Raku

Enjoyed a beautifully prepared bowl of udon. Deep, rich flavors at a very reasonable price, with a great variety of udon options to choose from. The interior, tableware, and overall service were all clean and well maintained, making the experience even better.

Great food! First time trying udon and I loved it. Gotta be honest I had the table set up. The long table that seats multiple parties is kind of awkward. If I wanted to have a private conversation I couldn’t because everyone at the table can hear you. Anyway the fried chicken is amazing a definitely a must order. The yuzu lemonade was tart and tasty and also a must order for me. I order the holiday special duck breast udon. It was perfect, slightly sweet with mushrooms, onions, cabbage, with a side of rice and poached egg. Sucks that was a special because I would definitely reorder. I CLEANED my bowl. Fantastic broth, honestly zero complaints or notes there. Will definitely return

This was our first time at this location. We walked in as a party of two and were seated right away with no wait. However, at their Lower Manhattan locations, there is usually a wait time. The ambiance is quite loud, and there isn’t much seating for a private party—even for just two people. There’s also a chance you’ll be seated at a large table with another party. We ordered the Kaisendon, Zaru Udon ($16.00), Vegetable Tempura, Pork Gyoza, and Ebiten Udon. The taste never disappoints. The udon texture is very good—thick, chewy, and pleasantly bouncy.

So happy they opened a Midtown location! I’m a forever Raku fan While I still prefer the original East Village spot, the Midtown partnership with sister patisserie Fouet is great, you can try so many desserts! What we ordered: Truffle Wonton (4.25/5): Loved the strong truffle flavor in the wontons, but the broth was surprisingly heavy on the sesame. The udon texture was chewy and perfect, just as I remember it! Age Dashi Tofu (4.25/5): The dashi broth paired with the tofu was a great and very well executed combination. Karage (4/5): This used to be better; unfortunately, it felt a little too oily this time around. Soba Pudding (4.5/5): My favorite item here! Not too sweet and beautifully balanced in flavor. A must try dessert!

Lots of lines outside usually is a good sign and for good reason. Their udon is as good as advertised - chewy noodles and tasty broth with lots of great options on ingredients. Also great is the chicken tatsuta-age which is both crispy and juicy. But don't sleep on the donburi the kaisen don being our favorite.

Cozy udon spot that appears to be hype atm. Got the eel bowl, karage and beef udon. Eel bowl was overly sweet and eel was very fishy. Karage was nothing to write home but udon soup felt more refined with a clean and balanced broth. Next time will only get the udon soup and try their desserts.

It’s pretty good - very cute cafe vibes inside and nice service. I got the crab udon and it was very hearty but I wish I just ordered the normal udon. The dumplings were okay. But this made for a nice hearty meal on a very cold winter day.

I’ve been to Raku in the East Village many times, but honestly never felt impressed. The noodles were okay, but the place always felt too crowded, the seating was cramped, and once my water even had a bit of an off taste. Outdoor seating wasn’t great either. But the Midtown location is a completely different experience. Every visit has been amazing! The udon noodles are always perfectly chewy, the seating is comfortable, and I never have to wait too long. The service feels smoother and the overall atmosphere is just much more enjoyable. I usually order the clam udon, which is my favorite, but this time I tried the seasonal mushroom udon and it was absolutely incredible. Please, please make it a regular menu item!

had my dinner here after work & everyone is so welcoming & the Udon is also hot, especially in this cold weather . the food is always good the servers are always amazing . just another good day at Raku

Raku is a must whenever I visit NYC! I'm not sure what the science behind their noodles is but it is to die for! I think about it every day. They don't typically take reservations for small parties so I would recommend lining up before they open to ensure a seat because they fill up very quickly. Even if you are by yourself, they have a communal table in the middle where you will be seated with other solo diners--a great way to try even by yourself and make new friends. The interior is pretty tight to accommodate as many people as they can but it's not uncomfortable. Staff are very prompt and accommodating and don't forget to enjoy the frozen grape at the end of your meal! I have always gotten too full after the meal to ever try but I will be back for just desserts!

