The new restaurant’s owner also operates a Japanese eatery in Sarasota and University Town Center, and a Korean barbecue spot in Lakewood Ranch.

A new restaurant serving sushi, skewers and small plates — sharing the same owner as three other popular Sarasota area Asian eateries — is debuting on Lakewood Ranch’s Main Street.

Kuro Sushi will officially open to the public Nov. 1, following a dinner hours and reservation-only soft opening through Saturday, Oct. 25 and a Forty Carrots Family Center fundraiser on Tuesday, Oct. 28. The new restaurant is at 8126 Lakewood Main St. #102 in the former space of Hana Sushi Lounge.

Daniel Dokko owns Kuro Sushi, along with JPAN Sushi & Grill in Sarasota’s Shops at Siesta Row and University Town Center and Korean barbecue spot Korê Steakhouse in Lakewood Ranch’s Waterside Place, all under Umami Hospitality Group. Dokko said the restaurant will offer a variety of flavors, both due to the team’s different backgrounds — Dokko is Korean, chef Brian Briones is Filipino, and partner Anderyas Putranto is Indonesian — and by spotlighting shareable small dishes.

What kind of food and drink will Kuro Sushi serve?

“You and a guest, instead of ordering one appetizer, two entrées, here you can order six different dishes and try things,” Dokko said.

Menu item examples Dokko offered include a pork spring roll (from Briones’ grandmother’s recipe), crudos, sushi, sashimi and nigiri. Skewer dishes will be a big focus, including Korean soy garlic beef rib, Thai chicken, and pork belly skewers.

Kuro will also have a full-liquor drink menu, with Pangea Alchemy Lab founder Brad Coburn serving as a bar consultant. Cocktails will include a take on an espresso martini also called “Kuro,” which is Japanese for “black.”

The restaurant, designed by David Morrison, will seat around 120, with tables both inside and outside and a bar that seats about 12 people. Starting Nov. 24, Dokko said the restaurant also plans to offer omakase (Japanese for “I’ll leave it up to you,” as in the customer leaving their order up to the chef) at a seven-seat sushi bar.

If you go

Kuro Sushi is at 8126 Lakewood Main St. #102, Bradenton. Starting Nov. 1, hours will be 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. for lunch and 4:30-9:30 p.m. for dinner Monday through Saturday, with plans to later open on Sunday, Dokko said. For more information, call 941-422-5876 or visit kurosushi.bar.

Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.

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