Good food. Happy hour menu was great. Reasonable prices. the bartender was very pleasant. He made good martini.

Oh, how I love being a foodie. It's the friends you meet, the bar conversations, getting to know the owners and chefs, that's what gets you the off the cuff chefs tasting menu we splurged on tonight. My friend has been a friend of Samurai's owner Jerry for years and I have enjoyed so many meals here. Tonight Joel brought a tin of caviar and we told Jerry to give us his best, and damn sure he did. The evening was flowing of sake, caviar bumps and delicious bites. The first bite of the tempura nori, uni and caviar sent me out of the galaxy. All our eyes rolled back in unison when we tasted that delightful bite and we knew it was just the beginning. The A5 Wagyu tartar was so good I nearly had a tear fall from my face. My taste buds were on a roller coaster with the luxurious fat and umami flavors dancing on my tongue. The fried yellow tail and young yellowtail collars were so rich and unctuous. We didn't even know what to do when the sushi boat arrived. Some pieces were adorned with the caviar, prized toro and Wagyu nigiri. The rolls were indulgent. All served with FRESH grated wasabi, which is how you know you got it good, no dry horseradish paste to be found for this meal. None of this is on the menu, but it you ask, Jerry will treat you to a fine dining omakase experience. I highly recommend checking out all they have to offer at Samurai! Keep your eyes peeled because I think specialty omakase experiences are coming soon! read more

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i didn't think I could experience such terrible service just picking up an order. Outside of a hibachi table, the only other patrons at the restaurant were a couple of women at the bar who were on their way out. both the bar manager and the restaurant manager stood at the bar, flirting with these patrons while I stood for 10 minutes staring at the bag of food with my name on it from across the counter. When the manager finally came towards me, instead of greeting me, he tried to grab my phone out of my hand to confirm my order. I expressed my discontent at him trying to touch my phone and at the amount of time I was forced to wait and watch my food get cold. he just tried to tell me it was fine and argued with me that it didn't happen. The steak I ordered medium rare was cold, dry and well-done by the time I got home. no accountability and a callous disregard for the customer experience. I resent feeling the need to waste my time writing this review but I want to make sure I NEVER waste my money here again. read more

Met a friend at his suggestion for happy hour He was seated at the sushi bar which needed some love. The cleanliness of the sushi cases was not top notch on the enterior and the end of the bar was covered in equipment and linens. Skipped a wine because the server could not tell me the winery the restaurant served. The server was very pushy to take our order then totally absent to clear plates and present the check. The rock shrimp had great tempura breading but I didn't expect the shrimp to be sauced as show in the picture! The rolls were average nothing memorable. If your looking for a sushi HH , 4 rolls rock shrimp and fried tofu ran $36. read more

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I have been on a sushi kick lately and wanted sushi delivered to me. I ordered Samurai using the doordash app, the delivery time was reasonable and food was packaged neatly. I got the Maki dinner, which includes 3 rolls of your choice and a soup or salad for $20. I got the california roll, shrimp tempura roll, and alaskan roll with miso soup. All of the rolls tasted yummy! I thought that the ginger and wasabi that accompanied the sushi wasn't as fresh as it could be. I also got an order of the chicken katsu, which I must admit I mistook for karaage chicken. The cutlet was still good, a big portion as well. I plan on using the leftovers for a salad. Overall, pleasant experience and I'll probably be using this as my go to for sushi delivery moving forward read more

Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Maki dinner (california roll, shrimp tempura roll, and alaskan roll with miso soup) Chicken Katsu (Ap) - Japanese Near Me - Albany, New York

