Raku

Raku will change the way you think about udon. The prices are a bit high, but the quality of the udon and ingredients make it worthwhile.
First off, the place is tiny and may be hard to spot with its simple entrance. We went on a Monday night, and there was no wait but the restaurant was full. I imagine there’s a long wait on the weekends. The environment was cozy, and service was prompt.
We ordered kinpira gobo (braised burdock root, $ 4) and sabazushi (mackerel sushi, $ 5) to start, and both were tasty appetizers. For entrees, we ordered the bukkake udon (sakura shrimp, $ 9) and niku udon (beef short rib and tripe, $ 17). Both were delicious, but the niku was the real standout. The broth was flavorful and savory, and the meat was perfectly cooked, soft, and juicy. The udon noodles were very fresh and had a nice consistency. Portions were pretty generous, and I was full by the end of the meal.
I would definitely recommend Raku if you’re craving noodles and want to try something different from your standard Japanese or ramen joint. (also: cash only!)

This recently opened addition to the east village is gaining in popularity quickly and I’m not sure if that’s gotten to the staff’s ego or if they are still refining themselves.
For such a small space, the service is surprisingly as hard to find as the unlabeled entrance. Now I’m not expecting service anywhere near the realms of a three michelin star restaurant but for a place where I’m paying almost $ 20 for a bowl of noodles I was hoping to at least get my drink refilled. I didn’t come at a particularly busy time. It was a Sunday afternoon and half the tables were empty.
We saw our waitress once when she took our orders and gave us a large container of water to start, again when our bowls of noodles came out, and one last time when she handed us our bill. It was all very robotic.
Service aside, Raku’s udon bowl of noodles is very comforting and a nice change of taste from all the ramen shops in the city. I can only speak to the Niku Udon (beef tripe) bowl but it is 4 stars by itself if the service wasn’t lacking. Although the soup base looks spicy it really isn’t and packed with flavor. It is a great bowl of noodles compared to the other options for neighborhood it’s in but I’ll be in the minority and admit it wasn’t mind-​blowing.

Came in on a cold Sunday evening and this place was packed! The front entrance is basically a curtain with no name or sign so it’s easy to miss.
The noodles were delicious and the beer was refreshing but the service was just «EH.» The lady taking names for the wait list and serving tables wasn’t very organized and you had to hunt her down to take your name.
Once we seated– which wasn’t more than ¹⁰⁄₁₅ minutes later, not a long wait– our order was taken at the same time as the table next to us. We didn’t receive our food until after they got their appetizers and after their main course.
The food was great though, and made the wait worth it! I got the duck udon and my friend got the short beef ribs udon. Each bowl was very large portioned and just the right amount of food.

U don know udon until you’ve been to Raku.
Still a hidden gem of East Village, this small Japanese eatery totally hit the spot on a chilly night. Run by the same owner of Kasu, Raku’s udon noodles are well worth any trip.
The dining area is tiny, with seating for around 20 people, and the interior has a very homey, white stone feel. I was very impressed by the simplicity and neatness of the environment. The single sided menu has tons of appetizer and udon options, and I ultimately went with the niku udon and split an order of the bacon.
The bacon came in a tall bowl topped with raw onions. The quality was amazing, and I thoroughly enjoyed dipping in the accompanying sauce. To be honest, the flavor itself isn’t different. It’s just a really good, thick cut bacon appetizer.
My udon was a total winner. First off, the bowls are HUGE, which was a cool effect but made it hard to take an appetizing photo. The main star was the noodles. Cut to a perfect slurping length, each strand was very Q, bouncy and chewy while still maintaining substance. The accompanying tripe was also very tasty, and the cuts of short rib were bite-​sized and not too dry. Portion-​wise, it was just right. I didn’t run out of noodles too early and didn’t feel stuffed afterwards. The price point is a little higher for a bowl of noodles, but the quality makes it well worth it.
Overall, Raku well exceeded my expectations based on my friends’ stories. The feel and flavors seemed very authentic and the quality was way higher than other Japanese restaurants in the area. I can’t wait to try other udon varieties and narrow down a favorite.

