Samurai Mama Reviews

Very nice looking restaurant with a big long-table in the centre of the restaurant. Guests are seated around this table, but there are also booths and ordinary tables. Very advanced menu which can be a bit difficult to understand for noobies. The staff is very advanced as well, and throughs one japaneese frace after another when "explaining" the menu. This aside, the food is really good. Go for the advices from the staff, they know their stuff.

Our daughter brought our family here on Christmas Eve for the "tasting menu." We were a party of seven and I had imagined that we would receive samples of various foods... not so! /the tastes were actually courses and each one was more delicious than the one before. From the tempura vegetables to the dumplings to the soup to the sushi... the operative words were FRESH and DELICIOUS. One of our BEST MEALS EVER at a very reasonable price!

The reason I visit Samurai Mama is because it has such a relaxing ambiance. I've never been "wowed" by their food, but have never been disappointed. Solid place to bring a date, meet up with a friend, or even dine alone.

After a day of intense sightseeing, this fresh and well presented meal was perfect. The restaurant is casual chic, with classic Japanese table settings and decor.

Visited this restaurant based on the reviews,and,it was,Everithing that we expected... Very well priced compare to the restaurant in the same level. Authentic Japanese Food. Great Atmosphere!!!

I had heard really good things about Samurai Mama so I was very excited to visit. The atmosphere is top notch. Perfect Japanese setting, long tables and a dimly lit room. I went for lunch so maybe this is why I was disappointed. The food was very bland. I got donburi and was basically served a bowl of rice with a garnish of chicken and "vegetables". I was disappointed. I would like to go back for dinner and give it a second chance.

I had an absolutely wonderful meal here. You immediately feel transformed when you walk into this place. The atmosphere is dark and rich with culture while still attaining that rustic Brooklyn feel. We sat in a booth as a party of 4 and experienced great service all night. We shared pork gyoza and Japanese pumpkin to start and I could have eaten both of those dishes on my own, but alas, I had to share. The flavors and textures in each were incredibly unique and rich. I'm pretty sure we wiped each plate cleaning trying to soak up every ounce of juice left behind. It was a freezing cold night so we each enjoyed an order of hot Udon. I had the Kinokojil kake Udon, which is vegetarian with assorted wild mushrooms. It was incredible. The flavor in the udon noodles and broth alone were impressive, but then with the added enhancement by the mushrooms it was absolutely wonderful. Once you have ramen/Udon like this I'm pretty sure you instantly become a ramen snob and can no longer eat the crappy stuff. Samurai Mama really cares about the quality of the ingredients they use, as you can read about in their menu, and it shows in the taste, presentation, and overall quality of the dishes they serve. I can't wait to come back and try more! I'm usually a sushi eater at Japanese restaurants, but this experience will definitely make me more eager to try traditional Japanese dishes.

Every dish here was a delight. Had a country style kabocha $5, lovely served sushi, daikon salad and dumplings. Killer Wasabi Margarita. What strikes you about this place when you first walk in is a large hand hewn table were people are sitting for communal dining. The place has a lovely sense of traditional and not over played high style. We ate in the back with I found not as attractive but still very pleasant. You can feel the kitchen and owners attention to detail. Prices were reasonable. We arrived very early and it was filling up so I would recommend reservations. You can have an elegant exotic experience here without breaking the bank. Took my hip world traveling young adult daughters and they loved it. The service was interesting, I would not say experienced, but like the new Williamsburg, its about having a cool element not necessary being the world's best waitress.

Loved this restraurant. They Gyoza were amazing, as was the rest. Nice ambiance and eventhough it was crowded it didn't seem as loud as other places. Good lighting, great food.

Visited Samurai Mama with friends for a casual lunch. Great sushi. Beautiful decor. Reasonable prices. Looking forward to going back and trying some more dishes.

My nephew introduced me to Samurai Mama as his favorite restaurant in the trendy part of Brooklyn--we came from Manhattan via ferry which was a nice way to see the skyline and new park. It was very crowded even though way after the lunch hour, testimony to its great cuisine. Some communal tables, other private. The garlic chicken dish was memorable, as were even the vegetable garnish plates given to us at start of meal. I loved the idea of making tacos with high quality tuna sushi. Fun atmosphere; very friendly and helpful service

Sweet atmosphere here (reminds me of Toyose in San Francisco): dimly lit, dark wood, with one very long table that seats at least a dozen. The food was pretty good but not memorable, so it felt a little weird to walk out $60-70 short (we got two udons, the fried gyoza appetizer, a couple sakes).