We had a Hibachi dinner for 8 at the Samurai, Wolf Rd Colonie, NY on 6/19/25 6pm. Made an online reservation 4 days in advance. Quick confirmation, EZ. A Japanese style restaurant with a large & varied menu. Our server Cheri CiCi seated us at the hibachi table, brought menus, and took our drinks order. And was very kind to allow us to order on separate checks. I start w/ 2 sushis, unagi (smoked eel) & wasabi caviar ($4ea). Our dinners were sword fish ($27) & chicken ($23). Hibachi meals include soup/salad, & choice of fried rice or noodles. Our hibachi chef was Kim who was masterful & very entertaining. So with a drink a piece it was $50 per couple w/ tip & tax - a very good value. We had one drink at the bar w/ JP before the rest of our party arrived. He always gives us great service. And a the bar you can watch the sushi chefs craft their great creations, interesting every time. A good time was had by all. Note: Samurai offers of site hibachi for parties, events, etc. Highest recommendation for Samurai Thank you to Chef Kim, Cheri, JP, & Jerry for your consistently great food & service. Nick & Liz, Albany, NY read more

Reworded review 80 words This is the only place I buy sushi; everything is outstanding -- from the fresh sushi and perfectly seasoned rice to the hearty noodles and tender chicken. Each dish shows clear attention to quality and balance, with vibrant flavors and pleasant textures that keep me coming back. The only drawback is that some items can be a touch too salty for my taste, but even so the overall experience remains excellent and consistently satisfying. I highly recommend it to everyone. read more

Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Albany, New York

I have been here 3 or 4 times before for sushi and all was tasty. This week I went with a group for hibachi for my son's birthday and they did not disappoint! Our hibachi chef really played into the hands of my 4 and 6 year olds. In addition to cooking a great meal and entertaining us with his skills, he made a balloon monkey for the birthday boy. They also brought an ice cream desert with mochi and a sprinkle with my little guy loved! I had a spicy jalapeño tuna and Philadelphia roll with an order or tuna and salmon sashimi, in addition to a lychee martini. Delicious and fresh! Highly recommended. read more

Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Spicy seafood soup - Japanese Near Me - Albany, New York

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I was in Albany for work and my supervisor said she was treating me to dinner and i could pick where i wanted! Picked this place and got some sushi rolls and they were SLAPPING!!! Would def return if I'm in the area read more

We simply ended up at Samurai because it was the only restaurant open on Christmas Day. Wow! What a Christmas gift to us. This is an excellent restaurant with attentive service. Everything we ordered was absolutely delish. Tempura fried oysters, filet mignon hibachi with fried rice and lo mein, little side salad crispy and I love that ginger salad dressing. My husband had a bento box with teriyaki steak and all the tidbits all the sides were amazing. I had the spicy shrimp soup. Cant say enough about this soup. Fresh shrimp, deep flavorful broth. Ambience was so so, but it didn't matter to us., would rather have great food. read more

Samurai is exactly what you'd expect from a hibachi joint on Wolf Rd. Perfectly average food for acceptably above average price. Nothing about Samurai will bring you to tears. It's not the best hibachi you'll ever have and your eyes won't widen in wonder at the table show. It's just.... Fine. The decoration and ambiance? Fine. The service? Fine. Food? You guessed it... fine. read more

This place wasn't bad. We were seated right away and service was fast. They had some more of the unique rolls I have seen in the capital district. All the rolls tasted fresh. My husband had a roll with steak which he liked. The drinks were just okay, a little inconsistent. My husband wasn't in love with his first drink so he got a Blackberry Margarita (which was my first) and it was good but it didn't match my drink at all. read more

Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Snow Mountain Roll, Spider Roll, and Fiternity Roll - Japanese Near Me - Albany, New York

Service was friendly, Buddha roll and salad was fantastic. Bartender made a great saki recommendation. read more

Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Buddha roll - Japanese Near Me - Albany, New York