Best udon in Manhattan. The menu is simple and doesn't overwhelm you with too many options. Service is always friendly and there's also a bakery in the front of you wanna grab some sweets to go on your way out. ebiten (shrimp tempura) 8/10 niku (beef short ribs) 8/10

I arrived about ten minutes before opening and there were already a few parties waiting in line. Once the restaurant opened, we were seated promptly. The food came out fairly quickly after I placed my order. The broth was incredibly rich and comforting on a chilly day. The udon noodles were silky and smooth, with the perfect texture. The location itself was nice and spacious, and the staff were all friendly. Definitely one of my top spots for udon. I highly recommend!

Wow. I want to knock off a star because they forgot my Udon entree, but that would be unjustified. The atmosphere, the kindness of the staff, and the fresh and delicious food are hard to pass up. The menu is very extensive, and you will need some time to really pick out some items. Don't fret, you will most likely come back to try other items in the near future. As for me, I ordered the Beef Curry Udon, Shrimp Tempura, salmon oshizushi, and essentially all the matcha desserts on the menu. I also ordered the buta shabu cold udon, but they somehow forgot to place that order. 1) Beef Curry Udon | 9.2/10 - Fresh and snappy udon. The curry was flavorful and thick, which really grabbed onto the udon nicely. The portion is generous for one, although if you are a meateater, I would suggest ordering extra beef. 2) Shrimp Tempura | 10/10 - This dish sat on the table for a good ten minutes before I ate it. All kidding aside, it almost tasted like I ate it right off the fryer. How do they do that?! 3) salmon oshizushi | 4.5/10 - Meh. A lot of rice and 1 cm thick salmon glued together. 4) Desserts | 100/10 - I highly doubt you can go wrong with anything on the dessert menu here. Everything is extremely delicious, not sugary, and fresh. It is pricey, but the craft that goes into the desserts is worth every penny. Overall, an excellent experience and well worth a repeat. The lines are quite long in the Midtown location during busy hours. Definitely plan ahead.

WHEN: Sun @1pm This place is a bit hidden since there is no signage but we eventually found it! However, it was a 40 min wait, which we didn't mind since we would just walk around. They were very accurate when they said we would be ready in the time the said. It's such a busy and lovely restaurant where you will most likely be seated next to strangers, and if you are lucky like us, you get to sit next to a company with some tea--yeah a dude was sharing how toxic of a relationship he is in and his friend is telling him so and we all agree and wish we told him somehow. ANYWAY, here's what was ordered: SANSAI UDON - $19 Mountain vegetables, maitake mushroom tempura. This was due to a few days of eating burgers and pizza and we thought we should get something with vegetables. However, it did not look like the photo, where the tempura is on a separate plate. Our dish had the tempura drowned in the udon soup, which made it all soggy. Oh well. TRUFFLE WONTON UDON - $31 Did I just order the most expensive bowl of udon, that was more than $10 than my partners? Who am I!?! It's okay, I'm on vacation and this sounded so good. You definitely taste the truffle flavoring in the wonton, and this bad boy also comes with wakame seaweed. This hot bowl was solid and I am so happy I pulled the trigger here. No regrets!

A lot of my New York friends always mentioned Raku as one of their recommendations, but I was a bit hesitant the first few times because I'm not a huge fan of udon and its something I consider a "make it at home" food. I decided going because it was closely after church and I don't regret going at all! My friend ordered the Ebiten Udon and I got the Toriten Udon. Both were super satisfying in different ways, but what stood out the most was the noodles were SO BOUNCY! The bite and chew on it was so good and the broth was great too. For the Toriten, I got the fried chicken pieces on the side and it added a nice savory punch without feeling heavy or greasy. Taking a slurp of noodles and then the chicken was just right. My friend completely devoured the Ebiten and he gave me one of the shrimp tempuras. The shrimp tempura was so light and it just melted in my mouth. Raku has that cozy, minimalist vibe and all the servers were super attentive. I would come back again to try the other non-udon items I saw on the menu!

Delicious udon spot for a cold day. Came by on a Wednesday night around 5pm, before a broadway show without reservations. They were able to sit our party of 2 at the bar. Restaurant is minimalist and sleek and service was great. We got the yasai kakiage (vegetable tempura udon) and gyunan (prime beef udon). The udon is fresh-made and chewy. I liked the vegetable udon a lot more since it was a clear broth that was refreshing. The gyunan had a weird flavor I didn't enjoy. Overall, great spot for dinner a bit further out from the hustle of Times Square to grab a bite to eat before a show.

great spot for udon! the front of the restaurant is a bakery, and the back has dining (and fairly few tables and seats), so helpful to have a reservation or put you name down early and walk around. I really enjoyed their seasonal autumnal mushroom udon and thought the presentation was gorgeous - and very flavorful and filled with different mushroom textures. the service is friendly and fast, though you do feel some overt pressure to wrap up for them to turn the next table. overall a cool spot and would stop by to try their baked goods sometime!