We stumbled on this place by fluke and boy were we happy! This is probably the best udon I've ever had! The broth is amazing! They cool the broth for 2 days and it develops this amazing depth of flavor. You will not be disappointed with the food. Check it out!!

and by the dumplings, too! Both kinds of ramen soup, the one that comes with the broth and the one where you pour the broth over yourself were so delicious! The pour over version had a thicker, more intense taste. The more common one, was well executed as well. The garlic chicken was different-smallish pieces of fried boneless thighs and a sauce that enhanced. I'd go back for the ramen again but the other dishes looked just as good. Don't miss the toasted rice green tea!

Three of us stumbled on this place after touring Brooklyn Brewery. Yum. I have waited years for Japanese noodles this flavorful (no, I do not live in NYC). We thoroughly enjoyed the udon and can't wait to be back in Brooklyn to go again. We thought the prices were very fair.

If you want authentic Japanese food, fabulous udon and great sushi, then you will probably like this restaurant. We did not have to arrive real early and we were seated quickly. However, shortly after we arrived, we noticed the place getting very busy and ultimately people had to wait a bit. It's a good and popular restaurant.

The ambiance of this restaurant is ... good. The waitstaff is ... good. The prices are ... good. The broth is in the udon noodle soup, however is spectacular, rich and nuanced like a fine wine or aged whisky. This is why you come to this restaurant and leave happy. The dumplings are excellent, as is the sushi, but what makes this restaurant stand out is the broth for their soups, an ambrosial liquid that takes the simplest ingredients and renders them worthy of royalty. Overall, a great dining experience, ono that you will never grow weary of. One caution: they only accept cash.

This restaurant was so unfriendly. Ramen and Katsudon were all tasteless. So I gave the tip 15%. The restaurant took a 35% tip from my card unilaterally. This restaurant was the worst restaurant among the restaurants I have ever visited.

Went here last night with a group of 6. Waited a few minutes for a table. Popular place in Williamsburg. Large communal table in the front. Smaller tables scattered around the restaurant. Very authentic feel. Limited menu. Not as many choices of sushi rolls as most Japanese restaurants. Vegetable tempura was excellent. I had an udon noodle curry soup with seafood which was very good. Sapporo $5 drafts. Salmon "tacos" with seaweed shells were very good as well. Quiet place.

The place and the atmosphere are cute, the food is alright (there's plenty of better/cheaper places in williamsburg, to be frank, like bozu, next door) Impossible to enjoy because unlike most places in NY, the service is so slow and aloof. After several misdemeanours we decided to bring it up to the manager's attention - it only got worse. Not only she was not apologetic, she was sarcastic and started yelling. This lady has some serious anger management issues. Seemed like she was going to hit me. Speechless. Never had such a weirdly threatening experience in my entire restaurant going life.

Not sure where these people have eaten sushi.. But this is under par! I asked for a chefs choice role and got a plain Tuna roll...asked for ginger and they offered cabbage!! What???? Definitely a not what I expected very disappointed !

I had the udon with shrimp tempura -- it was delicious and satisfying. Others had sushi and were happy with that choice. There's a slightly different menu for dinner -- is it fancier? This was plain Japanese food, tasting authentic, at a reasonable price.

This place has great and unique sushi (esp. their sushi tacos), gyoza is sick, and the noodles are so flavorful. This is my favorite udon place when I am in the mood. I also love sushi and general and their sushi is so fresh and tasty.

- food quantity is good but we were not convinced about the quality… so value for money is not there. - service was unfriendly despite that the restaurant was quite empty. - they charged a 35% tip without asking. Difficult to recommend…

Went for Sunday lunch, ordered the salmon avocado sushi, very good, the spicy salmon was noneventful, had the bara shirasi, sashimi dish, it was ok, fish were fresh. The pork gyosas were excellent! The mama salad with salmon sashimi was nice. The seafood curry udon was very good. The ebi tempura udon was ok. The mackarel sashimi was ok. For dessert had the chocolate pudding, pretty good. Overall the food and service were good, the prices pretty reasonable, will definitely visit again.

love the communal tables. the infused gin and the "tacos" made with nori instead of tortillas. the bukkake ramen is delicious — both the hot and cold versions.

