Raku is the restaurant that Las Vegas chefs go to after their own kitchens close. Open until 3am most nights, the narrow room on Spring Mountain Road serves izakaya food built around a Japanese binchotan charcoal grill — skewered meats and vegetables cooked over hardwood charcoal at precise temperatures, alongside cold tofu, house-made pickles, and a sake list that rewards exploration.
The foie gras tofu has become something of a signature; the grilled pork cheek and the chicken hearts are reasons to keep ordering. The space is small and reservations book out quickly — walk-ins sit at the bar if they time it right, around 10pm when the post-shift crowd begins to thin. One of the genuinely essential off-Strip restaurants in the city.