Raku is always a solid option for udon. The cold and hot noodles are great options. It's a clean and elegantly designed space although it's not huge. The main dining table is shared so that can be a little tight. The service is attentive and friendly. They also serve desserts from Patisserie Fouet - don't sleep on the strawberry shortcake. The pink peppercorn is such a unique and welcome addition. Would recommend for a great Midtown spot!

Raku is located at the back of Patisserie Fouet. I went for lunch around 12:30pm on a weekday with no reservation and waited for 5-10 minutes for a table for 3. The menu includes appetizers, sushi, donburi and udon with added toppings available. They also had curry lunch specials. We ordered a misoyaki cod, katsu don and nabeyaki udon to share. The misoyaki cod ($28 without rice) was nice and flakey and had a very nice strong miso flavor. The katsu don ($24) included a very generous portion of rice. The egg was cooked dry, not runny. The deep fried pork cutlet was lightly crispy. Everything was very well seasoned. Nabeyaki udon ($31) is one of my favorite dishes, and this was a very nice version. The broth had a little bit of a smoky flavor, lots of flavor but still pretty subtle (not overwhelming) and so comforting. The udon noodles were perfectly thick and chewy. The toppings were generously portioned, especially the chicken, so no lack of protein here! The shrimp tempura was really tasty and the batter was very light. I didn't add any more toppings. These are elevated versions of these dishes and very generous portions, and the prices are higher to match. The service was great - attentive but not overbearing, and our water glasses were never empty. The space was clean and not too crowded. We did share a large communal table, but they still spaced us out and there was no one in the seats directly next to us. We were pretty full, so we bought desserts from the Patisserie side to go, though many of the items + some additional options are available on the menu in the restaurant! I thought Raku was great! I don't always need elevated versions of these dishes which can be considered comfort food, but it's a nice treat. I would definitely recommend it and would return myself!

Seating is a bit cramped and service isn't the most attentive (it's very busy so I can understand) but they do serve prime comfort food and portions are very big. I had the kani ankake, which was very filling and had lots of umami flavor from the dried crab-- probably would try something else next time tho. Udon texture is perfect, as previous reviews have mentioned. They have this absolutely gorgeous dessert counter up front and we couldn't resist trying a few. The chamomile mango mousse was just meh, looked a lot better than it tasted tbh (I also got like no chamomile flavor), but the soba pudding was delightful (so smooth and a great end to the meal).

So happy they opened a Midtown location! I'm a forever Raku fan While I still prefer the original East Village spot, the Midtown partnership with sister patisserie Fouet is great, you can try so many desserts! What we ordered: Truffle Wonton (4.25/5): Loved the strong truffle flavor in the wontons, but the broth was surprisingly heavy on the sesame. The udon texture was chewy and perfect, just as I remember it! Age Dashi Tofu (4.25/5): The dashi broth paired with the tofu was a great and very well executed combination. Karage (4/5): This used to be better; unfortunately, it felt a little too oily this time around. Soba Pudding (4.5/5): My favorite item here! Not too sweet and beautifully balanced in flavor. A must try dessert!

Comforting broth with fresh udon noodles, the perfect dish for a cold evening! To start, I tried their ankimo that came with one piece. I really enjoyed that the sauce had a bit of a spice to it, something different from the typical ankimo dish. However portion wise, I didn't think it was worth the price. I went with the gyunan udon, the only thing I wished is that it had a bit more meat, but loved everything else about the udon! My friend got the special 10 YR anni lobster tempura udon. The portions were pretty good size with that option as well.

