Kuro Restaurant Hard Rock Casino
Wednesday, March 18, 6:30pm – Kuro Restaurant, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, One Seminole Way, Hollywood
To celebrate its upcoming opening set on Saturday, March 28, Kuro Restaurant hosted a special invitation-only sake ceremony and tribal blessing. This unique event honored the Seminole and Japanese cultures that form the heart of the Kuro concept. Representatives from the Seminole Tribe of Florida were there overseeing the tribal blessing and executives from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino were in attendance in another beginning in the Hard Rock success story.
Restaurants near Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Casino, Hollywood on Tripadvisor: Find traveler reviews and candid photos of dining near Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Hollywood Tourism. Kuro #11 of 472 Restaurants in Hollywood 275 reviews. The Flavor Tour is a restaurant in Atlantic City offering sandwiches and salads to gourmet burgers & premium gelato in Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Kuro Japanese restaurant located inside Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino served handcraft cocktails to an exclusive group of guests aboard the Natita private mega yacht during an invitation only soiree, as part of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
Following the blessing, a ceremonial sake barrel was broken, officially signifying Kuro’s arrival. This tradition, called kagami-biraki, is a celebratory event in which the lid of a sake barrel is broken by a wooden mallet, a practice meant to honor the gods and ask them to bestow good health and fortune.
Apparently, it brings a great view too. As part of a series of upgrades at the Hard Rock property, the newly constructed Kuro sits poolside between the Rock Shop and valet pick-up. Once inside the casino you can find it at the heart of the casino between the Hard Rock Cafe and the Hard Rock Store.
At the Kuro entrance, the staircase leads to a space that feels open and intimidate. Scanning the room, guests are greeted with a beautiful bar of mixologists, followed by a wall of glass doors overlooking the pool area, a back sushi bar and an alluring visible wine cellar with a wide variety of carefully chosen bottles.
Joining the festivities were Kuro Executive Chef and the resort’s Creative Culinary Director Alex Becker, a veteran of such celebrated concepts as Nobu and Katsuya; Executive Sushi Chef Shuji Hiyakawa, a protégé of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto and Vice President of Food & Beverage Justin Wyborn, a restaurant industry pro with two decades experience and the driving force behind Kuro’s exciting concept.
“This ceremony is the perfect way to honor the traditions, cultures and histories that have made Kuro a reality,” says Justin Wyborn. “We’re excited to add another fine-dining option to the resort that is also unique to the market, offering fresh contemporary Japanese creations in a socially interactive atmosphere. The restaurant is the beginning of a very exciting evolution at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. This has truly been a team effort and we hope this ceremony, in a small way, pays tribute to the countless hours of hard work and passion that our team members have dedicated.”
The Kuro team is not only passionate, but professional and congenial. The servers invite guests to take an interactive culinary journey geared to enhance the dining experience as they guide guests along a roller-coaster of flavors, textures and combinations. Their expert chefs collaborate to utilize local sources and ship directly from Japan, resulting in scallops of ideal texture, garlic-enhanced shrimp tempura, a flavorful blend of Wagyu Tacos with spicy cilantro, fresh sushi, Maitake Mushrooms with yuzu dressing and Tuna Tataki with creamy avocado.
Their specialty drink menu features unique flavors and fresh ingredients made with confidence and consistency. Infused with modern and traditional flair, the bar buzzes with bartenders adding infused mushrooms to cocktails or slapping herbs to release aromas in a drink. Mixologist Jared Boller has finally made cocktail selection easy by categorizing the handcrafted cocktails into five flavor profiles: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami. With 30 sake brands on the menu, 110 wine labels and a knowledgeable staff, this upscale dining experience is enhanced by the nightly lit pool view. Another exciting reason to rock a the Hard Rock.
Reservations: 954-585-5333 or Open Table.
Photos by: Zoe Zielinski
Kuro Japanese Restaurant
When Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino opened its doors in the heart of South Florida in May 2004, it signaled the arrival of a one-of-a-kind gaming, dining and nightlife destination. In the 10 years since, it has remained South Florida’s premier destination for fun and entertainment. January 2015 will see the arrival of the resort’s newest culinary innovation – Kuro, a sophisticated, social and interactive Japanese restaurant located inside the hotel. Kuro will feature an open dining room, chef’s table (omakase bar), sushi bar with view into the hot kitchen (saute, tempura, robata grill), and pastry section, in addition to two private dining rooms and an outside dining area. The farm-fresh Japanese menu will offer new-style, handcrafted creations led by Kuro’s Executive Chef Alex Becker, who is also the resort’s Creative Culinary Director. Kuro mixologists will also serve handcrafted signature cocktails at the restaurant’s bar and lounge.
Kuro Restaurant Hard Rock Menu
“The opening of Kuro will signal a major step forward for the resort’s culinary offerings,” says Justin Wyborn,Vice President of Food & Beverage for Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood. “Chef Alex is a visionary with amazing culinary technique. Kuro’s unique flavor profiles will have something for everyone. We’re very lucky to work with such an incredible talent who will elevate Kuro to the next level of new-style Japanese dining. ”
A combined seating of 240 for the entire restaurant is situated in a tiered open space design that offers many views to see-and-be-seen from anywhere in the room. The Kuro space will be full of light streaming in from the lounge skylight and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the resort’s pool area (which is currently also undergoing its own renovation). Kuro’s aesthetic has been conceived by the David Mexico Design Group. David Mexico is inarguably one of the country’s foremost designers – with credits ranging from Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain and Mesa Grill and Nobu Restaurants, to Alma de Cuba and the MGM Grand in Chengdu, China.
Kuro – Japanese for “black” – will be home to Becker’s New Style Japanese cuisine. Becker’s culinary background started at the Michelin-starred Ristorante Gardenia in Caluso, Italy. After studying the art of Japanese cuisine, he went on to work for the Nobu empire for nearly a decade. Most recently, Becker was the corporate executive chef for SBE’s Katsuya where he was responsible for opening locations worldwide. At Kuro, Becker will feature contemporary New Style creations applying classic Japanese techniques. Assisting Becker will be his Executive Sushi Chef Shuji Hiyakawa, formerly of the Morimoto restaurant group.
Using both locally-sourced produce and specialty products imported from Japan, the chefs will craft unique culinary creations that are grounded in tradition yet progressive in concept and execution. Complementing the culinary offerings will be a well-appointed wine, beer and sake list, as well as an impressive array of Japanese whiskeys. A selection of handcrafted signature cocktails will use fresh ingredients in contemporary recipes with hints of Japanese flavors. Further information on all aspects of Kuro will be announced soon.
Scheduled to open January2015, Kuro will be located at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, One Seminole Way in Hollywood, Florida. Telephone: (954) 327-7625; www.website.com.