Honestly one of the best unknowns I've ever picked. Needed some food after a day of shopping and most things were already closed, so went a little out of our way to get some food. The place is a simpler local eatery, so decor wasn't exactly a designed by some of the best New York interior decorators, but it was pleasant and very calm. The food is a fusion of various Asian cuisines but it is picked very well and cooked to perfection. Kids loved the Baos and Ramen which is probably one of the best indicators of the quality. From what I can tell it is family owned and run, so service may be a little slower than most similar places but it is definitely attentive and friendlier then most. read more

Popped in here because I've never heard of white charcoal bbq before. Sat out back because the weather was mild. Very nice back patio with tables and umbrellas. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. From the scallops in miso brown butter to the bbq king black prawns to the chefs secreto( which I recommend) we're all great. My wife has an affinity for chicken fried rice, and it delivered as well. Most of the food is shareable so bring friends when you go and it's a byob read more

Had our Valentines evening dinner here. Fixed price. Multiple appetizers, including pork buns, waygu beef skewers, shrimp skewers, and more and a choice of main dish from Branzino, pork chops (which my partner had and I tasted, very good). The best thing on the menu that we tasted were the Waygu and shrimp skewers appetizers, which were scrumptious. I had the crab and rice bowl which was okay, not exactly my cup of tea and took a long time to come out, my dining partner was just about finished with his pork main dish. a lot of food, brought the rest home for the next day. Dessert was mochi skewers topped with a marshmallow cream and shaved chocolate. There was also complimentary saki served with the meal, although there are liquor stores nearby to pick something up to have with your meal here. I would be interested to go back and try their regular menu on a no holiday evening. They were busy, so make a reservation. Casual ambiance with festive Valentines Day decorations abounding. read more

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FYI - posting this a few months late (was in the drafts) I really enjoyed my first dinner at Kurobuta with a friend! We shared some small plates and tried to get a good feel for the menu. Higher end vibe with some cool fusion elements to the options available - it's clear ingredients are high quality and presentation is very important to them. Even the drinks have fun little lights in them! Service was very kind and attentive but also lets you take your time - which is lovely! We had reservations which I don't think was necessary on a weeknight, but would recommend it for weekends. They mark your reserved table with a cute sign! Overall prices were a bit high for the portions but I understand it's likely for quality. Be prepared to spend if you're hungry! read more

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Such kind service at this charcoal izakaya. There are wood tones everywhere in the restaurant which makes for a homey experience. I ordered a smattering of dishes and was overall pleased with the entirety of the meal. Lots of unique offerings that you just can't get anywhere in the area! It's byob, so don't forget! There was a family of 4 next to us from Bergen county; they travelled the whole way because it's that good. read more

Kurobuta - White Charcoal Grille - Asian Fusion Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

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When in the Montclair Caldwell, NJ area, if you do not visit Kurobuta, it is a huge mistake. This restaurant was our favorite new find in 2025 and we plan on making it our go to in 2026! read more

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Street parking, free after 6pm too. We had reservations and even if you are early they will seat you at your reservations time. It was a Saturday night and were busy. Service was great, the spot was bigger than I thought with another seating area. It is BYO We ordered the shrimp ceviche and pork bao buns-- get those two forsure. The pork bao buns were my favorite flavorful, tender and the bun was so soft and sweet. We also ordered the chef special and pork and lettuce skewers-- I wish I could've just had those as a meal... if I didn't order the spicy miso ramen (which was absolutely delicious) I would have ordered more skewers. This is a location you don't want to miss out on! (I did bring back some of my ramen home for my husband to try since he is a picky with Japanese food-- he gave it two thumbs up) read more

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Super yummy and a nice BYOB place. I came with a group of people and enjoyed trying a little bit of everything! We made reservations ahead of time and our table was prepped and ready when we arrived. I loved the cozy wooden vibe. Our service was great and the food was even better. Everything pork was amazing, the sliders, fried rice, and pork buns were also top favorites. Can't wait to come back! read more

