Me - Lake Forest, Illinois

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