The atmosphere is fab, the food amazing and the value hard to beat! My son and I each had sushi set-amazing value!

Me and my friends came here to grab some sushi and drinks before we started our night. The food was good the drinks were great and the ambiance was nice. Our waiter was very attentive and on point. The dessert saki was delicious. We will deffinetely come back when we visit New York City again.

Went there for dinner mid-week, had no trouble finding a table. The sushi was fusion but surprisingly delicious! We had the guacamole, cilantro, and tune rolls and they were absolutely fantastic! The Udon noodles were tremendous but if I went back I would order more rolls.

... that we’ve ever had. Though 10 was probably a bit greedy before an Udon soup. The Pork curry udon was delicious and the tastier one of the shrimp tempura udon soup... Really cosy too!

I think this was the best japanese meal I had outside Japan: simply delicious, well cooked, best ingredients and wonderful place. I absolutely recommend it!

I loved the place, the atmosphere. Service was correct and the food was a medium level, poor sushi, normal gyozas and tasty poached egg ramen.

We ordered about 8-10 plates and all were absolutely amazing. Would highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Williamsburg. Service was ok but understandable as they were very busy. Clean bathrooms also. Reasonable prices

Best gyoza and sushi in Brooklyn. Good valued for money. Nice atmosphere for romantic dinner or meeting some friends. I personally love the bar. Makes reservation for weekends

A friend reccomended this place and i had the best time in months. The food is simply amazing. Its fresh, its very tasty and the atmosphere in the restaurant is really nice! Would rec any dish to anybody!

I don't know about the attitude mentioned in other posts. We entered the place, led by the good reviews, because from the outside it was not appealing to me. We found it very nicely decorated, not trying to be "too Japanese" and the music was nice. It was quite early at lunchtime and they already didn't have one of the two items from the menu: ramen (even though outside it said ramen place). A little disappointed, we ordered udon. I had what seemed handmade udon with homemade curry, and it tasted amazing. If I can say something, it's that maybe it could use bigger pieces of meat. Maybe other things in the menu aren't perfect (some people complain about the sushi) but we had a lovely time there. The service was perfect, maybe send back the change after the client pays, like other places, instead of asking if they want any money back or everything is a tip, it creates an awkward situation.

Thought this was a pretty good stop on our journey over to Brooklyn. Sounds like we went at the right time (around 2-3 on a weekday) because there was no wait and the place was sort of empty. We ordered: SEAFOOD CURRY UDON - OMG soooo good. The broth was to die for and everything about this was just amazing. I would order this everyday. LUNCH SPECIAL - 2 rolls( JALAPEÑO YELLOW, GUACAMOLE SALMON) salad and small udon soup. Very filling. I could definitely have shared this with someone, well the rolls anyway. Atmosphere was cool and very relaxed since there was practically no one in there but I can see how busy it gets since it is so small.

Last night my BF and I decided to try this place since it was right near the movie theater. Now, I would love to give a review on the food but unfortunately, we never made it that far. We walked in about 4:45pm only to be told the kitchen opens at 5pm but that we could sit, have a drink and wait. Ok perfect! We sat, got our menus but a server, drinks nor food ever made it to us. Having waited for 20 minutes never to be acknowledged was bad but having people that walked in after us tended to before us was the final straw. We were the first ones to arrive before the kitchen opened so that was just insulting. To add insult to injury, there were over 10 ppl running around us and not even one of them, not even the girl that sat us, offered us a drink let alone took our orders. One guy at the door must have looked at us 10 times in the duration of time we sat there waiting. If we are spending money at YOUR establishment the least you can do is acknowledge our presence. And, in case anyone is wondering we were sitting smack dab in the front so there was no overlooking us. It was just terrible hospitality the minute we walked in. Enough so that I will never attempt to visit again and will let my friends know as well. Restaurants are a dime a dozen in this area so step up your game!

