Raku - Table reservation

I’ve been going to Raku for around five years now. They serve the best udon in the city, with some of the best tempura to boot. What’s even more impressive is that they’ve maintained the same quality over the years. It’s gotten to the point that, when it comes to udon cravings, it’s Raku or nothing.For first timers, I highly recommend the ebiten udon to get a taste of the restaurant’s style. Eat the noodles one at a time. I jokingly describe it as savory boba.The udon has a supple, bouncy texture that can only come from being freshly made in-house. Most Japanese restaurants that serve udon—but not exclusively udon—use the frozen stuff in supermarkets. Raku is one of the few that make their own udon.It’s not only the texture of the noodles: everything else is flawless. The broth is a perfect balance of fishy, salty, and sweet. Other restaurants Americanize the broth by making it too sweet; Raku’s broth is the way it should be. The tempura is light and crisp without being oily. Any excess oil is absorbed by the paper it sits on. And, they provide umeboshi as a palate cleanser in between bites in case we are starting to get tired of the bowl of noodles.Raku offers vegetarian options, but the broth feels so unsatisfying in comparison that I’d recommend a cold dipping udon.

• Useful
• Not Useful
• Reply

Went here for lunch, got the gyunan and the soba pudding, and both were delicious! The udon noodles were firm and chewy, and perfect smoothness for slurping. The broth and meat was good as well, but the noodles definitely were the standout. The soba pudding was creamy and had brown sugar on the bottom and topped with a crispy soba cracker. By the way, the dining space is pretty limited, so there is often a wait during their peak hours.Vegetarian options: Many vegetarian and vegan options for the udon! (Both cold and hot)

• Useful
• Not Useful
• Reply

I’ve been here so many times I tend to forget to take pictures since I always start eating up the food once it gets to my table. Their dishes are top-down delicious. On my latest visit, we ordered dessert for the first time, and it blew me away. Their oolong apricot black sesame mousse cake was off-chart! The apricot slices were tendered but not too chewy or sweet. The oolong flavor was not overpowering and was very balanced with the black sesame mousse. All perfectly counteracted.

• Useful
• Not Useful
• Reply

Service is excellent, Atmosphere is excellent. Went with a large group so we all sampled the different broths and honestly they are just ok. Had the Niku,Nameko,Mapo Tofu,TanTan,Gyunan. The amount of meat you get is little and also the amount of veggies is sparse. For the price you can go somewhere else and get much more add ins for less price. Udon noodles are excellent. Appetizers we ok, nothing to write about. Wouldn’t personally recommend.

• Useful
• Not Useful
• Reply

The best udon ever. So bouncy… so tasty…. Tried to come back here on our last day in NYC and it wasn’t open. I didn’t stop sobbing till I got back to SydneyFood: 5/5

• Useful
• Not Useful
• Reply