So so so good! I was missing Japan and craving udon and Raku really hit the spot. The karaage was…read moredelicious as well as the bacon. I think the bacon could be not everyone favorite cause it isn't exactly what you expect it's almost like BBQd bacon but I loved it and could've drank the sauce it came with. I got the wagyu hot udon and my husband got the ja ja cold udon and ate the whole thing! I also got shrimp tempura which was very good. I cannot wait to come back to Raku! We sat in a corner booth and the service was fast and reliable!

Raku - 342 E 6th St, NYC…read more One of my daughter's and my favorite udon spots in NYC! Our go-to is the wagyu beef udon and their lunch specials--chewy noodles, refreshing broth, yummy dipping sauces, and always delicious! Ordering is easy, and the service is fast and efficient. They take both credit cards and cash. Perfect for enjoying a delicious bowl of udon in NYC. Small space + limited seating, so don't expect much room to sit, and there can sometimes be a wait when it's busy. Reservations are available. Overall, definitely recommend Raku! A great little spot for a delicious udon fix in NYC. Go Violets!

While this place always has a line, it is for good reason - this place is a great ambience with…read moregood food at an affordable price (granted it is a bit loud)! My friend and I shared the kimchi cream udon and the pork katsudon. The kimchi cream udon was extremely rich, but I loved the pieces of shrimp in there, and it was the perfect amount of spiciness. The katsudon was alright, but nothing special. I will definitely come back for the price and convenience!

I came here with friends for dinner and we had a great time! We got a reservation and were seated…read moreabout five minutes after checking in. Inside is dimly lit with a good amount of seating. The waiting area is a little cramped, but nothing outrageous. The food came about 15-30 minutes after ordering. Though it was a wait, the service was nice and they refilled our waters often. Each item was good, we all had a different favorite. The Tuna Crispy Rice was just the right amount of salty that paired well with the texture. The Kimchi Creamy Udon was also flavorful without being too heavy. The Yellowtail Carpaccio was bright and light, fish was neutral tasting. The Okonomiyaki was also good and very hot---we loved to dip pieces in the kimchi cream sauce! Overall we had a great time!

YUM! I've had this place saved for a while, and made a reservation ahead of time for dinner on a…read moreFriday night. The inside is so well laid out and decorated, and the vibes are great. We got the corn ribs, pork tenderloin katsu, and the mackerel sushi. The corn came out first and omg - this is some of the best corn I have ever tasted. The seasoning on it is so perfect sweet savory and so addicting! Best item by far. The katsu was also perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, without feeling too greasy. It was quite a tiny portion but it's nyc lol. The only item we didn't love was the sushi - for me it was just a bit too much ginger and wasabi and since it was pressed it was already a part of the sushi so it was hard to separate. Overall though, this is a great spot for a nicer dinner!

CORN RIBS where have you been my entire life?! Konban - you've lived up to the hype and then some…read more Everything we had was absolutely delicious. The curry wasn't the best I've had but our group of friends enjoyed our meal very much. From katsu, to scallops, to pasta - we were so impressed with the simplicity and execution of the dishes. Service was excellent. Decor was very minimalistic and Japanese. Would love to come back!

A neighborhood spot with great quality Japanese food. We tried the katsudon and the mazemen (from…read morethe summer menu). Katsudon was comforting and felt like a home cooked meal, and the cutlet was not dry. Mazemen noodles were a good chewy texture and very flavorful once mixed together. Service was friendly and relatively quick for a sit down. Will definitely be back to try other dishes here!

Came here for dinner yesterday and I am happy to say I am a fan. Service was fast and efficient…read more the menu was cute and the food was delicious. I wanted the mentai pasta and my friend wanted the omuri rice curry but sadly both of these items are weekend menu items only. So keep that in mind if you were like us and had wanted to try those items. We got salmon carpaccio for appetizer and it was really yummy. Citrusy sauce that was not too over powering. Hamburg curry rice. The curry was delicious the Hamburg was as expected. I would try sth else next time but it was still good. Hamachi rice, two generous sized portions served with soup salad and rice. My friend liked it.