Samurai Mama is an excellent Japanese restaurant. Starting with the decor, atmosphere, service and the food, it's all way above average. Even our Japanese friends agree that this is a great place to visit in Williamsburg.

We've lunched at Samurai Mama twice and had good experiences both times. Samurai Mama offers a little bit of a non-traditional twist on sushi, which is refreshing. I particularly enjoyed a guacamole tuna roll. The lunch specials are reasonably priced for what you get. It's an attractive, wood-lined space with some booths and a big common table. Service is great - friendly and efficient.

We wanted to focus on Brooklyn rather than Manhattan area, and checked out Williamsburg area. A guy from a second hand shop told me about the restaurant and we went for it! From the entrance of the restaurant, we could tell it was designed well and I was very excited to see all the Japanese staff working and hearing jazz playing, I was confident that it was owned by Japanese. (Japanese love jazz including myself and my parents!) Simple menu but authentic. We had some gyoza and udon noodle soup. Great broth and noodles were al dente! It is hard to find an authentic Japanese restaurant in Boston, so we were so happy! It's in a cool area, too.

Highly recommend this place. I'm not a big Udon fan, but this restaurant stays close to its passion and it shows. The service was phenomenal, the interior well decorated, and the food carefully crafted. Everything simply feels thought out. I got the pork curry Udon per recommendation of the waitress which was very good, the dressing on the accompanying salad was robust. Everything here is just so well executed, recommend for dates and for a time out with friends.

Terrible booking policy, probably prejudiced by us being over 30, had to stand in a glorified broom cupboard designated as a 'waiting room'. It took about half an hour to get a table through some impenetrable system barely managed by a guy in a Woolley hat. The food when we got it was fine but nothing to write home about, a case of the emperors new clothes to my mind.

Just delicious, great decoration, great food and great service. As a Ramen aficionado You gotta love the place.

Tasty rolls, there are various udon noodles and dumplings too. Cozy small place, and have lunch specials.

The food is delicious. The sushi tacos were very good indeed. Both udon mains were fresh and tasty - the curried pork and the curried seafood. A bottle of Picpoul at €38 is a bargain in Brooklyn and very good. There are some tables for groups and couples. The main seating area is one large table but it is so large you don’t feel too close to anyone else. Slightly disappointed by the tea pudding dessert but apart from that a good place to go.

Three kind of soy sauce were given with the sushi. Clean place with many food options. Sushi rolls (6pieces) from 7-9$. Sapporo pitcher 22$ (2liter) Close by desert shop - 321 ice cream.

I liked the restaurant atmosphere, the decoration and the light are just perfect ! The udon soup was good but the gyozas were the real highlight of my meal

Solid food all around. Definitely have had better and probably will not be dining here again. Nice outdoor seating.

We'll talk about the food first then the probable infection I got from this place. We ordered the Seafood Curry Udon, Spicy Bukkake, Nabeyaki Udon, Uni tacos, and Salmonavo. The broth for the soup based dishes were really flavorful. I would have given the broth 3.5 stars. Overall the udon dishes were on the salty side. One good thing is that they use a lot of ingredients for the seafood and Nabeyaki. However, the shrimp was majorly overly cooked. The Bukkake is just alright. I rather pay for the cheaper version in chinatown. The udon itself was a little al dente and not really chewy. I could be wrong but I thought they were supposed to be more chewy and soft., especially it being made in house. Overall, the broth is much better than their noodles. Another issue I had was the "tacos". They really didn't invent anything new here. I was extremely disappointed. It's basically sushi sitting on a square piece of seaweed and the seaweed acts like the shell of the taco. First of all, the proportion of sashimi to rice to seaweed is way off. Too much rice and seaweed. Surprisingly I had no issues with the salmon itself but I also think the guacamole on it didn't help it much. Instead of putting the citrus in the guacamole, I could have just directly added it to the fish and it would have tasted the same. Then came the Uni tacos. Same issues still apply. However, the uni by itself is good. Not bitter but unfortunately, not sweet enough. Onto some side dishes that came with some of the meals. The tempura. Don't get it here. Batter sucks, overly fried and the tempura vegetables stuck together because I bet they just grabbed it by the handful and just dumped it into the fryer, and just let it all clump together. You can tell that the tempura got no attention from the cooks. Service was really poor, especially when trying to take our order. Two waitresses didn't really know the menu very well at all and couldn't even tell us how many pieces we get for each taco or could we split it half half, like 2 different types of tacos as one order. It was a fiasco. Lastly, onto the infection. Our group was sitting at the community table. When you walk in we sat in the back right corner, near the restroom and kitchen window junction. We think I got the infection here because I rested both my forearms on the edge of that table and the next morning, I had huge urticaria patches on both ventral sides of my forearms. It was in such a strange geographic distribution that it could have only been from that table. However, I can't prove it because I don't have swabs/cultures. I strongly believe that I got erysipelas from them and am now on doxycycline for 10 days. So far, the infection is subsiding. This could have been a freak accident but people should be aware because it might suggest their suboptimal cleaning practices. Unfortunately, I will not be able to recommend this place as the service and quality of udon were subpar.

