4.5 rounded up to 5. Good assortment of items and overall, pretty good! Surprisingly, the most disappointing items to us were the udon and chawanmushi - they weren't bad but they were probably our least favorite items which surprised us given the hype for those items. The noodles were good but my husband thought the broth was too creamy (we got the warm crab one). Absolutely loved the agedashi tofu and black sesame latte. Miso cod wasn't bad either. Definitely a good spot to try if you're in the neighborhood! read more

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As a lover of the downtown locations, I was excited to finally try the midtown location. I always get the gyunan. I will say that although the flavors were almost there, there was a certain dimension missing. Maybe it's because I didn't add any of the spice powder? But I usually don't have to in order to get that the blast of flavor. I will say though that the beef was really tender and better than at the other locations. But also not sure if the portion size is smaller but I was actually still hungry. I ate a slice of pizza after. read more

I came to grab lunch by myself as I've been wanting to try Raku. It was a warm day so I opted for and ankimo appetizer and buta shabu cold udon with thinly sliced pork, lots of scallions and sesame sauce on the side. I love ankimo and the monkfish liver was great! The ponzu sauce was perfect paired with the creamy, decadent ankimo. The udon is solid but I was a bit surprised that the udon is actually flat rather than round. It wasn't as chewy as I like but the texture was pretty good. I enjoyed dipping the noodles in the sesame sauce but I do think it needed something else, maybe a shoyu based sauce as well. The portion was huge I could barely finish it. My check also came with a frozen grape which I thought was a cute touch and a nice sweet treat after the meal! Such a great easy casual spot for noodles, especially if you're solo dining. read more

Raku - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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I didn't expect this location to be so spacious! It goes pretty far back, and it's so beautifully decorated. I love that they have desserts from Patisserie Fouet in the front of the restaurant, and in the back, there's a combo of different types of seating. There is a long table that is shared, so if you're a party of two, you sit across from each other. I ordered the Udon Toriten which comes with four marinated fried chicken (comes in soup or on the side). I loved the udon, but to be honest the chicken was a letdown. It wasn't crispy like I expected, it was pretty oily and got soggy. I am still giving Raku five stars since I loved the ambiance, decor, and udon itself so much, and there's other things on the menu I would try. read more

Raku - Desserts - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Came in without a reservation on a Thursday night and joined they waitlist. They said it would be 45 minutes, it ended up being 8 mins. Started with the pork gyoza which were ok, not very flavorful and somewhat bland. Entree was the cold udon ja ja which came with ground spicy miso pork, cucumber, tomato, poached eggs in a cold broth; was very good and filling. Cocktail was the cassis gin royal,me, which was a nice blend of flavors. Service was good. Everything comes out super fast. We were in and out in under an hour. read more

Raku - Pork Gyoza - rather blank, skip! - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Fun! Friendly service. Quick to share their opinions and a few laughs along the way. Ambiance is good. Modern and Asian. Lots of natural wood, everything is clean and sturdy. Plenty of space. I think there's a row of tables in the middle that ends up almost like a communal table. Booths are comfortable though the lighting was a little strange, with recessed lights in the ceiling plus a lower hanging lamp that created some strange shadows. Not a deal breaker but definitely a bit of a head scratcher. Food is great! I was excited for udon and it did not disappoint, going with the hamaguri udon myself with some shrimp tempura. Not fishy, subtle sweetness, good texture on the noodles. Shrimp tempura is light enough though a little greasy, but it's helped by a quick dunk in the sauce or udon broth. The pressed mackerel sushi was a pleasant surprise. Fishy in a good way, offset with some sweetness and tartness from soy and presumably vinegar. One of my favorite bites generally so when it's on the menu there's a good chance I'm ordering it, and they have a good version here. Desserts. They're great though I'm not a dessert guy usually, though the black sesame brings the flavor. The soba pudding had an interesting nuttiness to offer some complexity. And the roll cake was delicious, especially with the fruit sauce. And they definitely earned the Asian compliment of "not too sweet". IYKYK. All in, a strong showing. Highly recommended. read more

