Raku

Another establishment posing to serve Japanese food, yet none of the items will pass the authenticity test. Sure they look authentic, but you will not find then in Tokyo. Fried takoyaki? Come on man.

This review is for their tonkatsu ramen and nothing else. That’s what I get every time I come here (and that’s fairly often, given that my favorite study spot Amelie’s is right next door). The ramen here is Gooooood with a capital g, from its creamy bone broth to the fatty pork belly to the tender noodles. I get mine with a little hot pepper paste on the side, perfect for flecking that rich white broth.
Update January 2016: the quality of their ramen has fallen off considerably — thinner broth, lower quality noodles that have no chew to them, and black mushrooms in the broth that haven’t been properly soaked, and are thus hard and inedible. With so many ramen competitors open in Westside, it would be a shame to keep coming here.

Husband and I ate here because we had a groupon. Sometimes Groupon businesses can be hit or miss (usually miss) Raku was pretty good. Parking can be a bit of a bear because the lot is really tiny. Not much ambiance, pretty chill place to grab a meal and a drink.
When we entered the place was about half empty. We had to sit at the bar because none of the available tables had been bussed and the bartender/​waiter couldn’t be bothered to do so. As I stated we used a Groupon for their winter tasting menu which came with a sampling of their offering and sake or cocktails (we got one of each) we also tried their dim sum (fried and steamed). Drinks were good and the food in the sampling of ok. I enjoyed the dim sum best of all.
It took our food a very long time to arrive but it did arrive piping hot so that made up for the lengthy wait time. There wasn’t anything in the tasting that I would order again on its on. I would order the dim sum again. Next time I will try the Ramen as that has pretty good reviews.
Lastly my husband said his sake was pretty good and he receive a TON in his small pot. My Cosmo was ok, I’ve had better but I’ve also had worse. All and all a pretty decent visit. Wasn’t blown away but wasn’t totally let down either. Left enough of an impression for me to return without the Groupon.

For those of you who purchase a Groupon, please note that it is hardly enough food to count as a dinner for 2. It is literally a tasting appetizer, at best. Not gonna lie, the various skewers were pretty good. There was asparagus, shashito peppers, bacon wrapped cherry peppers, rice cake, chicken wings (boneless), chicken thigh, skirt steak, and salmon. When it came out, we were literally like… that’s it?! It was a single skewer each (or 2 to hold the food items), so we had to tear off half for each of us. Oh also we asked for a knife — «sorry we don’t have knives… do you want a spoon?» LOLOL that’s like the song ironic by Alanis Morissette, where you have 10,000 spoons and all you need is a knife. They also include a large sake or cocktails for 2. No cocktails, but they had wines of which we get 2 glasses of pinot.
Luckily we also got the char siu bao and spicy tonkatsu ramen or else we would have left hangry. The bao had great flavors, although the pork belly was pretty thin. The ramen mirrors what everyone else says, it’s flat and meh. The broth was nothing special. The noodles were not chewy and top soft, literally thought it was overcooked spaghetti. Being a cold, rainy day and still hungry from our «dinner», it hit the soup spot and warmed me up.
Servers were friendly and fast. Although it was awkward when I presented the Groupon and he goes, what does that include? Of which I responded… shouldn’t you know?