Very good service... We went definitely for the Udon... Many options to choose.... They were so tasteful and very we'll done.... Recommended!

The piace has a beatiful setting and the food is good. I did enjoy the experience and my server was helpful with the menu. One suggestion to get 1 point more: Get a Real toilet

First the interiors (seems to be in an old japanese country village), teen three amazing paintings on the walls and a long big table for all. Fantastic ramen and udon We were there for lunch and everything was perfect: quick service and - surprise - the prices, absolutely convenient.

This place is loaded with atmosphere, even though it looks pretty suspect from the outside. It is decorated with old wood Japanese décor, but the food really carries, with a tremendous variety in mostly noodle dishes. A long common table lies in the middle of the restaurant to conserve space and allow people not to have to wait to be seated. Service is excellent, and the servers knowledgeable about the dishes and ingredients. Since it's in the Williamsburg district of Brooklyn, it attracts a young, hipster crowd, but the food should appeal to all. Truly a one-of-a-kind.

Samurai Mama is a very decent place for a quick dinner with friends and family. There is a large communal table in the center and booths which comfortably seat 4 around the sides. The service is friendly. Our party had sushi starters which were fresh and beautifully presented. The udon was delicious, but somewhat heavy on the noodles. Standard broth is fish, but for $1 more you can get vegetable broth, which was our choice. It was very flavorful and - wait for it - NOT oversalted. A rarity. We will definitely return.

This restaurant raised the bar for my standards in Japonese food tasting, which I love. I presume it is a very popular one as I had to wait to be seated, not longer than 10 minutes though, on a Sunday (late) night dinner. The wait was worthy though. I had delicious and substantial sashimis, baked eggplants with mini crunchy shrimps and mushrooms soup. They've got a huge central table for sharing seating, which I did and enjoyed, but there is separate booths and tables for romantic setting, which the lights and candles helped to create a nice atmosphere. Definitely a recommended restaurant.

Not great vegetarian choice for us Fish eating friends found liked it We only had one course Expensive for us We found it very noisy

Hipster crowd, as usually, ruins it. The food is quite fine, if you don't pick sushi. Bowl, noodles and special are usually very dependable. Visiting at peak times is not recommended as the place tries hard to maintain a high turnaround and to get you out of there as quickly as possible, so the service is far from friendly. Crazy waiting spaces. Communal table is very uncomfortable, crowded and dark. I need to see what I am eating. Level of the noise also too high. For the food go for off-peak times and you'll be fine. However, the service could not care less even at that time.

I came here with two friends, two of us ordered sushi (I couldn't resist the concept of tuna guacamole) and one ordered the Nikujil Kake Udon. The sushi came with three different soy sauces, all made in house and at varying degrees of spicy (but all incredibly tasty). The Udon was also unreal, and the dessert sake was fantastic. I couldn't say enough good things about the food, so I'll just note quickly that the waitress was pretty weird/uncomfortable/Williamsburg, and the place is CASH ONLY which always makes me cringe a little. But the food was so fantastic that honestly, those two aspects barely mattered. Go!

Literally my favorite restaurant in brooklyn! So good. Nice vibe and the food is amazing. Have the gyoza dumplings whatever you do!! The sushi is always super fresh. The noodles and soups are bomb. Overall I give this place a consistent 10/10. They don’t take reservations.