Tuna Carving at Kuro
Maguro no kaitai is the Japanese practice of breaking down a whole tuna in front of the room. Co-Head Chef Héctor Chunga and the kitchen build a tasting menu from the cuts as they come off the fish. It runs monthly from May to September, when southern bluefin is running off the New South Wales coast.
Our tuna carving events have wrapped for 2026. Join our mailing list to be alerted when the 2027 events go live.
What Happens on the Night
The fish arrives whole and is broken down in front of the room. Sukibiki first, taking off the exterior, fins and head. Belly and premium cuts go to sashimi, ceviche and tiradito. Loin to tataki and sashimi. The trim is seasoned with Peruvian spices and becomes tuna nduja.
What is left does not stop there. The exterior parts are sometimes roasted, dried and ground into a furikake. Some of the fish is steamed into a salpicón salad, served with toast next door at Kahii. The rest is aged, kept away from water, hung in the cool room and worked through over the week. The idea is to find the right purpose for each part rather than the same purpose for all of it.
What to Expect
No two editions are the same. The number of courses and what is served shift with the fish, so someone who came in May and comes again in August will not eat the same menu twice. Each edition's menu is published before the night. One sitting, around three hours, and the carving runs across the evening rather than as a single demonstration.
Seating is either at the carving table or in the main dining room. The carving table takes around twelve and goes first. The menu is the same either way. Everyone is welcome up close when the carving begins, and guests come and go from the dining room through the evening to watch and take photographs.
Because the menu is built around a single fish, dietary requirements need to be flagged when you book. Some can be worked around and some cannot, and we will tell you honestly which before you commit.
Héctor Chunga
Héctor was born in Piura, in northern Peru. He has cooked at Astrid y Gastón and Mayta in Lima, and was Head Chef to the Peruvian Embassy in Tokyo. He joined Kuro from Warike in Sydney and is our Co-Head Chef.
Past Editions
29 September 2026
25 August 2026
28 July 2026
23 June 2026
Between Seasons
Nikkei dishes run through both set menus and the à la carte every service, if you would rather not wait for the next carving night.
Hear About the Next One
The 2026 season has finished. Tuna carvings run monthly from May to September, when southern bluefin is running off the New South Wales coast. Join the mailing list and you'll hear when the next season opens.
Other Evenings at Kuro
Masterclasses & Workshops
Ceviche, cocktails, wine and kintsugi. Small groups, hands on.
Wine and Sake
Tastings and dinners with Tom Subileau, Co-Head Chef and Sommelier.
What's On
A calendar of one-off and limited-season events, each with its own theme and focus.
Find Kuro
368 Kent Street, between Wynyard and Town Hall. Wilson Parking opposite at 383 Kent Street. Town Hall station 250 metres.
