Kuro Uma

Born in Sapporo, Japan, Hiroaki Sato comes from a family deeply rooted in the traditions and cuisine of his homeland. Even so, Sato has always sought a balance between that deep family history—rooted in codes of honor, struggle, and strength—and his own drive to disrupt the status quo and do things differently. Throughout his youth, he played soccer professionally, even competing for teams in the Americas. His playing style always made him the “Dark Horse” of the sport—that surprise player who turns the tide against all odds.

This is how Kuro Uma—which means “Dark Horse” in Japanese—was born. An omakase and izakaya that combines the traditional elements of sushi with the boldness that comes from being an underdog in the world of Asian cuisine.

Sato’s greatest passion is creating: crafting expressive recipes, unique flavors, perfect balance, and innovative options. His main goal with this restaurant is to offer an experience that honors his homeland’s tradition of balance and creativity. A place of heritage and experimentation, where the spirit of creation is always celebrated. A place where Sato can do things the way he likes to do them: his way.

The main inspiration for this omakase is rooted in a Japanese philosophy called Polarism, created by one of Sato’s greatest mentors: the artist and philosopher Taro Okamoto. Polarism, like Kuro Uma, seeks balance—the balance of opposites: past and future, tradition and innovation, East and West, rationality and madness, passion and calm, flavors, sensations…

These complex ideas are expressed through a brand that draws on the details and textures of traditional Japanese art, as well as its creative avant-garde. In this way, the details themselves channel the spirit of the black horse. The icon—rugged and exuberant—is also understated; an ideal symbol of the balance that defines the brand. The perfectly imperfect, handcrafted applications—using ink and stamps—reflect the creative freedom of the place. The image, then, embodies its independent spirit—that creative rebellion that seeks, above all, harmony.

Without that balance, it would be just like any other restaurant. Achieving that balance is Sato’s passion. That is Kuro Uma’s primary goal.

This is what Kuro Uma is: more than a restaurant, an experience born of rebellion through balance—a creative revolution achieved through balance.