Vibe/ambiance: local japanese Service: standard…read moreReservation: recommended Items ordered: collagen nabe pot was so flavorful - would definitely get this again scallion chicken skewers: slightly too salty sushi rolls were standard

When I called to change the time of our reservation, the woman on the phone was very friendly and…read morehappily accommodated my request. When we arrived, we were seated right away in a spacious booth. The food was very good overall. My favorite dish was definitely the spicy tuna crackers--they were delicious! The sushi was also very fresh and flavorful, although I felt it was a little over-sauced, which took away from the flavor of the sushi itself. Overall, we had a really nice meal and a great experience. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to others!

10,000 years of evolution and we've finally reached peak udon noodle form. The height of human…read morecraft. Literally the silkiest, smoothest, chewy yet soft noodles I have ever eaten. Niku and gyunan were divine. In the niku, they somehow managed to make the tripe and beef tendon immensely flavorful and tender without being heavy-handed. The fatty beef in the gyunan was crack with the sesame chili oil. The bonito base soup was somehow savory and full-bodied while also being sweet and light, so even though I was about to burst it didn't feel icky. Nothing to note in appetizer land besides the fact that I finally tried monkfish liver and it literally tasted like a salmon-flavored paté. Both surprised and relieved it tasted so normal. Despite the long wait time, it still felt relatively spacious inside, and even with just two people, we got our own booth!

Friend made a reservation for 4 on a Sunday night around 7 pm. Don't think you'll be able to walk…read morein during these busy weekends unless you have a rez.   We did have to wait a few minutes for our table and we were seated in the back (a little hot because we were near the kitchen)   I opted for the seasonal mushroom udon and the table got the 6 piece karaage and the spicy cucumber salad.   I don't know if I can continue justifying a $16 cucumber salad but the karaage was delicious.   I liked the mushroom udon and felt like the broth was very flavorful (only vegan upon request) but next time, I'd like to try the cold udon. Service was really good and they checked in on us a lot.

I was craving carbonara and it was after midnight. I almost gave up hope thinking nothing would be…read moreopen and my cravings wouldn't go unfulfilled. But at last, as I searched on DoorDash I stumbled upon this glorious restaurant they call Izakaya Fuku. I was drawn to the adorable names for their sushi roll dishes like "Strawberry Fields" and their Italian Japanese fusion pasta dishes, "Creamy Mentaiko Bacon Pasta" with creamy mayonnaise, spicy cod roe and bacon like are you kidding me? It's a bummer I wasn't more hunger or that I didn't have more bucks in my wallet because I wanted all these dishes. And the Chirashi Don, god it looks so beautiful the way that it's arranged in the photos online. I finally decided on the carbonara. And I was drawn to the fact that it was udon based. Now, I've just been living in hawaii these past years so that Japanese twist on an Italian dish that I just love oh so much really brought me back to missing the islands and the Asian spins they had on cuisines. Now my food may have not come in a jiffy but for after midnight cravings I'd say it was well worth the wait. And my oh my the portion was huge!!!! I slurped that big boy up. It was SOOO delicious and savory. I love comfort food and this had me in carbonara heaven. I loved indulging into every single last bite. By the looks of the picture the restaurant looks lovely, I'd love to stop there and try it in person. Thank you. Thank you! My belly and my heart are very much satisfied.

Late arrival from LGA airport and we were hungry as this restaurant is close to the key 74th…read moreRoosevelt subway station. Opened til late. Japan vibes for sure. Dark. Poppy music. Covers and unique mixes. Big menu. Too big in my opinion. We got the karrage and beef pichana steak to start. Karrage was def better of the 2. Black garlic ramen was excellent and also the carbonara udon. Ramen preferred over the udon if you had to pick . Also topped off with a Sapporo. Nice cold draft. Definitely a good late night spot. Decor fun. Service good. Food mostly hits over misses