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Raku is such a gem for a friends' night out. The space feels modern and clean, with a lively energy that makes it easy to settle in and enjoy a long meal together. Everything we tried tasted incredibly fresh, from the sushi to the noodles--it really shows in the quality. The spicy cucumber salad was a standout to start: crisp, refreshing, and with just the right amount of heat. We also loved the chicken tatsuta-age, which came out perfectly crispy, paired with a dipping sauce that definitely brings the spice. My absolute favorite was the sansai udon. The broth was rich and flavorful, and the udon noodles were cooked perfectly with that ideal chewy texture. The chikara udon with mochi was another standout--hearty, comforting, and super satisfying. And definitely don't skip dessert--it's the perfect way to end the meal. It does get pretty busy, but the staff handles it well--they were attentive, friendly, and kept everything running smoothly. Definitely recommend making a reservation ahead of time. Overall, a fantastic spot I'd happily come back to. read more

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My sister and I walked in around 2:00 pm on a Saturday, and we were immediately seated. The interior was such a vibe. There was a beautiful display case of desserts right by the entrance, and the hostess led us down a hallway to the main dining area of the restaurant. We sat in a cute private booth, and we ordered the maguro yukke as an appetizer. I thought there was a little too much sesame oil, but overall, it was delicious. I ordered the mushroom udon, which was also delicious (considering it's just udon noodles and mushrooms). My sister also enjoyed her kaneki don. Afterwards, we tried their soba pudding and earl grey panna cotta. I enjoyed the soba pudding, I just thought the brown sugar on the bottom was a little too overpowering. Overall, it was a nice place, and I would love to come here again to try more of their desserts! read more

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Always my favorite udon spot in the city! While I'm usually an East Village regular, the food prep at this location was even better this time around. Major plus: this spot actually serves desserts! Hamaguri (5/5): The clams were incredibly fresh and prepped perfectly. The broth is light, refreshing, and lacks any of that "overly fishy" aftertaste you sometimes find elsewhere Kani Ankake (5/5): The thick, silky soup texture is so comforting and the broth is packed with flavor Karaage: A non-negotiable must-order every time Otsumami (4/5): These banchan-style appetizers were good, but didn't quite stand out as much Matcha tiramisu 4.25/5: love me some matcha Chamomile mango 4.75/5: it was light and tarty - super delish and great way to end the meal Tip: Go to this location if you want to end your meal with something sweet! read more

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I'm usually not huge on udon but this place changed my mind. Noodles were so fresh and chewy. I got the toritken with the fried chicken on the side. There was a 30 mins wait when we walked in around 1 PM on Saturday afternoon. Note: they also don't allow any outside food/drinks but they held onto our lattes inside until we were done. read more

Raku - Fried chicken on the side for toriten - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Wow. I want to knock off a star because they forgot my Udon entree, but that would be unjustified. The atmosphere, the kindness of the staff, and the fresh and delicious food are hard to pass up. The menu is very extensive, and you will need some time to really pick out some items. Don't fret, you will most likely come back to try other items in the near future. As for me, I ordered the Beef Curry Udon, Shrimp Tempura, salmon oshizushi, and essentially all the matcha desserts on the menu. I also ordered the buta shabu cold udon, but they somehow forgot to place that order. 1) Beef Curry Udon | 9.2/10 - Fresh and snappy udon. The curry was flavorful and thick, which really grabbed onto the udon nicely. The portion is generous for one, although if you are a meateater, I would suggest ordering extra beef. 2) Shrimp Tempura | 10/10 - This dish sat on the table for a good ten minutes before I ate it. All kidding aside, it almost tasted like I ate it right off the fryer. How do they do that?! 3) salmon oshizushi | 4.5/10 - Meh. A lot of rice and 1 cm thick salmon glued together. 4) Desserts | 100/10 - I highly doubt you can go wrong with anything on the dessert menu here. Everything is extremely delicious, not sugary, and fresh. It is pricey, but the craft that goes into the desserts is worth every penny. Overall, an excellent experience and well worth a repeat. The lines are quite long in the Midtown location during busy hours. Definitely plan ahead. read more

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Amazing. This was hands down mine and all of my friends favorite restaurants during our full week trip to NYC. From the Ebiten to the Soba, the matcha soft serve, and the agedashi tofu...EVERYTHING was perfectly seasoned. Not too sweet, not too salty, truly a wonderful experience. The ambiance of the restaurant was great too, a clean, classy and upscale experience. Service was noteworthy as well, everyone working there is attentive to their guests, we couldn't have asked for better! read more

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Loved that they expanded to another location! Ive eaten in and gotten take out and it's always so so good. For take out, I loved that they separate the noodles from the broth and they label all the sides. For dining in, they've expanded the dining to the front where the bakery is whenever it gets busy. My favorites are the ebiten and the oyakudon! read more

