This place is from the same owners of the now closed Bozu (I think). When they first opened I did not really like it - food wasn't great, service wasn't good - I had 2 experiences there that were bad... so I never went back... that was a loooonnnng time ago. I have been back 2 times recently - and got delivery once - was amazing every time! They also have one of my favorite items from the old Bozu menu "pork betty" - which is really thinly sliced perfect kakuni with mayo and cilantro. Their karaage is really excellent there as well. It is super nice and relaxing to sit by the back at the bar and the service is now impeccable. One of the times I was there was SUPER busy and everything was still excellent. So happy that this place managed to improve, maybe they inherited some of the old Bozu staff :D read more

Waitstaff had a lot of attitude for no apparent reason. They were rude to us when asking basic questions about the menu, including trying to understand what "dump style" means, as though that's something we should have known. They often invaded personal space to place items or take them from the table, without saying anything ('excuse me', or 'coming in', etc), even bumping me several times. This was super rude. I asked for napkins and the waitress threw a few bar napkins at me. The ramen kind of sucked too, I don't get the hype. Ambiance is cool, but they really need to put a curtain around the door or exterior wind barrier, the cold breeze in winter is brutal on anyone sitting within 15 ft of the door. read more

Stumbled in here on a chilly spring day and got seated at the communal table immediately. It was perfect and quick service. The udon was warm and delicious. It has a cozy atmosphere so hanging out with friends or a date night is good here read more

Samurai Mama - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

This place first of all was soooo cute! I loved the environment, it screamed high class but also very cozy. The portions were great and to be honest this was one of my favorite ramen places I've been to in NY. read more

Samurai Mama - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

Came here with a group of friends. They have chilled ramen for summer days. Unfortunately, the omelette ramen was way too sour (and I quite like vinegar). I had to drink water in between bites to counteract the sourness. The service was terrible -- very slow. We had to ask for water refills multiple times and it took a long time to flag down the check. They auto add gratuity for groups over 5 people. There was also some fly under the table as I got bit a few times. read more

Samurai Mama - Hiyashu Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I'm surprised by how affordable this is for williamsburg especially for a place of this quality. (Hope i didn't jinx it) But I came for lunch and got cold udon and unagi tacos which is basically a hand roll. Everything was very tasty and large portions. As someone who is trying to cut down on meat consumption, I appreciated how many vegetarian options were here. Plus their music is fire. read more

See all

I'm in Williamsburg a couple times a year. This is my new go-to. Since I travel to New York a lot, Ive been trying to hit a bunch of places on lists, and I'll say Ive had a good time at most of them. However they usually have lines and waits and I usually dont have the time. Tonight I was trying to eat at a Ramen place on a list and had the thought "maybe find a ramen place thats not on some ranked list." Thats how I ended up at Samurai Mama and I have to say this place exceeded all my expectations for the evening First off I have to say, calling this place a ramen place isnt exactly fair to everything else they've got going on. Second Ive got to set the scene, it rained all day which mad for perfect soup weather. The first thing to know is this place is a little i conspicuous from the street. It technically has street facing windows, but overall its a pretty dimly lit establishment. That plays heavily into the vibe. There's a lot of reclaimed wood inside the restaurant and the centerpiece of the main dining room is an enormous wooden table where most of the guests are seated. It threw me off for a second because I wasnt sure I had actually walked into a restaurant, but after that initial confusion wore off I was in love. I dine alone a lot when traveling and even though I didnt converse with anyone but the restaurant staff, I really enjoyed being at a communal feeling table. The whole thing had, idk a medieval Japanese vibe? I dont really know if thats a fair description its just the words that come to mind when trying to describe the aesthetic. Food was phenomenal Japanese. I got the Mama Ramen, which was solid. I also ordered sushi tacos which are an absolute must. But honestly what Im most excited for is what I didnt try. This place has a lot of Udon dishes, both soups and noodle plates. If I had t walked in with a plan I might have been paralyzed by indecision and it'll be the same next time except I know Im coming for the udon. Only question is will it be a soup? I guess we'll see if its raining. read more

Rating 3.5 I compare all the udon places in NYC to Raku, which is my favorite. Unfortunately, I thought the udon here was just ok. I got the shrimp tempura udon: the noodles were not chewy, which is the main feature I look for. You get two pieces of shrimp, which they place in the broth itself. I wish they placed it on the side since by the time I ate them they were really soggy. We also sat the communal table, which felt a bit cramped during dinner (especially with bags, umbrellas, and winter coats strewn everywhere). Overall not bad but not the best I've had. read more