This place is TINY. I went inside and since its the winter you can feel every draft… although they are space efficient so I didn’t have to wait on a Thursday night… I don’t know what I would’ve done if I did have to wait outside… like maybe not write this review. Anyway… no one cares I don’t know why I’m ranting.
Niku honey Udon and Agedashi tofu
Pros
–huge bowl of noodles that are super boingy which is awesome I love boingy
–perfect balance of sweet and salty
–beef the right texture and tripe was not too chewy so dont be turned offals
(pun intended dont hate. nvm haters gon hate so just hate its fine whatever i won’t cry or anything. in public)
–theres some semblance of vegetables in there I think it may be spinach but this is a Japanese place so I can’t be sure… might be some weird new species they discovered after radiation. ok I don’t know why I’m feeling nonsensical today so just ignore this part. its spinach. ok got it wont be constipated later
Cons
–cash only and a bit pricey so. better bring the wad of coke money. lol plz don’t flag my review
— small place so be prepared to wait at prime time (i would suggest netflix n chill during primetime and just come here on non prime time) you re welcome for the extraneous and useless information and advice. someone’s gotta provide this right? ha.
–no reservation. thats right for all you planny people out there just dont plan and go w it. deal w the cold
I mean I don’t really get the hype? This place is pretty good. but don’t think it’s worth 5 stars. I gave it 4 stars because I enjoyed the meal and I didn’t have to wait and I didn’t think the place was too overpriced I suppose.

Came on a freezing NYC winter night and had the kamonam udon, which has duck and tokyo negi. I was underwhelmed with the duck and found it to be a bit tough, with too much fat that wasn’t rendered all. Attempting to eat around the chewy fat was an awkward process and I ended up giving up.
BUT (and this is a major but) the noodles and broth were absolutely incredible. Best udon I have had in NYC or anywhere else. I would highly recommend this restaurant if you want to get your soupy noodle fix, but want a break from the super rich pork-​y ramen that has inundated the city.
I will definitely be back to try some of the other udon options on the menu.
The restaurant is small and fills up quickly, so I would recommend showing up early. It is cash only, but there is a Bank of America ATM a 3 minute walk away which was convenient.

3.5 stars — I honestly don’t have much love for anything soupy or noodle-​y. Which happened to be the total opposite of my husband who is still mourning over the closing of Oya in midtown that happened more than a year ago! After reading about their authentic house made udon, I knew Raku would be the perfect place to take my husband to for our casual dinner date.
We sprinted to the restaurant right before 7pm to beat the dinner rush. Yet we still waited about 15 mins for a table (mainly because there were two tables who didn’t have any cash on them! — not their fault though, there were no signs whatsoever that said cash only). We went with their two most popular items — My husband ordered their Niku (short rib and honeycomb tripe) and I opted for their egg udon.
First impression — generous portion! $ 10 for my egg udon definitely very reasonable! As I ate through my bowl, It felt as if it was bottomless! The udon had a pleasantly chewy and bouncy texture. The soup reminded me a bit of egg drop soup from Chinese restaurants. The seasoning and flavor profile were very heavy on ginger instead. I am a fan of ginger so I drank my whole bowl! but my husband? Not so much.
He enjoyed his Niku udon however! His bowl was filled with fist sized short ribs chunks and palm sized tripe. The soup base, although very flavorful, He thought it was overwhelming heavy on sesame oil and salt. He polished the noodle and meat, but left the soup alone. I should have done the same because I was so thirsty as soon I got home — to a point where my whole mouth tasted bitter! Unless you are planning to drink gallons of water after the meal, I wouldn’t recommend finishing any of the soups.
Overall, my husband liked his Niku udon but he said it was nothing comparable to Oya. I thought my egg udon was good but nothing I would ever crave. Glad we gave Raku a try but doubt we will be back any time soon.

A new udon driven shop just open up in St. Marks amidst all the ramen crazed shops. The place felt like a must try but after seeing and tasting their dishes. I felt it was over hyped and fell short of what it could’ve accomplished. The place is easy to miss as there is no signs outsides and is basically a hole in the wall. If you want to get seats make sure to come before 6:30 as that is when the crowd comes and considering how small this place is that can lead to like a 30 to 1 hr wait time.
Their menu is rather small and if you are looking to customized your order then this place is not it. I would suggest Udon West which lets you add a multitude of items to your udon. The menu has around four udon items with beef/​shortrib/​shrimp tempura/​duck on it and one of the being a curry. If you do not like japanese curry then for a udon driven place they really limited it down to about three items. They range from $ 14 to $ 18 and comes in a big bowl, however the portion size is rather small.
You can get the same amount with Kaarage or simmered beef or a variety of toppings at Udon West for like $ 10 to $ 12. The broth is nothing special and in fact the duck udon broth was bland and tasted diluted. The duck was extremely chewy like it has been in that broth for way too long for there to have any taste. The beef udon with the short ribs and honey comb tripe was a bit better. The broth was rich and definitely stood out compare to the bland duck broth they presented. However, portion was small and the short ribs were not tender enough and might have needed more time to cook. The udon was good and extremely fresh so that was the saving grace but I do believe the meal was overvalued at around $ 18 per item.
I have mixed experience at Raku as I did believe the meal was worth almost $ 20 per bowl of udon. I suggest going to Udon West for the same quality meal for a much cheaper price. If you want to try Raku, I do suggest getting the short ribs and honey combo udon and skip the duck one.

