Celebrating the end of a gruelling two years, we visited the polished Japanese fine dining restaurant that is Kuro Bar & Dining to enjoy the Chefs Selection Lunch Set ($100.00 per person +surcharge for add-ons).

Starting with drinks, this is the Umenoyado Aragoshi Yuzushu ($14.00 per glass) from Nara, Japan.

The yuzushu was an unpasteurised yuzu sake, and had a deliciously fresh, smooth and light flavour on the palate, with a more pronounced sweetness than the salivating (though still delicious) acidity of the version we tried from a Kōbe brewery.

This Black Pearl Caviar/Hokkaidō Scallops/Nori Creme Fraiche was the first of three snacks.

Cut into three slices, the scallop was delectably fresh and plump, with the caviar adding a savoury ocean flavour, while the nori in the creme fraiche adds surprising pops of crunch, and the lemon zest bringing zing.

Kuro Fried Chicken/Ume/Micro Herb and Snapper Ceviche/Granny Smith/Cucumber/Finger Lime are the second and third snacks.

Karaage is always a hit and this one added a twist with the gentle fruity sourness of the ume to offset any oiliness. The snapper ceviche was fresh and packed a mouth-watering acidity that complemented the firmness and mildness of the fish.

For entrees, we began with Today’s Raw Fish, which happened to be Kingfish/Enoki Mushrooms/Green Tomatoes/Yuzu  Ponzu Dashi/Sansho

The perfect thickness of the kingfish — infused with a clean smoky flavour — complemented the savoury acidity of the sauce, while the tomatoes added a contrasting softness and sweetness, and sansho brought just that little kick at the back of each bite. This dish had us wanting to drink the sauce. Along with the scallop, this dish thoroughly impressed us.

Next up was the Tempura Skull Island Crepe/Bisque Mayo/Butter Snow (+$18.00 per person).

The prawn head was audibly crispy with a rich prawn flavour, while the body itself was cooked to perfection — fresh, crisp and juicy — enveloped by the softness of the crepe and the richness of the butter snow that melted beautifully on the tongue.

This Slow Cooked Wagyu/Pipi/Shungiku/Mochi Rice was the third of the entrees, and for an additional $25.00 per person we enjoy it with two tongues on uni or sea urchin from Tasmania.

The savoury ocean flavour of the uni came through fresh and smooth, contrasting the firmer texture of the pipi and the firmer melt-in-the-mouth sensation of the ‘meatier’ wagyu. The wasabi tasted fresh — with a bright, sinus-clearing fragrance — and a far cry from horseradish. All, in all, a textural and flavourful delight carried beautifully by the grains of rice.

The Salmon Saikyo Miso/Kale is the end of the entrees and a gentle entry into the mains.

The fish was very gently cooked to a perfect medium rare. But, we would’ve enjoyed a deeper savoury quality to the miso than the sweetness it brought, although the vinaigrette on the kale and the green sauce went some way to restrain it.

We had the choice of three mains (duck, beef and fish). D chose the Aged Duck Breast/Black Garlic.

Again, the meat was cooked to an impeccable medium rare and delivered a crisp skin infused with a gentle smokiness that complemented the richness of the black garlic sauce. After the high standards set by the snacks and entrees, though, we felt this one didn’t quite measure up.

And I have the Char-grilled Murray Cod/Mussel/Redwine Sauce (+$15.00).

The freshness in the ingredients in this dish made it shine. The cod was firm, carrying a deep smoky flavour on its skin, while the interior was also perfectly cooked, which the natural sweetness of the fish amplified by the red wine sauce, and balanced by the clean oceanic savoury quality of the mussels.

The Cos Lettuce/Vinaigrette and Crispy Potato come with the mains.

These were a more Western side but the freshness of the lettuce leaves with the gentle acidity of the sauce and the crispy, fluffy potato were bound to be crowd pleasers.

Finally, we finished our meal with a dessert of Single Origin Madagascan Dark Chocolate Mousse/Shiso/Cacao Nibs.

The chocolate mousse was smooth yet rich and dark, complementing well with the textural variation from the crunch of the cacao nibs and cake-crumb of the chocolate soil, and the sweetness of the black cherry. The star, though, was the pink shiso foam, which was bold and intense on its own, but added a very unexpected refreshing twist that brought lightness to the richness of the mousse. This dessert surpassed our expectations for the level of excitement possible from a chocolate mousse.

Kuro Bar & Dining was modern Japanese fine dining with food made from the freshest ingredients, arranged with artistic finesse, and served with the friendliness and attentiveness of customer service in Japan.

Kuro Bar & Dining is located 368 Kent St, Sydney NSW 2000.