Samurai Mama - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I'm always down to try a new sushi spot, and glad to add this one to one of my favorites. There isn't a whole lot to say really- it's a cute, simple dining room with a long, wooden dining table in the center. The food is fresh and delicious. I only ordered two rolls which I devoured, and I saw people around me ordering the noodles, so I'll have to try that next time! read more

Samurai Mama - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

My boyfriend and I came on a Saturday for a 8:45 reservation. We were sat at the communal table which was a lot spacier than it looked. We both ordered drinks and shrimp gyoza. Unfortunately, it does not say on the menu that the shrimp gyozas are fried, and we were expecting the classic pan seared gyoza. They were fried a bit too hard for our liking but the hoisin sauce was great. The crunchy roll was as expected. I ordered the spicy ramen and unfortunately, it wasn't hot at all. Temperature wise nor spice. The ebi tempura udon was ok! No complaints. Ok experience. Something to eat. read more

From a cozy shared dining table to Japanese bar seating to an intimate dinner setting, I'm thoroughly impressed by Samurai Mama! Big fan of their $20 sushi taco set as an affordable but filling meal for nigiri lovers. read more

Great takeout for noodles! They pack everything up with the broth and extra spices separate, which was a nice touch. Kinokojil kake udon was great, chewy noodles and SO MANY different mushrooms (usually you only get a handful from most veggie soups) and lots of umami flavor while still being subtler than ramen. The eggplant was a nice touch as well, an upgrade from your typical tempura udon without any heavy meats. The original fatty mama ramen was your typical mix of chashu and veggies and egg, the broth had some extra ingredients that made it a little more flavorful and didn't have that bitter aftertaste you get sometimes with tonkotsu. I reheated in the next day and it had some odd clumps, but wouldn't have been an issue day-of. I loved the homemade gyoza maybe the most! The two sauces to go with it were savory and delightful, truly unique, and the dough was the perfect combination of soft and crisped. I'd get takeout again or try sitting in! read more

Samurai Mama - Kinokojil Kake Udon - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

Pretty cute and vibey restaurant with friendly staff, but unfortunately the food was very mid. We got the pork gyoza to split. I liked the dole up of sauce in the middle (mostly salty and spicy, a little sweet) and the dipping sauce they provided on the side. The dumplings themselves however weren't that good; they weren't crispy at all, they were oozing oil, and the filling wasn't very flavorful at all. The pork curry udon was okay, the broth wasn't too heavy and the pork was pretty tender. The udon was a little too soft and overcooked though. My friends who got cold udon said their udon was very al dente - I had the impression they cook all their udon together and the people who order cold udon dishes end up with undercooked udon and the people with warm warm udon dishes end up with overcooked udon. read more

Samurai Mama - Pork Gyoza - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

I was recently craving Japanese food, but I wasn't sure if I wanted ramen, or udon, or sushi, or something else. Good thing Samurai Mama has all of those and more! This cozy restaurant has a combination of communal seating, booths, and regular tables. I ordered: * uni "tacos" * seafood miso soup * agedashi tofu The uni "tacos" were kind of like a nigiri atop a piece of seaweed. Each order comes with two tacos. Great way to start the meal. The seafood miso soup was delicious - it was a spicy broth with everything you would expect in a miso soup, plus veggies, mussels, scallops, and shrimp! Yum! I loved this soup. The agedashi tofu came in a perfectly sized portion (six well-sized pieces) in a bowl of flavorful broth. I definitely want to come back to try the donburi and the udon. Samurai Mama is a solid choice! read more

The food is delicious! We had 2 don buri (3.5/5) and 2 bowls of udon (10/5!!) my kids couldn't stop raving about the udon.

If you have Ramen, Sushi, good music, good drinks and good service all under one roof...well I'm there. Really wanted to give 5 star review for Samurai Mama however the only minor detail holding back is the broth on their original Ramen is a bit thin and lacking that rich deep flavor. Maybe it was just a one time fluke but overall I was very content. Definitely coming back soon to try their own house made Udon. read more

See all

DELICIOUS!! Came here while visiting NYC and our local friends book our reservation here. It did not disappoint! We started with several apps and you really can't go wrong with any of them! I had the tofu udon in fish broth for my meal (I think it was called the Kitsune Udon) and it was very yummy. The tofu had a slight sweet flavor which was good to help break up the photo. The broth was SO good and I would recommend this place! The ambiance was also very nice. read more