Kurobuta - White Charcoal Grille - Asian Fusion Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

Came here for a date night with my husband. BYOB which is always a bonus for us! Food was great and really perfect portions for a party of 2. We did come on a Friday night so expected the place to be a bit busier than it was but it was ok not to have to wait or feel like we were in an overcrowded place. Service was attentive and establishment was clean. read more

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Kurobuta gave a Japanese tapas vibe and the food was absolutely delicious. Everything was well plated, which added to the ambiance. I recommend both the tomahawk chop and branzino. If I had to choose one... the tomahawk. It is unique and I've never had a chop made this delicious! The chimichurri sauce that came with the dishes paired well with both dishes. The owners were sweet & made us feel at home! If you need recommendations, they will happily share. There is also an outdoor seating area available and dogs are allowed! read more

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Ordered take out and the portions are underwhelming and overpriced for what it is and quality. It could be that it was take out vs dine in. The flavors are good for the 4 stars but it is pricy for value read more

Kurobuta - White Charcoal Grille - Nice dining room - Asian Fusion Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

I can't express enough how excited I am to have found this restaurant! The food was spectacular and so light and fresh! The service is excellent with ownership that really cares for their business and their patrons. The ambiance is laid back and welcoming with a calm atmosphere and a visible cooking station. The outdoor seating also looks great for nice days with lots of open space. The location has been in Caldwell for 3 years now and they plan to expand which I am so hopeful for! Such great food and excellent service is hard to come by and I can't wait to come back! read more

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100% Recomendé so so good great time and staff super nice friendly and great customer service read more

Kurobuta - White Charcoal Grille - Coffee - Asian Fusion Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

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This restaurant is truly a hidden gem! I've wanted to try Kurobuta for a while now and finally pulled the trigger on a recent Saturday night. When we arrived, the inside of the restaurant was empty but we were led to our table outside in a little oasis in the back. It was beautiful out there and very crowded! I'm happy I made a reservation. It was landscaped perfectly and they had a nice fire pit going in the center of all the tables. I could have sat out there for hours. Bonus points for this being a BYOB! The food was out of this world. Everything came out piping hot, you can tell it's served the moment it's ready. My boyfriend and I tried a variety of the pork and seafood skewers. They were grilled to perfection and I truly believe this was the best pork I've ever had. The quality was unmatched. We also tried the scallops, bao buns, and pork dumplings. Again...WOW. I could have eaten 20 of those dumplings alone. The scallops with miso butter might have been the best bite of the night. The service was on the slower side but I didn't mind since the food was excellent and obviously being prepared to order. I recommended coming when you aren't in a rush and can truly enjoy your meal. One of our servers even offered me a blanket if I was getting chilly as the sun went down. I thought that was so kind! I will definitely return. read more

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Looking for a restaurant last minute on Saturday n stumbled upon kurobuta w good reviews n thought we'd go there for dinner. Nice clean restaurant w outdoor seating which was full. Must be v popular. Was a nice evening too.We were the only ones inside. Unique eatery tapas style w Japanese inspired dishes, skewers, ramen n izakaya specialties ( Japanese pub style) We tried the apple fennel salad which was different but tasted good.had apple slices greens n a nice dressing. Had the Shanghai bao - 4 good size buns w pork filling n tasted v good. Also had crispy cauliflower w tahini. Was crispy n tasted good. Karagi chicken tasted good n came w a tasty sauce. Was different. We also tried the chicken fried rice, had different skewers - pork belly w leek, Chilean seabass n Brussel sprouts. Interesting tasty n different, Had leftovers to bring home. And we topped it off w the home made Nama chocolate cheese cake. Oh boy wasn't that heavenly. Yum yum yummy. Generous portions n more than enough for two. Thank you for a great meal. read more

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I was really looking forward to trying this restaurant but was really disappointed. I had the fish skewers which were fishy and dry, the crispy cauliflower were soggy and tasteless and the service was a bit slow. Everyone else seemed to be having a great time and the vibe was cool but the food unfortunately was just not good. read more

