Food Review: Kuroki Restaurant At Paragon Shopping Centre | Under The Radar Japanese Yakiniku Dining In Orchard Road

Posted on October 15, 2023 by theRantingPanda in Food

The Place Located in The Paragon along Orchard Road, I checked out Kuroki Restaurant, a relatively under the radar Japanese Yakiniku restaurant in Singapore. I only heard about Kuroki recently, even though it has already been opened for a year. Kuroki is located beside Sushi Tei on level five of the mall.

The restaurant is an intimate space with just four tables in the main dining hall and two private rooms which can accommodate up to ten diners each. The best part about the private room is that there is no minimum spending, and no corkage fees as well should you decide to bring your own wine.

The Food The menu is a rotating selection of Wagyu Offerings which include A5 Iwate Wagyu, Kumamoto Wagyu and Snow-Aged Karubi from Hokkaido. The highlight is the Iwate Wagyu, Japan’s most award-winning wagyu that is cross breed of the Japanese Shorthorn and Holstein. Iwate wagyu-cross cattle are farmed in Iwate prefecture in the Northern part of Japan, where the meat is characteristically lean in fat yet robust in flavour.

The lunch sets start from S$35 which is quite value for money for Yakiniku. I had the Kuroki Premium Set (S$58) which includes appetiser, 4 cuts of wagyu, chawanmushi, rice, soup and dessert.

The beef cuts rotate, and I had Iwate Wagyu Prime Karubi and Iwate Wagyu Sirloin, along with Australian Wagyu Short Rib and Australian Wagyu Lip.

I started first with the Australian cuts which are reasonably flavourful, especially the short rib.

My favourite cut is the Iwate Wagyu Prime Karubi which is quite fatty, and expectedly tender and flavourful.

The Iwate Wagyu Sirloin is a huge thin slab of meat, which is less flavourful as compared to the prime karubi.

Add on options for the lunch menu include the likes of thinly sliced Wagyu Tongue (S$22), Kimchi Soup (S$10) and Kurobuta Pork Collar (S$15). The Kimchi Soup is great as a starter as it really helps to whet the appetite, with a huge serving good for sharing for two.

For dessert as part of the set lunch, nothing too fancy, but ice cream with a choice of Sea Salt, Yuzu or Matcha flavours.

Rants Expect to grill the meat yourself as the staff here does not provide table side grilling service, which is not a big deal.

Will I Return Again? The lunch set is quite good value, and it is also a plus that there is no minimum spending for the private rooms. The ventilation is also pretty good where it does not get smoky during the meal. If you are looking for a cosy and intimate spot for dinner in Orchard Road, this is one restaurant to consider.

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

Make your reservations instantly at Kuroki here.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 3.5/5
Hole in the pocket: 3.5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 3.5/5