I already came in with so-​so expectations, but even those weren’t really met unfortunately. I came here with a friend with a Groupon — $ 18 for a yakitori sampling that comes with two complementary drinks (either a large bottle of sake, two glasses of wine; or two beers). They advertise cocktails on the Groupon but I did not see that anywhere on their drinks menu. I had made a reservation a couple of days in advance just in case they got busy, and they were flexible when I pushed my reservation time up the day of, since it didn’t seem like they were too busy.
I had heard good things about the pork buns and mixed reviews about the ramen, but I was really craving ramen on the cold night I was here, so needed to try it for myself. We definitely needed to order both of these things to complement the yakitori, because the yakitori on its own was not worth it nor was it worth the price even with a Groupon.
With the yakitori, you get…
— Tebasaki chicken wings with sea salt: there were no wings on our plate, so must’ve just been regular chicken… nor was there any hint of sea salt
— Momo chicken thighs: this one was tasty, but nothing too special
— Harami skirt steak: I enjoyed this, but there was only one, so it’s hard to share… most other skewers had two of each
— Shishito pepper: pretty tasty, but I would not order this normally
— Grilled salmon: good, but a little dry
— Asparagus: a little overcooked in my opinion
— Duck kochi rice cake with gochujang sauce: I enjoyed the sauce/​flavor of the rice cake, but the rice cake itself was a little rough
— Cherry tomatoes with bacon: surprisingly good even though I normally dislike tomatoes
— two glasses of Pinot Noir: pretty affordable glasses of wine ($ 8 each)
Char siu pork buns — these were pretty tasty and I’m glad we got these. One order comes with two pork buns. The pork was cut a little thinner than I would’ve liked, but it was packed full of flavor.
Spicy tonkotsu ramen — underwhelming, as expected unfortunately. Ramen noodles were really thin (almost spaghetti-​like) and the broth was just made really spicy, probably to compensate for the lack of any other flavor. Yes it hit the spot because I was craving ramen on a cold night, but not up to par based on all of the other ramen I’ve had in my life (and that’s a lot).
Food aside, service was pretty good. Our server came to check on us a couple of times to see how our meal was going. Running the bill took a bit longer than expected, but there were a few more tables that were trickling in towards the end of our meal.
I wish I could give everyone who’s coming here on a Groupon (which was pretty much every other table tonight) a head’s up that the yakitori alone will not fill you up. Yes, you get to try eight different menu items with a drink, but the portions are tiny.

This is a joint review. My fiancé is the true ramen lover (and self-​described afficianado) among the two of us, so I asked for his expert opinion before writing up this review.
We’re fans of Umaido (owned by the same people as Raku), but we’re not huge fans of trekking all the way out to Duluth for ramen. While Unilocaling one day, he came upon Raku and on a lazy Sunday afternoon, we rolled in to Raku to see if it lived up to its heritage.
Surprisingly, Raku’s over on the westside of Atlanta not far from Georgia Tech, Coca Cola and the whole bustling west side scene. Funny I never knew it was over here before. It’s an unobtrusive little building next to the Post Office, which is funky looking but set back from the street a bit so it’s not as noticeable.
When we parked and walked in it was later in the afternoon and there were just a few other tables filled. They’ve got a patio area that’s enclosed in the winter and heated, but it still felt decidedly cooler out there than in the main dining areas. Luckily, the waitress seated us in the main dining room where I could see the kitchen to my right, the bar behind me and the cool, and Asian-​flavored motif (wall paper with Chinese characters on the ceiling, Asian art, lanterns, etc.) everywhere.
While everything on the menu sounded good: gyoza, multiple types of ramen, steamed buns, udon noodle soups, etc. We opted for two types of ramen (he got the traditional tonkotsu ramen, I got the chicken broth ramen with miso noodles) and an order of steamed pork buns too.
Everything came out all at once and the pork buns were quite good. I was expecting a steamed pork bun similar to the ones you get at dim sum, but instead it was like a little sandwich with pork slices in it on a pillowy soft bun. Yum!
And the ramen was very, very good. Rich, hot, and ramen-​y. I really enjoyed my non-​pork version (sometimes you just want to switch it up), and my fiancé liked his as well. He wanted to give Raku a 4.5 stars, but alas, we can’t do half stars here.
That said, this was a great ramen experience, and so nice we didn’t have to trek way out to the far flung reaches OTP to get it. We’ll definitely be back soon.

If you are looking to fill a ramen craving, this is not the place. I found the ramen to be very disappointing and bland. The noodles were more like spaghetti noodles and less like ramen noodles. The noodles were definitely not fresh. I had to add a ton of chile and soy to make the broth flavorful. I can’t speak to the other items on the menu, since I only went for ramen.
They forgot to bring out our sake, so they brought us a large one for the price of the small, which was nice of them to accommodate the inconvenience.

I’ve been dying to try Raku since I moved to the west side! Loved how luscious their tonkotsu was. Seriously some of the best I’ve had. EVER!
I loved how the bits of ginger in the soup got caught in the ramen noodles and when you took a bite that bright flavor punches you in the mouth! Chicken donburi was very good, and so were the shrimp shu mai.
I’ve seen other reviews where y’all said that service was bad. I couldn’t disagree more! They were very attentive and friendly. Offered enough water that I thought I’d drown!
I’m glad that I live so close. If I could give ten stars I would. I’ll be back for more!