Came here with a party of 3 around 7pm without reservation and got seated right away (well my friend did, I was late) super cozy intimate date night kinda vibes. For apps we tried the shanghai bao which was super moist and a tad soupy but not messy like a traditional soup dumpling. The house made pork wonton was nice and crispy with jammed up flavors inside. The crispy cauliflower w/tahini wasn't my fav but it def wasn't lacking flavor but I'm not too big on greasy things. Def a preference kinda thing. The spicy ragu I didn't try but the others loved it and said it was the best out of everything we had. Sad I missed out lol Course we had to try the skewers and it was just to hard to pick and choose so we did the niku set with was for 6 skewers and you get to choose but I just did one of each to try them all. pork belly w/lettuce (n) pork belly w/leek (n) w/tomato (n) pork skewer (n) chicken thigh (n) baby potatoes (n) They all had a nice char taste, not dried at all. I think my best was with the leek. Interesting mix but went well together. Rather than jump straight into dessert? We had to try more meat so we had the pork chops. Oh that was lovely. It was cooked perfectly and they topped it off with like this garlicky salty bread crumbs? Yeah that was a great touch. Finally for dessert we had the lava cake and taiyaki macha waffle ice cream. I can't say no to lava cake and it def hit the spot with a classic dessert. The waffle ice cream was so simple yet satisfying. Waiter was super friendly and gave many recommendations and didn't rush us out as we were there for over 2.5 hrs. Def coming back to try other dishes. read more

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Worth the drive!!!! Loved the pancakes and Bao. Nice meeting the owner, Yu!!! Will be back. read more

Kurobuta - White Charcoal Grille - Japanese Pancakes! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

We came here after visiting in Montclair, made our reservation through Yelp which was extremely easy. There is plenty of metered parking spots outside the restaurant. When we entered, we were immediately greeted by and quickly taken to our reserved table. Nice touches such as our "reserved" table in the attacked picture. This is something I have never experienced at any restaurant and feels very welcoming. The Mrs. ordered the katsu curry while I ordered the kaisen set. The pork katsu was very tasty, perfectly seasoned and the curry was a great amount and was a perfect compliment to the fried pork. The kaisen set of 5 skewers were tasty. It is chef's choice and it is seafood (shrimps, salmon, white fish, prawn and mushroom). It was yummy served with 3 types of dipping sauces. We also enjoyed their drinks which was very unique. I order the coconut fizz and the wife order the yuzu club. They were served in plastic bags with a light bud, see picture as it was different. We shared the taiyakinto end the meal, sharing it as we were full. It was a nice end to a great meal. The taiyaki was matcha ice cream with little bits of red beans. As we finished, we notice that they have brunch for the weekends. They serve Japanese souffle pancakes so we will return just for that alone. The interior is very wood centric and feels very welcoming. We will return to enjoy everything they offer especially the friendly and welcoming service. read more

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Found out about this place and went a few weeks later. Smfh. Nice outdoor seating area and service was good but that's where it stops. Food was below average at best to tell you the truth. Drink tasted like straight up Sprite but it was suppose to be a "Shirley Temple." If it says "spicy" then I expect it to be spicy and the pork Ragu was spicy at all and lacked flavor. The dumplings were ok. Only reason why I didn't give it a 2 star was because at least the service was fine. Won't be coming back here. read more

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Owner is wonderful, very knowledgeable and so pleasant to speak with. Food was fun and delicious! Tried a few of the recommended favorites, all super good! Will be a repeat customer. read more

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Remarkable spot. We tried almost everything. Legit, everything was perfect. Owner is a great guy. Wontons and bao were fresh and amazing. Had 1 of each skewer and was also great. Owner is a great guy. read more