Absolutely delicious udon with tons of vegan options! Not just 1 token veggie dish, but ~4-5 vegan udon selections. There are also vegan appetizers like gyoza (which I did not try this time). The autumn mushroom special is amazing! If you are vegan/ vegetarian just make sure to let them know so they use the veggie broth. The veggie broth is incredibly flavorful and SO full of umami. The portion is huge and will fill you up with soul-nourishing broth and perfectly chewy udon noodles. I also tried the matcha latte with oat milk and it was sooo good. Nice quality matcha, great color, and it comes in a huge ceramic cup for $7. Way better than a lot of cafes I've tried. This location in midtown/ Hell's Kitchen is gorgeous. When you walk in there is a bar area along with a bakery/ patisserie with very pretty desserts. When you walk further in most of the seating is in side, and the aesthetic is perfecct . Clean, simple & modern, yet still with character. Service was attentive and food came out in a reasonable time. Overall, Raku is one of my favorite spots in the city to enjoy a reliably good meal, especially if i want to have plenty of vegan options while eating with non-vegans.

The udon at Raku is always outstanding. With the addition of the patisserie, absolutely top tier. The service was quick and efficient and the layout is good for large and small groups. Definitely recommend the dacquoise and chamomile mango mousse.

TLDR: Bouncy noodles, tender meat, good broth. Not too heavy. Food Gyunan Udon: The popular, simple, delicious, and safe choice. The noodles were bouncy, broth was flavorful, and the meat was tender. It's not outstanding in any particular way, but if you want a good beef soup on a cold night, it'll get the job done. Niku Udon: Perfect if you prefer different cuts of meat. The broth was rich, short rib was tender but bouncy, and the noodles were perfect. I wish I added the chili oil as others recommended--next time! Was it worth $28? ehhh Fig Honey Panna Cotta: A refreshing desert after our savory meal. We originally wanted the Soba Pudding but it was sold out. The honey panna cotta was silky and light, with just enough sweetness to make the fig leaf jelly stand out. The jelly had a subtle green, almost floral flavor that kept the whole thing from feeling too rich. The bits of chocolate and rosemary added a nice little twist, which worked surprisingly well. Service: Quick and friendly Ambiance: If you sit in the center you'll be close enough to hear other patron's conversations. Not ideal, but at least the atmosphere is nice. There's also a dessert area that you have to walk through to get to the restaurant in the back. Browse the selection while you wait for their table.

First time at this location, have been to the east village one many times! Raku was delicious as per usual, glad there's another location now. Got the Chiikara Udon. Getting their mochi is a must! Delicious and my favorite part of Raku. Space is quiet nice and the staff was kind. Raku here is now combined with Patisserie Fouet. You can get delicious ramen and dessert now at one spot

A great spot for udon! Visited here from a friends recommendation and I'm here giving this place the same high praise. From the friendly staff, to the modern designed eating space, and of course the udon that was perfectly cooked with the right amount of chew, what's not to love? The dessert shop up front also helped end the meal as the soba rice pudding was to die for. Overall, would highly recommend Raku to anyone looking for some Japanese food, especially their homemade udon dishes!

One of my favorite locations in this chain, this spot consistently brings me back to my time in Japan. The udon is comforting and beautifully balanced, and the appetizers are just as memorable. The broth, in particular, is rich and deeply satisfying. The ambiance is inviting without feeling crowded, making it a place I'm always happy to linger in. I look forward to returning.

I heard many wonderful things about Raku but always seemed to miss the opportunity to try. I stopped by the Midtown location today as I was feeling a bit peckish after spending many hours standing in line. While I love hot udon, the weather was a bit warm and I had a lot more walking to do in the city. After I was seated in the big communal table in the middle, I opted for the yamakake udon because it featured a lot of ingredients I feel are ubiquitous to Japanese cuisine. The dish came beautifully presented with a smattering of bonito flakes and the raw quail egg sitting atop the pile of fluffy white grated mountain yam to create a visual effect of a perfect fried egg. The udon noodles were the thin type, soaking in a shallow pool of tsuyu. I do feel the dish could have been better with a few small choices. The thin noodles didn't really stand up to the thick slimy texture of the grated yam and raw egg. But the tsuyu base did not provide enough saltiness, even with the delicate noodles. An addition of the shichimi togarashi sitting on the table helped improve the flavor a lot. Though scallions were used as garnish, I felt the lack of texture really made it tough to finish the whole dish as it felt like eating through mush. To be fair, the yamakake is not the signature dish of this restaurant and I did choose it because these are ingredients that are not easy to come by. The service was fine and the restaurant was quiet and neat, a great oasis on a hot summer day in NYC. I didn't get a chance to try the desserts at the front either. I will revisit Raku to try some of their signature dishes.