Had a big group of 10 friends coming into town and was looking for a good place to eat in midtown…read more Resy had an open reservation for a group of 10 about a week before we were meeting on a Sat night. Menu looked good with a wide selection of apps, salads, ramen and a few desserts. And doesn't hurt that it's got a bib gourmand reco from Michelin. The front door is crazy heavy- so pull hard when you enter. The interior is dark modern decor with music playing. Feels like a hushed night club. It's a very narrow space with limited seating so reservations in advance is a must! They will seat large parties if half show up. We were seated at a long table with 8 seats along the side and 1 at each end. The table had a great view of the kitchen which was fun. We ordered a range of apps- small bites (good for vegetarians), apps (wings, bao, riceballs) and ordered ramen. They had a good selection of non alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. For dessert, we all saw the kitchen preparing shaved ice. Gigantic snowball of ice and syrup topped with whipped cream. We knew that we had to order it for dessert. We got 2 kakigori for the table- one mango and one matcha with red bean. Each person got a small bowl to take a serving from the huge shaved ice ball. Everyone enjoyed the food. Good ambiance and good food. We left paying $63 each including taxes.

Stopped by here on my way to the Morgan Library which is just about a block or so away on a…read moreThursday mid afternoon and was surprised there were quite a few people here. It would've been very easy to miss unless you're specifically looking for this place. Upon entering you're greeted by the numerous Michelin guides lol, front desk seated me pretty shortly after ensuring my seat was set, I was sat at the bar where they have a scan menu. Server immediately was attentive and filled my glass with some water. I was originally going to get the Dashi ramen but after I shared I'm allergic to shrimp the server felt it was a bit risky he was very careful so I appreciated that. I got the Tokyo ramen instead and a side of shishito peppers (he also omitted the Dashi JIC). It was happy hour so the appetizer was $7 I/o $8 and I also got an Asahi draft for $8. Ramen was $22. I was very surprised the server even asked about the oil the pork and peppers are fried in JIC of cross contamination - he shared that they use the same batch of oil as frying tempura (but I was ok with that but just watch out if you're like super super sensitive). Ramen: 7/10, decent bowl but not the best I've had. Feels a bit more Americanized and I prefer authentic Japanese ramen. Soup was rich, flavor but again it's one you can find at many other ramen shops in nyc. Noodle was a bit lackluster it was a bit soggy, not springy like freshly made ramen. The pork slices are flavorful but felt it's bit thin, I prefer a good cut...but personal preference. There's 2 thicker slices of marinated bamboo and half a jammy egg topped with scallions. Decent bowl but don't think it's worth $22. Shishito peppers: nicely fried. Well seasoned. 9/10 Overall - good spot for a decent bowl of ramen in the area. Environment: clean, nothing that caught my attention with design but just minimalist style, with black hard

This restaurant is located in midtown Manhattan. The atmosphere is just like going to a local…read more Japanese restaurant in Tokyo. They have a simple menu. We had Berkshire pork loin set B, Queens set katsu set A, Manhattan set B. And an appetizer aged dashing tofu and tuna poke. Everything we ate was excellent. Price is reasonable. The Berkshire pork was extremely delicious and tender. On the Manhattan set, the 2 shrimp prawns was very big, juicy, crispy and cooked just right. On my Queens set, I had the fried chicken with pork lion. The spices on the pork lion and chicken was very flavorful and crispy. The only thing is service was slow. But overall, atmosphere was just like going back to Tokyo. I would go back there again.

This is my go-to restaurant for katsu in the city. Any katsu set you get will not go wrong. The…read morecrispiness of the katsu is just right, and you will not regret it, besides not picking another one. When it gets busy, there is usually a line waiting at the door, sometimes extending outside. If you have a reservation, you will not be seated until the whole party is there. One small note: if you are seated in the back, the cell service is really bad, but who needs their phone when you have good company and good food.

The skewers were extremely juicy and delicious. My favorites were the galbi (beef short rib) and…read morechicken thigh. The Japanese sausage and chicken skin were also good. The eel rice bowl was also very good. Walked in on a Friday (holiday) at 5 PM with no wait, despite no slots available on Resy at the time.

Still the best in New York. Unique, flavorful chicken skin skewers among many things (see my…read morephotos), though somehow grilled chicken soft bone is a bit tasteless? Fast service. You can order a little and keep adding depending on how big or small each dish is. We came right at 5 pm when they opened. We didn't have a reservation, and after some fumbling they got us four seats at the bar (looking over grilling chefs at work). Not bad, though we were hoping for a table. Great decor and ambiance as always. Wish the grilled shrimps come with shell on, and with salt only (no sauce).