This is a lovely mom and pop Japanese place in the burbs. BYOB is always appreciated! Owner is super nice, and we had a great time. As for food, we had the pork belly bao, that were nice, and the Shanghai buns, that are supposed to be pan seared soup dumplings, while they tasted good, we didn't really get any soup in them. For mains we went with the pork chop tomahawk and the kaisen set, which are an assortment of seafood skewers. The pork chop was delicious, however the skewers were very dry, and were def the low point of the meal. We had a nice time. Overall I can see myself coming again, but it didn't make my crave list. read more

What an interesting little place to visit. Found this place from fellow yelpers. I would definitely recommend this place as well. This place is a small intimate restaurant. It's BYOB so be prepared to bring a bottle if you'd like. I highly recommend the pork chop. All the dishes seemed a bit small, but this is a tapas place so there's a lot of sharing and a lot of small dishes. I'm usually not a fan of small dishes, but the small dishes definitely fit the vibe. The service was pleasant, the waitress checked in on us but if she didn't she stayed close by if we needed anything. The owner also checked in on us as well. The only that I'd have to say is the decor needs a bit more New York vibe. read more

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Kurobuta is amazing. If you haven't gone yet you need to get in your car and go now. The food is incredible. The chef/owner was very helpful with suggestions, and hearing the story behind why she opened the restaurant made the experience even better. I wish I could give more than 5 stars. The smoked tuna dip was delicious. The scallops were so great I actually drank the leftover sauce from the shell. The crispy cauliflower was also excellent. The pork wontons were perfectly crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. The skewers are also incredible. The family raises the pigs they serve on their own farm so the pork is just outrageously fresh. They also import the white coals for their grill from Japan which allows for higher heat. My only regret is eating too much and not having room for dessert. That's a perfect reason to go back. The restaurant is in the old Dough building but they've made it their own with the redesign. It actually feels like you've teleported to Japan and had the opportunity to dine at your friend's house, who happens to be an executive chef, and they've prepared an incredible meal for you. read more

Love this spot!!! Definitely worth the visit. The owners are amazing!!!' TRY EVERYTHING, come hungry. Talk to the owner and tell him what you like and make him suggest the items to eat. Stay away from the crab pizza, not a fan. Try all of the grilled items, they are to die for. I prefer to only pick the grilled items ala cart, steak and seafood are a must. Also if you get a chance to come in the weekend, you must try the fluffy pancakes!!! The ambiance is very nice and authentic. Call a head and make reservations if you can, they do get busy quick. Keep eating, keep drinking, keep living!!!!! read more

Family-run business! Very friendly. Great experience, delicious, authentic Japanese food! I highly recommend this place read more

Went here with friends for our first time and this is quite a gem on a spot on Bloomfield Avenue. The food was incredible and service was amazing. We tried a little bit of everything and it was a bonus BYOB. Also we got a spot out front so the night went well. We shall return, each thing we ate was great. read more

Kurobuta - White Charcoal Grille - Asian Fusion Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

What a find! Thanks to others for posting about this place. Was in town for a wedding this weekend and stopped in here for a late lunch. We had 5 of us and they were great. Booked a table last minute as the women were finishing up their last minute hair and nails. Gave it a great effort to eat our way thru their menu. All hot items were grilled to perfection. And cold dishes were awesome as well. If we lived closer we would come here weekly. Staff was very welcoming and knew their menu. They answered all questions and explained each dish as they came out. Their pride of the plate really showed through. read more

Kurobuta - White Charcoal Grille - Grilled Branzino (foreground) and Tomahawk Pork Chop - Asian Fusion Near Me - Caldwell, New Jersey

Very cozy dining room. Our server was super friendly and recommended the house made wontons, they were delicious. The beef skewer was very tender and came with a tasty dipping sauce. The curry Katsudon was very tasty, my favorite. My only complaint was the soups came out while eating our appetizers. BYOB and open for weekend brunch. read more

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Had a wonderful meal here with my partner. We shared the scallops, whole shrimp skewer and I had the grilled fish (pesce for the day) and she had the tomahawk chop. All the food was cooked and seasoned extremely well. The two layer dessert of cheesecake and rich dark chocolate was superb. Our server was extremely friendly and therr was a handwritten reservation card welcoming us to our table. The space is also very welcoming, including a couple small nods to the upcoming holiday season. read more