Raku is a must whenever I visit NYC! I'm not sure what the science behind their noodles is but it is to die for! I think about it every day. They don't typically take reservations for small parties so I would recommend lining up before they open to ensure a seat because they fill up very quickly. Even if you are by yourself, they have a communal table in the middle where you will be seated with other solo diners--a great way to try even by yourself and make new friends. The interior is pretty tight to accommodate as many people as they can but it's not uncomfortable. Staff are very prompt and accommodating and don't forget to enjoy the frozen grape at the end of your meal! I have always gotten too full after the meal to ever try but I will be back for just desserts! read more

Raku - Kitsune Udon, Agedashi Tofu, and Sabazushi - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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I arrived about ten minutes before opening and there were already a few parties waiting in line. Once the restaurant opened, we were seated promptly. The food came out fairly quickly after I placed my order. The broth was incredibly rich and comforting on a chilly day. The udon noodles were silky and smooth, with the perfect texture. The location itself was nice and spacious, and the staff were all friendly. Definitely one of my top spots for udon. I highly recommend! read more

Raku - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

The best udon in the states. The broth is very rich/ flavorful and the noodles are freshly made with chewy texture. The food comes out fast and the space is very ambient. Great service. Highly recommend stopping here for lunch! read more

Raku - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

WHEN: Sun @1pm This place is a bit hidden since there is no signage but we eventually found it! However, it was a 40 min wait, which we didn't mind since we would just walk around. They were very accurate when they said we would be ready in the time the said. It's such a busy and lovely restaurant where you will most likely be seated next to strangers, and if you are lucky like us, you get to sit next to a company with some tea--yeah a dude was sharing how toxic of a relationship he is in and his friend is telling him so and we all agree and wish we told him somehow. ANYWAY, here's what was ordered: SANSAI UDON - $19 Mountain vegetables, maitake mushroom tempura. This was due to a few days of eating burgers and pizza and we thought we should get something with vegetables. However, it did not look like the photo, where the tempura is on a separate plate. Our dish had the tempura drowned in the udon soup, which made it all soggy. Oh well. TRUFFLE WONTON UDON - $31 Did I just order the most expensive bowl of udon, that was more than $10 than my partners? Who am I!?! It's okay, I'm on vacation and this sounded so good. You definitely taste the truffle flavoring in the wonton, and this bad boy also comes with wakame seaweed. This hot bowl was solid and I am so happy I pulled the trigger here. No regrets! read more

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A lot of my New York friends always mentioned Raku as one of their recommendations, but I was a bit hesitant the first few times because I'm not a huge fan of udon and its something I consider a "make it at home" food. I decided going because it was closely after church and I don't regret going at all! My friend ordered the Ebiten Udon and I got the Toriten Udon. Both were super satisfying in different ways, but what stood out the most was the noodles were SO BOUNCY! The bite and chew on it was so good and the broth was great too. For the Toriten, I got the fried chicken pieces on the side and it added a nice savory punch without feeling heavy or greasy. Taking a slurp of noodles and then the chicken was just right. My friend completely devoured the Ebiten and he gave me one of the shrimp tempuras. The shrimp tempura was so light and it just melted in my mouth. Raku has that cozy, minimalist vibe and all the servers were super attentive. I would come back again to try the other non-udon items I saw on the menu! read more

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Delicious udon spot for a cold day. Came by on a Wednesday night around 5pm, before a broadway show without reservations. They were able to sit our party of 2 at the bar. Restaurant is minimalist and sleek and service was great. We got the yasai kakiage (vegetable tempura udon) and gyunan (prime beef udon). The udon is fresh-made and chewy. I liked the vegetable udon a lot more since it was a clear broth that was refreshing. The gyunan had a weird flavor I didn't enjoy. Overall, great spot for dinner a bit further out from the hustle of Times Square to grab a bite to eat before a show. read more

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great spot for udon! the front of the restaurant is a bakery, and the back has dining (and fairly few tables and seats), so helpful to have a reservation or put you name down early and walk around. I really enjoyed their seasonal autumnal mushroom udon and thought the presentation was gorgeous - and very flavorful and filled with different mushroom textures. the service is friendly and fast, though you do feel some overt pressure to wrap up for them to turn the next table. overall a cool spot and would stop by to try their baked goods sometime! read more

