Kuru Kuru Japanese Restaurant

I have been going to Kuru Kuru a fair bit in the last year. I liked it so much that I even had my birthday dinner there.

The atmosphere and quality of food served is amazing and the staff are always willing to help and are extremely friendly.

The food was always served hot and presentation always seems a priority in the kitchen as every dish, even if it was just one portion was made well and with precision.

The sashimi was fresh and their fusion dishes are a definite must try. The cheese and roe dishes go well with traditional japanese ingredients. I always seemed to order those fusion dishes twice.

All in all I think that Kuru Kuru is a very value for money restaurant that is a good place to go for a Sunday family dinner or gathering with friends.

Already can't wait for my next visit!

Three dining options; ala-carte, set meals or ala-carte buffet. We chose the ala-carte buffet (@SGD26++ per adult). The buffet menu can also be found online, so roughly we knew what we wanted. Unfortunately, they did not have any unagi items on our day of visit. So that was a pity.

The sashimi platter comes in 2 sizes; 12 pieces or 24 pieces. We got the 12 pieces platter and it came with tuna, salmon, swordfish, octopus and seabass.

Things that could be improved: The pork belly Tokyo style too sweet while the chicken meatballs were too salty. The garlic fried rice didn't have much garlic taste.

Things that we liked: Beef in special sauce, seasoned squid tentacles, soft shell crab makimono in wasabi sauce, grilled shishamo.

For more pictures, you may wish to visit here.

If you're looking for a decently priced buffet that is good value in terms of quality, then Kuru Kuru is the right place. 

My family and I went there on a Sunday afternoon and we were treated to an extensive selection for the ala carte buffet. In particular, the sashimi and the hand rolls were our favourites - given how we aren't the biggest fans of Japanese buffets usually but were easily won over. 

Also the food was served promptly and the staff were friendly, making the dining experience entirely satisfying. 

The noodles (udon) and rice (garlic, omelette) selections were a delight too. However the grilled salmon with butter did disappoint. Also at times it may have seemed they were understaffed as the service personnel are always busy. 

Nonetheless I would definitely go back there again. 

My wife and I decided on the ala carte lunch buffeton 7 Feb, 2012, based on HGW reviews.  I cannot recommend the buffet here because for a $30 pp lunch, there are so many other much better choices.   

The buffet menu was extensive but menu cards were old and tattered and does not give a favourable first impression.  My partner and I are not big eaters and only sampled about 10 dishes, avoiding the fried items.  

There were two wait/cashier persons who were prompt and friendly, attending to the guests.

The sashimi were sliced too thin, irregular and too warm. 

The grilled items and yakitori were especially disappointing.  The "grilled salmon with butter" turns out to be battered and deep fried, tasteless and soaked with oil, not butter.  Grilled salmon should be one of the easiest dishes to prepare.  Cook it over a charcoal and top it with a lemon or garlic butter sauce and you get a great tasting dish.  

The chicken midwing yakitori is also bland without the taste that comes with charcoal grilling.  It was probably pan or deep fried fried as well.

The scallop with cheese has 3 tiny scallops in shells.  Unimpressive visually and in taste.  I can't identify the cheese used as it was almost tasteless. 

     

I went to Kuru Kuru with my boyfriend after reading the reviews on HGW. Wanted to try the dinner buffet for myself. 

Verdict - There were many buffet items, so many that you couldn't possibly finish ordering all. Out of so many, a few stood out:

1. Ebi Tempura - the batter was light, the prawns were fresh though not very big in size.

2. Sashimi - we only tried the salmon (sake) and tuna (maguro). Both were fresh. 

3. Yaki Niku - This is really yummy, but a little oily. The beef were sliced thinly and the sauce was great. 

4. I also loved that this place has onigiri, my onigiri mentai was nice! Only if you are a fan of mentai though :)

However, the above-mentioned tasted decent, nice, but without the WOW factor that would make me wanna go back again in the near future just to eat them. You know what I mean? Some places, you can go back again next week just to eat the WOW foods, for me, Kuru Kuru missed the spot and I would go back again, just not so soon. 

A few items flopped:

1. Chawanmushi - bland and tasteless.

2. Smoked salmon and cheese maki - this was my own fault haha should not have ordered non-traditional japanese items. The combination of the two were a little off. 

We also tried many items like california maki, california handroll, soft shell crab maki, braised pork belly, chicken wings with mentai and cheese and some others. The food portions were a little big, so we were full really fast. 

Overall I had a pleasant dining experience. The place was not crowded on a monday night, making conversation easy. The service was great, the food arrived quickly. And all for the price of $30++! It's a definite steal! Would recommend my friends there if they want a cheap and worthy buffet! 

We ordered 4 dishes:

1. Sushi Moriawase /Hana 寿司盛り合わせ・花コース    $12.00

Assortment of Sushi and Maki (10 Pcs)

2. Saikoro Suteki         $18.00

サイコロステーキ  Ribeye Beef Cubes in Japanese Barbeque Sauce

3. Zaru Soba                                    $4.00

ざる蕎麦  Chilled Buckwheat Noodles

4. Kimuchi Chahan キムチ炒飯                   $8.00

Fried Rice with Spicy Korean Vegetables & Pork Belly

All are good!! (1) Sashimi is very fresh, even the Wasabi too. (2) The ribeye beef cubes were well cooked, yet retaining its tenderness; the potato wedges were fried to fluffiness. (3) Soba was normal, as in the standard of which all sobas are supposed to be. (4) The fried rice was fragrant and not too oily. The pork belly pieces were not like the typical Chinese "sam cham bak (three-layer meat)", but similar to wagyu beef with the flesh alternating with very thin streaks of fats. Nice!!