This place definitely has strong pros but overall, I have to give it a 3 for the following reasons:
1. noodles are a little on the soggy side. Since this is an udon shop, I would expect the noodles to be of higher quality and cooked well. Unfortunately, I was unable to taste the noodle nor enjoy the slightly chewy texture that I like. (I got the supposedly chewier thin noodles too)
2. Broth is not anything special. I ordered the wakame (seaweed) and mushroom soup bowl which came with exactly that. However, the mushrooms weren’t very interesting/​flavorful and the soup itself just tasted like a dashi seaweed soup I could cook up in minutes at home. Just not too impressed.
3. Lack of toppings. For the beef short rib and tripe udon, I expected there to be a more generous serving of topping but instead, the pieces of short rib were kind of small and even more, they weren’t very tender.
As I said before though, this place has a lot of strengths including very good service, excellent ambience, and authentic table setting and flatware. You also get pretty generous servings of the soup and noodles which makes this a good place for something warm and easy going on the stomach.

Great spot and very refreshing considering all the ramen madness that’s going on. Very cool décor and an almost hidden place. The udon came out piping hot with tons of subtle flavors. Prices were fair and would def. return.
My only qualm, and I don’t know if this is just me, but when I was halfway through my meal they slapped a check down and said, «whenever you’re ready». When I’m finished my meal and you want to grab it and bring a check, fine. But wait until I’m finished. It’s just a pet peeve of mine and really is pretty rude.
Other than that it’s a great place!

Udon is like the forgotten sister when compared to the much more popular ramen, and there’s usually a reason why. It’s not very memorable at most restaurants in the US, but Raku proves anyone who has ever doubted udon WRONG.
I had the niku udon (beef short ribs and tripe) for $ 17 and it was delicious. The beef was melt-​in-​my-​mouth tender while the tripe was very chewy and flavorful. My family’s Cantonese, so I’ve grew up eating a ton of great tripe, and I was so excited that this definitely did not disappoint. Finally, the udon aka the BEST PART. It was cooked perfectly. I was initially growing impatient at how long it was taking for the udon to come out but it was definitely worth the wait. The broth itself is quite simple, tastes like something I can whip up at home, but in many ways, that’s the beauty of it, so simple yet so delicious.
My bowl was on the expensive side of the menu. Most items are in the $ 11-​$ 13 range, so definitely a great deal for dinner in the area!

Whoa. Mind blown. Never knew that udon could taste this good. Never knew that a bowl of soup with just seaweed and scallions could be so fulfilling. Came here on a Monday night at around 7:30 pm and it was packed-​luckily we were able to snag the last two seats. The setting is very simple and homey: there are wooden benches against the wall and overall limited space. The menu is simple. Udon is clearly the thing to get here. I ordered the wakame (seaweed) one and it was so simple yet so delicious. The broth was piping hot and extremely light. The seaweed tasted exactly like the ocean and flavored the entire bowl well. Finally, the udon itself was precisely the right texture: not too hard and not too soft, clearly made with care. Best of all, the bowl was only $ 11.
I also really appreciated the green tea they served. This place is great for a casual bowl of noodle soup on a wintery night. You won’t be disappointed!

4.5 stars rounded up. I would recommend arriving to Raku before 7pm. My friend and I got here around 6:45 and there were only two other parties at the restaurant. We realized this place is *CASH ONLY* so I ran out to the Bank of America nearby to get some cash before ordering, and by the time I got back at 7pm, the entire place was packed and people kept coming in. Soon enough, there was a wait.
The place is literally a tight, low-​ceiling box with a tiny window — you almost feel like you’re in a prison. However, the seating is not so tight that you feel like you’re invading each other’s personal space. You will, however, hear everything everyone else is talking about nearby.
Ramen ranges from around $ 10 – 20, depending on what you get and any additional sides you order.
Both of us were intrigued by the infamous Niku udon ($ 18) — braised short ribs + honeycomb tripe (they had me at tripe) in broth. The braised short ribs and tripe reminded me a little bit about Chinatown noodle shops — they have something similar.
Noodles — perfect-​est udon noodles in the City, hands down.
Broth — very flavorful — tastes like the braised short rib. Not too heavy, but not light like the kind they have at Udon West.
Meat — holy meat! The amount of meat they put in this bowl of udon is ridiculous and a delightful surprise. Good for the boys who always complain that noodles don’t have enough protein. The honeycomb tripe was cooked perfectly — not too chewy, but not too soft. Meat was very flavorful.
My only complaint is the soup was quite salty and had to drink a lot of water and I’m actually still thirsty.
Service was good and food came out within a reasonable timeframe. Great alternative to the «other» udon place (Udon West) in the city!

