Raku — all mentions

postBest curry udon in NYC?9 pts
“I’ve had Raku, and while it was good, I thought the curry flavor was a little weak and it didn’t have that peppery punch I’m looking for.”
H3
in:Looking for a great Japanese spot5 pts
“Raku is udon-focused, and they absolutely crush it on that. The texture of the noodles and flavor of their broths are just incredible. They also do fantastic karaage, agedashi tofu, and thick cut bacon.”
H3
in:Udon recs? 4 pts
replying to u/keyblayde808: I've been meaning to try this place, it's been on my list for a while. Just curious about other options too
“Raku is my favorite restaurant in the city. No other udon compares really. They have the chewiest, bounciest noodles and giant portions.”
H3
in:What are some places that do a great food or drink that's outside their area of specialty? Something like a bakery that makes really killer coffee or a coffee shop that has amazing sandwiches.4 pts
replying to u/InSearchOfGoodPun: Raku is my favorite udon restaurant (and seemingly everyone else's also), but the best item on their menu was arguably the fried oysters. Inexplicably, it is no longer on the menu. Regarding your aversion to baked goods at coffee shops, I agree with your skepticism, but a lot of NYC coffee shops actually get their baked goods from really good local bakeries. My rule of thumb is that if it looks good, ask where it came from! If it's from somewhere good, they won't mind telling you. But also, some coffee shops are good at baking. For example, I think Yanni's Coffee is probably more well-known for their chocolate chip cookie than for their coffee. (Important that we're talking about a cookie here rather than something fancy like a croissant.)
“I really, really love the shrimp tempura at Raku. It's a dish that almost literally every Japanese restaurant has, but their batter feels different.”
H3
in:Rate My Itinerary1 pts
replying to u/NervousImage9003: Also, Raku has a couple locations near where you’ll be and it is phenomenal udon, good for solo diners!
“I didn’t care for the crab udon I could barely taste the crab and the udon was too soft. The tatsutaage app was really good tho!”
H3
post7 days in nyc… how did i do?406 pts
“perfect on a rainy day. each bowl had a different broth and the noodle texture was incredible”
H2
postRaku is worth the hype113 pts
“Both were absolutely 10/10 - such quality food for the price!!”
H2
in:Best Japanese in Manhattan that's not sushi/ramen? 108 pts
“Udon- Raku”
H2
in:Leaving NYC in one month, what should I absolutely try? 83 pts
“Udon at Raku.”
H2
in:Your favorite Japanese spots58 pts
“Udon: Raku (EV)”
H2
in:Where can I go in downtown Manhattan that will make me cry tears of joy48 pts
“Best udon in the city”
H2
in:Best mushroom dish in the city?46 pts
“Raku (cold udon with mountain vegetables, maitake mushroom tempura, nameko mushrooms, daikon, umeboshi, poached egg)”
H2
in:Best noodles?34 pts
“raku for udon”
H2
in:Looking for healthy and slightly bland food suggestions (seriously)34 pts
“Raku for freshly made japanese udon”
H2
in:Best Japanese restaurant you've been to in NYC?33 pts
“Raku for udon. Was better than the udon I had in Tokyo”
H2
in:Good but not great udon from Okiburu29 pts
“I prefer the udon from Raku.”
H2
in:Where to find best cold soba noodles? 28 pts
“who do excellent cold udon.”
H2
in:Fun, not too expensive dinner spot for two adventurous teens?26 pts
“Raku - has best udon in the city.”
H2
in:Best vegetarian noodles in Manhattan/Brooklyn?24 pts
“Raku zaru udon and veggie tempura”
H2
postMini review of the places you guys recommended for my trip and some other stuff we tried!22 pts
“SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good. For us, the broth in the simple bowls (kitsune, wakame) was much nicer than the broth in the iron pots (niku)!”
