48B Park Street Mews, Park Street, Colombo 2
Open until 11:00 PM
Kuuraku is the latest addition to Colombo’s Japanese scene and easily one of the best restaurants that came out this year.
Kuuraku is the latest addition to Colombo’s Japanese scene and easily one of the best restaurants that came out this year. It may be a bit too early to pass judgement, but their great selection of contemporary Japanese cuisine, yakitori and sushi make it one to look out for.
We rarely open with the service since it’s quite often an afterthought, but Kuuraku impressed on multiple fronts. At the time of this writing we’ve been there around three times, and they’ve been impressive across the board. The waiters are friendly, attentive and trained well enough to identify dishes by their Japanese names. Service times can vary a bit with the crowd but they pace the dishes in sensible intervals. Also look out for their "Irasshaimase!” that’ll probably catch off guard you as soon as you set foot.
The thing that struck us as a bit odd was the fact that we had to ask for the wasabi, which is a something that’s usually served to the table. They also told us that they don’t offer ginger which is served almost everywhere else.
The ambience at Kuuraku is pretty straight forward with some artsy Japanese highlights in the form of Japanese door curtains, lampshades and an upstairs section which is for reservations only. Another thing we really appreciate here is that it’s BYOB. Kinita also insists I mention the fact that they have possibly the best-equipped ladies washroom at any restaurant in Colombo, complete mouthwash, sanitary pads, earbuds, toothpicks, and more.
The moment you mention Japanese food in Colombo, people immediately assume it’s all about raw fish, which is a real shame since their meat preparations can be bloody brilliant. So we were immediately excited when we heard about Kuuraku’s yakitori offerings. In a broad sense we can confidently say that Kuuraku does some of the best meat dishes among Colombo’s Japanese contemporaries. The prices of the yakitori, ranging between Rs. 300 - Rs. 650, won’t break the bank either.
Yakitori most often refers grilled chicken on skewers, but we (and by that I mean me) were thrilled to see that they had pork as well! The pork belly with garlic sauce (Rs. 400) was cooked well with a few fatty layers and a good balance of flavours from the garlic sauce which was at just the right intensity.
We decided to be a bit adventurous with chicken and try out the aortas (Rs. 350) and came away really impressed. The aorta itself was had a surprisingly welcoming, slightly chewy texture which worked brilliantly with the lightly sweetened glaze.
We also got their broiled pork belly (Rs. 980) from their specials, and while it sounds pretty mundane, the end result was just the opposite. The pork belly was served up as relatively thin slices, with a very thin fat layer and searing on the skin. The meat itself was moist and just melted in the mouth, with a great balance of seasoning. We only wish the portion was a bit more generous since it’s practically Rs. 1000.
After starting off with the meats, we had high hopes for Kuuraku’s sushi and sashimi and they didn’t disappoint. Prices are a bit higher for their seafood, ranging between Rs. 700 - Rs. 1200 depending on whether you go for three or five pieces. We mostly stuck to their specialized sushi with the quintessential nigiri thrown in as well.
Both their tuna nigiri (Rs. 680 for 3) and their aburi salmon nigiri (Rs. 1080 for 5) were both very fresh with good execution in terms of presentation and knifemanship. The tuna had very little fat to it so the flavour was very clean with just a light kick from the wasabi at the end. The aburi salmon with its light outer searing also worked well, giving it both a bit of texture on the outside while still retaining the freshness.
However, our favourite was the spicy tuna maki (Rs. 980 for 8) which is also probably one of their best value sushi. It had a bit of everything with a spicy tuna filling, fresh tuna garnish and crushed tempura on the outside to give it that extra crunch.
The only sushi we felt didn’t quite hit the mark, was the California roll (Rs. 980 for 5). This was made with crab stick instead of actual crab which didn’t quite measure up in terms of flavour. We also felt that some tobiko would have helped improve the overall presentation and texture.
As far as first looks go, Kuuraku is pretty much as good as it gets. After three visits, we've come away with praise each time. The corkage-free BYOB option is also superb if you want to have a classy dinner and save some cash.