Samurai Mama - Tofu udon very yummy & added a poached egg - Kitsune Udon - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The udon here is top 2 within New York that I've had so far! Stopped by here on a whim as they opened as my partner was craving some udon. Especially just being in Japan in September, was really craving some udon as New York weather has been transitioning to fall. Pleasantly surprised at the flavor and quality of the udon here. The broth had a satisfying umami flavor and the portion of udon I found was very generous. We each had an udon soup and left full without needing any additional appetizers or entrees. read more

Came here shortly after they opened for dinner service and was seated at the large, long communal table. I got the pork curry udon and it was amazing. The curry sauce was flavorful, there was plenty of pork in my bowl, and I liked that it came with a variety of julienned veggies. The udon noodles were springy and fresh so I wish there was more. The service is friendly and attentive. My only qualm is that the seating at the communal table isn't the most comfortable as you can feel the whole bench move with other people on it. I look forward to coming back to trying their other menu items! read more

Samurai Mama - Pork Curry Udon - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This restaurant has been on my list and I was finally excited to check it out for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. I loved the communal table and the decor inside. However, I'm not sure I would've liked it if I came during dinner because it would've been a bit too cramped and loud. It's winter time and no coat room so my winter jacket took up the entire seat next to me. Because I came during lunch when it was empty, it was not an issue. Ordered the seaweed salad, pork gyoza and sukiyaki udon. The seaweed salad was very interesting. The menu did not provide any details so I was expecting the usual seaweed salad you get anywhere. This was a dish that came with 5 different kinds of seaweed and 2 different sauces. It was very cool and unique, but flavor was just okay in my opinion. I felt extremely healthy eating it though, which is a nice feeling. Pork gyoza were small but packed with a lot of flavor. And the sukiyaki udon was delicious! I loved the umami, fatty beef and how the tofu soaked up all that sauce. My only wish was for the udon to come out hot like they do in Japan. I hardly had to blow on the udon to eat. I would come back to try other udon and ramen from here! read more

See all

Really liked the fresh, chewy udon noodles :) Soup broth for the chilled bukkake udon is good if you like a sweeter broth. And I loved the onsen egg it came with! Desserts are pretty standard, nothing to write home about. Good for groups or a semi-casual first date. read more

Samurai Mama - Chilled Bukkake Udon - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

This place is known for the udon and ramen - so don't miss out on trying these delicious noodles. We also got the fan favorite - sushi tacos. While each piece was beautifully presented, it didn't taste that special. Perhaps we should try the chef's special or pick our own next time. But I'd highly recommend the wasabi margarita and the spicy bukkake udon. The udon was so tender and silky. The soup base was seasoned perfectly without being too salty. Sitting at the communal table was a fun experience. It was set up mainly for couples. You can always tell when a couple is on a first date! Service was prompt. We were in and out in under 45 mins! read more

See all

Came here with a group of friends and the vibes in the place were great. However I don't think I'll be coming back for the food - everything was very disappointing. We got the karaage, agedashi tofu for starters and they were a bit lack luster to me. I got the sushi taco special set and my boyfriend got an udon. The sushi taco was not worth it -especially the special. It was just ok. I didn't love the udon either- it didn't have the qq mouth feel for the noodles that I like. And the soup was just ok for me too. Overall won't be going back read more

See all

Order: - Sukiyaki Udon (5/5) Pros: - Amazing tasting udon - Large portions - Unique restaurant aesthetics - Kind and quick service Cons: - Small restaurant with a large middle table/bench that most customers sit at Overall: The udon was perfect on a cold night. I definitely will be back read more

Samurai Mama - Sukiyaki Udon - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I had put Samurai Mama on a list of places that I wanted to try out in Williamsburg but hadn't actually thought that we'd get the chance to try it out so soon. We got there just before opening (12:00 PM) on a Saturday so there was no wait. We were seated side by side at a long communal table in the middle of the restaurant. One of their signature items is the sushi taco set, which looked yummy, but we opted to try the Bara Chirashi as we figured that there would be more pieces of fish for us to share. The presentation was lovely and the fish was fresh. For $28, it's a pretty good deal for the amount of food that you get. We also tried the Mama Original Ramen ($17), which, per the menu, is made with a stock of bonito, sardine, mackerel, pork, konbu seaweed, mussels, shiitake, and garlic and topped with a slow-cooked egg, chashu pork, bok choy, nori, bamboo shoot, fried green onion, fresh scallion, bonito and scallion oil. The soup was very flavorful and the noodles were bouncy and chewy. I will definitely be back to try the udon noodles next time! read more

