Kuro Bistro

Just incredible. Our favorite sushi restaurant!! Fish is beyond fresh. Always perfectly cooked/prepared. Been coming here for years. My favorite is the Boston roll (I like simple) and their smoked salmon nigiri. My husband is obsessed with the grilled octopus kitchen starter (Polpo) and everything Eal. Come here!!!!!! Pictures from tonight: Smoked salmon nigiri, Polpo (octopus kitchen starter), and Eel dinner (Una Don)

After our daughter graduated from boot camp, she was craving sushi. So, after a brief Google search, we found Kuro bistro. This place did not disappoint. The service was impeccable, the food delicious and on point. Don’t miss an opportunity to eat here!

We took a drive East to reach Kuro Bistre and they didn't disappoint. My wife had the Woodland, artful roll of sauteed scallops, avocado, crab meat with four colors of row. A large roll she brought leftovers home. I chose the Chirashi fish was freshly prepared. Mid-meal I even commented on how expertly prepared my rice was. Both dishes were a sight, all great food should appeal to the eye and the stomach. I give Kuro 5 stars, definitely worth the drive.

5-Star Birthday Dinner at Kuro Bistro – A Must-Try Sushi Experience in Lake County! I recently celebrated my birthday dinner at Kuro Bistro, and it was an absolutely unforgettable experience! From the moment we walked in, the staff was warm and welcoming, greeting us promptly and seating us at a clean, well-set table with quality glassware that set the tone for the evening. The star of the show was undoubtedly the **fish quality** – hands down the best I’ve had in Lake County. Every bite was fresh, flavorful, and expertly prepared. We decided to splurge on the **sea urchin nigiri** at $14 per piece, and it was worth every penny. The richness and briny sweetness of the uni were unparalleled, making it a must-try for any sushi enthusiast. For appetizers, we had the **calamari**, and it was a standout. The batter was perfectly crisp and light, without being greasy – a rare find! As for the rolls, the **classic spicy tuna roll** and the **Alaskan roll** were both delicious, but the **signature rolls** truly stole the show. The **Crazy Salmon Signature Roll** was bursting with flavor, and the **seared salmon** was an absolute hit at our table. Each roll was beautifully presented and packed with fresh, high-quality ingredients. What impressed me most was the balance of creativity and tradition in their dishes. The flavors were bold yet refined, and every bite felt like a celebration. The ambiance, service, and food quality all came together to make my birthday dinner truly special. I can’t recommend Kuro Bistro enough – whether you’re a sushi lover or just looking for an exceptional dining experience, this place delivers. We’ll definitely be back!

My first time here. Sushi was delicious. Top quality, and I’ve had it all. The owner, Nami, came by our table several times and made sure everything was perfect. She is obviously very enthusiastic and proud of her work. Will definitely be back!

We’d be meaning to try this place for some time. It was as good as we expected. Food was fantastic, drinks were a good size, and the staff most attentive. The place is quite lovely, with the most upscale decor we’ve ever seen in a Japanese restaurant. Can’t wait go back and try more of the selections.

A colleague from work recommended this place, so I went with my family. The atmosphere felt upscale, but it didn’t seem very hygienic. There was a noticeable smell in the restroom. The service wasn’t bad. The dumplings were clearly frozen, store-bought products. The sushi had a slightly fishy odor, and the rolls were too heavy. The hibachi shrimp didn’t really feel like hibachi, more like Chinese stir-fried or steamed shrimp. There was no real teppanyaki flavor. Overall, the prices felt overpriced for what we got.

My most dearest friends brought me to Kuro Bistro for an over the top lunch. We all went for broke while dining here. Reason why we dined here were the many posts & reviews. Their lunch options are quite amazing offering quality sushi/sashimi/nigiri at an average cost of 19.00-20.00. Again, quality of sushi is the most top grade superb sushi one can enjoy in the Lake Forrest community. Over the years, I've patronized the most amazing sushi restaurants in Tokyo Japan and also at many high end sushi restaurants in major cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York & Atlanta GA. You know you're in a good sushi restaurant when they offer toro & salmon (both buttery & mouth melting in taste & flavor), uni (sea urchin) and when available, ankimo (monk fish liver pate). Their tako(octopus) dish was perfectly done in flavor & texture. This is a must try if you like tako. The decor is awesome and spacious. Their service is as quality as the food itself. The food presentation with their attention to detail didn't go unnoticed. Highly recommend. We all splurged, and it was well worth the experience if you want the very best!

One of my favorite restaurants. Great service, Everyone should try the Wagyu Burger. It's Delicious!!

We enjoyed our dinner on the patio and the service was excellent. We will need to return soon to try a Japanese entree as we both had the shrimp fried rice (!) with sides of edamame and miso soup. The fried rice entree was very ample and we both left quite full.