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Raku is always a solid option for udon. The cold and hot noodles are great options. It's a clean and elegantly designed space although it's not huge. The main dining table is shared so that can be a little tight. The service is attentive and friendly. They also serve desserts from Patisserie Fouet - don't sleep on the strawberry shortcake. The pink peppercorn is such a unique and welcome addition. Would recommend for a great Midtown spot! read more

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Raku's udons always hit the spot!! I've been to the other locations but it was my first at their Hell's kitchen spot. It feels more spacious than the other locations with a good amount of table and booth seating. The seasonal mushroom udon was delicious with a solid, well seasoned dashi broth and chewy udon. It came with a good amount of mushrooms of different types. It was straightforward and hit the spot! I got extra shrimp tempura on the side and its solid as usual. Fresh shrimp and a nicely done, fluffy batter. I wanted to highlight their amazing service! Staff were friendly! We had a friend who was extremely late and we were approaching last call for the kitchen. Staff was helpful to help us delay as much as possible. After we ordered for this friend, they intentionally placed his plate of sides on top of the udon to keep it warm. Happy to see Raku keep up its quality of udon after these years and at different locations. read more

Raku - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Raku is located at the back of Patisserie Fouet. I went for lunch around 12:30pm on a weekday with no reservation and waited for 5-10 minutes for a table for 3. The menu includes appetizers, sushi, donburi and udon with added toppings available. They also had curry lunch specials. We ordered a misoyaki cod, katsu don and nabeyaki udon to share. The misoyaki cod ($28 without rice) was nice and flakey and had a very nice strong miso flavor. The katsu don ($24) included a very generous portion of rice. The egg was cooked dry, not runny. The deep fried pork cutlet was lightly crispy. Everything was very well seasoned. Nabeyaki udon ($31) is one of my favorite dishes, and this was a very nice version. The broth had a little bit of a smoky flavor, lots of flavor but still pretty subtle (not overwhelming) and so comforting. The udon noodles were perfectly thick and chewy. The toppings were generously portioned, especially the chicken, so no lack of protein here! The shrimp tempura was really tasty and the batter was very light. I didn't add any more toppings. These are elevated versions of these dishes and very generous portions, and the prices are higher to match. The service was great - attentive but not overbearing, and our water glasses were never empty. The space was clean and not too crowded. We did share a large communal table, but they still spaced us out and there was no one in the seats directly next to us. We were pretty full, so we bought desserts from the Patisserie side to go, though many of the items + some additional options are available on the menu in the restaurant! I thought Raku was great! I don't always need elevated versions of these dishes which can be considered comfort food, but it's a nice treat. I would definitely recommend it and would return myself! read more

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Comforting broth with fresh udon noodles, the perfect dish for a cold evening! To start, I tried their ankimo that came with one piece. I really enjoyed that the sauce had a bit of a spice to it, something different from the typical ankimo dish. However portion wise, I didn't think it was worth the price. I went with the gyunan udon, the only thing I wished is that it had a bit more meat, but loved everything else about the udon! My friend got the special 10 YR anni lobster tempura udon. The portions were pretty good size with that option as well. read more

Raku - Ankimo - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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First time at this location, have been to the east village one many times! Raku was delicious as per usual, glad there's another location now. Got the Chiikara Udon. Getting their mochi is a must! Delicious and my favorite part of Raku. Space is quiet nice and the staff was kind. Raku here is now combined with Patisserie Fouet. You can get delicious ramen and dessert now at one spot read more

Raku - Chikara Udon - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Absolutely delicious udon with tons of vegan options! Not just 1 token veggie dish, but ~4-5 vegan udon selections. There are also vegan appetizers like gyoza (which I did not try this time). The autumn mushroom special is amazing! If you are vegan/ vegetarian just make sure to let them know so they use the veggie broth. The veggie broth is incredibly flavorful and SO full of umami. The portion is huge and will fill you up with soul-nourishing broth and perfectly chewy udon noodles. I also tried the matcha latte with oat milk and it was sooo good. Nice quality matcha, great color, and it comes in a huge ceramic cup for $7. Way better than a lot of cafes I've tried. This location in midtown/ Hell's Kitchen is gorgeous. When you walk in there is a bar area along with a bakery/ patisserie with very pretty desserts. When you walk further in most of the seating is in side, and the aesthetic is perfecct . Clean, simple & modern, yet still with character. Service was attentive and food came out in a reasonable time. Overall, Raku is one of my favorite spots in the city to enjoy a reliably good meal, especially if i want to have plenty of vegan options while eating with non-vegans. read more

