By Scott Cronick
Sometimes, a restaurant just resonates with you to the core.
For me – and especially my wife LaRissa – that restaurant is Kuro at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.
Ever since I ate at the first Kuro at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Fla., before the Atlantic City location debuted, I told everyone, “If the Hard Rock Atlantic City’s Kuro could maintain the standards of the Hollywood version, it will be one of the best — if not THE best — restaurant in Atlantic City.”
Nearly six years after opening its doors in Atlantic City, Kuro has risen to the elite status of Atlantic City restaurants, right alongside my other favorites including Café 2825, American Grill at Borgata, Nobu at Caesars and Ocean Steak at Ocean Casino Resort.
Like any great restaurant, Kuro, a modern Japanese restaurant that can be best described as if Nobu and Izakaya had a culinary baby, constantly challenges itself to make sure it remains at the top of its game.
A recent example of that is Kuro’s Cherry Blossom Menu. Celebrating the gorgeous bloom of Japan’s national flower, Kuro’s special event through May 12, is more than just great food … it’s an experience.
It all starts at the entrance of Kuro, located steps of the Boardwalk, where the entrance and Kuro’s main sign in the hallway are decorated with giant cherry blossom trees. The gorgeous atmosphere continues inside with more pink flowers and lights accenting the aesthetic enhancements that make you think Kuro should keep these beautiful trees up year-round.
Of course, the real highlight is delving into the special menu created by Executive Chef Leslie Daniel and the Hard Rock culinary team. Daniel, who appeared as a contestant on Wednesday’s “Guy Fieri’s Grocery Games” on the Food Network, has worked in Miami, Las Vegas and started in Atlantic City as Kuro’s sous chef. He has earned the honor to helm Kuro’s kitchen and a talented team of culinarians that have earned Kuro USA Today’s No. 1 Casino restaurant two years in a row.
Although it is nearly impossible, try to resist ordering from the regular Kuro menu and sample as many things as you possibly can from the Cherry Blossom Menu. Everything is sublime.
Start with a Sakura Spritz, blending Moscato, Aperol, yuzu, lemon, and ginger for an opening cocktail, and then dig into the cuisine that includes a tsukemono trio ($9), basically fancy-cut veggies such as daikon, cucumber, and heirloom carrot; okonomiyaki ($14), a stunning egg omelet with pork belly and Brussels sprouts; sakura masu carpaccio ($16), fish of the spring (trout) with yuzu dressing and mesclun mix; ebi (shrimp) tempura with soy dashi, ginger, and oroshi; agedashi tofu ($11) with root vegetables, hijiki, and soy dashi; Wagyu kushiyaki ($15), tender beef filets made on the robatayaki, with sweet soy and scallion; and onigiri ($9), giant fried rice balls with yakitori and scallion.
Save room for dessert, including mochi ice cream ($10) paired with a seasonal compote; and our favorite, hana ($10), a cherry blossom mousse with ruby crumble, strawberry and matcha anglaise. You can also cheat and order the Japanese donuts adorned with ichimi cinnamon and cherry blossom cream from the regular menu.
Kuro takes pride in featuring contemporary artisanal dishes using locally sourced and imported ingredients directly from Japan. Dishes are complex. Ingredients are bold, yet flavors harmonious. The setting is all class, no kitsch, with its subdued lighting, neutral color scheme and open kitchen.
When Kuro says they use the finest and freshest ingredients, they aren’t kidding, and like any great restaurant, the service is always top-notch.
If you decide to order off the regular menu, there are nearly 20 styles of maki/hand roll; more than a dozen more sushi/sashimi; house favorites including tuna crispy rice ($18) and Wagyu tacos ($20); six types of tempura including crispy white fish ($21) with tabanjan and crispy scallion, and scallops ($22) with curried edmame and yuzu kosho yogurt; exotic BBQ items off the Robata charcoal grill like the Berkshire pork belly ($18) with tamamiso, apple and chutney; Chicken Momo ($19) with yuzu kosha and olive oil; and even broccolini ($15) with creamy sesame aioli and garlic chips.
Or, for the ultimate indulgence, try the Japanese Wagyu beef ($35 per ounce, 3-ounce minimum) that is served on a hot stone Japanese grill; or two different omakase plates where you “trust the chef” for their best creations of the night.
Entrees are separated by “Sea” and “Land” with must-try items like the Chilean sea bass miso ($48) with pickled daikon and tamamiso; and Wagyu Ribeye ($85) with takuan, sansyo sea salt and shiso chimichurri.
One of my favorite things they added since opening are donburi, awesome rice bowls with an over-easy egg placed on top of a variety of choices including my go-to Wagyu braised short rib ($28) with onsen, tamago and jus; and pork belly ($25) with onsen, tamago, and scallions.
The desserts are as appealing as the rest of the meal. Check out the aforementioned donuts ($12) as well as the Japanese fluffly cheesecake ($12) with strawberry-lychee sorbet, almond streusel and fresh fruit.
If you are a fan of Japanese food, Kuro is a no brainer. If you haven’t experimented with the cuisine, trust me when I tell you to give it a shot because Kuro is as good as it gets.
Kuro is located at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City. The Cherry Blossom menu is available through May 12. Go to HardRockHotelAtlanticCity.com.
Scott Cronick is an award-winning journalist who has written about entertainment, food, news and more in South Jersey for nearly three decades. He hosts a daily radio show – “Off The Press with Scott Cronick” – 4 to 6 p.m. weekdays on Newstalk WOND 1400-AM, 92.3-FM, and WONDRadio.com, and he also co-owns Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall in Atlantic City, while working on various projects, including charitable efforts, throughout the area. He can be reached at scronick@comcast.net.
