Raku (Las Vegas, NV) [3]

Raku
5030 Spring Mountain Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89146
Dining date: 5/6/15

Raku used to be sort of an off-strip “hidden gem” that locals knew of in Chinatown. It’s grown considerably in exposure to become very well known with locals and tourists alike seeking a great dining experience outside of a hotel resort.

I’ve been to Raku twice and had excellent meals. However it’s been a little while and after three years, I finally returned with my dad. The menu is very much the same as I remembered with a large variety of small plates (hot and cold) and yakitori. A chalkboard displays a list of the day’s specials. Initially intending to order a chef’s choice omakase, we decided to go a la carte and choose exactly what we wanted to eat. We ended up ordering three of the daily specials (the first three dishes in this post) as well as a handful of small plates and skewers.

A5 Wagyu Filet fresh wasabi and soy

The beef was about as marbled as filet gets though still very subtle in flavor. Fresh wasabi and soy were very welcome accompanying flavors.

Bluefin Tuna Sashimi

Bluefin tuna was luscious, rich and very tender. These were really great slices of fish, paired with an assortment of seaweed.

Alaskan King Crab

King crab was moist and sweet, though a bit of a pain to get into.

At this point, plates of our assorted yakitori skewers arrived.

Enoki Mushroom Wrapped with Bacon

Asparagus

Chicken Breast wrapped with Chicken Skin

Chicken Thigh

All of these were great examples. The mushroom with bacon had earthy, juicy enoki mushrooms with a familiar smoky porky bacon complement. Asparagus was very flavorful, too. Both of the chicken examples excelled as well, particularly the chicken breast with crispy skin.

Agedashi Tofu

Agedashi tofu was a highlight in previous meals here and didn’t disappoint. The housemade tofu was silky smooth, custard-like, with a savory sauce.

Udon Noodle with Foie Gras Egg Custard Soup

The egg custard had plenty of foie gras flavor sitting in a very savory broth. Udon noodles, which seemed more like soba noodles in size, were dipped into the broth for some very delicious bites.

Juicy Deep Fried Chicken

The chicken was juicy as advertised, one of the more moist fried chicken preparations I’ve had in some time. The skin was fried to a crisp, paired with some dressed greens for some acid.

Asian Pear Sorbet

Light and refreshing.

We enjoyed another reliably good meal at Raku. Highlights on this visit included the bluefin tuna, foie gras egg custard and the fried chicken. The yakitori is always excellent too and can’t be missed.