My actual rating would've been 3 1/2 but since they have such great service I gave them the benefit of the doubt and went with 4. This is a really hip, fun Japanese restaurant in the 50th and France area. They have a very large menu consisting of mostly sushi, they have a large selection of rolls, sashimi and sushi. They also have a great drink and Saki menu. Their sushi is medium good, it's no Origami but good and they have great service and a great atmosphere, give it a try in Edina! read more

The only sushi place I'm willing to eat at and drive 30 min or more to. Both locations are good. I worked in high end sushi restaurants in NYC for three years. This is one of the better places in MN. I'd take CA or NY over this any day, but it's still pretty decent. I give them 4 MN level sushi stars. Tips to enjoy. Don't order some crazy rolls. Stick to the basics. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a spicy tuna roll, but that's about it. How can you even taste anything? I tried some weird combo rolls once and it was just tasteless, sweet mush. Raw fish should not be enjoyed that way. All piled together and you can't taste the difference or tell if it's even fresh. Why do Americans make everything so sweet and deep fried? Yuck. Before you know it Midwestern housewives will be adding cool whip and pudding mix and serving it at PTA meetings. read more

This place desperately needs customers. Every time I've walked past it's been totally dead. Then I tried it out on a random weeknight, and we were one of 3 tables. Walking past Raku, I wasn't even sure they were open at first. The desperate vibe is a total killjoy. And that's unfortunate because this is a lovely restaurant, great location, and the sushi rolls are imaginative, beautiful and delicious. The prices are a little high. Cheaper sushi can easily be found elsewhere. All the waitstaff were very friendly and helpful, but our waiter's B.O. was an unequivocal turnoff. Raku definitely has potential, but I wonder if they're going to survive long enough to live up to it. read more

Looking for a new place for sushi nearby, Yelp told me that a place called Raku had opened at 50th and France and had somehow eluded my new-restaurant radar. Well, I'm in the dark no longer. Raku dazzle you from the outside (I'm looking at you Thom Pham) - it's a pretty unassuming spot nestled among the salons and high-end shops of 50th and France, with a simple black awning alerting the neighborhood of it's existence. On the inside they've done a beautiful job with the decor - it's upscale but approachable, romantic but good for groups as well. There is a bar, but it only seats about 4-5 people. Overall, it's a cozy little joint. We are pretty basic when it comes to ordering sushi, so don't look to me for recommendations about lots of fancy specialty rolls. We ordered edamame to start, which was good, and then we followed that up with a round of Nigiri - salmon, tuna, shrimp and yellowtail. It was all very fresh and delicious - we had to do a second round of the tuna. Then we ordered the snow thrill roll, which combines tuna, salmon and yellowtail with avocado and it's rolled in crush flakes and served with eel sauce. Wow, what an amazing combination of flavors... I highly recommend that one. Like most sushi restaurants, beer isn't a big focus of their menu, so I had to settle for a couple of Kirins, and I was okay with that. My wife stuck to water, so I don't have much info to share on the wine and cocktail front. A better beer list and a bigger bar might have been the tipping point that would've scored Raku that fifth star. As far as service goes, it was attentive but not pushy and our server was very friendly. No complaints. If you're in the area or just want to try a new place for great sushi, stop by Raku and give them a try. I know I'll be going back in the not-too-distant future. Cheers, -- read more

***Very Limited Experience*** Went in while fiance was shopping next door. Had some sake at the bar. Bartender was very cool and professional. Sake was great. Would go back and do the same thing. BTW, Edina - SO annoying that you won't allow drink specials. All it does is reinforce your snobby image, but maybe that's what you want. Tip- Park in the lunds parking lot. read more