This is the best udon I’ve had in the states. Prices are very reasonable, ranging from $ 9 – 18 for a very large bowl of udon! You will likely be full with just one bowl, no appetizers needed (but get the thick cut bacon anyway). Note it’s cash only!
Udon isn’t even my favorite kind of noodle by far (I can die happy if my last meal on earth were ramen or beef noodle soup with handpulled noodles) but Raku’s udon noodles are perfectly chewy, the right amount of soft and squishy, and paired with flavorful comforting broth. It’s the perfect bowl of noodle soup to warm up with in the middle of NYC winter.
Atsugiri bacon appetizer — thick cut bacon. It tastes like fatty smoked ham! We really didn’t need to get this because each udon bowl is beyond filling, but it was tasty and indulgent, the goal of every trip to NYC I take.
Niku udon — beef udon with honeycomb tripe. Complex flavorful broth with big chunks of beef and tripe. Two thumbs up.
Ankake udon — egg udon. Very comforting to eat — get this if you are sick or hungover or cold (like me as a Cali girl going to NYC in winter). This has a thicker broth than the Niku udon that fit well with the egg and noodles. It may not seem large from the photos but the udon bowls are huge!
Their hot tea was actually freshly brewed! Service was very attentive and I love their Japanese minimalist décor with whitewashed walls and wooden tables. Also, use their bathroom — its very clean and the décor is awesome. I will be back to try all their other udon!

With the skyrocketing popularity of ramen, most people have forgotten about udon. But even before the ramen trend caught on, Udon West has maintained its stronghold in the East Village, Midtown East, and Flushing with its simple bowls of udon with curry rice specials. However, since the opening of Raku at the end of 2015, Udon West EV may now have some serious competition just a few blocks away.
Run by the same owner and executive chef of Kura on St Mark’s, Raku is winning over customers with its spotlight on udon. (They also serve donburi bowls and apps such as gyoza, ankimo, agedashi tofu.) Their udon ranges from more classic bowls e.g. Yasai Kakiage udon (vegetable tempura, $ 12), Ankake udon (egg, $ 9) to more complex ones e.g. the Kamounan udon (duck, $ 18) and Niku udon (beef and honeycomb tripe, $ 16).
We ordered the Curry udon and the Niku udon. Both broths were fabulously complex and rich (but not heavy) with chewy, al dente udon noodles. I usually don’t like tripe, but these giant rectangular honeycomb tripe pieces retained so much flavor that it wasn’t too bad. Plus, they were so generous on the number of beef pieces, definitely worth the price. We also loved the deep ceramic bowls that complemented the minimalistic décor of the place.
These udon noodles and broth are exactly as Raku in Japanese means — a «comfort» in the midst of chilly New York City winter nights.
Notes:
— CASH ONLY
— No reservations taken
— A small spot — 7 or so tables with some wall stool seating, for a total of 26 seats
— Entrance is an unmarked wooden door with a two panel noren (Japanese door curtain) covering it. Be wary that there are a ton of unmarked doors on 6^th St!
— Hours: 12PM-​11PM daily
— Raku is actually a type of Japanese pottery often used to make tea bowls, its name derived from Jurakudai, a palace in Kyoto.

I’m so glad that I found this place, it’s my new favorite noodle/​udon/​Japanese joint in East Village.
I went here on a Thursday for late lunch, like any typical place in NYC, seats are limited. We were able to get seated right away.
Service is really attentive. Food were amazing, I had the duck and my wife had the tripe. the broth were different and both of them were delicious and comforting.
I will be back very soon for a giant bowl of goodness.

