Raku Japanese Fusion Cuisine

The owner said this place has shut down as of 12÷30÷13.
Go to Goshi!

NO STARS! We showed up at 9:15 for the 9:30 late night Saturday menu. Not only did they rudely inform us they were closed at 9:00, but they were extremely disrespectful when we questioned the closing time when their website said otherwise. I do not recommend this restaurant solely due to the service… We do not know about the food because the service was terrible.
Extremely rude and disrespectful

Lousy service, long waiting times, average food.
I’m actually writing this review at the restaurant, as we are waiting ages for 2 bowls of ramen. Ridiculous.
My girlfriend and I came here on a Sunday for lunch, so there weren’t too many people here.
We were greeted by a waitress who picked up place settings from the front to move us to the back… to a dirty table. Doesn’t make sense that you’d place patrons at the back… but whatever.
We ordered, and it took at least half an hour just to get our food. In that period, we saw the waitresses get numerous other orders wrong, left ready orders sit for 10 minutes before getting them out, and just perform in a very inefficient manner.
Took 10 minutes to get our salad, another 30 to get our gyoza… another 5 for the ramen now. This was a ramen combo, so receiving these all separately was a little unorthodox. The gyozas were decent, a little cold but bearable. The ramen absolutely reeked of MSG. I get that you can’t expect non-​powder broth if it’s not a noodle shop, but there was absolutely too much MSG. We left the restaurant with an uncomfortable MSG coating all over our teeth.
I will not be coming back here. Unorganized, meh food, and a waste of time.

Been there once, waitress spilled water on my phone and didn’t say anything. Bad food, not a pleasant experience.

I don’t normally like to try places which have fewer than 4-​stars but I am glad we came here and think maybe things have been getting better since all the previous reviewers comments since our experience was more like a 4-​star. We didn’t have any major issues with the service like other reviewers had. Although our waitress was on the inexperienced side she certainly was not rude or otherwise unprofessional. The food was decent and reasonably priced for a hopping college town. Our tab for 4 after tax was about $ 40 and they gave free ice cream for checking in on Unilocal.Our food was nothing to write home about, but the seafood was fresh and above average. I would definitely recommend the place as a casual dining spot when you don’t need anything special.
I came here for lunch along with my niece and Unilocal Buddy Kayjing C.
We were hungry and in kind of a rush since the only parking spot we could find had a 30 minute limit and I didn’t want to get caught feeding the meter. Everyone in our party loved Japanese food so we popped in and were quickly greeted and seated. Raku has a sushi bar as well as regular table tops and we opted for the latter. The atmosphere here is casual and trendy with décor which is definitely on-​theme.

I ordered a Surf N Turf bento box
which came with glazed and grilled salmon, california rolls and tempura. All were fresh and tasty. Now usually one would associate the term «turf» with red meat but here at Raku I think edamame and veggie tempura count as the turf items.
We also tried Raku’s «It’s Heaven» sushi-​rrito rolls.
These JapaMex «burritos» consisting of a large hand roll wrapped in soy-​paper were innovative and tasty. We could tell that the fish was fresh and there were ample chunks of it throughout the sushi-​rrito.
Lastly, we tried the Tonkatsu Ramen
This was the only disappointment as apparently the ramen tasted like it came from a package and the portion was a bit light.
Overall we considered Raku to be a 4-​star experience. If they improved the ramen and hired professional wait-​staff instead of part-​time kids they would definitely score higher.

My boyfriend and I went here for a date night while on vacation. I found the restaurant on a webpage. It was a GREAT choice. The people were friendly. We sat at the bar and enjoyed watching the artists create the master pieces that went out to customers. If your hungry I would suggest going with their all you can eat deal. Oh and if you have a little bit of room left over you must try the tempura ice cream!