Samurai Mama - Bara Chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

First of I would not come to this place again so many more great spots in the area. But you hate to see other that came after you and ordered after you get their food before you. That just always sucks and waiters should not let that happen . The variety of the menu isn't bad. My curry seafood udon wasn't bad. But the quality and amount of seafood definitely didn't make it seem like a seafood udon. Mini shrimp and I mean like mini shrimp , 2 pieces of the mini scallops. So I paid for the broth and noodles pretty much . The sushi tacos were fresh but nothing special . And the gyoza which same as the ramen came out after other patrons were basic and lacked flavor . But again dipping sauces to the rescue . read more

See all

Delicious food. Quick and friendly service. I recommend the cold udon noodles if you like chewy noodles and lots of flavor.

Was craving hot udon/soup in the Williamsburg neighborhood so my partner and I decided to come here. The place is definitely smaller than we thought but the service was nice and the interior is dimly lit and more for a romantic type of meal. The udon soup was pretty good and the hand roll we ordered was also pretty standard. The only thing is if you prefer privacy, they only really have one big table for you to sit next to other people on. Also one thing to note is when we paid at the end, the server comes and holds the device for you to pay with card and give tip, it was a little awkward as the server was watching you do every move/give tip. Overall standard Japanese udon/soup place in the area. read more

See all

I'm really happy that I found this place! The menu at Samurai Mama is fairly priced with good vegetable content. Employees add a personal touch that makes visits fun. This place offers a comfortable vibe. Each element of the dining experience was satisfying. read more

p solid udon and ramen noodles!! i got the ebu tempura one - the shrimp was delicious but the udon base was a bit too fishy for me. the noodle texture was delicious though! the chilled ramen noodles were a dish we got that was off the menu, but so delicious and flavorful. great service though & peaceful ambiance! read more

Samurai Mama - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

Everything here was good - food, service, ambiance; but there was nothing too notable. We came here for New Years and it was quite busy. There's a communal style table as soon as you walk in but we were seated by the bar a bit further back which was nice and private. We ordered the veggie gyoza which were pretty good and came with a jelly I've never seen. I ordered Kinoko Tsukejil Udon. I've never had experience with dipping style Udon before so it was a bit confusing on how to eat, but the noodles were really good on their own. read more

See all

Recommended by a friend, visited it one fine afternoon and fell in love. Not a very impressive look from the outside but super cute interiors. They have a common shared table seating as well as cabin style private seating. We started with a warm bowl of edamames. For mains my friend ordered their classic ramen and I went for sea food curry udon. The portion size is generous, packed with delicious shrimps, clams, calamari and the noodles were well cooked but what took my heart was the broth. Each sip from the bowl was enjoyable. My friend was equally floored by her Ramen bowl. Our server kept regularly checking on us and ensured we were taken care of. We left satisfied and happy. Will definitely recommend you visit this place for great Japanese noodle bowls. They do a great job. read more

See all

Sushi tako set $21 was very good for quality and value. I also ordered the wakame udon $13 which had a good portion. The proportion with broth and content was a bit off. There was too little broth and too much content (overloaded tempura & seaweed). Overall, it was a filling meal and good value! read more

See all

My go to spot for Udon. Especially because they have a veggie broth option. I've been dining at Samurai mama for years and it's always been consistent in good food, service and ambience. I love their agedashi tofu, veggie tempura and Sansai udon. The udon never disappoints. Of all the Japanese spots I've dined in NYC, this is hands down the best veggie udon I've had. Many places don't really offer a veggie broth option so big plus for Samurai. Whenever I'm in the area I stop in for a bite. Great spot! read more

See all

What a quant and sweet little spot in Brooklyn! Found it randomly as I was leaving domino park and glad I did. The style inside is definitely cozy, everyone either sits on a giant family table or somewhere along the bar. What I didn't have pictured was our ramen and udon and both had incredible broths. The sushi tacos were fantastic! So fresh and the quality was so good and the sushi rice was superb. Our bartender was also awesome, it was great to chat with him about his hometown and Japan. Loved it here! Highly recommend! read more

Samurai Mama - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

I had some high hopes when dining in here with my friends. The interior was charming and this was my first time trying chilled udon. The flavor of the broth was good initially, but then I found that it got way too salty towards the end of the meal. It also took a while for the food to arrive, and for a server to check in with us to get our bill. Overall, this is a decent place to try, but I wouldn't say it's a standout. read more

