Raku

Raku is treated as the benchmark for noodles in New York. The owner is Norihiro Ishizuka, who was born in Shikoku, the island famous for Sanuki udon (the style most people associate udon with). He opened Raku in 2015 after 60 years of cooking.

The udon has been called life changing, and in r/FoodLosAngeles, someone asked where to find "Raku udon NYC type of udon noodles." Contrary to beliefs that it is made fresh like at Okiboru, Chef Ishizuka imports it frozen from a gatekept supplier in Japan. Most bowls are either a staple or connected to a region or dish in Japan, like the Kamonan (Tokyo) and Ankake (Kyoto). There are now locations in Soho and Midtown.