Raku
Udon Restaurant$$$$
East Village, New York
"get the tatsuta-age and the niku udon."(12 Tips)
"The ankake udon is really unique and delicious."(4 Tips)
"love the beef curry udon - filling, flavorful, and soothing."(5 Tips)
"Delicious tofu and beef udon."(4 Tips)
118 Tips and reviewsFilter:
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David NarazakiOctober 14, 2016All of the udon dishes are good beyond words. I dont know what Raku is using to create their soup stock,it is clean crisp and packed with umami. The udon has a mouthfeel second to none.A new regular.
Upvoted Dec 5, 2024
Jeff WooDecember 11, 2015A really special chewy udon noodle imported from Japan. The Niku is the star and it's amazing. The Ankake is thick and tasty, just a couple examples of many wonderful bowls
Upvoted 1 week ago
emily chenJanuary 9, 2016the udon is unlike any other udon you've had in nyc. super chewy and melty. can't go wrong with the beef/honeycomb tripe, chicken with mochi or egg ones. fried chicken is OKAY.
Zack SheppardMarch 8, 2016Awesome udon soups in an adorable little spot. The curry udon was delicious, but the short rib and tripe udon was AMAZING.
The chikara (chicken and mochi) and niku (beef and tripe) udon were amazing. The chicken broth was very flavourful!
Rubén GarcíaDecember 29, 2017Tiny spot serving what is likely the best udon in NYC. There will be a wait, but it will be worth it. For sure get the Niku (short rib and tripe udon), the flavors are insane!
Ailie ChangMarch 26, 2016Come in groups of two. You will be seated faster. Start off with the Edamame, Chicken Tatsuta-age, and Agadashi Tofu. Get the Niku Udon with an egg! Delicious broth and beef is so tender. Cash Only.
Maitake tempura is a great addition. Continues to be one of my favorite places to eat in the city. They now deliver on Caviar too! They're also still cash only, but worth the wait.
SusumuDecember 31, 2015Tried Kamaage Udon($9), which is plain udon, to check their udon quality. It was chewy enough to enjoy the noodle. Dipping udon in sauce mixed with scallion and quail egg was interesting.
- chicken karaage is delicious! love the beef curry udon - filling, flavorful, and soothing. perfect dish for cold / rainy weather
TomNovember 19, 2015New udon spot in the East Village. Generous portions and pretty authentic. The ankake udon is bomb. They offer Kaedama and its cash only. Highly recommended!
Tabi YooNovember 10, 2015I recommend getting the fried chicken to start + share. The vegetable tempura udon was delicious - great if you're in the mood for a more traditional udon. Really loved the way they did their tempura!
EvieNovember 25, 2015Incredible. Take a break from the ramen trend and go with udon. The wakame udon is simple but so flavorful. Everything else looked amazing as well.- Ankake udon is really yummy. Love the texture and the eggs. Nameko udon broth is light, yet full of flavor from the mushrooms. Noodles are amazing. Expect to wait for a table - place is small!
Kyulee SeoSeptember 26, 2016Their udon noodles are really special, and if you can handle it, add mochi because it is huge and chewy!!!- Get the Kaki ankake (crab in egg thick soup). Get there early as the restaurant has little seating.
Cole KennedyFebruary 11, 2019Awesome, chewy udon noodles with some interesting soups: I liked the Niku Udon with short rib and tripe. The wait is worth it; just go somewhere on the block for a drink.
Ranu RajkarnikarNovember 13, 2015A great new Japanese addition to the EV. Same owners as Kura and similar clean interior. The tempura udons don't disappoint and neither does the katsu don. Down it with some sake. Cash only!- Ankimo is a good choice for a starter. Niku udon was really good. Tender beef and rich broth. Tripe was really nice. Friendly and fast service, even when it's busy.
Incredible. Amazing apps (tofu, bacon, and chicken). Get the Beef udon for entree. Can't wait to come back here tomorrow.
Josh UptonFebruary 12, 2016The ankake udon is deeply enjoyable. Adding the nameko mushroom proved to be a great choice too (flown in fresh from Japan weekly!). Freshly minted regular reporting to slurping duty.
dawn.in.newyorkApril 1, 2017Chikara udon changed my life. This is the only place in the city that I have no basis for a complaint about cash only system and limited seatings.
Rita KwongJune 25, 2016Authentic udon noodles, like the handmade ones you would taste in Japan. Not the thick round noodles you get from typical udon shop. One of the best in town.
Christopher LebronApril 14, 2017Some of the best udon noodles I've ever had. Perfect texture (firm, but velvety/pillowy). While you're there, get the Chicken Tatsuta-age; it's crazy juicy and delicious.
TiffanyDecember 11, 2015Try the ankake (egg drop) udon with thin or thick udon! The bowl is huge and it has a ginger-y finish so if you're not into ginger opt for the beef udon instead.- Kim PhamDecember 23, 2015The ankake udon is really unique and delicious. Tiny little space with a hip & minimalist decor.
AdrienOctober 26, 2015Very intimate and aesthetic place. Go for 'niku udon'—their signature dish with beef short ribs in a two-favored broth
Christina ChinNovember 13, 2018Chicken udon and broth was tasty, but not sure the mochi chunks in it were necessary. The gyoza has a distinct taste, not sure i like it. Ginger-y? Cash only!
Terence ChanNovember 11, 2016Best udon ever! So fresh and amazing!! I got the short rib with bacon for appetizer. 5/5
Emily WilsonNovember 11, 2015Definitely get an order of the fried chicken to start, then go for any of the udon bowls.
You can now choose between the thick and thin noodles in your udon.- Eric NingJanuary 8, 2017Delicious tofu and beef udon. The udon bowls are large so go when you're hungry!
JillianMarch 12, 2016Egg udon is incredible, especially for winter cold sufferers! Noodles are perfectly chewy. Had this an the fried chicken app 👍🏼👍🏼
- Grace KwanJuly 31, 2016Hip udon place. Authentic, with a laid-back vibe. The kakiage here was generously portioned and wonderfully crispy. Cash-only.
Sung HwangFebruary 14, 2016Super cute, clean cut and simplistic japanese style interior. Ankake udon was interesting. Would come again to try other udon. Karaage was too oily though.
Ernesto GutierrezFebruary 23, 2017Meat lovers should look no further than the niku udon (beef short rib with tripe). If you run out of udon ask for more! It is addictive.
Place is amazing!! Super clean broth is like crack. I like the beef broth with a poached egg. And that bacon app!!
Martha XJuly 11, 2016Niku udon is my favorite! Amazing soup beef tendon soup for base. And monkfish liver to start
Kate FurmanJune 15, 2016Best authentic place to get udon in EV! Prices are reasonable and the servers are so friendly! Cash only.
Colin LeeJune 3, 2018A very authentic Japanese noodle house - the curry noodle and fried chicken are delicious- Massive bowls of udon start at $9 at this new udon restaurant.
Joe MontesNovember 3, 2018Amazing, authentic udon. The restaurant is a little small, but super cozy.
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Closed until Noon (Show more)
- Tue–Sun
- Noon–9:30 PM
(212) 228-1324
View menu on https://rakunyc.com/pages/menu-east-village
Features
Reservations
No
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No
Outdoor Seating
No
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Music
Yes
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Table Service
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Street
Restroom
Yes
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