"You don’t need a dining partner when you have a steamy bowl of udon from Raku. Everyone at the Japanese spot in Soho has a bowl—really more like a cauldron—in front of them, topped with things like shrimp tempura, wagyu, and oysters, making a solo meal here feel like a communal experience. Except you don’t have to talk to the person sitting next to you. Raku has a second, smaller location in the East Village." - willa moore, will hartman, neha talreja, carina finn koeppicus