H2
in:4 days in NYC from Italy - What I ate (and what I liked)22 pts
“Hit some noodle shops next time. Maxi’s for wonton noodle soup, 1915 Lanzhou for hand pulled noodles, wenwen in greenpoint for modern Taiwanese beef noodles, Raku for udon, sobaya for soba”
H2
in:Subtly vegetarian-friendly restaurant ideas (downtown Manhattan)?16 pts
“Alternatively: Raku. Plenty of veg/vegan options or 'can be made vegetarian' options while still being pretty omnivore focused (since the default broth is seafood).”
H2
in:Udon recs? 16 pts
“Raku but to me it’s very different style than hanon. Still worth trying!”
H2
postFood Quality like Raku?15 pts
“Love Raku for their udon noodles, it's literally the best udon I've had so far.”
H2
in:What are your favorite *dishes* in NYC?14 pts
“Udon from Raku”
H2
in:Raku is worth the hype14 pts
“Adding that the vibe was cozy & the service was great too!”
H2
in:Cold Udon in Manhattan?13 pts
“Probably the best bet is Raku they never disappoint when it comes to udon imo.”
H2
in:NYC Plan Ideas/help PLEASE13 pts
“Raku for udon”
H2
in:Best karaage in NYC?12 pts
replying to u/nycrok1234: Raku. Raku. Raku
“Raku has this amazing eggplant dish. I dream of it still. Have to go again to get it.”
H2
in:Raku is worth the hype11 pts
“Their fried chicken (tatsuaage) is some of the best I've found in NYC”
H2
postLooking the best chewy/ “QQ” noodles 10 pts
“love raku and more thick noodles like udon vs belt noodles”
H2
in:Sick tonight (12nd and 2nd) - what’s the best thing to get for delivery? Craving noodles of some sort. Spicy is fine just don’t want to move 10 pts
“udon from Raku”
H2
in:What's your favorite preparation of duck in the city?10 pts
“kamonan udon at raku (soho location is better than EV location)”
H2
in:NYC Food Itinerary9 pts
“Raku is the best for the more typical style.”
H2
in:Lunch recs?9 pts
“Raku (Udon), Sobaya (Soba), Ramen: Okiburo House of Tsukemen, or Tabetomo would be my recommendations.”
H2
in:What’s your favorite offal dish in NYC right now?9 pts
“I absolutely adore everything about Raku’s Niku Udon which has honeycomb tripe.”
H2
in:Your favorite Japanese spots8 pts
“raku (east village or soho) for udon”
H2
in:Spicy Cumin Lamb Noodles8 pts
“Hit up spicy village and Raku for all noodle delights”
H2
in:So I have been considering getting into curry noodles 8 pts
“Raku has the best curry noodles I've had in NY”
H2
in:Soho reccos - pasta8 pts
“has one of the best (beef?) udon in the city, it should not be missed.”
H2
in:Dinner recs before Death & Co?8 pts
“Raku is low-key but excellent for Japanese Udon”
H2
in:Where can my inner 5 year old get the best chicken nuggets?8 pts
“I personally love the Karaage at Raku.”
H2
postSomething like Raku?7 pts
“Raku is her favorite spot, loves noodles.”
H2
in:Ramen in Manhattan for someone who has never eaten ramen?7 pts
“Alternatively, maybe Raku for udon (more palatable)”
H2
in:What is your favorite restaurant that closed with no good replacement?7 pts
replying to u/ish_baid19000: Hanon in Williamsburg. Was the best udon in the city :(
“Raku is better udon”
H2
in:Just came back from Tokyo. Any good tempura places in nyc that taste like the ones in Japan? (Any sukiyaki places as well?) 7 pts
“I like the vegetable tempura udon at Raku”
H2
in:Best karaage in NYC?7 pts
“Raku for sure ... that tangy spicy mayo sauce is also to die for.”
H2
in:Food Crawl East Village Suggestions7 pts
“Raku for Udon and tempura”
H2
in:East village7 pts
“Raku has the best udon in the city.”
H2
in:Japanese restaurant for picky eater7 pts
“It’s my local go-to sushi spot. My young kids don’t eat sushi but they love the Chicken Katsu and fried (or plain white) rice there. Sushi is great.”
H2