Wow! I was actually pleasantly surprised by this sushi place! I lived nearby for close to a year before eating here for the first time, but I'm glad I'm in the know now! Don't let the Edina address distress - they are very reasonably priced for good quality sushi. I love the seats right by the windows on 50th, if you can, score one of these as they make for great people watching. The service has always been friendly and attentive, but not too pushy or annoying. We always get miso soup to start, and I appreciate the amount of tofu and seaweed in the nice miso-based broth, just the right amount of everything. If you want something warm both the edamame and gyoza are great. The gyoza are nice and crispy on the pan-fried side and still nice and tender on the other sides. Now, I've never gotten anything but sushi here, but I've seen plates of some of the other dishes go by and they look great too! My favorite sushi rolls are the tempura sweet potato, the spicy tuna, and the tuna avocado. All well-executed, flavorful, and good quality of raw fish. My favorite roll however, would be the winter roll. It's crunchy, a bit spicy, and full of delicious fish. Yes, you can judge me for liking a roll covered in tempura flakes, I don't care, it's THAT good. We usually do a mix of smaller rolls (and therefore cheaper, usually in the 5-7 dollar range) and a couple of nice big rolls (which are around 14-16 dollars.) They also do a happy hour during the week from 3-5 (which is kinda difficult to get to) and from 9-10. Half off that delicious winter roll? Yesssss! read more

Really solid diverse sushi choices! Recommend the sumo roll. Had it twice and would do again.

Horrible slow service. Food good, but not worth the wait. I arrived at 7pm with 2 other ladies. We had a Groupon and think that may be why we had poor service. It took forever to get our food and even lounger to get our check. The restaurant was about half full, so we did not expect such a long wait. It took 15 minutes before we could place the order, 35 minutes for all our food to arrive on table. No tea refills at all. If you read other reviews you can see a trend with poor service/less food with people who have groupons. I will try this location again without a Groupon to see if service is any better. I have to admit,I am not in a rush to go back. read more

The decoration of the restaurant is nice and the crazy chicken is delicious and so are the sushis. But a couple of sushis we ordered were very saucy. Must try Japanese restaurant. Huge menu. read more

I loveee Raku!! It has a nice, calming ambiance and I feel good being there. All the food is awesome. (Except the scallops, which were pretty bland, but I'll forgive.) One dish I have had here, in particular, has blown my mind... Ready? The house salad. I bet your mind has been blown by my answer. They use really nice greens and other veggies, and the dressing is the best I've ever had. I could survive off of this. I want the recipe. Aside from this, sushi, soup, appetizers (Spring Rolls!!!), mochi, etc. is all delish. The bill might work its way up higher than you'd like, but you will enjoy your time here. I'm taking away one star because there's something inside me says some people would be disappointed if they went after seeing a 5 star review. Does that make sense? Reverse psychology... read more

I am not a sushi snob, but after eating here tonight I refuse to give this place my business. Service: D- rude, inpatient, pushy servers who will cut in front of you as you walk thru the restaurant, practically yell as they announce the dish they're delivering & stare blankly when you ask them about a menu of specials. Ours was clearly angry when we declined to order alcohol & was in no mood to wait for us to order. He got a little more polite (called my husband "sir") as he dropped off the check, but for me the experience was already over...too little, too late. Ambiance: D. It looks so nice from the outside with the dim interior & nice burnt orange linens, don't be fooled. If you get a booth you may have the pleasure of being seated with a window facing the interior of the mall next door. Music was notorious b.i,.g., tupac & monica--I kid you not. The rap/r&b scene of 15 years ago. Not fitting. Plates were chipped & rock inlay table had a lot of mysterious stains & odd bits in with the rock--not appetizing! Food: D+ The tempura shrimp roll was very good. The sushi we got was foul. The striped bass & salmon tasted like...nothing. The rice was more flavorful. I am scared to know what Raku does to their fish as even the cheap sushi places I've been don't have this issue. Was it even fish? If you told me it wasn't, I would not be surprised. The plating is not creative either, the sushi literally had a sprig of parsley next to it--just like a Perkins plate would have. Value: C- I guess it's not terribly expensive considering its a sushi place far from an ocean, but its not done well either. Not a great deal, not a splurge, so i give them a C, but not a great quality product either, hence the minus. Summary: If you're in the area & looking for sushi you're better off swinging by Lunds or Kowalskis than paying double & being insulted by the sad state of service at Raku. read more

