Onigiri RAKU In Bologna

Onigiri Raku offers authentic, home-cooked Japanese cuisine at very reasonable prices compared to the average in Bologna. I think there's only one other place like it in the city, Yuzuya, but the value here is truly unbeatable. I tried the daily special, a yakiniku don: excellent, a decent portion, accompanied by delicious tea, all for only €12. The service impressed me positively: kind and attentive, unlike some reviews I'd read about a cold welcome. My experience was quite the opposite. Either there are two owners, or the person here is bipolar 😆 The place is very small—seating about eight—and this adds to its charm, reminiscent of tiny neighborhood Japanese trattorias. It's perfect for both dining in and takeout. In short: an authentic, well-kept little place with very fair prices. Highly recommended.

Very good, top quality ingredients.

Very good food even gluten-free, top onigiri

Authentic Japanese cuisine, deli-style. Only 7-8 seats. Excellent food and very knowledgeable waiter.

Very good food and very kind and helpful owner

I visited Bologna on a fact-finding trip. By the eighth day of my trip, I was starting to crave Japanese food (soy sauce and dashi), so I Googled "Onigiri RAKU" and visited it on my own during my independent visit. To my surprise, Japanese was spoken at the restaurant, and they had everything from tekiyaki donburi (tekkadon) to curry and even katsudon (pork cutlet bowls)! I decided to try an Italian pork katsudon, so I chose the katsudon. I was happy that they served hot tea! The meat in the katsudon that came out was very Italian, and although it wasn't as juicy as the Japanese version, the overall flavor, including the broth, was just like a Japanese katsudon! The taste of soy sauce and dashi was comforting. I shoveled the meat into my mouth and finished it in no time!! There was a Japanese lady in the kitchen, so I felt at ease when I ate. Thank you for the meal! I'd love to come back if I have the chance to visit Bologna again.

Super delicious and super satisfying! We ordered the curry don and the katsu sauce don, both were amazing, very flavorful, and the rice was steamed perfectly. 100% recommended! The owner was very friendly!

A small place to eat good Japanese food. There are a few places to eat (7-8), and they also do takeout. Portions are commensurate with the price. The onigiri and takoyaki are highly recommended, but the ramen is nothing special. I read the reviews about the owner's rudeness... I don't know if he was the one serving, but he was anything but rude. Very kind and friendly! Nice atmosphere. Recommended.

This small, eight-seat restaurant reminded me of my neighborhood when I lived in Tokyo. The service here was extremely friendly and helpful, and both the restaurant and the open kitchen were very clean. We had two very small (500 ml) bowls of udon, which were very "Italian" versions of what we'd eat at any ramen shop in a yokocho. I think if you're Italian, you might enjoy the food here, but if you've ever eaten in Japan or in a good Japanese neighborhood in any city, you'll be very disappointed. The prices were a bit high for the quantity.

A unique little place. The chef is Japanese and makes traditional dishes you won't find anywhere else. The place is very small and looks like something out of a novel: decorated with Japanese objects and labels, seating for only six, and photos of the menu on the walls. Because it's such a small place, it has its own rules: you can't reserve seats, and if one member of your group is missing, you'll have to wait and come in together. They also offer takeout. The owner may seem brusque, but he's actually very kind if you're kind back. The dishes are many and varied: there are freshly prepared onigiri with various fillings, a bit of sushi, but the best part are the hot dishes. We've tried many of them over time. We especially recommend the takoyaki; they're very good. The udon and rice dishes are also very good. Because it's small, there's no bathroom.