First time visiting — and really first time having real ramen — it was fantastic. Service was extremely welcoming and friendly. Food came out fast. I had the shrimp dumplings (careful — they come out piping hot but are delish!). And the spicy ramen with pork. Sure, I have never learned to use chopsticks but they accommodated me with a fork and I love the traditional spoon.
Great atmosphere. Love the separate dining rooms and on a nice day — would be great to visit.
There is a private lot that gets a little tight if full but there is also another lot directly behind the building.

Edit: lowering my rating because the service here was again less-​than-​mediocre. Examples include: my waitress spilling piping hot broth on my legs and not even apologizing…
Raki gets four stars because their food is amazing, but the service leaves a bit to be desired. The servers weren’t very attentive (we had to ask for water and utensils, after they already brought out the food). But, man, I got the udon with shrimp tempura and split the chashu (pork belly) as an appetizer… and it was so yummy that, bad service or no bad service, I’ll be back.

Nice small space. No music at all (Yay!).
Not crowded shortly after 11 on a weekday, so I got the pick of the seating.
Service is friendly, efficient.
I knew what I wanted so I didn’t actually look at the menu. I probably should have because the website for Raku is a mess.
Food:
Spicy tonkotsu ramen with added soft-​boiled egg. The reviews from a lot of people have not been too complimentary towards Raku’s ramen, although those from people I regularly use as benchmarks have been good. I’ll add my opinion to the ‘good’ column. The spicy tonkotsu is quite satisfying. Maybe not as artery-​clogging rich as some others, and maybe they skimp on the chashu pork slices, and maybe you have to add the egg at an additional cost, but I could eat this everyday. And unlike with the ramen at other places, I might actually survive a few more years eating Raku ramen. It seems healthier without sacrificing flavor and general yumminess.
The spicy tonkotsu is not particularly spicy. You can get spicy sauce for an additional cost but I’ve found as I move well into my second half-​century on this planet that I don’t crave spicy food as much. Medium hot will do most of the time. This from someone who grows the hottest chiles available each year. Not sure why I continue to do that.
Recommended.

Got the dumplings and lunch special which is the tonkotsu Ramen for 7 plus add on sushi for a total of 10 bucks. Service was very nice. I only give 4 stars because there were 2 tables full of dirty dishes when we arrived and not a lot of signage. Food was excellent!
Fresh sushi:
although the spicy tuna rolls were anything but. (Still a notch up from Rusans) I don’t think they used the correct rice.
Dumplings:
crunchy, flavorful and the sauce was a nice touch.
Raman:
Plenty of raman and it was filling, but it was flat and lacked any real flavor. I had to add Sriracha and Soy to give it some sort of body.
Conclusion:
Pass on the sushi. It was off and for the price of 4 rolls (3) you could get a full meal at Rusans. (8 – 12 pieces)
Be prepared to add something to kick up the raman.
Return Visit: Nothing I would go out of the way for but if on this side of town I would return.

My sister and I visited for a late ramen dinner one evening. We both got the tonkatsu ramen. It’s a big bowl and a large serving. I must have been hungry that night, because I was able to finish mine and then start on what my sister had left behind. We sat in the main dining area which is separated from the kitchen by a raised bar with open windows where guests can sit and eat right in front of the chefs.
The ramen was fair. Granted, I only tried the one, but I was wasn’t very impressed. The international, pretty authentic recipes are a big draw, and if you’ve never had Japanese ramen, you should definitely try some. The big bowl of soup was an entire meal, but for soup, Raku’s prices are higher than I’d like. Basically, while I won’t be going back many more times, I would encourage others to try Raku.
A small note about the service, after we were ready to leave and my sister had laid down her card to pay for our bill, the wait to get the receipt was a lot longer than it should have been. It was not a busy time of day; I believe there may have been two other parties in at that time.