LOVED my udon noodles here! The texture was amazing and the crab was delicious and fresh. The rest of the toppings were also yummy and the broth was very flavorful. Loved the shared table vibe inside.

The broth is the highlight of this udon spot deeply flavorful with a true beef taste that feels clean and well-crafted rather than heavy or greasy. You can tell care went into the stock. The interior design is nice with a rustic Japanese aesthetic that makes the space warm and inviting. Unfortunately, the noodles don't quite live up to the broth; the texture and chew just dont really taste as fresh as I would have hoped them to be. Not sure of course how they were prepared but, would say it it was disappointing Overall, a pleasant experience with excellent broth but I definitely had better

I'm a long time fan of the East Village original so when I saw that Raku Midtown is just a couple blocks away from the Ailey Studios, I suggested it for lunch with a friend. Beautiful interior, great service, generous portions, delicious food as before. The unique thing about this location is the shared space with Patisserie Fouet. If you're dining at Raku, you can actually order desserts from Fouet and eat it at your table. Highly recommended!

This is my favorite restaurant of all time. I love this restaurant and I always get the curry udon! Great service and they have the cutest dessert within the restaurant. Great ambience! Overall I enjoy coming here! I would try the appetizers as well! Come right when it opens!

Overall: Raku is simply packing way more punch than what you expect. The interior is super nice and classy, the food taste great, the service is phenomenal, and the price is on the lower end. Food: I ordered the buta shabu per a friend's recommendation. It had such a delicate and refined taste, each bite you could clearly tell what was put into the dish and the intention behind each component. Very refreshing, the kind of dish where you can eat a lot and still feel good about yourself afterward. The chicken was also fried very lightly, a trend I enjoy about this place. Brined very well so that the chicken itself had plenty of flavor and super tender. Service: The service here is great, the staff is very accommodating of allergies and made every possible step to make sure that our experience here would be fantastic. Ambiance: This is a nice sit-down place, great vibes for a nice night out.

Wow. Ordered takeout and loved the udon noodles and the chicken taka-age. The noodles were silky smooth and perfectly cooked while the broth was a deep rich flavor. Perfect on a cool spring day. Loved it.

Delicious udon spot! The inside of the midtown location is very minimalist yet still warm and inviting. We put our name down around 6pm and the wait was only 20 min, which is not bad compared to prior. We got the agedashi tofu and veggie gyoza for appetizers. Both were tasty and very clean. The gyoza were cooked perfectly. They were having some specials for their 10th anniversary, so we tried the autumnal mushroom udon off of that menu. Udon were delightfully chewy and it featured so many different types of mushrooms- delicious! Large portions so I took the rest home for lunch the next day. They also have a beautiful dessert counter but we did not try anything from there. Perfect dinner for a fall night!

Love this cute udon spot! They also have a dessert bar at the front of the shop which all looked delicious. This udon was very delicious and they have unique flavors like this cold crab udon I tried. It was light and refreshing and a unique flavor. I got a side of tempura and sake and the tempura came out hot and crispy. It went very well with the udon and nigori sake. The service was very friendly and fast. I highly recommend this spot to any one in the area. Great location!

Fantastic find this trip! We went about 15 minutes before they opened because we read online that it's super popular and there's always lines before they open. We got there and there were already people lined up, but we still got seated inside right away. There are some booths inside as well as a long table down the middle for communal seating. They do have some lunch specials available for ordering, but we opted to go for the regular menu. It is SO busy here and every seat filled up fast. The staff is friendly but incredibly efficient, they came to take our order right away and the food came out quickly! I had been craving a bowl of udon, and this Gyunun Udon with ribeye beef absolutely hit the spot! It's probably the best udon I have had in months, just thinking about it right now has my mouth watering! The sashimi was so fresh, the Tatsuta-age was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, and there was not one thing I ordered that I would not come back and eat again. Can't wait for my next visit!