I've already reviewed Kuro several times... So let me just say: get the Golden Shrimp. If I could eat a whole plate of Golden Shrimp, I would, but then I would probably be ill because it is so rich. I had a delightful piece of Saba (mackerel) nigiri and then I ordered the Kuro burger (burger at a Japanese restaurant - crazy?). My companions had a Salmon bento and a salmon select dish. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

Amazing!!! Amazing service and great tasting food. I was amazed at how fresh the sushi was. Their menu has a great variety of different entrees. We drove about an hour to come here and it was worth it. I will definitely be coming back.

Really enjoyed dinner at Kuro Bistro. Started with a glass of plum wine and it was the perfect balance of sweet and earthy. The sushi pizza was amazing. The half portion of hibachi teriyaki chicken was just right. The ambiance was warm and cozy great for a weeknight dinner.

Great, clean sushi restaurant with a nice seating area and lighting. The service was great and the sushi portions were plentiful. Highly recommend

i had lunch with two friends on friday @KB. we had to make it a fast lunch so arrived early and were seated at a comfy booth. the interior is low light, zen and hushed. kuro's menu is great--sushi, scottish salmon, burgers--all expertly presented and extremely fresh and delicious. here's what we ordered: a crazy salmon roll. beautiful, fresh and colorful! vegetable fried rice. one of the best dishes i've ever had. chicken fried rice. seared chicken kept juicy by wok sear and piled on the fried rice. green tea was refilled without asking. as was water. service was outstanding and the hostess remembers recurring guests. she.was.awesome! many items on the menu looked so good that that i'm going back again this weekend to try different choices...for carryout.

Went for lunch and had the Nigeri lunch special with a choice of 1 roll. Good portion sizes and very fresh. Also tried the Golden Shrimp appetizer, it was good but lacking a little flavor to the sauce. Hostess/ bartender wad very nice.

Impromptu visit to Lake Forest and decided to stop and get some salad and soup. The Miso soup was great, could have had a bit more flavor but it hit the spot. The avocado salad wasn't what I expected but it was a round cup based side of chopped avocado and I chose salmon on top. It was very fresh and I enjoyed it I just thought for the price it would be more substantial. I'd try it again though. I did take out and they were very attentive to take out orders.

What a great spot! This was the first time I have been there and it did not disappoint. We had the golden shrimp appetizer, gyoza and sashimi plate. Everything was delicious!!! Our service was great as well. Very fast and accurate. This place gets busy and I'm happy we booked reservations. It seemed to clear out after 9 pm, however. Parking is easy as they have a parking garage right near the restaurant. In the summer I've heard they have cute outdoor seating. Overall I loved this place and will be returning!

We sat outdoors on the patio and enjoyed our view of the pretty flowers. Service was overall good, but we never received the salad we ordered, The flavor profiles of all of the food was good, and really enjoyed the vegetable tempura. However, we had a lot of pieces of thick, grisly fat in our sushi that was difficult to chew through. For this reason, I don't think we will be returning.

It was very expensive and just OK. Plus, if you're sitting outside, you get the lovely train coming by every five minutes.

Came here for my husbands 40th birthday, with our five month old in tow. They accommodated us and were so kind. The food is SO good, I got the filet mignon hibachi and it's such a good portion and cooked perfectly with the teriyaki. I had never had sake before and our server recommended one and it was great. The server was very friendly and attentive. Highly recommend. Even the gentleman host in the front of restaurant was extremely kind. The ambiance is always calming and peaceful and I highly recommended for an elevated meal.

I love their Bluefin Tuna, but everything I've tried there is good. Prices are reasonable too.

Best place for Asian food in Lake Forest. It's not like there's a whole lot of good choices to be honest. Kuro Bistro is a place specializing in sushi. Actually there's lots of Asian food on the menu, but that's the best stuff they have so get it. The prices are kind of high it seems but that's not surprising because this is a rich ass suburb and money is no thing. After getting off of the Metra train, we came here at lunch. It's the best time to come because of the lunch specials. These are a little cheaper and you can save a few bucks on some rolls and other things. Most rolls here are too expensive. The best one was the AAC Roll. It's $10, which was a lot for a small one. This has asparagus, avocado, and cucumber in case you didn't know that. Got us a couple rolls, with a drink and appetizer, and we saved a few bucks. The rolls were pretty small. It was made basic. These were finished in a few minutes. Good flavor. It's just the prices and portions that are the problem. The rolls aren't that much to eat but you still pay a lot whether it's a big roll, a regular one, or whatever.

Blue Man Rolls all day! Love sushi especially coming from the west coast. We are spoiled yet they managed to bring the quality back to the Midwest like it's California

Kuro was fabulous.... The sashimi and sushi was so fresh and cut so perfectly, it made our mouths dance with delight. Each appetizers were so unique with special unique sauce that it made each dish special. Would highly recommend Kuro to friends.