It was my second time there. Please, whatever you do, do not frequent this place. First time I went with my wife for lunch, the service was slow. The waiters simply don't care and I don't know if the lack of management is the issue. I went back tonight for a to-go order and it took forever. No attention to detail. I had plenty of time to watch the staff and management and it's not run professionally. The elder owners (man/women) are not dressed professionally for the restaurant and have control of all the staff but to the point that the staff has no power. They have to look to the elders for permission to even seat people. I witnessed this several times. Please, DO NOT go here if your goal is to go on a date night an impress your date. The decor is pretty and the location in Edina is nice but the service is a HUGE let down. I like to support Asian restaurants, but I can't encourage anyone to eat here because they do not represent the quality you would expect from a quality Asian restaurant. read more

Thanks to both Yelp & Groupon who continue to expand my horizons in the local food seen. I bought a Groupon a few weeks ago for Raku & was excited to try it out. Word to the wise, call for a reservation, do not book on Open Table. They don't want to give you dining points & let you use a Groupon or something. IDK, whatever. Moving on to the food. Everything we had was delicious. The seaweed salad was standard & good, the pork goyza was fantastic & the harumaki were delicious spring rolls that came with an even better sweet chili sauce. The standout of the evening was the Captain Crunch roll; shrimp tempura, crab, avocado & cucumber with crispy tempura flakes outside. Absolutely yum. I'd come back since the food, service & ambiance were all wonderful. They're opening a second location next to Little Szechuan at the West End - can't wait. read more

We visited Raku this past Saturday with a group of 7 for a birthday celebration. The service wasn't great & the sushi was hit or miss: the ambiance, sake, & wine is what carries this establishment from 3 to 4 stars for me. The ambiance is calming & low-lit. The sake flights were good, offering a wonderful variety, & the wine list was fantastic! I tried the Newton Claret & absolutely LOVED it. I ordered a case from my local liquor store today & can't wait to have it again. Our service was just okay. Our server wasn't the most attentive & we would wait long periods of time in between visits to our table. She wasn't ask knowledgeable about the sushi as one would expect at a sushi restaurant. She made the experience forgettable instead of memorable :( The sushi was just okay. The items on the menu seem ambitious, but in the end tasted like any other sushi venue. My suggestion would be to stick to the basics as the sushi is fresh & plentiful. Just not as big & bold as the menu boasts. Check out their happy hour specials! & definitely try the Newton Claret!!!! read more

After experiencing every other restaurant in the 50th and France hood, I fear that Raku does not quite live up to the expectations of the other spots in the few blocks. I came here on a Saturday night with a few girlfriends before a movie at the Edina theater; warning that this was the only place with ressies available between 6-8pm... with every timeslot available. On par with the rest of the reviews...the best descriptor of our service was weird. After waiting 15 minutes to order a drink, each getting the house pinot grigio (short and sweet wine list, love), and after another 10 minutes our waiter came back and asked if we wanted a bottle. At this point I would have drank whatever he brought. The whole staff seemed a little rushed. I ordered the Tuna Pizza and the Cali Roll. I actuallly loved the Tuna Pizza. Super strange that when I asked the server what it was and his thoughts, he said "the bartender ordered it and say it's not good". Well. Not the glowing review I wanted, and he kind of laughed at me when I ordered anyway. I loved it! It was a corn tortilla topped with crab meat, avocado, and tuna. Super filling and would be a good app for a group. The cali roll was a little bland, but soy sauce and fix that. The price shoot out to about $40 a person, each having a 1/3 bottle of wine and two small rolls. For the $, service and quality, I might choose another location for a pre-show dinner. However if you have a real hankering for sushi, this is it. read more

At first when my parents told me about a sushi place was opening in downtown Edina I was skeptical -- about quality, price, everything really. BUT This is one time I will gladly admit I was wrong. I finally visited with my friend, Kelsey W. and I loved it. I've also been back with my parents since they live closeby. The first visit is fuzzy since it was awhile ago but I had a positive impression of the sushi and drinks! The more recent time is fresh in my mind however... We ordered 3 dishes to share. Roll Maki don Shrimp udon I just wish their mochi was filled with something other than ice cream so I could eat it :) read more