I'm so happy that this Raku location opened up! I was headed to a Broadway show and thought that this would be the perfect place to grab a bite beforehand! Raku is the perfect middle ground between upscale and fast food. The food DOES come out very fast, but the ambiance has an elevated feel to it. They don't take reservations for less than 3 people, so I just took the chance and walked in. I was seated at the communal table, which ended up being just fine. I decided to go with the Sansai and added a poached egg. The whole dish was delightful. The broth was packed with flavor, a little bit of umami and a little bit of sweet. I loved the veggies in the dish and each of them were unique. The egg was poached perfectly and gave the dish the perfect amount of creaminess. The star, however, were the noodles. I've never had such bouncy and chewy noodles in my life! Each bite was a delight. I was able to have a nice sit down meal and be out of here in less than an hour to catch my show on time. This is definitely a go-to if you're in the area and especially, if you're heading to a show!

I loved this location of Raku! Its nestled behind a cute cafe with different desserts that I am dying to try next time. I got the vegetable tempura udon and it was sooo delicious. Raku's udon always warms me up on a cold day! The noodles were perfectly chewy and the broth was so flavorful! Would definitely recommend coming at open or with a reservation to make sure you get a seat. My server was very attentive and nice. Looking forward to coming back soon.

Good noodles! Ive heard so much about raku and finally got the chance to try it on this trip out to nyc. My friend and I came right around opening on a Sunday and there was no wait. However, they do seat pairs right next to other pairs in one single long table which is a bit awkward. I wanted a cold noodle dish and ended up with the buta shabu udon. The waitress explained that these would use the silkier noodles, however I should've asked if I could sub it out for the original chewy ones. The portion was plentiful, pork belly was nice and charred, and the sesame sauce was really good! I just wish I could've tried the thicker noodles. It might not be the best spot for a nice dinner but the quality is good and it's reliable!

The noodles have a great texture here but the broth does run on the salty side for my taste - I noticed it both this visit and my last visit a couple of years ago (I tried the truffle dumpling one this time but I don't remember which one I got previously). (My brother wasn't bothered by the saltiness though.) The wait can be long here so I recommend a reservation (as a tip: they won't put you on the waitlist if all members of the party are not present). We ended up sharing a semi communal long table with other guests since we were a party of 2 but there are also booths present in the restaurant if you want a more intimate setting. I might come back and try a different dish / one of the desserts from the patisserie out front

I've been to other Raku locations, and my opinion still holds. Raku is my favorite soot for udon! The noodles are the perfect texture of bouncy and chewy. And the broth is always so light and refreshing. The chicken tatsuta-age is always a must get in my opinion. The outside is so crispy, while the chicken is still so juicy. And the sauce it comes with always hits. Ebiten and gyunan are both crowd pleasers, and are good go tos when you're not sure what to get. I tried the yasai kakiage this time. While I loved the broth and noodles, I thought the tempura was okay, as it was quite oily. Each piece itself was light because the pieces were so thin. But then also because the pieces were so this, I think you just consume more batter in the end, and it just felt greasy.

A welcome addition to the neighborhood for clean, ingredient focused Japanese fare. Raku is casual but aesthetic. The space is well lit. The tables are private and comfortable. Our food came out quickly after ordering. The menu is reminiscent of an "Izakaya" with a good variety of appetizers, soups, sushi/sashimi offerings, and even Sake. The Kani salad was full of fresh ingredients with a truly crisp Frise as the base but the Kani itself did not add much so I would avoid the option. The spicy cucumber is skippable. The Salmon Oshizushi was really tasty. The Niku Udon was incredible - the noodles felt like they were hand pulled and the meat was incredibly tender. Finally I also had the Chawanmushi with the addition of Uni - incredibly silky and full of premium ingredients. I had the green tea tiramisu for dessert but really was not a fan. Overall a great place for a quick and clean meal. The variety of menu options and quality of ingredients will bring me back.

If you're in NY, this restaurant is an absolute MUST VISIT. Where do I even begin? There's not one flaw I can think of when I went... granted it was my first time going :D But I want to go every day now! And you best bet every time I visit NY, Raku's going to be on my food list. My friend lives and breathes Raku and she swears by the Niku Hot Udon, so I followed her recommendation and I have to say the same. YOU MUST GET THE NIKU UDON! I got the regular version and my friend tried the spicy version, and she said next time she'd stick with ordering the regular (which is her go-to). The udon noodles are cooked so perfectly - bouncy and chewy, and the broth isn't too heavy or oily. It's so so good and even though I was so full, I couldn't stop eating! Definitely want to try the other dishes they have on their menu but also will forever get the Niku because it was THAT good. The inside is super cute as well - really clean and new and conveniently right behind their pastry/dessert shop, so cute! If you're visiting NY, you have to clear a lunch slot for Raku. It's seriously a must try and you won't regret it, trust me!

