Had the bacon, karaage udon (definitely order chicken on the side!) and yuzu lemonade. The bacon with the dipping sauce was good, if slightly overcooked. The udon itself was very well made- both delicate and chewy, but I thought the broth was a little too fishy. That’s entirely personal preference- you could tell it was well made. We sat at the bar and it was SWELTERING. Not a lot of space at all, but it was nice to walk in even though we didn’t have a reservation.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Jenny Bae
Weekday 7pm checked in for 4 They didn’t allow for reservations on Friday night Sat down 7:40pm
The booths are quite spacious (6 people can easily fit) It does get loud given they are a busy spot Love love love their online menu
We got an extra order that we didn’t order and we got it taken away but a Japanese guy looked upset and came back to asked again if we ordered it
Monk fish is creamy and flavorful but know that portions will be smaller Gyoza- you can skip Udon was thinner than conventional ones but definitely more chewier You feel healthy eating it Overall the service was friendly
Had drinks, appy, and 1 noodles per person and it was $220 total
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Tim Tucker
They do not need your business at Raku, a fact that you will quickly and rudely be reminded of should you dare to poke your head inside to seek a table. The procedure here is to wait obediently outside without announcing your presence, no matter the weather. Once the overworked staff take notice of you, you'll be ushered to a seat so close to others that it feels as you're eating in an elevator or a security screening line.
As for the food, it is tasty enough, although one eats with full awareness that this stuff is not healthy, what with the large quantities of grease and the commodity level ingredients utilized. To their credit, the kitchen makes it all look much better than it really is.
Am I being too harsh? That's possible, but I don't think so. Raku gets far more credit than it deserves, and with the abundance of nearby alternatives I do not plan to return there.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 2
Clo
This was my first time dining at Raku, and I had a great experience overall. Despite the restaurant being nearly full on a Saturday during lunch, my party was lucky to snag the last two seats at the bar. I would highly recommend a reservation during busy times just in case! We were served punctually, and the food all came out piping hot. The udon noodles were springy and delicious. The chicken tatsuta-age was a standout appetizer with a decadent sauce to go with the karaage. I ordered the nabeyaki that came with shrimp tempura. The fish cakes were a delicious addition to the soup. My broth had lemon slices and a lot of vegetables, and it tasted delicious! I would highly recommend a visit for anyone during these cold months!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Zoya Aboss
I think this place is a bit overblown. Presentation and ambiance are great but nothing mind blowing.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Jenn Jann
Another local gem! We had the tofu , gyoza & udon. All dishes were superb and can’t wait to come back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sam Lee
On a cold winter day, a hot bowl of udon from Raku is hard to beat.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brian Harris
Even though they are really Japanese the broth in the Nabeyake Udon was soulless to watch my Japanese wife replied they had no real dashi in it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Rahat Ahmed
Had a great time at Raku. We ordered the fried chicken, pressed mackerel sushi, their special seaweed salad, and the short rib hot udon. The food was clean, satisfying, and really hit the spot across the board.
One small note: it would be great if the appetizers were staggered a bit better to fit the table and pacing of the meal.
We also realized we had made our reservation for the wrong day, but the staff was incredibly accommodating and seated us in under 20 minutes anyway. Really appreciated the flexibility and hospitality, thank you!
Very disappointing experience at Raku. Despite plenty of empty seats inside, staff told us to wait outside for a host. There was no host, and we stood outside for five minutes waiting for someone who never appeared. Poor communication and disorganization ruined the visit.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Miss Food Lover
Delicious as always! I’ve been to three of their locations and food remains consistent based on my experience. This is a great location for solo diners compared to the other two locations. Service is nice but it’s a little hard to get attention when you are dining alone as you are facing the wall while eating if you do bar seating.
Kevin D
Extremely poor service. We were never asked whether we would like water or any other drinks, and throughout the entire meal NO ONE ever checked in on how the food was.
What made the experience even worse was that the server did check in on a white couple seated next to us and asked how their food was and whether they would like dessert, which made us feel uncomfortable and treated differently.
On top of that, a 20% tip was the default option, which felt completely unjustified given the level of service.
As for the food, the udon was mediocre and overpriced. I’ve been to Raku at the soho location many times and had very good experiences, but this visit in east village was extremely disappointing. I won’t be coming back…
Food: 2
Service: 1
tuedy wilson
Great staff! Chicken was amazing as well as beef donburi bowl!!
I did not like the consistency of the curry bowl or the flavor.
The tan tan bowl was better than curry but not amazing
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Masha Vysotska
Came to the place, a party of four people. We were told to wait for 30 minutes to be seated. When we got the text, they told us that they have a table for 2, and not 4, and the table for 4 would be another 20 minutes, so we left. Very disappointed because heard many good things about this place.
