A definite must-return!
Reservations are highly recommended. My friend and I dined in on a weekday and the place was packed. The two of us were overly ecstatic and over-ordered upon being seated:
We ordered three items off the appetizer section. Raku's tofu is homemade as is the soy sauce. It is a delicacy that should not be skipped. The poached egg with sea urchin and salmon roe were very fresh, but I was not a fan of the slimy texture.
The butter sauteed scallop with soy sauce arrived on half of a clam shell. It was perfectly glazed and seared.
As for the robata grill, we ordered various skewers. The chicken thigh was not what I wanted but nonetheless, the meat was tender and succulent. The yellowtail glazed with soy-based sauce was done in medium. For $7, it is well worth it and can be shared among two people. The kurobuta pork intestine was exceptionally soft and without a slight sense of gaminess. The kurobuta pork cheek arrived with a shimmer resembling fatty meat. But the texture was crisp and the flavors were perfect. I would definitely order this one again.
It does not end there. We also ordered the Kobe beef outside skirt with garlic and Kobe beef tendon. I am not a big fan of garlic, but I made the exception without regret. If you're feeling in need of collagen, get a skewer of tendon all to yourself. If you are not particularly fond of the soft, gelatin, melt-in-your-mouth texture, share it with somebody!
Last but not least, we ended our meal with the udon with foie gras and egg custard soup. Unlike most thick-cut udon noodles, this one resembles angel hair. The udon is served separately in a tiny basket with a generous piece of foie gras floating atop the bowl of warm broth. I was pretty full from the items above but this was not something to turn away from.
The damage was done at approximately $50 per person.