Everything we tried was solid. We met there with a group of 8 friends. One girl had purchased a Groupon so the servers were really difficult and snooty about us paying with multiple cards. We were like, really? The girl with the groupon spent $80 on top of her $20 groupon AND she brought us in because she wanted to use it. So if I were a business owner or manager, I would've been much friendlier to a table that overspent their groupon by 15 times. They finally gave in because we all just sat there and glared, but they definitely weren't nice in the least. 5 year old me says: This place is stupid with meanies working. Adult me says: Waste of money. Go spend it on actually delicious food with great service. read more

I fear I must jump on the service was spotty bandwagon. The server was sincere and smiled, and for that we give him due props. But, really--I shouldn't have to remind folks of my drink order 20 minutes after placing it. And only then find out that they don't have what I wanted. The food was fair, although some of the sashimi was rather flavorless. The menu's promised shrimp sauce for the Teppanyaki dish was 86ed though, so not the best planning. And the dish was fairly bland. The server did apologize at the end and suggested the place was unusually busy. read more

My family took our 9-year-old daughter to Raku to celebrate winning a piano contest. None of us were disappointed. My son and daughter loved the 'Japanese pop' - which was strawberry and came in a very unusual bottle. They were delighted. Our family only ordered special rolls - and they were special. Each roll had it's own flavor. We ordered two rounds and everything was eaten. When we left, our whole family was enthusiastic about the experience and we were glad we went. read more

Not the best tasting, not the worst tasting style of Japanese food. More so a Japanese influential style restaurant, if one is more into those sort of things. Some dishes were good, others were meh. Quality of food was not the best. Felt full after eating the maki rolls which indicated that food was at least processed. One should never feel full after eating tiny plates of food. Overall, food was not very memorable and would only go back if someone was treating me. 3.5/5 read more

I would love to give this place a 3 stars, but the fact that they had some major issues have brought me down to 2 stars. A friend and I decided to stop and eat here for break, since we had an hour until we had to go back to class. The inside was beautiful ! Very modern and classy. BUT ! There was absolutely no one to greet us! We had to wait 3-4 minutes waiting for a hostess, which also was the waitress. She was running around everywhere, since she was the only one working in the front ! We order our food, I had their luncheon special which consist of a soup or salad, a appetizer, and a choice of the of selected dishes they offered. I had order the filet mignon and she had a crispy chicken salad. I kid you not it took them 50 minutes just to get our food out. The place wasn't even busy. So I didn't understand how it took them so long just to bring out a salad and the filet mignon. Besides the bad customer service and the horrible wait time, their food WAS good. Very flavorful ! The miso soup didn't taste all that great though, because the texture felt very grainy. Their shrimp tempura roll was good, but it had a fishy taste to it, questioning if the meat was still fresh.. It's a okay restaurant, but they still have a lot of minor issues to deal with. read more

We tried this place for the first time on a Friday night. By 8pm, the place was almost empty. Empty enough that the servers were drinking beers and watching baseball at the bar because there weren't enough customers to keep them busy. That says a lot to me. Other restaurants in the area were so busy there were people waiting outdoors on a cool night to get a table. This place was dead. The sushi was okay. We tried three different rolls. The specialty roll was good, but others not so much. The tuna didn't seem particularly fresh, and one roll had nori that was way too chewy. I've never before had sushi with nori I couldn't bite through. read more

We have gone three times now and we really don't think we'll be back because the service is SOOOO SLOW!!! We started with edamame. We noticed that everyone around us was given warm, damp washcloths to clean their hands with before eating. Very civilized, yet we never got one. And you eat edamame with your hands. We ordered a yam tempura roll, a Sun Kiss roll, and a Captain Crunch roll. Normally when you order three rolls, you get them together. We wanted to start with the yam roll and end on a sweet note, the sun kiss roll. But after 25 minutes, we finally got the sun kiss roll. We asked about the other two and she said they were coming right up. We could see the bar and there sat our yam roll. Getting cold. Another ten minutes and the crunch roll was finally up so she brought both over. The yam roll was a C-. The other two were very good, but every time we go we get such slow and erratic service that we just don't want to go anymore. Maybe for take-out, if I need an hour to waste! read more