We had an amazing meal! Shanghai Bao Cashu Pirk Bao Buns Soy Butter Scallops Curry Katsudon ALL DELICIOUS! Owner was so nice. Service was excellent. Outdoor patio is adorable. Will be back. read more

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Excellent Japanese izakaya that specializes in skewered meats, seafood, and vegetables grilled over binchotan (white charcoal). We came here for lunch and had a great dining experience. Food was amazing and the service was great. We tried many items on the menu and they were all pretty much delicious, but my favorites would be the grilled whole branzino and pork belly skewers. Their pork is from locally raised Japanese black pigs (kurobuta) and you can really taste the quality. The meat was incredibly juicy and tender. Prices are on the higher side but you're paying for really good quality ingredients. Street parking is available but can be hard to find depending on time of day. Overall I highly recommend Kurobuta and I will definitely be returning soon. read more

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I'm giving Kurobuta 5 stars even though I think the prices are a little high. Despite this, the quality of the dishes is (are?) excellent and the service was very good. Everything we had was nicely presented and delicious. Frank (the owner) was very friendly in making recommendations and telling us a little about the cooking/grilling process. A relatively new restaurant, I'm sure Kurobuta will be around for a while. Oh... and it's a BYOB! read more

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Just had my second time here... Take my first which was great and times it by 1000. Amazing. The food is hands down delicious. Great for small groups. The vibe is excellent. Sat out on patio. Staff and owner top notch in service. Yes We all enjoyed and will be back. read more

A great experience. We walked in for lunch and we're the only ones there. Obviously, we were seated immediately. The owner explained how they cooked and what they were doing. We ordered the seafood five skewers. The chef came out and explained what each dish was and what each sauce was. The food was exceptional. The flavoring the spicing and properly cooked. The atmosphere was well done and different. We appreciated everything about this restaurant. read more

Amazing experience all around. The Shanghai bao, salmon skewers, and flatbread crab pizza were all delicious and full of flavor. Service was friendly and attentive, and the ambiance was great. Definitely coming back! read more

Came here on a Sunday night with a large group of friends (7 ppl with a reservation at 7pm). We didn't realize the reservation was an hour from close (8 pm on Sunday), but luckily, there wasn't any issue with the time and large party. Since I tagged along, I didn't know much about this place besides it being an Asian tapas/izakaya type restaurant, haha. I was pleasantly surprised. Their pork (black bershire pig) is farm to table, and their farm is in NJ - which was pretty cool. It's also BYOB (we bought some beers a few blocks away). The restaurant felt cozy, with a mix of rustic elegance. Faves: roasted cauliflower with tahini, chef's secreto (a specific cut of pork) skewers, Pork wontons, whole grilled branzino Close contenders: steamed pork shumai, pork + leek skewers (thin pork wrapped around leek), spicy pork ragu (wasn't too spicy), grilled giant black tiger prawn Their housemade chili oil mixture was also unique and delicious. I look forward to coming back and trying other items here (it seems like they have an outdoor area too for the summer)! read more

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Such a cute place we went to for my mom's birthday. The waitress was very nice and explained how they raise their own pigs and they live a minimum one year, happy and natural. The prices are very much reasonable with how good the food tastes, compliments to the chef. We went on a Thursday evening so there wasn't a lot of people or a wait time. Food came quickly and made to perfection. So good we weren't even talking with how good the food was, just eating. Never tasted grilled calamari like this. Highly recommend as an appetizer if you eat meat. They also have a lot of vegetarian options for my veggie people. They are a BYOB if you want to drink with your meal since they do not serve alcohol. Highly recommend for a date or special occasion. read more

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Great food and service. Entire staff was welcoming and attentive to our table throughout the meal. Highly recommend it for couples on a date night and groups of friends looking to have some good food and fun. read more