Guys, this place has gone way down hill. I’ve never experienced horrible service such as this one.
My friends and I ordered the asparagus and bacon appetizer. It’s normally small asparagus wrapped in bacon. We order that as well as our entrees and after about 20 min our entrees come out. We ask about our bacon wrapped asparagus and they said it will be out in a minute.
When they brought the appetizer, it was ONLY the asparagus. WHAT?! So we asked the waitress «Didn’t we order the bacon asparagus?» She went to the kitchen and the chef (Some asian guy) told her to tell us that the bacon will come out in a sec.
Idk about you guys but I have NEVER had a half-​ass appetizer be brought out to me only to wait for the second part to come out later.
That wasn’t the only thing. I ordered hot tea for myself and the waiter brought out 3 cups for my friends and I. He didn’t ask if my friends wanted any he just brought them out and since I only ordered tea, I assume the cups were just complimentary.
After our debacle with the asparagus, we told the waitress that we didn’t want to be charged for the appetizer because it wasn’t made properly.
So when we looked at our receipts, we noticed that the appetizer had been taken off but the TEA CUPS were charged $ 3 each! So the tea that I ordered was a total of $ 9.00. NEVER HAVE I BEEN CHARGED THAT MUCH FOR A KETTLE OF TEA. (NO REFILLS EITHER)
We notice the asian chef staring at us the entire time and we confront the waitress about our bill. After questioning her what the issue is they finally reasoned with us and took the tea charges off.
We weren’t yelling at them we were just so confused as to what was going on?!
Our conclusion is that the asian chef told the waitress to charge us extra for the tea so that it would make up the difference for the lost appetizer.
Isn’t that so sneaky? How would a business do that. And it wasn’t like we were complaining about little things — our appetizer was served after out entrees, half-​assed, and then when asked to take tbe charge off, we got charged extra for something we didn’t even ask for (the extra cups of tea).
If that was my business I would never try to do that to a customer.
NEVER COMING BACK! I USE TO COME HERE ALL THE TIME BUT NEVER AGAIN.

With Raku being so close to our hood, we hoped that this izakaya would become our go-​to. Unfortunately, there were some hits and misses. I would give them another shot, though.
***
I. FOOD
Like with any izakaya, Raku has small bites such as different kinds of tempuras, yakidoris, and takoyaki. They also have several different kinds of ramen, too. We decided to try three of their appetizers and a soup:
*Shrimp Tempura: Several large fried beauties paired with a soy dipping sauce topped with scallions. It’s extra crispy, piping hot, and generous for an appetizer! I’d recommend this, fo sho.
*Pork Belly Bao: Slices of pork belly with pickled veggies in a bao — pretty good. If you like baos, it’s worth trying.
*Sashimi Salad: Raw tuna mixed with pickled cucumbers and carrots. Probably the best appetizer, of all the three we had.
**Tonkotsu Ramen: After eating a few great apps, I was really hoping for some stellar ramen. Unfortunately, it fell flat and lacked any umami. Perhaps, the broth should simmer a bit longer and have more salt added. I hope they improve it.
II. SERVICE
No complaints. Super friendly and professional!
III. ATMOSPHERE/​DÉCOR
There are three general spaces: an large enclosed patio, and two for indoor seating. The ceilings are high, and it’s industrial, yet colorful and hipster. (I dig that colorful wall they have in the back.) I love the design, and it looks like a cool hangout spot for large groups. There’s also a small parking lot in the back.
IV. PRICES
Affordable. I don’t exactly remember the prices, but the apps fell below $ 12 (sizeable portions). Ramen wasn’t too expensive, either. Although, customers can pay to add more slices of pork or garnishes to make it more expensive.
V. OVERALL
It’s a solid izakaya, but I would only return to have some apps and some beers. If the ramen improves, I’ll definitely become a regular. ;)

When this place first opened, I would have given it 4 stars. However, I feel like every time I come here, the food isn’t as good as the previous time. I usually get the Tonkatsu Ramen lunch special. Each time there is less and less meat (today I only had 2 thin slices). It’s enough food to get you satiate your hunger, but definitely won’t leave you feeling full for long.
There is a free parking lot, but it’s one of the most awkward parking lots I’ve ever had to park in.