Not a udon expert by any means but this is by far the best place to eat it. Appetizers looked amazing. The maguro don had great quality tuna. Don't get the ribeye udon. The steak is essentially overcooked and rough. The udon itself is amazing.

Raku is one of my go-tos when I want a consistently delicious + authentic bowl of udon! Walked in with a friend on a Saturday afternoon and waited only ~5 min before a table was ready for us. We were planning on just splitting one bowl of udon, since we weren't too hungry, but Raku has a one order per person policy, so we ordered an app + udon to share. The Agedashi Tofu melted in my mouth - it's a soft fried tofu with a ginger soy sauce, topped with bonito flakes. The Yasai Kakiage Hot Udon came with a lovely plate of veggie tempura (carrots, sweet potato, onion, eggplant) + the broth was SO YUM! Clear and not heavy at all. Service here is fantastic. This is the only location I've been to where they had a separate dessert bar. If you plan to only have dessert, they give you bar seating at the front of the house. Great experience!

I can see why this place is so popular. Though I initially had my skepticism of how good udon can be, I changed my mind after having their udon. Pics do not do them justice. Not only were the noodle super chewy, the broth was also very delicious along with the tender beef cubes. Definitely worth a try if you are in NYC. I also enjoyed their apps, especially the chicken karaage-- very meaty, tender, and juicy. And I also like how the sauce had bits of masago in it. Service was efficient and friendly. Would for sure come back.

I am came here twice in the last month. The restaurant is large, but seating is limited. If you come during peak times, prepare to wait. If you have a stroller, best to fold it up if you can. Otherwise, there is limited room for it. Food: Wagyu tartar - great flavor, very thinly sliced. It is nice to get if you are looking to treat yourself. I didn't get this on my second visit because I couldn't justify the cost vs food ratio. Gyunan udon - the noodles are undoubtedly exceptional. Very soft. Word to wise, don't dilly dally on eating. The noodles lose their bounce if they sit too long in the soup. The meat was very tough, so I wouldn't get this again. Vegetable Tempura udon - noodle great, but the vegetable selection was a little disappointing. It was mostly onion. When I returned, I learned from my previous visit. Kitsune Udon- There is only one piece of tofu here. It is really not worth it. It is a better deal to just get extra noodles and share the soup of another udon soup. Wakame Udon - I liked this one, it has seaweed, mushrooms, some spinach. This I would get again. Gyudon - tasted great. This I would get again. Gyoza - you only get 6, but they were quite filling. I wouldn't say they were anything special. Great place, would come back!

Came here when seeking out Fouet pastries, their Union Square location having closed about a year ago. We didn't even realize that Fouet is attached to Raku! What a great surprise! The food is terrific -- my husband declared it the "best udon he has ever had in his life." So delicious. And, of course, the desserts are great and so is the tea. Will be back again!

Food is delicious and affordable. Great portions for the price. Service is quick and efficient. Small narrow space but not overly loud.

Lots of lines outside usually is a good sign and for good reason. Their udon is as good as advertised - chewy noodles and tasty broth with lots of great options on ingredients. Also great is the chicken tatsuta-age which is both crispy and juicy. But don't sleep on the donburi the kaisen don being our favorite.

Raku in east village is one of my favorite udon places in New York and I was excited to see them open a new location in midtown. This location does take reservations and they are much more spacious compared to the East Village location. In addition - they have desserts and coffee in the front. I would recommend making a reservation online since they do get pretty busy. They will only seat you when your whole party is here or almost here. The staff was very friendly and welcoming and the decor of the place is amazing! For food - I usually either get the Kiku or Gyunan. This time I got the Gyunan, once again the noodles are delicious, perfectly bouncy in your mouth and the soup is so rich and flavorful. The bowls are huge and there is a good amount of noodles and fillings in there. We got sushi to share which was also very good and the truffle wontons are slightly on the expensive side but they are very truffley and good! For dessert we got the Matcha Tiramisu and the Earl Grey Panna Cotta. I thought the Tiramisu was just alright but the panna cotta was really good especially if you are a fan of earl grey! Overall - great vibes and yummy food. Highly recommend checking this place out!

