The saying "you get what you pay for" holds true here. It's pricey but it's worth it. The owners provided a warm and welcoming atmosphere to start our meal. We were fortunate to sit at the bar where we got to talk to chef Ray and his wife and learn about his experience in cooking and the history of Japanese dishes. The nine course meal was a sensory journey. It wasn't just beautiful but also delicious.
I cannot say enough good things about this place. From start to finish every single course was prepared with amazing detail and was absolutely delicious. Chef Ray and his wife was awesome and gave us an unforgettable experience. We’ve tried many Omakase and Japanese restaurants and Kuroki definitely ranks #1 in our books. From the freshness of the food to the presentation 10/10. Do yourself a favour and book a table here, you won’t be disappointed. Worth every penny.
Me and my gf was there on Monday night for Dinner. It's was awesome! I must say it is the best omakase I ever have!I am stunned by their whole 9-course meal, the combination of the tradition and innovation is amazing! You have the traditional Japanese Kaisei food and present by Chef Ray's own style. The hospitality is even more impressive.When I coming they give us a warm welcome and quick introduction of themselves to let us get to know them. We sat at the bar, I was lucky that Chef Ray provide me some valuable knowledge regards to the meal we were having and the history of the Japanese food, and we were even luck to see him assembled our food from the starch, decoration, all the way till the final touch. It is just AMAZING.The food comes in orders, started from appetizers all the way to dessert, from cold food to hot food and a final touch with a sweet dessert. Every time a dish come, Chef Ray's partner Christine will give us a break-down on what's the dish, what it has inside(ingredients), and how to eat it. Even the Sashimi, they have a recommended order for you to eat them, started with the lighter tastes sashimi and end with a fatty rich tasted sashimi, each type of the fish will be listed while you having the Sashimi.The more you communicate with them, the more you realized how nice they are, sometimes even funny.That's enough review I made ???, believed it or not, you will have to try it yourself.???
Kuroki Kaiseki Omakase kitchen is a hidden gem. The food is delicious and all the ingredients are very fresh. The place is very cozy. The chef is very nice and educate me a lot about Kaiseki Ryori.
The chef have very creative dishes. Very fresh ingredients. Every dish is delicious and the presentation is so pretty.
Love this place so much! The food is exceptional! Everything here is super fresh! Supreme quality! You can tell Chef Ray has put his heart into every single one of his dishes. Furthermore, Ray and his wife, Christine are super friendly and cute. They've made the whole experience feels like home. It was wonderful. I love it so much! I will never forget this wonderful birthday dinner! Thank you again Ray and Christine for the lovely services! =) Highly recommend this place!
Enjoyed the Kaiseki Ryori: it was a succulent meal. There is a large variety of fresh ingredients and preparation styles. The visual presentation gives a feast for the eyes.Overall it was a highly memorable and enjoyable experience.
What can you say? The positive reviews they get are well deserved and justified. We have been coming to Kuroki for a while and this is my first review after all this time. If you want an authentic Japanese foodie experience without going to Japan, this is the place. The owners are a husband and wife team who operate out of a small but functional restaurant. The food is the star here. I will forgo the “Japanese decor” anytime to have food that is done with the same procedures as the best chefs in Japan. Forget the high maintenance decor when you can concentrate on what we are here for…the food. Sometimes we tend to forget that or even ignore it in this city.First off, Chef Ray is not Japanese, BUT trained in Japan to their exact standards and guidelines. You have to be crazy to not be Japanese, not know the language but decide to go to Japan and pursue studying Japanese cuisine and come back here like he did relatively unscathed with the respect of mentors in Japan. Chef Ray has quite a story of his training there and if you ask, is happy to share it with anyone in his open kitchen.Being of Japanese descent, when I’m there, I can rest assured that the dishes he and his wife Christine serve are truly “authentic.” It’s a term used loosely in this city, but this is true to the word. Chef Ray uses the exact same techniques Japanese chefs use back home. Do not underestimate his knowledge, he speaks a lot better Japanese than me haha. He can keep up or exceed what my grandparents used to make us when we were kids. Their chawanmushi is what floored me. Childhood memories and tastier than what my grandma did-and hers was pretty good.Also this is a kaiseki restaurant meaning it’s Japan’s version of the French multi course dinner. And it’s done omakase style meaning whatever is fresh or in season will be used-usually in the case of sashimi. Basically the customer trusts and leaves it up to the chef to serve up a great and memorable meal.All this comes at a price premium but again, all fish for sashimi and Wagyu beef come from Japan and preparation sometimes takes days or close to a week. There’s only him and Christine doing the labour: ordering, picking up their raw materials from YVR, cleaning fish, skinning, cutting, aging (some require dry aging like steak), the daily checking of the aging process, deboning, slicing-then preparing the other side dishes. All using the best ingredients from Japan. Their dishes are best enjoyed with drinks-a bottle (or two!) of champagne or beer. Nothing else! Haha!Kuroki is the real deal and there are other places that have Japanese chefs and “Japanese high end decor” and charge a lot and constantly get high ratings, but if it’s for the food from a chef who has truly paid his dues, it’s well worth it.
This was my first experience having kaiseki! Went for a birthday dinner. Chef Ray and Christine were very lovely and made the experience really memorable! Definitely recommend to come here and make sure you make reservations a few weeks in advance if you're looking for a certain day. The food was fresh and delicious. The whole meal was well thought out and came together beautifully. Hopefully we will be back soon!
Was looking for a place to celebrate birthday for my super-picky mom and this restaurant is able to wow her for every dish from the beginning to the end (literally). Their food is so relish, so pretty and and we are so full. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. Definitely a must try, though they got booked up really fast!