We just got into town around dinner time and we were looking for a great place to eat. Samurai was open, it had some solid reviews and the photos of the food looked pretty good, so we decided to give it a go! We were seated immediately upon arrival. The waitress was very quick and professional with getting us drinks and taking our orders. All of the workers in fact seemed to have a pretty good attitude. I went with 3 kinds of sushi, the Firecracker roll which is spicy tuna & jalapeno pepper inside, pepper tuna & avocado on top along with spicy mayo, the Virginia roll which is spicy white tuna, jalapeno, scallion and cucumber and finally a Texas roll which is pepper tuna, cucumber and avocado. The rest of our party went with hibachi. My sushi was very good, way better than expected. The fish was fresh, each roll was beautifully made and the taste was amazing! I was so happy with my sushi that I'm already looking forward to checking out some more of their signature rolls if and when I go back. The hibachi show was corny but the kids liked it. The chef was nice and had some personality. There's lots of fire and razzle dazzle in the act, but if you've seen it once you've seen in a thousand times. As for the food, the hibachi proteins were great. I tried the filet mignon and loved it, it was cooked perfectly and was so well seasoned. Really delicious. Aside from meat or fish, the hibachi meal also comes with a mountain of noodles, rice, and veg. The meal is probably enough for 2 people, or even 3. It's insane. We ate so well and the price was pretty reaonable, about $25 a person when all was said and done. I gotta say, I really liked Samurai. Five stars. Check it out. read more

Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Albany, New York

Yuck! Cleanliness is lacking. There are fruit flies or gnats all over the place. Food lacks flavor and seasoning. Service is mediocre.

Okay, let's just get this out of the way: I am officially disappointed in myself. I've been coming to Albany and staying at the Fairfield Inn ACROSS THE PARKING LOT from Samurai and never went to Samurai. I was judging Samurai. It's like I forgot who I even am! It's like I forgot that there is GREAT food in all sorts of places. That there are chefs who KNOW from sushi and CARE about the freshest, best ingredients and are doing that in all sorts of places. Not just the best Omakase spots in NYC... Samurai is in a building that was, in its most recent previous incarnation, a Burger King, as evidenced by the abandoned Drive Thru lane. The exterior is giving some mixed messages. I think It's that OG BK roof that you can still see. Don't be put off by the outside. In fact, don't be put off by the inside either! It's a little weird: large, "L" shaped bar that is attached to the sushi bar. The actual bar has a FUN, morphing light surface and two flat screen TVs. Weird part is there's a wall that makes it hard/impossible to see the entire bar. Like the bar goes around a corner. Bad thing is the volume is on on the TVs AND music is playing. Which is sort of vibe poison. But that would be an EASY fix. And the food is too good for me to take away points for atmosphere. There are hibachi style tables and some are the smallest I've ever seen. So you could get a sort of intimate, hibachi dinner. The menu is HUGE. There is something for everyone here. On my first visit I tried as many sushi type appetizers as possible because I was STILL judging the sushi situation. SHAME ON ME. I should have known they were throwing down here because there is a legit sake menu. An entire LIST of different sake. Which was perfect! I also ordered hot tea (I like to have all my bevs!) and it was served in a big, glass mug. I really should have known things were going to go well: Kimchi: just a bowl of delicious, spicy kimchi. Bob's Salmon Wrap Ap (Seared salmon, cucumber, sprouts, spicy crab, with house sauce). No idea who Bob is. His appetizer is damn delicious though! Including the sauce. Every aspect of this is great! Naruto Sashimi Roll (Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail, Avocado, wrapped in cucumber); low carb DELICIOUSNESS. Really good, creative roll. Sashimi Salad (various pieces of fresh fish, lettuce, avocado, Ponzu): fresh, delicious, simple. I had shrimp wonton soup. Where do you ever see shrimp wonton soup?? DELICIOUS. Full of veggies! Then I started ordering pieces of sushi and I saw that they had quail egg. Which is the tip off that someone here is serious about stuff. I. Love. ALL the Eggs. And they've got them all. I ordered Masago, Spicy Tobiko, Ikura, Black Caviar, Red Caviar and added a quail yolk to each piece. Then my waitress said they had Uni that day. Did I want Uni? I WAS STILL JUDGING. I asked where the Uni was from. California. Okay. I added a quail yolk to my Uni piece as well. Uhhhhhh.....PERFECTION. The Uni was fresh and delicious. I've been eating the most ridiculous, Japanese Uni at all the Omakase bars in NYC and I was just being a damn sushi snob. Don't be that way!! I had pieces of salmon, salmon belly, toro, white tuna. Every piece was excellent! And those pieces were also perfectly presented: correct ratio between fish and rice. My pieces with quail yolks were a little trickier on technique. I ordered a salmon skin roll because I always order it if I see it on the menu. Very good. Even the eel sauce (which is not my favorite and I usually skip) was not overly sweet. I had an unagi and cucumber roll. Also really good and all these rolls were cut into perfectly bite sized pieces. As they should be. HANDS DOWN the best sushi I've had in The Capitol Region. I over ate. Both times. I will be back. There is so much more to try! Honestly it's going to be hard to convince myself to venture out to other places in Albany now that I've discovered Samurai. read more

