Tonkatsu Kuro

As a tourist, I can safely say that Tonkatsu Kuro is better than any tonkatsu joint that we have in LA. It comes close to some of the best I've had in Japan, and my friends (who are locals) say it could rival - or potentially even be better than - Tonkatsu Tamafuji.Tonkatsu Kuro is still relatively new, and I picked the spot thinking it would be a small, hole in the wall business. The truth is that while it's new, it's definitely not modest - the exterior looks fancy, the interior is gorgeous and classy, and the service is quick, modern, and efficient. My partner and I shared the couples set, and everything was just perfect. They give you sesame seeds to grind to start your meal, a choice between 3 different sauces (4 if you count the tartar-style sauce for the shrimp), and free refills on rice, salad, and miso soup. The portions are extremely generous, and the tonkatsu was delicious. There's two cuts of tonkatsu - the loin, and the tenderloin. Honestly, you can't go wrong with either: both cuts are juicy, flavorful, and perfectly crisp on the outside. The tenderloin gives you a slightly softer bite, while the loin gives you a slightly firmer bite, but the bite itself is slightly more flavorful. My partner and I preferred the loin over the tenderloin by very slim margins. Overall, the service was amazing and the free refills on rice, miso soup, and salad came out within a couple minutes. It's nice to just be able to order off the iPad rather than need to flag down a waiter every time you need something. I'd highly recommend making a reservation ahead of time, because this joint is only going to get more and more popular (we had to wait almost 2 hours for a walk in - so don't make the same mistake as us). We left totally stuffed and this meal was one of the best I had while visiting Hawaii!

Totally yummy! This place is fairly new, we visited the third week of their soft opening. The tonkatsu was soooo good! Light, crispy, not oily at all in flavor.The best was the combo of cold somen noodles with regular sauce with tonkatsu. Modern vibe and decor, very urban Japan feel and look. Fast service that was courteous and efficient!! Definitely a must try!

Was so excited that the new tonkatsu place in our neighborhood finally opened up! We both ended up getting the basic tonkatsu set and I got a side of curry sauce. As with other similar restaurants, you get unlimited refills on the rice, miso, and shredded cabbage. The tonkatsu itself was nice and juicy which was great. The batter was a little crunchy but I think it would've been nice if it could've been just a tad bit more crispy. The curry sauce had good flavor but I think it would've been even better if it was a bit thicker in consistency. Overall though I think it's definitely a decent place to get Japanese tonkatsu and the pricing isn't too bad either considering how overpriced everything else in the Ward area is. I for sure recommend coming out to support them. We'll definitely be back in the future since it's so close to us!

I love that this place has cute little robots deliver their food, although the waiters would still put them on your table, but it was definitely entertaining to watch the robots.We ordered the tender loin katsu, normal loin katsu set and the kuro soba. The loin katsu was a little harder to chew, but still taste good! I would suggest going with the tender loin tonkatsu if you have to choose between the two! It was tasty and reasonably priced!The soba was definitely the highlight of our meal! It was so tasty and it leaves us wanting more! The price is also really reasonable for a restaurant in this area!Definitely would come back for my soba or tonkatsu craving!

Welcome to the neighborhood Tonkatsu Kuro! This is the perfect addition to our Ward Village restaurant scene. Their menu is so reasonably priced and we thoroughly enjoyed the quality of their food. The lemon soba was so refreshing and complimented the crispy katsu perfectly. I love how they include both shrimp and pork in the combo. Pro tip is to order the side of curry sauce to take their katsu to the next level. Ordering is so convenient through their tablets that show pictures of all the dishes. The service was great and a highlight is the robot technology they use to deliver your food. They are currently BYOB which was awesome. The ambiance and decor is understated yet beautiful. They have table seating around the perimeter and counter seating in the center of the restaurant. I can't wait for them to eventually open for lunch!

*** 3.5 ***Made a reso and came here for dinner during their soft opening. The place is very modern and spacious. Love the decor inside.Upon being seated, the set up reminded me of Japan where you order at the table on a tablet. I couldn't really see from across the table but the fam read out what was on the menu.Having already checked out Yelp review recs, I wanted to try their pork loin, curry sauce, and soba noodles.We didn't really wait that long before the food started to arrive.Those automated robotic carts came with the 1st dish, for my DD. Shrimp Tempura.The next two were delivered by the staff.Shrimp Tempura Plate 3.5/5- Nice crunchy. A bit oily as if it wasn't strained before plating. Rice hot and steamy, great texture. Miss soup was flavorful, with bits of tofu. Side of pickled radish helped break down the fatty food.Pork Loin 3.5/5- Also a bit oily. Need to dab the excess oil on the napkin. Nice and tender. It was more of a minced pork into a patty form than a pork choppy texture I expected. Nice crunch. I felt both the Shrimp and pork could have been seasoned a bit more rather than relying on the sauces to bring out the flavorsSoba noodles- 3.5/5 This has good dashi flavors. Noria straps, green onions, minced daikon, a dollop of Wasabi was perfect. HOWEVER, the star of the show, the noodles weren't what I expected. It wasn't as....slurpable and smooth as I expected it to be. Granted, the noodles were nicely cooked, it just had to be eaten by twirling into a spoon rather than shoving into the mouth.Note: One of our favorite places is GB in Waikiki. So I couldn't help but do comparisonsThe sesame grinds was smoother here.The curry sauce was mild and decent but it lacked umph for meThe cabbage salad could have been more fined and chilled. Loved the salad dressing.This is conveniently located close to home. Spacious, open modern ambiance. Clean and efficient. Overall, I'd give it a 3.5/5 for starters. I'd come back again if I was craving tonkatsu....and give them some time to get their liquor license

Great new restaurant specializing in tonkatsufried dishes. Great service (people and robot!)! The pork loin/sirloin tonkatsu was moist and tender and most tasty.

There are a few tonkatsu places in Honolulu that are very popular. Now Tonkatsu Kuro will be added to one of these places. I personally think it is better than Tamafuji Tonkatsu. They are doing the soft opening and only serve dinner for now. I imagine they will open for lunch later on. I recommend making the reservation via Open Table. You place the orders with the tablet they have on the dining table. They use the robot to deliver the food to the table with the server's help to place the food on your table. It is efficient. They offer free refill for miso soup, cabbage and rice. I love they offer rice from Japan and the miso soup was very good. As for the tonkatsu they are perfectly battered and fried. The meat was juicy and tender. Now I just have to walk a few step to enjoy some quality tonkatsu. This is a must try new restaurant at Ward village.

Food was good, the soba is light and refreshing. The set was also filling. The ambiance and services is good, you order on the tablets and they come to you with the robot holding all your orders. I would highly recommend calling for RSVP, they get busy quickly.Had the Kuro Soba & Half Katsu Set with a side of shrimp.Lemon soba & Kuro Soba

This restaurant is located right next to "Nori Bar" in Ward Village. We couldn't find a reservation online so we called to see any openings. Jueri was able to fit us in the same day despite the busy schedule. When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by all the staff and showed how to order and what sauces go with which dish. I ordered the lemon soba & half katsu set which was recommended by staff and the Miss ordered the Loin Set. Meat was incredibly tender and the soba was really refreshing and paired well with the fried meats. The ebi was very light and the tartar sauce helped add acidity and paired nicely. Menu was very simple and the atmosphere is BEAUTIFUL. Honestly a very honest, simple, and affordable place for a date and I thoroughly enjoyed eating here. Will be back again soon!