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TLDR: Bouncy noodles, tender meat, good broth. Not too heavy. Food Gyunan Udon: The popular, simple, delicious, and safe choice. The noodles were bouncy, broth was flavorful, and the meat was tender. It's not outstanding in any particular way, but if you want a good beef soup on a cold night, it'll get the job done. Niku Udon: Perfect if you prefer different cuts of meat. The broth was rich, short rib was tender but bouncy, and the noodles were perfect. I wish I added the chili oil as others recommended--next time! Was it worth $28? ehhh Fig Honey Panna Cotta: A refreshing desert after our savory meal. We originally wanted the Soba Pudding but it was sold out. The honey panna cotta was silky and light, with just enough sweetness to make the fig leaf jelly stand out. The jelly had a subtle green, almost floral flavor that kept the whole thing from feeling too rich. The bits of chocolate and rosemary added a nice little twist, which worked surprisingly well. Service: Quick and friendly Ambiance: If you sit in the center you'll be close enough to hear other patron's conversations. Not ideal, but at least the atmosphere is nice. There's also a dessert area that you have to walk through to get to the restaurant in the back. Browse the selection while you wait for their table. read more

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I'm a long time fan of the East Village original so when I saw that Raku Midtown is just a couple blocks away from the Ailey Studios, I suggested it for lunch with a friend. Beautiful interior, great service, generous portions, delicious food as before. The unique thing about this location is the shared space with Patisserie Fouet. If you're dining at Raku, you can actually order desserts from Fouet and eat it at your table. Highly recommended! read more

Raku - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Made a reservation for a party of two during lunch hours and glad that they seated us at the booth. Very cozy and Japanese style interior so the ambiance was nice throughout our meal. We ordered the Agedashi Tofu and Karaage as appetizers, nothing special and flavors were average. As for the main meal we had Kaki (oyster) and Kamonan (duck breast), both in hot dishes. Soups were hot enough and the noodles were perfectly cooked, texture was thick, chewy and pleasantly bouncy. Service was great and friendly. There's also a bakery at front, and good for customers who want to grab some snacks to go on your way out. read more

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I heard many wonderful things about Raku but always seemed to miss the opportunity to try. I stopped by the Midtown location today as I was feeling a bit peckish after spending many hours standing in line. While I love hot udon, the weather was a bit warm and I had a lot more walking to do in the city. After I was seated in the big communal table in the middle, I opted for the yamakake udon because it featured a lot of ingredients I feel are ubiquitous to Japanese cuisine. The dish came beautifully presented with a smattering of bonito flakes and the raw quail egg sitting atop the pile of fluffy white grated mountain yam to create a visual effect of a perfect fried egg. The udon noodles were the thin type, soaking in a shallow pool of tsuyu. I do feel the dish could have been better with a few small choices. The thin noodles didn't really stand up to the thick slimy texture of the grated yam and raw egg. But the tsuyu base did not provide enough saltiness, even with the delicate noodles. An addition of the shichimi togarashi sitting on the table helped improve the flavor a lot. Though scallions were used as garnish, I felt the lack of texture really made it tough to finish the whole dish as it felt like eating through mush. To be fair, the yamakake is not the signature dish of this restaurant and I did choose it because these are ingredients that are not easy to come by. The service was fine and the restaurant was quiet and neat, a great oasis on a hot summer day in NYC. I didn't get a chance to try the desserts at the front either. I will revisit Raku to try some of their signature dishes. read more

Raku - Yamakake udon - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

This is my favorite restaurant of all time. I love this restaurant and I always get the curry udon! Great service and they have the cutest dessert within the restaurant. Great ambience! Overall I enjoy coming here! I would try the appetizers as well! Come right when it opens! read more

Raku - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Seating is a bit cramped and service isn't the most attentive (it's very busy so I can understand) but they do serve prime comfort food and portions are very big. I had the kani ankake, which was very filling and had lots of umami flavor from the dried crab-- probably would try something else next time tho. Udon texture is perfect, as previous reviews have mentioned. They have this absolutely gorgeous dessert counter up front and we couldn't resist trying a few. The chamomile mango mousse was just meh, looked a lot better than it tasted tbh (I also got like no chamomile flavor), but the soba pudding was delightful (so smooth and a great end to the meal). read more

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Wow. Ordered takeout and loved the udon noodles and the chicken taka-age. The noodles were silky smooth and perfectly cooked while the broth was a deep rich flavor. Perfect on a cool spring day. Loved it. read more