Food = delicious. Service = terrible.
Just like the name says, this place is Japanese fusion. Don’t come here expecting amazing sashimi. The sushi rolls, while very tasty, are heavily laden with sauces and toppings and it is hard to taste the fish at all. We also had miso soups and their spicy edamame, both of which were also good.
The service though… we had to order drinks three times before the server didn’t come back and say they were out of that particular beer. We had a pile of dirty/​empty plates on our tiny table that didn’t get cleared until the end of our meal (and it was not busy during the time we were there). And it took three times before they got our check right (the first time they completely forgot to include alcohol on the tab… we were surprised at how cheap we thought our meal was, ha!).
Overall, the food was good, the servers were at least very nice, and I would come back here again… if Goshi’s was closed.

I went here around the time it opened I think and a few times scattered throughout this school year. The menu changed a few times and this is my review from what I can somewhat remember
The décor and style of this place seemed to go more for an authentic-​modern-​Asian look. The thing that really kills it, is the music. I would have liked it a lot more if they put some oriental instrumental music, or anything not top 50s or clubbing music in the background. Change the décor in that case then. The mix is too yucky for me.
Foods okay, it feels pretty standard compared to the other sushi places around here.
I do like getting the ramen as it’s not that bad and the price-​to-​fullness ratio is a lot nicer.
(The sushi places, or in general, the Asian restaurants around here charge a lot more than what I’m used to coming for a densely Asian populated area, so their is bias in me liking the ramen a lot more in comparison to the other dishes and what I expect in terms of taste and pricing.)
The rolls are alright, not really that great and are very much fusion styled. Did I like it? It was okay. A bit too Americanized in my opinion but fusion dishes can lean more to either side
Atmosphere is alright inside, but entering or leaving the place is so awkward since it’s in the busier area of downtown and that it feels all cramped like having itself barred off and crammed with heating devices and tables.
Service was okay. I guess I experienced the rare occasion (s) of getting a waitress who actually noticed me.
Overall, it’s a meh place, nothing bad or good to really say. I would only come here for the ramen, given that I feel like eating ramen.

Fusion restaurants raise red flags for me. Especially Asian fusion. But I was too tired to resist when a local friend guided me here on a chilly Friday night, and we got exactly what I expected– kitschy décor, mediocre food, and decent service.
The place was pretty deserted yet we still waited over half an hour for our food. My friend’s udon was served with tempura in the broth-​wth?!? Aint nobody got time for soggy tempura! The katsu-​don was edible unlike my beef teriyaki, and the rolls we ordered came with a disappointing fish-​to-​rice ratio.
All in all, the dishes have potential to be phenomenal. But as of now Raku is simply mediocre at best.

My husband and I went there for our anniversary. The service was just okay. Not great but not bad either.
The place was pretty empty when we got there but after awhile started to fill up.
We ordered 1 roll, 1 combination that came with a california roll, soup, salad, and 8 piece sushi. The soup and salad was good. The roll was flavorless even with the added jalepenos to the roll. The sushi was not fresh. They forgot the California roll. We had to remind them to bring it. When we did get it, it was on the warmer side.
They had a little sign for a fruity wine. My husband ordered a small bottle of the wine, thinking it was like a Sake. It was okay.
When we received the bill. $ 75.00!!! In my book, the place wasn’t worth $ 75.00. Especially since i was still hungry.
We won’t be back!

