Noted as one of New York's most popular ramen/udon spots, Raku has three locations around the…read morecity--each with a different menu. This location in EV is cozy and intimate. They are fairly strict with their dining time period as it is busy. Be sure to book a reservation. Their menu is fairly large with plenty of appetizers as well as hot and cold udon options (note: this is a udon spot, not ramen). I got their kanimaze (cold) and their tantan (hot) and both were delicious. The kanimaze was refreshing and full of flavor. And the tantan was rich, comforting, and warm. Their shrimp tempura and agedashi were also great. Lightly fried and not too greasy. Would love to come back to try their other options.

Came here because I accidentally booked the wrong location and the other two options didn't have…read moreavailability. It was a pleasant surprise to see that they expanded into the adjacent storefront. Now there's 4-5 booths and a bar table. The annex matches the interior design of their Soho and Midtown location and feels clean and spacious. Service was a bit slow from the hostess to the server. We ordered: small chicken tatsuta-age, niku udon, kamonan udon, assorted mushroom udon, green tea tiramisu, souffle fruit roll, soba pudding. Appreciate how big the chunks of meat are used for fried chicken. The exterior was a bit overfried but the interior stayed Broth and udon aligns with their Soho location which makes me more willing to come to this location moving forward. The assorted mushroom is seasonal. It's a nice lighter cleaner option but at the same time the mushrooms don't add much flavor. Kamonan is the duck which I chose because duck is a less common meat option around. I felt that the duck was a bit tough and bland yet also added too much oil into the clean broth (relatively to me). Niku is an OG but I haven't had it in a while. This time I was surprised how the marinate is light resulting in stronger meat flavor. I wish it would be more tender but it's alright. Desserts were more disappointing to me. I used to go to Patisserie Fouet frequently before they shut down the Union Square location. Green tea tiramisu had strong matcha soaks but I found the overall dessert to be a bit bland. The soaked sponge was a bit too wet too. Souffle fruit roll was huge, better to share with others especially after already eating savory food beforehand. I think it's intentional for the cake to be so dense. It came out really smooth but way too dense to feel like a dessert. I think I would eat this as breakfast instead. The raspberry sauce's tartness and punchiness is much needed otherwise I don't know if I can finish it. Soba pudding is my usual favorite and it stands up to the test of time. Still super smooth and with wheaty depth.

Every dish was honestly very delicious!…read more Corn ribs -- good flavor and reminded me of elote Niku udon -- hand pulled noodles were indeed very good and the broth is very light, it also comes with a few chunks of beef that are very tender Mazemen -- also made with hand pulled noodles, not too saucy and mild spice, sweet and meaty flavors Pork loin katsu -- prob one of the best katsus ive had, it didnt taste greasy or heavy at all and the breading was light and crispy. The pork wasnt dry and was quite soft. I did wish it came with some rice or something bc it's only 5 pieces that goes by quickly. My mom and aunt also thought the food tasted good and they're generally pretty picky!

I'm always on the search for good katsu and was looking forward to trying this spot! This is a bit…read moreof a belated review, but I'm glad to see that the standout dishes from my winter visit are still featured on their summer menu. 3 of us shared a few orders of their tenderloin ($18) and pork loin ($20) katsu, eggplant agebitashi ($18), sabazushi ($22), truffle rice, and niku udon ($24). The katsu was very, very moist on the inside, with a crispy batter that was so light it was almost flavorless. I honestly couldn't really tell the difference between the tenderloin and pork loin. Overall the dish had a very light flavor and I added quite a bit of sauce and wasabi. Some of the less memorable dishes were the eggplant agebitashi and truffle rice. The eggplant agebitashi tasted like a cross between an eggplant parm and a bolognese. The truffle rice had a very strong truffle flavor that ended up overpowering everything else in the dish. I thought the slices of raw button mushrooms were a little strange. I really enjoyed the sabazushi. The pieces of mackerel were thick and carried a lot of that characteristic mackerel oily flavor, but the oiliness was cut by enough vinegar to balance everything out. The niku udon was also a surprise hit. The noodles were wide, flat, super slurpy, and the broth carried a deep umami flavor. Overall, I had a pretty solid experience here.

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!

I was recommended to come check this out and I love me some Japanese food…read more There was a bit of a wait on Friday about 45 mins but we had a bigger party than usual. Ordering was quick and I got the eggplant (fyi one of my favorite veggies) appetizer to try. It was an American eggplant and it seems like it was baked first. Then they had a ground pork sauce and quail egg on the top. The server suggested to mix it in and then eat it. It kind of like an Asian baba ghanoush where got pretty creamy. I enjoyed it! I was pretty excited to try the udon and it tasted chewy and wasn't overcooked. I think they could crank up the AC a little bit towards the back of the restaurant because felt a bit toasty. Bathroom was downstairs and floor was a bit wet so be careful down there. I come again :)

Great place all around!…read more The service was great, they recommended stuff and suggested a way to order for the amount of people/what we wanted. It had a real izakaya feel to it with the decors and the lighting. The restaurant goes deep!! It was bigger than I imagined. And the food of course was delicious. We had grilled squid, cabbage salad, nabe, and mackerel. Everything hit the spot. They also have different sauces that make the dining experience fun! I'm glad I went here with my friends.

