This is the second installment of the popular East Village Japanese spot that specializes in udon noodles. Before the haute ramen takeover of the past ten years, it seemed that Americans were solely aware of soba (buckwheat) and udon (thick wheat flour) noodles. They seemed to be everywhere, creeping up in our soups, stir-frys and hibachi theatrics.
Raku’s SoHo spot is only a few months old and receiving acclaim for a menu centered on udon soup offerings. Unlike their ramen counterparts that are anything but minimal with ingredients, udon bowl compositions are more basic, allowing the thick almost “meaty” textured noodles to speak for themselves Most bowls don’t seem to have more than four ingredients – with vegetables or a protein, garnished with a smattering of tokyo negi (long onion) and spinach. While optional toppings are available, the original creations aren’t worth complicating.
A fan of Anglicized fried chicken I am not, but I love the bite-size, delicately executed Japanese version. The Chicken Tatsuta-age come in half a dozen or ten pieces with a spicy aioli and were perfectly fried, juicy and just the right amount for indulgence. Again, being “basic” with our starter choices, the Vegetable Gyoza were just right.
You can take the cold udon route, but opting for hot seemed like a first try must. Just as we lapped up the “greasy” goodness of our starters, steaming jumbo soup bowls were promptly brought our way. My friend went for the Sansai Udon, mountain vegetables with maitake (mushroom) tempura in a bonito broth (the base for miso soup). It was light with familiar-tasting broth and a good entry dish for those not daring enough to enjoy the honeycomb tripe, oyster or duck options. I went with the Spicy Curry Chicken Udon which was a much thicker broth topped with tokyo negi and a spoonful of spinach. It was hearty, warming and the perfect amount of lip tingle, heightened with my liberal chili pepper dosage.
The slim, wooden-clad space is Japanese minimalism making the most of a sliver of SoHo real estate, with cozy booths, communal tables centering the space and a dining bar – resulting in an inviting buzz. Enjoying a three course meal with complex flavoring and liberal portions in a beautiful atmosphere is the stuff that Michelin or James Beard level dining is made of. Again, this is proof that the price doesn’t have to be high or the menu doesn’t have try be too complex to create a winning restaurant. You can also book a table, another indicator of the Raku team’s experiential care.
elbows on the table 