Raku - 2 separate special boards

Americas - USA West Los Angeles
1

Ate there finally last night for anniversary. The meal was fantastic. We thought it was on par with Vegas. Didn’t have any service issues.

The highlights were

  • Iberico pork yakitori
  • foie gras chawanmushi
  • sashimi (specifically the blue fin tuna and bass)
  • okra skewer
  • fried sea bream off the specials served with house made tartar sauce
  • chicken teba wing
  • beef tendon
  • fried shrimp

We only had 2 ok dishes that we wouldn’t order again

  • matsusake mushrooms off the specials
  • foie gras with sauce - it was just too rich

The biggest revelation is that they have 2 separate special boards. We found this out around 50% through the meal. All of the items are completely different. When we asked the waitress towards the end of the meal they said they choose the board randomly. It seems like an odd practice. We didn’t get a chance to order the A5 Wagyi sukiyaki. There were completely different fishes for sashimi and grill/fried preparations. We enjoyed the meal thoroughly but don’t really understand why they’d have 2 distinct specials menu.

1 Like
2

I chalk that up as a service issue

3

I don’t think I have a dish more rich that the foie gras with sauce I just don’t know how people can put it down, this is coming from someone who enjoys A5 wagyu, but that dish is just too much.

4

Why do you say that is a service issue when the waitress told us they choose randomly?

5

If they’re not showing you all their specials i think that’s a service problem.

6

The waitress said they randomly choose 1 specials board.

It’s the oddest thing I’ve experienced. Maybe the kitchen told them to rotate to help with expediting and kitchen work flow?

I’m going back soon and this time will see if we can order from both special boards.

7

I was able to order from both boards just fine. :smile: But the first time, yah, I was only shown 1. The 2nd time I was shown both.

8

First time I was shown 2.
Second time I was shown 1 (until I asked to be shown the second).
Weird.

9

Why don’t they just have 1 big board of specials? I wouldn’t have even known they had 2 special boards unless we overheard the waitress describing the specials to the next table.

Very unusual practice. Do they do this in Vegas?

10

'Cuz you were with me, buddy. HAH!

11

We are overdue to return - maybe there are 4 Boards now.