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I really enjoyed this play. Nothing special with appearance but... the food was really good read more

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This place has great sushi, sashimi and Japanese hibachi. They have two hibachi tables. Make your reservations before coming here for hibachi. Service is good and the food is good. read more

I love their Gyoza. and hibachi noodles. But they are stingy with soy sauce or mustard packets. For the price, Asian restaurants should be incorporating the probably not so expensive condiments in their prices. Not hustling for the extra bucks just because I ordered take out. read more

My co-worker and I went here Monday evening and had the hibachi. Chicken and Shrimp and Filet and Shrimp! Everything looked delicious but wasn't up to par as we expected! My co-worker ate a piece of squash and it tasted like fish so I didn't touch mine. I did eat the mushrooms from the veggies and they were fine but when I ate a piece of broccoli it tasted like fish! We didn't eat the rest of our meals and left! On top of that they add the tip to your check which I don't care for at all and never noticed on the menu! The service was great and the ambiance was nice but neither made up for the food! Then when I got back to my hotel room I got deathly sick! They are cross contaminating their food! Beware of this restaurant when visiting the area! read more

First time here. Service was adequate however the wait staff forgot about me. I really enjoyed the sushi. Was greasy and flavorful. The takoyaki was good but did not have the traditional toppings. The udon broth was flavorful however the seafood taste old. I would go back. read more

Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Yellow tail sushi - Japanese Near Me - Albany, New York

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Fresh food with nice environment. Great place for parties. I cannot believe their food is getting better and better after Covid-19. Good service read more

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I had been here before and had always had good experiences. This time, I was pretty disappointed in the food. (The server was fine.) The appetizer of "Crispy Duck Salad" was pricier than most of their other options, so I assumed it would be especially yummy. It was AWFUL. First, there was almost no duck in it. There were a few tiny pieces of skin buried under random chopped pieces of lettuce. The salad was almost inedible for how they DROWNED it in a pungent vinegar/soy sauce dressing. I literally had to get up, find a stack of napkins, and start trying to absorb some of the dressing so I could eat it. (Yes, I realize that I could have sent it back to the kitchen but chose not to do that.) My entry was the Toro Tartar. The tuna had clearly *just* been removed from the fridge or freezer. The avocado was fresh, and the caviar topping was a crunchy addition. Bottom line? There are other sushi choices in the same neighborhood. Go elsewhere. read more

Best sushi restaurant in Albany! The service is beautiful and the dishes are absolutely exquisite. I'm glad I ran into this hidden gem here in Albany. read more

Stuck in the ALB Hilton Garden Inn, we gave Samurai a chance. We ordered some rolls, nigiri, edamame, potstickers, and soft drinks. Delivery to our hotel room was fast - about 30-40 minutes (we ordered around 5PM on a Sunday so they probably weren't super busy). The drinks were cold and the warm stuff was still warm. Rolls were tasty, edamame was fine (could have used more salt), potstickers were good, and the nigiri (maguro and hamachi) was *fantastic* - generous cuts that melted in my mouth. As they noted clearly in the menu, one order of nigiri sushi is *1* piece (not the typical 2). But the size and taste made it worth the price. I wish they'd been more generous with the wasabi and included some salt packets for the edamame, but overall we were thoroughly pleased. read more

Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Order Receipt - Japanese Near Me - Albany, New York

Went with a group of 7 for my birthday. While eating for a few folks to arrive we had some Sapporo and Sauvignon, prices were very fair. We had 3 kids with us, we all ordered hibachi and sushi rolls and specialty rolls. Miso soup was good, all apps like the seaweed salad were great. The sushi rolls were a nice size and all The fish was very fresh tasting. They didn't try to make cover it in orange sauce like other places to make it taste good.(Hanzo in east greenbush has the smallest rolls ever). It's close to the best sushi I've had in the capital district since the old school Ichiban on central Avenue many years ago. The hibachi was all cooked perfectly. We had numerous proteins from Scallops to filet. All cooked just right. The one thing we really noticed is they didn't over salt the whole meal. Sometimes, we get home and we're all dried out from sodium overload. Great experience overall. We will be back read more

I was visiting the area with my family. Our grandson 3 was a first timer for hibachi. The place does not have a great outside appearance as this used to be a BK. But it makes up in service and quality of food. The chef was very accommodating of the little ones fears and worked to engage him and entertain him. The lunch portions were very nice and a great value. We added a tip and left. We then were stopped by the server stating that the tip was already included. We had no issue leaving as it was as we felt the value was correct. read more

Let me start by making clear this review focus entirely on a delivery sushi experience. Though I don't think the "delivery" aspect makes any difference here other than the fact that they advertised a 30m delivery time and it took an hour and a half, a chat with support, and the assignment of a new driver. Driver issue? Restaurant issue? I don't know. Ordered a rainbow roll and several orders of nigiri: unagi (eel), ikura (salmon roe), hotate (scallop), and sake (salmon). As I unwrapped my meal, I was astonished to discover the nigiri servings were only one piece. Usually when I get nigiri it's two pieces unless it's a particularly good (read: expensive) restaurant. On the plus side, the pieces of nigiri were excellent. The fish to rice ratio was perfect, everything was a great temperature and texture... nothing amiss here... other than the fact that each probably cost 50% more than I'm used to for a single piece. Maybe all sushi prices are going up? On the down side, the rainbow roll was exactly what I'd expect from mall food court sushi ... except this restaurant is not in a mall food court. Heavy on the rice, light on the fish. So, if you're after hibachi... it seems from the reviews this might be a good place. Ordering out sushi? Try somewhere else! read more

I made a reservation for 4, celebrating my son's 8th birthday. We were quickly sat at the hibachi table, as it was pretty slow for a tuesday. My son wanted a special drink for his birthday- he would prefer a pina colada (of course virgin). We asked the waitress if he could have a virgin pina colada. She shook her head no. I said no problem! Could he have a scorpion bowl? Pineapple juice, cherries maybe blue curaçao? Again she shook her head no. I said, strawberry daquiri? Anything? Any special drink? She said no. I asked to speak to a manager. She replied there was no manager. At this point, my sweet, even tempered husband said lets go, were leaving. The waitress then said "oh no, don't leave, we can make something, I will ask the manager" to which we asked "we thought there wasn't a manager today?" We left, went 5 minutes up the road to Koto. Had the most amazing time! Amazing dinner, waitress, hibachi chef and my son got his pina colada! We made reservations for 2 weeks to come back for my other sons birthday! Would never return to Samurai again. read more

Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Albany, New York

Five stars for the quickest delivery ever, thanks to Yelp! The food was amazing. How fun that you can order hibachi for delivery! I had the shrimp hibachi. It came with a generous amount of shrimp, noodles, fried rice and vegetables. Complete with side salad and all the sauces included, in nice sized portion cups. So good! I wanted to try the Tom Yum Kung soup. It was steamy hot and spicy hot. Nice size shrimps and fresh crispy veggies. I also ordered an avocado roll. Mmmmm. I have enough leftover for a nice lunch tomorrow! read more

Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Albany, New York

What a strange mixed bag. The chef was on point, which isn't always a guarantee; I've been to many Hibachi places where they weren't close to as talented on the entertainment side. Food was pretty good; Scallops were a bit overdone but the steak was cooked excellently. Tried their spin on a Bloody Mary because it supposedly had wassabi instead of horse radish - couldn't taste anything different, but still solid. Noodles and rice were good. Service was AWFUL. We were essentially forgotten. For a long stretch. Seriously, how hard is it to check to see if people need a drink or a napkin when the restaurant is mostly empty? The service actually had me debating between going down to 3 stars. Haven't decided if we'd come back. read more

Very chill little spot. It's quiet but there's a birthday in the hibachi area and it seems like they're having fun. Sushi and spicy seafood soup was pretty darn good. We also had a ribeye, which I wouldn't write home about, that wasn't bad either. Service was also very good. read more

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Outstanding service (some of the best in memory), reasonable prices, and very fresh sushi. I was very impressed.

Jerry and his team deliver TOP tier service and absolutely delectable Sushi & Hibachi every single time I dine there. SJR has a casual and very chill vibe. We're looking forward to coming back again soon!!! read more

Hands down best habachi in Albany always fresh and perfectly seasoned and the guy at the front always looks out and gives us extra rice and noodles I use to go to Koto not anymore try them the portions are really big I can share a meal with my husband even tho he don't like to share read more

Ambiance a little rough including smell. Leo our hibachi cook went above and beyond to make sure everyone laughed and enjoyed. Food was excellent. read more

As the kids say, "this sh*t is bangin'!" No for real, come try the Passion Roll. The waitress recommended it to me after I asked her what her favorite roll was. I loved it. Might marry it. Not the roll, the waitress. No just kidding I'm married. read more

Samurai Japanese Restaurant - Shrimp Tempura Roll Passion Roll - Japanese Near Me - Albany, New York

Samurai is located near the hotel and chain restaurant hell on Wolf Road. Inside you will find something you never expected.... They are a hibachi restaurant. They offer your typical hibachi fair, all well done with fresh ingredients. I have never left feeling unsatisfied. Great for a party. They work hard to keep things moving along. They do the typical hibachi show. All of the chefs have tricks that make for a fun evening. Here is the real secret of this restaurant...... the owner is a sushi zen master. I have tried sushi all over the CR and the US and I am telling ya, this sushi rocks. They use fresh Wasabi. They always have the most sought after cuts i.e. Toro, uni, sweet shrimp. The rolls are great too if that is your speed. There is a lot of Sushi competition in this area but some are clearly above the rest. Samurai, both the owner and the chefs do sushi right. Go on a sushi date or bring a large crowd. You will truly enjoy your meal here! read more

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Surprise in Albany , the best Japanese restaurant in the area. I love their Sashimi , thick and Juicy. sure will come again !

The passion roll was great and I would deft get it again, I think the crazy roll is gonna be good (I always order too much so I can't try everything all at once) , the crab Rangoon was so/so, the wonton/wrapper was way too big and not very crispy/almost like it wasn't made fresh but it's possible it didn't travel well too so I wouldn't rule it out in person, I would never ever eat the chicken fried rice from here again, very bland and there were huge pieces of onion and leek to pick out (tho my kitten stole a hunk of chicken and savagely ripped it to bits before I could stop him, he even growled when his sister approached to protect his chicken from her. He's never done that so I'll say the chicken gets 5/5 from my kitten) and I haven't tried my chicken pad Thai just yet but it looked good! Portions are large, I just thought it was a bummer that the rice was sooooooo bad and the crab Rangoon wasn't that great cause those are pretty basic. I'd prolly order rolls from them again if unagi and yuan sushi are both closed or pick up only like they were today. 3.5 out of 5 :) Update: I hated the crazy roll, it had a weird "fishy" taste and I'm a seafood lover. So do with that what you will. The chicken pad thai tasted excellent! Some weird veggie additives I picked out and the crushed nuts were clumped to one corner but the over all taste was great!!! read more

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