I have been here only once, but I was not impressed. We decided we wanted to get hibachi, and we found this restaurant in Groupon. I had chicken, and the chicken was a very odd texture. It was not like what you'd expect a chicken breast to chew like. It was a combination of rubbery and crunchy, not an appetizing duo. We ordered hibachi food, but it was doused in teriyaki sauce, not what we were expecting. The sauce was all right, but there was too much of it. I might as well have ordered rubber chicken teriyaki. Honestly, I think my brown rice was my favorite part of the meal. On top of all of this, the dishes here are not cheap. Next time, I would absolutely choose somewhere like Osaka or Benihana. read more

I ordered from here by accident (thought I was ordering from a different restaurant). I only got two rolls, but they were tasty! The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. I'd definitely order here on purpose in the future! read more

Such a ridiculously good happy hour! It's the best price and quality happy hour I've seen anywhere. You know how most places have a limited happy hour selection? Imagine 8 apps, 10-16 rolls, and 4 specialty rolls, all full sized orders and half off. And everything actually tastes good! I'm really impressed they're willing to maintain quality for such a great discount. Highly recommend checking this one out. One down side, terrible happy hour times: Monday - Thursday, 3pm - 5pm & 9pm - 10pm. Yeah... Note, I have no idea if it's a limited time happy hour, so do check before heading over. read more

It is about time that this area got a nice sushi and this place has it all. They serve traditional Japanese dishes with French, Italian and other Asian influences. we started with splitting a Green salad with a wonderful ginger dressing then moved onto some rolls. Our server recommended a few rolls and they were the same rolls that we were interested in and they were the Captain Crunch with shrimp tempura, crab, avocado and cucumber with tempura flakes and the Snow Thrill with tuna, salmon, yellowtail and avocado inside and tempura flakes and spicy mayo and eel sauce drizzled on top. Both rolls had similarities but a little different and both were served very artistic on the plate. We also had some unagi, tuna and salmon nigiri that were nice, fresh and cool. This was my second time here and both adventures were very satisfying. I will be back. Snow thrill and captain crunch read more

I've seen this place plenty of times and heard mixed reviews (good, bad, in-between). I recently joined a gathering for a birthday celebration (18 people) and must say I wasn't terribly impressed. Raku is located on W 50th Street, in the heart of the shopping area of Edina (you know...that place which has all the expensive, fancy shops?!). Parking can be tricky, you can park in portions of the nearby grocery store lot; otherwise, it's street or ramp parking. The interior design has a darker tone, the usual dim lighting and a strangely small bar (seats 6 total, tucked into a corner). Now with the large party we had, seating was tricky - we were placed in a long row of tables, roughly 10 on each side; not great for chatting, but we were seated! What we ordered... * Seared Pepper Tuna (cold dish) * Hamachi Kama (yellowtail jaw) * Sweet Potato Roll * Fire Roll * Snow Thrill Overall, the sushi was fresh (time, effort went into each one), but the flavor was mild (almost boring in some cases) and the presentation was lacking (literally a roll on a white plate). Where was the creative spirit? The 37 pieces of flare?! Part of the sushi experience is presentation - ingredients are wicked important, as is the rice - I simply wasn't feeling it at Raku. I did enjoy the Kama, fresh, tasty and decent size for the price. The Fire Roll was the best of the rolls we ordered - fresh avocado, great spicy tuna and crunchy shrimp tempura. Our server was on top of everything the entire night - other reviewers had terrible service, but I will say this gentleman knew what he was doing. Managing a table of nearly 20 hungry diners isn't easy, he was fast, attentive and didn't miss a step. All together, it was an a-okay experience, wouldn't be my first choice for sushi in the Twin Cities. read more

