Racemic 4-hydroxycyclopentenone, readily derived from furfuryl alcohol, can be transformed via its O-Boc derivative to 4-acyloxy, 4-aryloxy-, 4-amino-, or 4-thio-substituted cyclopentenones with high enantioselectivity by palladium-catalyzed kinetic resolution via nucleophilic allylic substitutions. Applying this methodology, a short formal synthesis of ent-noraristeromycin was readily accomplished.