So delish and worth the wait.
It was the coldest (or what felt like the coldest) night yet this winter. Complete with a hail-​slush storm. My friend and I made a decision to get some good ol’ soup noodles to warm us up, so off to Raku we go!
Arrived at 6:30 pm on this Monday evening and was met with a huge crowd of people in the doorway. The interior is so definitely Japanese — minimalistic (the artwork on the walls are a picture of a black box and a white box, people!) and clean. I put down my name and the hostess estimated 30 – 40 minutes, so I left and came back 29 minutes later. Turns out, I just missed my name T. T Luckily, the crowd had dissipated at that point and we would be seated next. This time, however, they asked us to wait outside because the people seated were complaining it was getting too crowded #bougie.
So we waited briefly outdoors, under a random awning to shield us from the pelting hail. Luckily, she was true to her word and within 5 minutes, we were seated. At the bar no less, but I was too excited to try the food at this point to care. They have around 8 bar seats, with the commonplace hooks under the bar, but also the COOLEST stools with openings for your belongings! Japanese people are so innovative, I swear.
But I digress. I quickly placed an order for the Niku udon ($ 17) and my friend ordered the egg udon ($ 10). Both came out rather quickly and we dugggggg right in! My udon was BOMBBBBB. The broth was so rich yet felt light, and the noodles are out of this world! They are so different from all over udon places. It feels distinctly homemade and noticeably softer. Also, the beef tripe was the softest, most melt-​in-​your-​mouth pieces of meat I’ve ever tasted. I never even knew tripe could taste like that! My friend’s egg udon was super interesting as the broth was reminiscent of egg drop soup. It was definitely much thicker, but still good!
We were happy to have finally tried Raku and would 1 000 000% recommend it! Knowing that the wait was already 30 minutes relatively early on a Monday evening, I wouldn’t be surprised if the wait times balloon up to an hour-​two on a busier night. Regardless — GOOOOOOO!

First of all this area has great food and some of my favorite restaurants are here. Raku is a great place if you want some tasty broth and memorable udon noodles.
We arrived during the week between Christmas and New Years when the city is somewhat empty so the wait wasn’t terrible. The interior is clean and simple. The exterior is the same way and it is so easy to walk by here without seeing this place. The service was great and the food came out very very quickly, good for people who are hungry. For appetizers we got the gyoza and the fried chicken. Both were amazing, especially the fried chicken. I suppose you can’t go wrong with fried chicken anywhere.
So we got the duck udon and the beef udon. I mainly ate the beef udon which had pieces of beef ribs that were large chunks of beef. Sort of reminds me of korean «galbi jjim». The broth was a bit on the salty side but still very good. My fiancé’s duck broth was refreshing but I say a tad on the blander side. Both were good but not perfect for my taste buds.
2 Udons, 2 appetizers, a beer and a soda cost us about 75 bucks altogether including tip and tax. It’s probably somewhat on the pricer side but par for the course for manhattan dining. I will likely come back again because there are other udon dishes to try.

It’s one of those rare gems you can only find in New York. It’s reminding me to count my blessings again. Udon is so overused that I was a bit wary on trying this place.
I love the unassuming entrance. It looks just like a door from an alley in Kyoto. No English name. But very welcoming. The simple yet elegant décor continues inside. It is simple yet very comforting.
The place is small, maybe 20 seats in total. There are side counter seating area making it friendly for single diners.
I came here for the udon so skipped the apps and can’t really opine on them.
For the udon, you can pick regular or thin noodles. Their udon has a chewy texture that I’ve never had before. All I can taste is fresh-​ness. I wish they have the guy or gal making the noodles outside. But maybe that’s a bit too much cliché for their simplicity goal.
The menu is stocked with a variety of broth options, from very clean to heavier ones like the curry or beef udon.
The food did take quite a bit of time to come out which I attributed to the fresh noodles. The waiter will bring out the bowl one at a time because they are heavy. The look is deceiving since these bowl appear small but they are deep. You’re definitely going to be full. If you want to be absolutely full, you can order the extra noodle.
Service is very Japanese. Very cordial, polite and yet efficient. Thanks for bringing true authentic udon experience to New York.

Words failed to explain how good Raku was… I think I eventually discovered a udon place that is able to beat the rest of the group, even in St. Mark area.
The signature noodle here is the beef short rib one (go with the regular thick noodle as opposed to the thin one!); however there was only one set left when my friend and I got there, so unlucky! So I settled myself with the duck noodle, equally delicious! Soup was so yummy and noodles so chewy! I almost finished my big bowl!
The only inconvenience introduced was that this place did not accept card. There is an ATM on 1^st street, but no Chase banks within short distance.
I actually do not want to let other people know this place, for fear that too many people would simply make this place too crowded!