When I ordered just iced water instead of drinks, the waiter brought me a flask of iced water for self-service pouring. Nice!

Food is definitely fantastic. Only thing that I can complain about is the staff's service attitude. Needs to smile abit more ;)

Most importantly, how to accurately judge the standards of a restaurant without eating in it? If you see its ethnic people dining in the place (i.e. Japanese families in a Jap restaurant), you'd know it's good.  

I'll come by again to try its buffet.

Valley Point? Where the heck is this place? Well this is the first time I hear about Valley Point, chance it upon searching for good value Japanese buffet. Credit must be give to previous reviewer, Dr. Kurt Bruder on the glowing review of this place, to make us try out this place. This place must be the hidden secret for the people living around the area.

Pricing its buffet at $30++ for dinner and $26++ for lunch, this is a very good value indeed. The menu consists of a good spread from Zensai (Appetiser), Temaki (Hand roll), Sushi, Sashimi, Makimono (Mat Roll), Ippin Mono (Popular dishes), Tempura, and lots more. Check out there menu on their website before you go. Total count on the buffet menu, 137 items …..WOW.

So what's good:

Sashimi – There is a selection of Tuna, Salmon, Yellow Tail, Seabass & Octopus. If you are lucky, you get sword fish, like we did during our visit as they run out of other fish. They are fresh and the cut are quite generous.

Beef with Special Sauce – The beef are tender and goes well with the sweet sauce marinate. The taste is quite similar to Korean Bulgogi sauce, maybe it is, but lets assume otherwise.

Braised pork belly with soy sauce Tokyo style – Nicely stewed lean pork belly. Light in colour, tasty, but a bit chewy. It will be better to let it cook longer so when you bite through it, it melts in your mouth.

For something unique, try their Rice Ball. It is not commonly find in any buffet in Singapore, however this place serve quite the good stuff. We tried the chef recommendation of Rice Ball with Grilled Cod Roe and Cheese, nicely done with the combination of Cheese and the saltiness of the cod roe.

Atmosphere: You are welcomed with a cheerful and bright combination of Red and Black colour. Adequate seating 65+ people. Service: Friendly, good and efficient. Although they seem to be understaffed, they try to do their best. They might miss out a couple of items upon ordering the buffet, but no harm done, just order again.

Overall: This place deliver on their promise to be the 'value for money champion'. Their dishes are fresh and innovative. Although there are some hits and misses in the dishes, overall standard is quite good and where else can you get 137 items in a Japanese buffet menu. As I only able to try 1/3 of the menu, I'll definitely be back for more. :)

So often have I and my family dined at Kuru Kuru, that we think of it almost as a second home. As American ex-pats living long-term in Singapore, we were delighted to find a reliable source for excellent sushi so near our home at Fraser Suites.

During most of our meals there, we have taken advantage of Kuru Kuru's extraordinary buffet, in which patrons request specific items that are then prepared to order (rather than selecting from an already-prepared array of dishes). The freshness of each item is never in doubt.

The menu is long and diverse enough to satisfy any palate--even of those unwilling to eat raw seafood. Stand-outs include Seared Black Pepper Tuna Salad, Sumoku (Smoked) Salmon Hand Roll, Kuru Kuru Salmon with Avocado & Cheese Hand Roll, Sake Yukke Seasoned Salmon, Tempura Moriawase Prawn & Vegetable Fritters, and Ebi Furai Breaded Prawn. They also offer a selection of Yoshoku Japanese-Styled Western Dishes.

Kuru Kuru also offers an extensive selection of extraordinary Ala Carte items, plus a variety of Bento Boxes for those who desire a set meal.

Prices are quite reasonable for fare of this high quality. Buffet prices are $26++ for Lunch, $30++ for Dinner. 

(We have been fortunate to realize additional savings through on-line promotional deals on several occasions.) The servers are courteous and accommodating.

Love this place. Been here 3 times ever since started hot yoga classes (in the same building). Each time leaving the place feeling very satisfied.

Order of set meal (udon, soba or rice, miso soup, chawanmushi, fruit, 1 side dish) with add-on deal (sashimi & chawanmushi) & separate order of salad (sashimi salad or avocado prawn salad). Good for 2.

Latest visit: Ordered sashimi & sushi set with add-on deal (sashimi & chawanmushi) + avocado prawn salad. A really healthy and satisfied meal after a great workout.

Taste: Great (Udon soup, tori karaage, chawanmushi, sashimi salad, avocado & prawn salad). The wasabi is really strong. Does not leave you feeling thirsty afterward (unlike the meal had in Honjin where nothing seems to quench the thirst the entire night).

Service: Prompt order taking, serving of food, clearing & tea refilling.

The a-la-carte buffet looks good with reasonable price. Would definitely love to try when there is craving to indulge. 

Passed by the place many times while at valley point but never thought of having a meal there. Anyway heard upstairs Dozo had a new chef and the food is a little different (not sure better or less exciting).

We have 2 bento set for lunch and top up option for sashimi $5 for 9 pieces - I think quite good value. Bento set is about $13/15, chicken teriyaki and another tempura hot soba set. Tempura soba set is quite value - comes with charamushi. Staff are very nice, the lady gave missy some freebies while we settle the bill

They have a buffet running but we are not big eaters so did not consider that option