Raku
Japanese restaurant · East Village ·
Handmade udon noodles in flavorful soups and Japanese bites
Handmade udon noodles in flavorful soups and Japanese bites
"This Soho shop is always full of people catching up over great big bowls of udon, topped with things like shrimp tempura, wagyu, and oysters. Each bowl—really more like a cauldron in size—releases steam into the light wood dining room as if this were a noodle spa. Grab a seat at the bar for lunch, or sit in the big window in the front for dinner." - willa moore, will hartman, molly fitzpatrick
"Udon delivery and takeout available - call or order online." - hannah albertine, nikko duren, bryan kim, arden shore, matt tervooren
"“Dysfunctional families and monogrammed luggage are Wes Anderson’s bread and butter. In The Darjeeling Limited, three estranged brothers traverse India in search of their mother who abandoned them to become a nun. In short, the brothers are stuck on a train with an 11-piece set of their dead dad’s luggage. Everyone has annoying quirks (like laminating daily itineraries and repeatedly listening to an ex-girlfriend’s answering machine), but surely nothing can top whatever microaggressions are bubbling up in your current quarantine situation. So when the person you’re holed up with asks if you’re really going to make quesadillas again, order some udon from Raku (it’s hard to nag while slurping), put this movie on, and feel understood.” -AS" - hannah albertine, nikko duren, bryan kim, hillary reinsberg, arden shore
"Raku’s gyunan udon is what you want on the table after a long day of work, and the tantan udon with spicy pork broth is what you want when a quarter of that day was spent troubleshooting screen sharing. No matter which type of day you had, order udon (and fried chicken with spicy mayo) for delivery from this Japanese spot’s Soho or East Village location." - matt tervooren
"It’s a good idea to make a reservation at Raku, because otherwise you’re looking at an hour’s wait for a table, even on a random weeknight at 6pm. Fortunately, you can put your name down and go shopping until it’s time for you to enjoy some of NYC’s best udon, available in both hot and cold versions, as well as some small plates, like chawanmushi and pork gyoza. The minimalist space has a useful combination of cozy booths, bar seating, and long communal tables, and you can have a filling dinner for two here for under $100." - willa moore, bryan kim, kenny yang, carina finn koeppicus