I’ll start by saying that I’m a HUGE soup fan– phở, chicken noodle, miso, tom-​yum-​kung, she crab soup– literally all soups. However, after dining here, I realized that ramen does not make that list.
I had my eye on this place for a while because, since I’m a soup fan, I just had to try it and because it was so highly regarded on Unilocal.I had some free time during lunch, so I decided to pop over and see what all the hoopla was about. I was promptly greeted and seated, and the hostess was pleasant. I decided to order the takoyori (batter fried octopus balls) as an appetizer since I had seen it on Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern’s shows countless times. This appetizer was served in a portion of 5 balls, but I only ate two. Not terrible, but definitely not good or something that I would eat again. I didn’t expect the batter inside the balls to be wet and the flavors were just kind of all over the place.
My ramen arrived shortly after and I was excited! I decided to «splurge» for spicy seasoning as an add on for $ 1… Deep sigh. First, the ramen broth was pretty much as bland as it gets. Absolutely no flavor. The spicy seasoning that was added in made the broth completely red, yet still managed not to add an ounce of flavor. How can «spice» have neither flavor NOR spice? The main reason I wish I hadn’t gotten this red spice sauce now, though, is because it splashed back on my shirt. The pork belly in the soup was the best part, but it wasn’t good enough to make me like my food or to make me want to finish it.
I am a «scrape-​the-​plate» kind of gal, but I when I finished eating here I left behind half a bowl of ramen and nearly a full plate of takoyori balls. If you are looking for a flavorful broth-​based soup, this is not your place.

I was surprised at how good the ramen was here. I kind of heard from my friends the Raku in Duluth was mediocre so I assumed the midtown one was the same. Nice to be surprised every once in awhile
I find it quite entertaining Raku is next to a strip club. LITERALLY. The first time I came here, I was like «huh, interesting» (haha).
Parking here is ok. There are plenty. Just awkwardly placed around Raku. Just be careful in which spot you park in b/​c when you leave, you’ll have to figure out how to maneuver your car.
Space & Service — I’d say medium sized restaurant. But definitely more than enough seats and etc. I don’t think people would have to wait. When I come here for dinner sometimes, I never wait. But I also come around 7:30, so my timing may be at a good time. Service has really improved. No more of this «waiting 20+ mins» for 1 dish. Great job guys! Extra star.
Food
The ramen noodles not as great as Umaido, but better than your typical ramen shops. That’s what surprised me. I was expecting it to be the actual ramen I eat when I’m too lazy to cook. Luckily, Raku cares to get better ramen! The broth is nice as well. Compliments all the ingredients in the dish itself. The portions are generous too if you’re super hungry. Not a bad meal. The price didn’t really worry me. I was more than satisfied.
I haven’t tried their other items, but one day I will. I just had a hankering for ramen the past few days.
I’ll be back! … since I live close by. :D

I just could not wait to write this review.
I took a bite of the tonkatsu ramen @ lunch and knew immediately that this is a 5 Unilocal stars establishment! For $ 7 I can disregard the scant pieces of pork (2 – 3 pieces at most? It was a scavenger hunt to find another one after the first).
Broth is so comforting and flavorful. Paired with the «al dente» (can this be used for non Italian noodles?) ramen. And voila! A great start to a bowl of different flavors (can ask to have chile to make it spicy) and consistencies (fresh, crispy vegetables, YUM!).
I was cautious about mixing all the chile spices in. I wanted to thoroughly enjoy the bowl before making it spicy. Towards the end, I realized the heat was just perfect for me (not too much where my nose ran).
Spicy pork donburi. The flavors, OH. THE. FLAVORS! I’d recommend eating this last because it is so jam packed with flavors that it might make any subsequent dish (or bowl ;)) taste more bland. This was a rich mix of spicy and a layer of slightly sweet. Definitely try this lunch special.
Last but not least. The Edamame appetizer. Warm and crisp. Lightly sprinkled with salt. Not too salty for my sensitive palate at all.
Again, to reinforce other Unilocaler warnings. parking is awkward. The bigger separate back lot has signs that indicate permits only (before 6 pm).

Yum! This was my first experience with «real» ramen, and I am indeed a fan.
I went with the spicy tonkatsu ramen, which was a huge bowl of creamy pork broth with a swirl of spicy red paste, a generous portion of thin yellow-​ish noodles, and topped with veggies and two big slices of roast pork. It was rich and delicious. I thought it was a good deal at just under $ 10, but I look forward to returning to try their even cheaper lunch specials.
They have parking in the lot in the front and back of the restaurant, and plenty of interior and patio seating. While I’m sure it’s not quite as authentic as the legendary ramen places in Duluth and Gwinnett, I’m thankful to have a reasonably priced ramen option so close to home!