Had the bacon, karaage udon (definitely order chicken on the side!) and yuzu lemonade. The bacon with the dipping sauce was good, if slightly overcooked. The udon itself was very well made- both delicate and chewy, but I thought the broth was a little too fishy. That’s entirely personal preference- you could tell it was well made. We sat at the bar and it was SWELTERING. Not a lot of space at all, but it was nice to walk in even though we didn’t have a reservation.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Weekday 7pm checked in for 4
They didn’t allow for reservations on Friday night
Sat down 7:40pm
The booths are quite spacious (6 people can easily fit)
It does get loud given they are a busy spot
Love love love their online menu
We got an extra order that we didn’t order and we got it taken away but a Japanese guy looked upset and came back to asked again if we ordered it
Monk fish is creamy and flavorful but know that portions will be smaller
Gyoza- you can skip
Udon was thinner than conventional ones but definitely more chewier
You feel healthy eating it
Overall the service was friendly
Had drinks, appy, and 1 noodles per person and it was $220 total
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
They do not need your business at Raku, a fact that you will quickly and rudely be reminded of should you dare to poke your head inside to seek a table. The procedure here is to wait obediently outside without announcing your presence, no matter the weather. Once the overworked staff take notice of you, you'll be ushered to a seat so close to others that it feels as you're eating in an elevator or a security screening line.
As for the food, it is tasty enough, although one eats with full awareness that this stuff is not healthy, what with the large quantities of grease and the commodity level ingredients utilized. To their credit, the kitchen makes it all look much better than it really is.
Am I being too harsh? That's possible, but I don't think so. Raku gets far more credit than it deserves, and with the abundance of nearby alternatives I do not plan to return there.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 2
This was my first time dining at Raku, and I had a great experience overall. Despite the restaurant being nearly full on a Saturday during lunch, my party was lucky to snag the last two seats at the bar. I would highly recommend a reservation during busy times just in case! We were served punctually, and the food all came out piping hot. The udon noodles were springy and delicious. The chicken tatsuta-age was a standout appetizer with a decadent sauce to go with the karaage. I ordered the nabeyaki that came with shrimp tempura. The fish cakes were a delicious addition to the soup. My broth had lemon slices and a lot of vegetables, and it tasted delicious! I would highly recommend a visit for anyone during these cold months!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
I think this place is a bit overblown. Presentation and ambiance are great but nothing mind blowing.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Another local gem! We had the tofu , gyoza & udon. All dishes were superb and can’t wait to come back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
On a cold winter day, a hot bowl of udon from Raku is hard to beat.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Even though they are really Japanese the broth in the Nabeyake Udon was soulless to watch my Japanese wife replied they had no real dashi in it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Had a great time at Raku. We ordered the fried chicken, pressed mackerel sushi, their special seaweed salad, and the short rib hot udon. The food was clean, satisfying, and really hit the spot across the board.
One small note: it would be great if the appetizers were staggered a bit better to fit the table and pacing of the meal.
We also realized we had made our reservation for the wrong day, but the staff was incredibly accommodating and seated us in under 20 minutes anyway. Really appreciated the flexibility and hospitality, thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food is always great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Very disappointing experience at Raku. Despite plenty of empty seats inside, staff told us to wait outside for a host. There was no host, and we stood outside for five minutes waiting for someone who never appeared. Poor communication and disorganization ruined the visit.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Delicious as always! I’ve been to three of their locations and food remains consistent based on my experience. This is a great location for solo diners compared to the other two locations. Service is nice but it’s a little hard to get attention when you are dining alone as you are facing the wall while eating if you do bar seating.
Extremely poor service. We were never asked whether we would like water or any other drinks, and throughout the entire meal NO ONE ever checked in on how the food was.
What made the experience even worse was that the server did check in on a white couple seated next to us and asked how their food was and whether they would like dessert, which made us feel uncomfortable and treated differently.
On top of that, a 20% tip was the default option, which felt completely unjustified given the level of service.
As for the food, the udon was mediocre and overpriced. I’ve been to Raku at the soho location many times and had very good experiences, but this visit in east village was extremely disappointing. I won’t be coming back…
Food: 2
Service: 1
Great staff! Chicken was amazing as well as beef donburi bowl!!
I did not like the consistency of the curry bowl or the flavor.
The tan tan bowl was better than curry but not amazing
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Came to the place, a party of four people. We were told to wait for 30 minutes to be seated. When we got the text, they told us that they have a table for 2, and not 4, and the table for 4 would be another 20 minutes, so we left. Very disappointed because heard many good things about this place.
Service: 1
Loading...