I'm catching up on my reviews and I am just drooling as I type this out. Kuro Bistro has my heart for best sushi. I travel all the way from downtown Chicago just to eat at Kuro bistro. I don't mind the drive since the food and environment keeps me coming back. I've been a fan of Kuro Bistro since they first open. I am a returning customer who can't get enough of their sushi. My favorite rolls are the crazy salmon and the fire tuna. I came in with my friends and nephew. We ordered a bunch of sushi and my nephew ordered the chicken katsu don. Overall, the prices are pretty similar to all the other sushi places I've been to. The biggest difference would be the quality of the sushi! It's the best!

Kuro Bistro 在Lake Forest算不错的日料店了 运气很好 直接过去因为早 门口接待的小哥态度很好 帮忙拿了位置 菜单上基本是刺身拼盘 寿司拼盘 天妇罗和主食 价格要比上海便宜 但是这里的量很大 刺身上来很厚 很新鲜 装修氛围也不错 服务的人稍微态度差点 差到填写的tips的时候觉得给15%都有点多了 生意很好 记得提前预约 门口有停车位

AMAZING!! I moved here from Miami in January. I am a advocate seafood & sushi lover being from the West coast. Hands downs this has been the best seafood I've had since I've been in Chicago. The food was super fresh and the taste surpassed my expectations. Definitely my favorite restaurant in Illinois.

Place was cute, really how out so we sat inside. Service is friendly and knowledgeable. Had plenty of reccomendations and tried some special Japanese sashimi. We had mixed shashimi platter and 2 rolls. All were excellent and super fresh. Probably the most fresh we have ever had. Unfortunately we were starving and ate before pictures. They had a lot of other menu items and we will need to go back and try more.

Great sushi and service! One of my wife's and I favorite sushi restaurants to go to in the area.

Coming from SF Bay Area, I am quite familiar with quality sushi. I didn't expect much coming to this restaurant because of the geographical location, but I was pleasantly surprised. The fish has quality and freshness that I was impressed with. I will be returning to this location. The waitress was attentive and had excellent recommendations for our dining experience. One thing that can be improved is the hospitality and professionalism of the younger waiters/hosts. If that is improved the experience will be better.

Food is great! Service is fast and the lady who attended to us is very helpful, friendly and accommodating. Serving size is just enough and goes with the price. Love their Kurie, pulpo, dragon shrimp, agedashi tofu and fried rice. We finished everything! The green tea ice cream is the best way to end our meal. Will come back to try other dishes.

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.

Came back again and sat on the patio because it was a beautiful early fall evening. My favorite is the Kyuuri, so we ordered that. We also split the Hawaiian tacos and the sashimi sampler. For 2 ladies, this was WAY too much food, as the sashimi sampler app is super generous portions and could be a meal on its own. Everything was delicious and fresh. Will continue to visit when I'm in town.

We called on a saturday about 6:30 pm to see if they could accommodate us and they could. hReally happy we came as the total experience was great. Our server was personable and on top of our staggered order keeping the timing perfect. The Japanese Paloma was a fantastic cocktail. For appetizers we had the edamame which was a nice size portion but the star was the Bok Choy appetizer. Sauteed in eel sauce, fried garlic, ginger and arbol chilies. The Maki was so fresh and delicious having both the Atlantic Roll and the White Dragon Roll. The Nigiri had nice sized and fresh portions having a maguro, red snapper and a tomago. The value on the size of the nigiri was the size it was equivalent to two pieces else where. Atmosphere was clean and modern. There is also outside patio seating as well. We will definitely be going back and have already sent rave reviews to our friends.

A friend suggested this place to me. Convenient & close to home. They had a very nice outdoor patio but dined inside cause of the humidity. Great selection of sushi! To start off, we ordered the shumai, vegetable gyoza, and seaweed salad which were all very delicious. Then we ordered the white dragon, rainbow roll, and shrimp fried rice. Everything was so delicious and reasonably priced especially for sushi!! Would totally come back. You will have no regrets!

Last night we went to Kuro for sushi. This was our first time and likely our last given the following reasons. We ordered the tuna selection, Hama mama, seaweed salad, tempura combo and king California roll. The tempura and seaweed salad was good, but the sushi needs a lot of help. The sashimi was way too thick. Each of the rolls fell apart due to the lack of rice and what seemed to be not enough squeezing of the roll during the making process. Overall, not a pleasurable experience and therefore not worth the $125 price.

Excellent service and amazing food! I highly recommend you visit for lunch or dinner. Everything is freshly made with the best ingredients available.

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.

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!

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.

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!

I have i've been eating Joe and Nami's food for years. It is by far the best sushi I've ever had. The pieces of sashimi are tasty and large. The rolls are out of this world. Joe cares about is food more than any chef I've ever known. And don't get me started on the Toro, oh so delicious. Go there now, right now!

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!!!

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.

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.