Good atmosphere and decore, poor service and quality.
A couple friends and I entered the restaurant at 7:30 on a Friday night. Place is well filled but the energy is dead. We stand at the check-​in stand for 5mins until a waitress comes to us. She tells us to wait until someone can clean seats for the sushi bar. Only ¼ of the bar had customers, the rest was not messy or showed signs of previous occupants. Yet we stood there for 6 mins until they «cleaned up.» Once we were seated we waited 15 minutes before having to flag down a waitress to take our order. Like I said, this place was well filled, but nowhere near at max capacity nor busy with orders. Seemed like everyone had their food and was settled. Our sushi chef did not even greet us or ask if we wanted anything from the sushi bar. I even gave eye contact in several occasions to the female chef who simply stayed on the other side of the bar. We’re talking 10 feet. Was not pleased.
The ramen is not good. Half an egg (not even a whole), no meat at all. There’s a seafood variation for more money. The broth did not taste very wholesome and fresh. The ingredients just weren’t balanced well. Unfortunately I am comparing to my experience in Los Angeles– particularly Daikokuya in Little Tokyo. The sushi also was not fresh. It should be especially when your Friday/​Saturday nights should be your prime nights. And their roles are small and contain very little fish. But that did not bug me as much as the chef who did not pay any attention to us. When there are three chefs and 5 people at a bar (2 of whom had not even ordered sushi in the last 20 mins), it’s not rocket science to divide the bar into sections and serve your customers with equal attention. However she never came to check up on us.
Several places in SoCal come to mind: R23 and Chiba Sushi.
The service was slow throughout as well. Probably because the waitress kept chatting with a couple next to us for a while on several occasions. To add insult to injury the bill came up with several items from the sushi bar missing. We informed the waitress and she said something to the chef in a different language. I got a pretty bad look from the female chef. We get the bills back split three ways and it was incorrect again. We didn’t want to spend the rest of our Friday night here so we just paid the bill and paid each other off once out of the building. Was just very disappointed with the establishment. I felt that, had they treated us with higher regard than just college students who think sushi is a well-​manicured California roll, they could have had happy customers leave and write a gleaming review and more importantly– return.

Went here for dinner around 7pm on a Friday night. I love the interior decorating, met with a co-​worker for dinner. It was very crowded on this night, no empty tables but it did not take long to get a table. Started off with the spicy garlic edamame, took probably 10−15min to get and was kind of cold. Next ordered the Crunchy Dragon Roll which was okay, the tuna on top was a little burnt but it was good. The service wasn’t as it usually was because of how crowded it was this night. Did check in using the Unilocal app and received a free green tea ice cream which was cool. Overall I really enjoy dining at this restaurant and will go back in the near future.

I like the ramen here. I’ve been here 3 times, for lunch, have tried a few sushi rolls and the spicy ramen. The best is always the ramen. There are much better sushi places in town like Goshi for Japanese and Sushiya for Korean style. I’ve had the bad service experience too, with the effeminate «manager» guy who spent the whole time gossiping with another guest. Food took forever. All the while the owner guy was working behind the sushi bar, didn’t do anything about it. t would only go back to Raku for the ramen.

We went in for Lunch a table of 5. There were two other tables. They guy serving us as nice but it took for ever, never checked on us or asked how it was.
I got the 9 piece sashimi lunch special with miso soup and rice, he came and dropped the fish by then when I was almost done I stopped him and said «wasn’t this supposed to come with Rice, soup and salad» He was annoyed and said «yeah yeah yeah, it comes with that I will get it in a minute!». I was already done, he was delivering that as I was getting ready to pay my check.
Food okay Service HORRIBLE.
GO TO SUMO SUSHI!!!

I have been here a few times. I’m not sure what to think. I always order the same thing when I go out for sushi, Popcorn Lobster Roll. I don’t actually eat Sushi or Sushimi (only cooked food). So I always stick with Lobster rolls. I frequent the Raku in Grover Beach and love it. When a friend told me the one in SLO was even better and owned by the original Grover Beach owners I was excited. We always get decent service not excellent but not horrible. I do find the low cut tops that the girls wear distracting. I guess being in a college town, the management feels that sex sells but the bustier waitresses don’t fit in their tiny vneck tees.
Now down to the food. The first time and second time I would have rated it a four, the third time maybe a three and then last time a two. My lobster roll tasted funny and I did not feel satisfied at all when I was done. The food has progressively gone downhill. I think they need to work on consistancy. Not sure about any downtown locations but if you want a cool modern good sushi place check out Kumi-​Ko.

Went in w/​the spouse and offspring last weekend. No more «Asian Fusion.» Now I feel guilty for never even trying any of their more «fusion-​ey» fair. Anyway, sushi was generally quite good.
The chirashi bowl was unfortunate. They tried to get fancy by dumping the bowl of rice upside-​down on the plate and putting the fish on top but the lack of ingredients killed the moment. It was basically 4 or 5 different kinds of sashimi. No tobiko, avocado, pickles, cucumber, unagi, tako, daikon threads, or any of the other items that make chirashi so colorful and fun. Chef dudes: google «chirashi» images.