Raku - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Overall: Raku is simply packing way more punch than what you expect. The interior is super nice and classy, the food taste great, the service is phenomenal, and the price is on the lower end. Food: I ordered the buta shabu per a friend's recommendation. It had such a delicate and refined taste, each bite you could clearly tell what was put into the dish and the intention behind each component. Very refreshing, the kind of dish where you can eat a lot and still feel good about yourself afterward. The chicken was also fried very lightly, a trend I enjoy about this place. Brined very well so that the chicken itself had plenty of flavor and super tender. Service: The service here is great, the staff is very accommodating of allergies and made every possible step to make sure that our experience here would be fantastic. Ambiance: This is a nice sit-down place, great vibes for a nice night out. read more

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Fantastic find this trip! We went about 15 minutes before they opened because we read online that it's super popular and there's always lines before they open. We got there and there were already people lined up, but we still got seated inside right away. There are some booths inside as well as a long table down the middle for communal seating. They do have some lunch specials available for ordering, but we opted to go for the regular menu. It is SO busy here and every seat filled up fast. The staff is friendly but incredibly efficient, they came to take our order right away and the food came out quickly! I had been craving a bowl of udon, and this Gyunun Udon with ribeye beef absolutely hit the spot! It's probably the best udon I have had in months, just thinking about it right now has my mouth watering! The sashimi was so fresh, the Tatsuta-age was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, and there was not one thing I ordered that I would not come back and eat again. Can't wait for my next visit! read more

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I'm so happy that this Raku location opened up! I was headed to a Broadway show and thought that this would be the perfect place to grab a bite beforehand! Raku is the perfect middle ground between upscale and fast food. The food DOES come out very fast, but the ambiance has an elevated feel to it. They don't take reservations for less than 3 people, so I just took the chance and walked in. I was seated at the communal table, which ended up being just fine. I decided to go with the Sansai and added a poached egg. The whole dish was delightful. The broth was packed with flavor, a little bit of umami and a little bit of sweet. I loved the veggies in the dish and each of them were unique. The egg was poached perfectly and gave the dish the perfect amount of creaminess. The star, however, were the noodles. I've never had such bouncy and chewy noodles in my life! Each bite was a delight. I was able to have a nice sit down meal and be out of here in less than an hour to catch my show on time. This is definitely a go-to if you're in the area and especially, if you're heading to a show! read more

Raku - Sansai Udon - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

The udon at Raku is always outstanding. With the addition of the patisserie, absolutely top tier. The service was quick and efficient and the layout is good for large and small groups. Definitely recommend the dacquoise and chamomile mango mousse. read more

Raku - Kambo sukiyaki with aburaage - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Good noodles! Ive heard so much about raku and finally got the chance to try it on this trip out to nyc. My friend and I came right around opening on a Sunday and there was no wait. However, they do seat pairs right next to other pairs in one single long table which is a bit awkward. I wanted a cold noodle dish and ended up with the buta shabu udon. The waitress explained that these would use the silkier noodles, however I should've asked if I could sub it out for the original chewy ones. The portion was plentiful, pork belly was nice and charred, and the sesame sauce was really good! I just wish I could've tried the thicker noodles. It might not be the best spot for a nice dinner but the quality is good and it's reliable! read more

Raku - Buta Shabu Udon - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

I loved this location of Raku! Its nestled behind a cute cafe with different desserts that I am dying to try next time. I got the vegetable tempura udon and it was sooo delicious. Raku's udon always warms me up on a cold day! The noodles were perfectly chewy and the broth was so flavorful! Would definitely recommend coming at open or with a reservation to make sure you get a seat. My server was very attentive and nice. Looking forward to coming back soon. read more

Raku - Vegetable tempura udon - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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I've been to other Raku locations, and my opinion still holds. Raku is my favorite soot for udon! The noodles are the perfect texture of bouncy and chewy. And the broth is always so light and refreshing. The chicken tatsuta-age is always a must get in my opinion. The outside is so crispy, while the chicken is still so juicy. And the sauce it comes with always hits. Ebiten and gyunan are both crowd pleasers, and are good go tos when you're not sure what to get. I tried the yasai kakiage this time. While I loved the broth and noodles, I thought the tempura was okay, as it was quite oily. Each piece itself was light because the pieces were so thin. But then also because the pieces were so this, I think you just consume more batter in the end, and it just felt greasy. read more

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