Address
48B Park Street Mews, Park Street, Colombo 2
Directions
Kuuraku is on Park Street, right behind Cafe Francais.
Contacts
Report InaccuracyColombo's beloved sushi restaurant is now in Kandy.
A venture by Chef Tyronne himself, Chef Tyro Fusion Restaurant…
2/5
Was very disappointed with the food. Place and service was fine but the food was pretty below average and almost pre-made quality.
Wouldn't waste my money here again.
You dimwit Anon. First look yes, writing the review takes some time, and in the meantime they've been there twice more. People like you cause global warming just exhaling your ignorant blab.
I agree with anon.
its not a first bloody look if youve been there three times. tsk tsk tsk
A First Look is the first, descriptive overview of a new restaurant. It's published within the first month or two, and meant to give people an idea of what to expect. We wait a couple of months before a full opinion-based review as restaurants tend to change hugely for better or for worse within the first couple of months.
It does not mean it is the first time we've gone there. Hope this clarifies any queries you may have. Also check out our FAQs for more on our review policies https://www.yamu.lk/yamu-faq
Been there a few times now and the food doesn't disappoint. Great atmosphere, the yakitoris, beef and pork skewers have been well cooked with an aromatic charcoal flavour, the spicy tuna is potentially the best in the city, their Dons are well priced with plenty of quantity, Waafu Salad was insanely good - greens tasted so fresh and crunchy….
Only improvement is their choices of fish. Wish they had some fresh local white fish sashimi and nigiri. Shame to turn to salmon and not showcase some of our great local produce the way nihinbaashi and Cafe Japan do
Very disappointed!! Food was alright but service was bad !! Best advice for any one going there is to triple check the bill !! We were over billed considerably and if we did not keep a tab of all the 'small' items we consumed and not had done a vigilant check - the restaurant would have had quite a profit margin. Felt very sorry the staff as they were totally inexperienced and they admitted to the fact. If it was a busy night it could have been ruled towards human error … but it was the beginning of the week and not a busy night at all. As for food- we took the advice of the write up and we do agree that the spicy tuna roll was up to expectations. However it stops there. Would we go there again … not likely
Very disappointed!! Food was alright but service was bad !! Best advice for any one going there is to triple check the bill !! We were over billed considerably and if we did not keep a tab of all the 'small' items we consumed and not had done a vigilant check - the restaurant would have had quite a profit margin. Felt very sorry the staff as they were totally inexperienced and they admitted to the fact. If it was a busy night it could have been ruled towards human error … but it was the beginning of the week and not a busy night at all. As for food- we took the advice of the write up and we do agree that the spicy tuna roll was up to expectations. However it stops there. Would we go there again … not likely
Dear Valuable Guest ,
We are concerned to note from your review that your dining experience with us has not been to your expectation in this instance. We have taken due note of your observations and thank you for bringing them up to our attention. Our commitment is to provide our guests with the highest standard of service in the industry, thus constructive observations are welcomed positively. We regret any inconvenience caused to you but can assure you that they are more an exception than the rule in this restaurant We value your continued patronage and therefore we do hope that this isolated incident will not deter you from visiting us again.
Management Team-Kuuraku Colombo !
Food was great but the service was so bad, we ordered seconds but only half of what was ordered came…and there we sat for twenty minutes thinking the next batch is coming some time soon…only to discover that the waiter had forgotten to give the order properly!!!! Invain good food gets comprised by poor service.
Food is alright, but the service is terrible. We weren't even served cutlery when we sat and the food was slow to the point where WE had to remind them about the rest of the order. Very disappointing.
Also coming and trying to sell off food that people have canceled is not the way to go either. At half price or whatever. Just please bring us what we ordered.
4/5
DoubleR
Excellent food. The only thing I didn't like was that it was far too noisy. Being a Japanese restaurant it should be quiet and should have private rooms
2/5
rkinigamagmailcom
Was very disappointed with the food. Place and service was fine but the food was pretty below average and almost pre-made quality.
Wouldn't waste my money here again.
4/5
roy_mustang
Rated 4/5