See all

Food: 4.5/5 Pleasantly surprised at how delicious the udon was here! Stopped by for dinner and we ordered the 4 mushroom udon and the sukiyaki. The 4 mushroom udon was savory and soul soothing. The dashi(?) broth was incredible. The sukiyaki was a bit sweet but it had a hearty beefy flavor. It also came packed with beef, bokchoy and tofu. The bowls looked small but it was a lot of food. I definitely recommend giving this place a try! Service: 4/5 Great service overall. Very attentive and friendly staff. Ambiance: 4/5 Cute large and a bit dingy. There's a big communal table in the middle with private tables all around. Overall, a great dining experience with delicious food! read more

See all

i'm really surprised that this place still exists - especially on a main street in williamsburg where there is sooo many amazing asian restaurants around. my two guesses are that it's because it's the only really udon-centric spot in the neighborhood and that maybe it caters to a specific williamsburg crowd that maybe never had udon/asian food before (and maybe vegans bc they do have a veggie broth)?? i remember coming here and samurai papa's several times back in 2015-2107 and seriously don't rmember it being this bad!! bc wow.. this might have been the worst restaurant my bf and i have been to in the city and i dont say that lightly. i mean you can't taste bad, have bad drinks, be slow AND be expensive. you have to have at least one of the four at MINIMUM. look, i want to use my reviews for good and lift businesses up, not tear them down but i'm telling ya, 2/5 is GENEROUS. my bf and i got the pork gyoza, veg tempura and sukiyaki's each. pork gyoza 2/5: tasted like something you could get from the freezer section of target - not even an asian restaurant. you know how most places serve gyoza with the lace? the crispy skirt? well it had that skirt, but it was not crispy - it was straight soggy. how... veg tempura 3/5: super standard but the dipping sauce was good! i'll give them that! giving credit where credit is due and the shishito peppers were good! but it was just shishito peppers, mushrooms and sweet potatoes which i thought were a strange variety. sukiyaki 2/5: again, this was generous. salty but flavorless, the noodles had no chew, it felt overcooked. also the onsen egg it comes with? was RAW. i'm not talking a lil underdone, i mean RAW. it took us 30 min from the moment we sat down til the food came out. 30 min?!! we'd be asking for our checks at most other restaurants within 30 min. and somehow when the food came out, it was lukewarm? how did it take that long and not come out piping hot? what's going on back there? only good(?) thing is that portions are pretty big? but i'd rather have smaller portions with lower prices. how were the drinks also bad? my bf got the lychee martini that tasted like a lemon martini and the city pop(?) cucumber drink that tasted like cucumber water. his first drink came out after the appetizers - so think 30 min into us sitting down. the setting, as many other reviews mentioned, is communal with only a few booths and tables to the side and some seating in the back. it's tight and awkward and not very wheelchair accessible - i mention this bc there was a party of 4 that came after us that were squeezing past the seated patrons which is totally fine for us but i imagine was not very accommodating for them. if you've had any medicore japanese food before, i'd skip this place and look elsewhere - like anywhere else. if you're looking for good udon, heck, even mediocre udon, i'd skip this place and head into the city to tsurotontan in union square (only 2/3 stops on the L) or raku in EV or WV - trust me, it'd be worth the trek. only giving is 2 stars bc 1 star seems harsh and the food was subjectively edible AND our server was kind. but can't say the same about the hostess. read more

This place is a bit of a while in the wall but what a gem. Fantastic sushi and cooked food. Service is also top notch. Highly recommend.

I've had Samurai Mama bookmarked as a place to visit for whenever I'm in Williamsburg, and going on a rainy day was the move since we wanted something hot and cozy. The main feature of the interior is a large communal dining table with some booths. The menu is great with many choices of appetizers, donburi, udon, ramen, and sushi. Great for eating with a group since there are so many options. My friend and I got the sukiyaki beef, kinokojil kake (mushrooms), and a set of the sushi tacos. The sushi tacos were good but not remarkable, despite how popular they seem. My favorite was the salmon! The udon was okay in terms of flavor, but the noodles don't compare to other restaurants like Raku. They're a bit thinner than what I'm used to for udon. The portion is quite generous, which is great. Overall, a good neighborhood spot when you're looking for Japanese food. I wouldn't travel out of my way for it though. read more

See all