Stopped by for lunch around 1pm and the restaurant was absolutely packed. It did start empty out around 1:30 so if you want to come here without a reservation on a weekday after 1PM is probably a good time to come. Service was good as the staff were very proactive at topping off our glasses of water and clearing empty dishes. Right now there's a wagyu sukiyaki special exclusive to the Midtown location, otherwise the rest of the menu is the same as other branches. They had wet napkins on the table yay! This was one part of dining in Japan that I have been missing. I went with the recommended niku udon and my friend got the duck udon. We shared the agedashi tofu and karaage dishes. The chicken was freshly fried and very crunchy while the meat was juicy and tender. The dipping sauce that this came with was quite spicy though, probably the spiciest spicy mayo I've ever had. Tofu was sort of a pallet cleanser and it had a very clean tasting dashi flavor. I also tried a bit of duck from my friend's duck udon and I can't say that I'm a fan of boiled duck meat. I prefer roasted duck for sure. There were many different cuts of beef in my udon and everything was super tender. A few pieces were a tiny bit tough but the pieces were small enough that I could just eat the whole thing in one bite really. Soup wasn't too salty, which is always appreciated. I really liked the noodles here as they have a nice chew to them and don't have that typical udon alkaline taste. Probably one of my favorite places for udon in New York City. Yes it's quite pricey but worth it but the amount of food that you get.

My friend made a resso for our party of four for a Tuesday at 6 PM. I was excited to check out this location since I really liked the udon over at their EV location. The restaurant is hidden in the back of a bakery so if you see a Japanese sleek/minimalist-looking cafe, you've come to the right place. To start, we shared some appetizers: -Kani (snow crab, spicy mayo, toasted seaweed) - too much dashi so you couldn't really taste the snowcrab flavor -Chicken tatsuta-age (marinated deep fried chicken) - this was good. You really can't go wrong with fried chicken -Ankimo (monkfish liver, scallion, ponzu sauce) - no one else wanted to partake, so I ate this on my own but I'm pretty sure it's just meant for one person because it's the size of a piece of sushi. I enjoyed this dish and for $10, I would say the price is pretty on par with an a la carte sushi piece at a higher end sushi restaurant For my main, I had the Niku udon (beef short-ribs, honeycomb tripe, tendon), which seems to be the one that everyone gets. It was good but was it worth $27? ABSOLUTELY not. The portion of noodles was so small. I was still hungry after dinner. Plus you have to add $1 to make it spicy, which is just them adding chili oil. Sure the udon was good but it was not as amazing as I remembered it, and certainly not worth the price tag. For dessert, we shared a matcha cheesecake (with cherry compote). The cheesecake was good but I didn't care for the cherry compote. It was a weird combination with the matcha. There were only three options for dessert, which I didn't understand since they were just grabbing it from the bakery in front. There's a 90 minute seating limit, which I can understand since the place isn't that huge and there was a constant flow of people waiting for a table. However, they started rushing us out before our 90 minute limit was even up. Because of this and how expensive it was, I don't think I'll be returning to this Raku, or probably any of its locations.

We walked in on a Friday early evening around 5pm and were seated only upon fully party arrival for 3 people, but were seated immediately. The restaurant became fully packed soon after 5. I've been to raku several times and the food was good as usual. I had the ebiten. The shrimp tempura was fried deliciously and the warm broth of the udon was a great meal on a cold winter day. I always enjoy the chewiness of the noodles at Raku and makes it special from other udon places in nyc. The waiters do an excellent job of refilling our waters. I will say we did feel a bit rushed as they asked to clear our dishes multiple times before we finished our food. The ambiance of the restaurant is quiet and clean. I will continue to come back for the delicious udon noodles. I recommend coming early if you have no reservation as the restaurant becomes busy fairly quickly.

big fan of the nabekyaki udon-- the broth is rich and more filling than first glance. The kaisen Don was also a very nice bowl to split-- left here quite full, but this would perfect to eat on a cold day outside! Need to try the midtown special next time! Cheers!