TL;DR: you won't regret dining here. I'm already planning my next visit. 5/5…read more Came here on Saturday at 1.30pm (group of four), no reservation, were seated immediately. Promptly brought a wet towelette for our hands and water. Service overall was excellent, from start to finish. Ended up ordering the following: - Bottle of strawberry nigori sake (could have gotten one per person but we were already hitting a bar afterwards) - Yakitori combo appetizer (two skewers of each of the following: chicken+scallion, chicken meatball, and scallops): all of the skewers were delicious. I could have easily eaten three orders by myself. Succulent, juicy scallops, perfectly cooked chicken and scallions, and the chicken meatballs were perfectly moist and delicious. - Shrimp tempura appetizer: I love for shrimp so this one was all for me. Excellent tempura batter and nice-sized shrimp. - Trico roll: shared by the three others in my party and they all said they'd get it again. - Beef Yakiniku Don: probably my favorite. My GF got this and shared some with me. Amazing flavor and perfectly cooked. After a few bites I decided I would get this next time I come back for lunch. 7/5. - Pork Belly Nabe: my friend said it was delicious but I can't give it a rating myself. - Yakitori Don: my other friend got this and it looked as good as the chicken skewers we had as an appetizer. Again, can't give it a rating based on taste, but on looks a 5/5. - Yaki Udon: I got this. I was originally going to get sukiyaki but since two people had to order and no one else did, I ended up ordering this (my alternate was the Beef Yakiniku Don but my GF had already ordered so I got a different dish). Only complaint was that it could have had a little bit more beef but overall, perfectly sheet udon noodles, sauce, and beef. Would still get it again. 4.5/5. $180 for all (pre-tip). Well worth the price. Next time I return it'll be for sukiyaki, though, and I'll make sure whoever I go with is going to get it, too. 5/5, will be back.

Oh em gee. The broth is so good…read more We got the Seasonal Mushroom Udon, Nabeyaki Udon, Niku Udon (spicy), and Ankimo. My favorite was the Niku Udon. Truly can't describe how delicious the broth is. It is so rich yet so light at the same time. Great portion of toppings. The Ankimo dish was really interesting too. I haven't had monkfish before but really enjoyed it. My friend and I said it kinda reminded us of canned tuna at first bite... lol. But it has its own flavor profile. Cute interior. Food ready pretty fast. A lot of udon spots don't normally wow me. Very content. And I know I'll be craving this udon in the future.

Delicious. Great service. Pretty setting. Fairly reasonable pricing. As a vegetarian,…read moreIt's also nice that there are really plenty of options. I look forward to going again!

Fabulous lunch for two adults and two children. Pricey but…read moreon par with similar Japanese places in NYC. Everything we ordered was excellent, albeit small portions. Rice was perfectly cooked and flavored, sashimi pieces were fresh, & service was pleasant. What we ordered: Aged tofu: four pieces of fried tofu with mochi batter in delicious soy based sauce Ika Geso: crispy, flaky, not at all greasy fried battered squid legs with creamy wasabi dipping sauce. Kaisen Don: salmon, tuna, tako (octopus) yellowtail, and ikura over a bowl of delicious rice. Ikura was so good! Sweet and fresh. We ended up ordering Ikura and Uni Don after trying the ikura! Cold Soba Green Tea Noodle: came with large pieces of fresh salmon sashimi. Soba had the perfect bite and chewiness. The broth was refreshing and sooo delicious! Sake Miso Clam: spicy broth!! Small clams. Not as good as other dishes we ordered. Hotate Yuzu Roll: scallops, yellowtail, yuzu gel. Very fresh but our favorite. Lacked flavor. Uni Ikura Don: sweet, burst in your mouth Ikura with four very small pieces of uni over perfect rice. Came with sheets of nori to wrap all the goodness in. Great meal! Will definitely be going back!

Cuisine: 7 Service: 8…read moreDecor: 7 Value: 6 Overall: 7 Not a bad late night spot when craving some Japanese izakaya. The space is clean and nicely lit, but tables were somewhat tight. Service was very good and everyone was friendly. As for the food, it's not the best I have had for sure, but not too shabby either. However, prices were definitely on the higher side. A quick snack turned into a $120 bill after tax and tip. My favorite was probably parts of the Uni Hon Maguro Hara Don. Yes, the rice should be warmer and definitely seasoned better, but passable. The seafood was fresh, but the otoro and chutoro were a tad underwhelming. Hokkaido Uni should have been sweeter and creamier. Hamachi sashimi was fine, and so was the Ankimo (though I would have preferred it creamier). Unfortunately, the Sake Clam Miso was overcooked and not enjoyable. I would totally drink that slightly spicy clam broth like a shot though if they sold it that way. Lol Anyway, not on my top to return list, but I would certainly give it another go and try a few more items before making such a conclusion.

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).

I want to start this off with how I loved how laid back this spot is. It only seats about 15…read morepeople. Music was on very low. Was able to speak to my wife softly (love a restaurant that's quiet!) The server & cook were great. The waiter was kind and check on us in a timely manner. The food was amazing. Bigger portions would have been great, but I know that's not the kind of place this is.. so no complaints! Highly recommend this place for a date. We might have to come back again soon. Two thumbs all the way up!

Came here a long time ago bc I heard how good their sushi sets are. If you are a sushi lover and…read morewant something homey you will definitely like Okonomi. It's nonfussy, and although not the cheapest sushi, it's definitely not super expensive/omakase level. It's a small space with a giant bar for seating and maybe a few tables - the owners are definitely passionate about Japanese cuisine and you can definitely feel that as you chat with them a bit. The menu is small, but dedicated to quality, and you will make your choice quite quickly. All the fish was fresh, large pieces, and really really clean tasting. The soup was delightful and paired wonderfully and everything was presented quite nicely. The grilled fish was also tasty and really tender.