Sushi in MN - a first for me. This place has a great lay-out. Upscale. Very nicely done tables/chairs. Probably one of the nicest japanese/sushi restaurants I have ever eaten at. Impressive. Our waiter was outstanding. Well-spoken and had great recommendations. Attentive. One of those folks that adds to the experience rather than taking away from it. Playboy roll was a hit. All the standards were strong. Rolls were well-made. Fish not as varied or as fresh as I am used to on the coasts - wonder if that's just the standard for MN area or we hit this place on a bad night. Either way, still a great time. read more

The food was excellent, very tasty, the waiter was great , attentive. We had to wait 20 minutes to receive the check after we asked for it. I also asked the hostess, nothing, asked the Manager but he was too busy to talk, when he finally returned I told him we were leaving if you want to be paid bring the bill. No apologies. There was 4 or 5 couples waiting for a table and there were many tables besides ours waiting for their bills. So if you want to risk it, the food is good, but ask for your bill when you order. read more

I didn't have a terrible experience at Raku, and truthfully, I only sampled 2 standard rolls and one specialty roll. Yet, I don't feel compelled to return. In fact, I forgot I even went there until I wrote a review about somewhere else I went in the 50th & France neighborhood. Service was slow on Sunday at lunchtime, even though there was only one other table in use while we were there. The rolls were decent. We tried the playboy roll as well as your standard spicy tuna. It wasn't bad; I have just had more memorable and mouth watering sushi experiences elsewhere in the city. Those who loved it--tell me what you had so I know what to order if I ever return. read more

From NY and had a hard time finding good sushi until I found this place. Well worth the price tag. Always good service.

I'm writing this review solely based on their lobster bisque soup, since it's the only thing I had here. As good as their sushi might be based on other reviews, save your $10 and avoid the lobster bisque, especially if you really like the soup in general. This must be the fusion part of seriously overcooking the lobster meat to the point that it tastes worse than an overcooked rubber ring of calamari, I honestly didn't think it was possible to do that to a lobster. I'd actually consider returning here to try the sushi, but for now, I stand by my rating, especially for the price of the soup. read more

We've never really been let down before at the places we've tried until tonight at Raku. To start, we had trouble finding it. The signage was terrible!!! We waited 20 minutes. No server. No drink order taken. Nothing. Very disappointing. But, all the extra time did give us enough time to look around and see how dusty and dirty the place really was. Food was not fresh... all frozen fishes!!! taste really bad!!! OVERALL DO NOT RECOMMENDED !!!!! read more

Often overlooked by many passing by, it is surprisingly good food. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for quick, quality sushi that is in the area. Their lunch specials are affordable and fresh. read more

Tis is some for the most fresh sushi you can have in the cities, the salmon is amazing. But do NOT get take out. It is horrible. I went there and they said it would only be 20 min until it was ready and it took over and hour for them. I sat there for 40 min without rm saying sorry read more

Got takeout on a Friday night (life as a new mom!). We got an assortment of sushi and sashimi, all standard and no complaints. They have one dish that will keep me coming back again and again - grilled yellowtail jaw (Hamachi Kama). It was seasoned perfectly, we squeezed a lemon on it and I could not stop until the entire thing was devoured. read more

Significant improvement! I haven't been to Raku for months, then pleasantly surprised by updated menu and food.

It was starting off well until I found a hair in my food :( The sweet potato tempura was really tasty and the drinks were good despite their steep prices. For the quality of food, it feels overpriced. The place was empty at dinner time and that seemed reflective of how this place holds up for a Japanese dinner. Unfortunately won't be returning. read more

Long time customer (mostly take out) and things have changed in Raku in the last months. Sushi quality is subpar...for the take out they literally jam two sushi orders together on top of the wasabi (which I had asked to not have)...then the soy sauce was open in the plastic bag and a real mess. Previous staff was very careful to put the soy sauce in separate bag but no more. Never busy in this very large place and I guess I see why. A long time good customer....gone! Tried to find an email to contact them directly but none available. read more