This review is waaayyyyy overdue.
I’ve been to Raku a few times now and always had a great experience there. The food is delicious. The menu is very creative and you will find something you like for sure.
I’ve had the ramen for dinner once and I was so full I didn’t even have breakfast the next day.
And then there was a time I went there for lunch and had rolls (spicy tuna, raku & roll…) and was very satisfied with the flavors and the amount as well.
Went there again some other night for tapas & Sapporo beer and had some spicy edamame, sesame teriyaki chicken, and some other stuff that I can’t remember but they’re all delicious.
Prices are decent. It’s japanese cuisine so expect to spend a little more than you would at your mexican food joint.
Service is very good. The owner is normally at the sushi bar COOKING!!! You know a place is good when the owner is right there greeting customers, making you feel welcome and cooking and helping his staff.
I highly recommend Raku! Love it, love it, love it!!!

Once I discovered that Raku had Ramen on the menu I knew I had to make it down town on my next available lunch break. I invited a co-​worker and my wife, baby and mother in law and we went on a cold rainy day. Perfect day for a nice big bowl of Ramen!
The Food:
We ordered a bowl of Miso, Tonkatsu and Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen. I only had the chance to taste my spicy but it was definitely satisfying. The last bowl of real ramen I enjoyed was a batch of home-​made Niko Niku Ramen I made on New Years Eve with friends at my house. So I’m very glad that there is a new place in town that serves up decent ramen!
I’ve eaten some amazing Ramen on our Honeymoon to Japan so this definitely isn’t the best I’ve ever had but being that this is the closest place to get it within a 3 hour radius so I anticipate that I’ll be coming here regularly to enjoy every flavor on the menu. I haven’t even tried any of the other dishes on the menu and I am a fan.
My wife ordered a beef salad that was just okay, it didn’t have very much meat on it. She was sad that she didn’t get the Ramen. Next time!
The service:
We came here on a Tuesday for lunch with a baby in a party of 5 and the wait staff was superb! The place was moderately busy as well but we felt like we were more than attended to. We got water immediately for everyone in our party and a high chair for the baby.
The waiters and waitresses were very tentative. Our little one was a bit fussy the day we came on on a cold rainy day but they didn’t mind much. Next time we will most likely get take-​out from Raku if we can’t dine without the baby. On our way out I noticed one of the waitresses bringing out a small dish of ice cream, I think it might have been for our son, staff is very nice, thanks for the great experience and awesome food. We’ll be back to try more of the menu next time!
Hooray for Ramen in SLO! I’m a fan!

While visiting downtown SLO, I was amazed to find this little gem of a Japanese restaurant. It was lunch time so I opted to go with the ramen and boy was it good ramen.
Overall the venue itself is full of great descore, even on the ceiling of all places! Great atmosphere. Hell, even the bathrooms were fancy. How often do you see that?!
Food was great, our waitress was attentive and helpful. Definitely coming back here on our next visit!

So apparently it has been opened for only 4 days to date, and it definitely has some kinks to work out. Service was meh… the guy asked if we were ready for our check when we didn’t even get our food yet. When I said that we were still waiting he goes «Oh sorry, changing of the guards.» In my mind I thought «obviously we did not even begin to eat as our table was clean, the chopsticks weren’t used and the dishes were still stacked.»
Alas to the food. I am a sushi snob. Yes. Spoiled. Yup. That being said, Raku is definitely «fusion» and it tastes like any other «fusion» restaurant I’ve been to. The rolls consists of some combination of: spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber, crab, eel, shrimp tempura, lemon slices, white tuna… Nothing special. Got the crunchy dragon and caterpillar. It was ok. Normal. No wow factor. Did the job. However the caterpillar had cream cheese in it, which was kind of gross and unexpected. Who put’s cream cheese in their caterpillar? I mean honestly, why do japanese restaurants insisting in putting cream cheese in any of their rolls! That always boggles my mind.
I was definitely not brave enough to try any of their raw stuff. Not sure who fresh it would be.