Ccool ambiance n nice service. Age Nasu (fried eggplant): nothing special. Pork gyoza (dumplings): falling apart. Eel and spicy yellowtail sushi: not memorable. Niku Tsukejil Udon with braised pork belly & scallion: tasty broth, but only two small pieces of pork belly... for $14 they could have given more. Overall: again, underwhelming. read more

3 1/2 stars for the food. 1 star for service Our server was very grumpy and mean. Food: Inari- sweetened bean curd filled with sushi rice ( love the wasabi condiment tray with an assortment of wasabi soy sauce from mild to very spicy) Mama Ramen Garlic Fried Chicken Seaweed salad Fried Pork Gyoza Food was decent. B- read more

I came here for dinner and everything is delicious. From the appetizers to the entree and especially the drinks. We didn't have to wait for seats and the food came in a timely manner. I would definitely recommend this place!!! read more

The Bad - Gyoza-- I just taste burnt pieces-- didn't look pretty either-- so basically the gyoza was a flavor combo of oil and burnt - Deep fried eggplant---- so damn salty, damn, too salty The Good - Mama salad-- good dressing, good portion (maybe more would be nice)-- good start to a meal - Udons-- tried a couple of their udons-- tasted normal although their udons was nice and chewy (it was fun trying to put the noodles on a spoon and eating them) - Sushi tacos-- ok this is where your money goes-- I got like two taco sets then separate tacos as well The Bottomline: Probably won't come back here again. If I do, it would be for their sushi tacos. Everything else was average or below par. read more

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Came here last week on a cold winter night. There was a bit of a wait. The place is tiny. But I've come to realize that many really good restaurants are small! We waited a little over an hour to be seated. The restaurant has a cute little waiting area in the back where you can order drinks while you wait. There's a large communal table right when you enter. There are also other smaller private tables around the restaurant. If they offer you seats at the communal table, take it! Or else you'll have to wait longer. Once we were seated the service was fast and the staff were very friendly. Very cozy with dim lighting inside. I felt very relaxed! I ordered the pork curry udon. The noodles were delicious, the curry added a nice touch of curriness and spiciness to the noodles. I definitely recommend this one! Their pork gyoza is not like any I've had before. The wrapper is thinner. There's more meat. It's definitely good!! read more

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

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Tapa style, $$1/2 + good flavor - bad dessert - cash only = overall good value. Although the tapa style with Udon as main dish w $11 a bowl of mushrooms udon. The broth is sweet with plentiful of mushrooms. Raw scallop w salmon roe is flavorable. stay away from dessert... No a good place for dessert!!! CASH ONLY for $97 for 2 persons!!! read more

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Overall very good Japanese spot in Williamsburg. Got one of their signature ramen noodle soups and the sushi tacos. The ramen was hearty, packed with tons of stuff and tasted fresh. The sushi tacos were a great starter and I liked the fact that it came with a variety of fish. You sit at large family style tables shaped like a giant picnic bench which is also cool because you get to see what other people order. I would come back to try some of their other items. read more

Samurai Mama - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Amazing Taco Rolls and gyoza! They don't give you wasabi, instead they give you three sauces, one soy sauce without wasabi, one mild and one SPICY. Had the AB Crunchy taco roll was absolutely delicious! Had the bukkake udon noodles as well, they were good but a little cold. Still an overall good dining experience read more

Samurai Mama - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Horrible service, the wait was very long even at 9PM and when we finally got seated, we got no menus at all until we asked for them 10 minutes we got seated. Food: SO salty. And so little food. There was HAIR in my noodles and when I told my very rude waitress, some shorter younger Asian lady didn't say sorry and took the wrong bowl in which it came from. Then came back and said that I finished my bowl and can not subtract it from the bill. First of all, that is so rude, what if I found it at the end of my meal! Second of all, it was the wrong bowl of noodles it came out of. Horrible all around. So rude. read more

Beautiful spot in Brooklyn for a delicious ramen. I would also suggest to take the gyoza, those were amazing! I love the big communal table in the middle! read more

Two stars rather than one cause the interior is beautiful. I was promised 'hot' udon - it was lukewarm at best and flavor was bad... I would have left after my first bite if I had not been in such a rush! I can't remember the last time I actually wanted to leave a restaurant because the food was unbearable... maybe... two years ago? It tasted so bad and was so cold that I asked, "am I eating this right"? To which the waiter replied, "yes" - "Daymn... well, can I at least get a spoon for this or something?" I said as I finished the first layer of my side salad only to find bitter greens with no dressing beneath it. The place was not very full at lunchtime, but after experiencing my meal I am surprised there were people there at all... read more

Thought this restaurant had a lot of potential in stunning my tastebuds, but it was a disappoint. My girl friends and I had the following: 1. Gyoza: Drenched in oil and could have been more crispy 2. Garlic chicken: The only "garlic" flavor in this dish was the diced garlic in the dipping sauce. The chicken was okay. 3. Taco sampler: Honestly, my favorite thing on this menu. The fish was fresh, well put together and had a clean taste to it. 4. (Spicy) Bukake udon noodles: It tasted like something I accidentally threw together in the kitchen with MSG and soy sauce. I wouldn't recommend it but you can definitely try at your own risk! read more

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Solid place to stop by for Udon. I ordered the ebi tempura udon and it came with a side salad. Broth was delicious. Tempura shrimp was crunchy on the outside and the shrimp was nice and tender. Definitely will come back. My friend ordered the curry pork udon and really enjoyed it as well. read more

If you have just watched Episode 1 of 'A Chef's Mind' with David Chang (all about noodles and ramen), this is the perfect place to get a taste of those yummy noodles he teases you with throughout the show. Note: ramen is only served during lunch, but udon noodles will satisfy the noodle craving. Cooked to perfection with incredible flavor. Recommend the Bukkake Udon (simple noodle with egg). read more

Samurai Mama - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

A super solid 4 to 4.5 rating for me. What I loved about Samurai Mama is it really felt like a restaurant in Japan. Everything from the decor to the ambiance to the service really took me back to Japan and I loved it. The majority of the restaurant is communal seating at a giant wooden table, although there are a few smaller tables (for 2-4 people) throughout. This place is not for the faint of heart - they have SO many options on the menu and so many good-looking options I definitely had some anxiety choosing. Worth noting that this place is great for vegetarians! So many choices across the menu. My favorite dishes on the table: - the udon noodles: this is their specialty and you must try it. the noodle texture is great and the broth is really good (they have a vegetarian broth option too!). - veggie gyoza: great, thin skin on the gyoza, tasty and flavorful filling. - taco sushi: fun way to eat sushi! Although what I loved the most was this little beet topping that came with the sushi. - seasonal vegetable tempura: not too much breading and very fresh, which is key for tempura. Dishes that were a bit more meh: - age nasu (eggplant): it was good but a bit too greasy for my taste. Not my favorite preparation of Japanese eggplant I've had. - mama salad: big portions but I didn't love the dressing. Prices are very reasonable (big portions too) and it's great choice for dinner with a small group! Just be prepared to wait a little bit. read more

Great, attentive staff. Every employee we came across was very kind. Sat right away, ordered right away, food came out fast, full of flavor and hot! We all ordered ramen and were not disappointed, full of flavor. Thank you! read more

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Samurai Mama is a Japanese restaurant that focuses on Udon. They serve it several different ways. They have the traditional broth with noodles inside, a more intense broth that you dip the noodles in, as well as bukkake udon (get your mind out of the ditch - bukkake just means to splash or dash by normal definition) where you pour the sauce over the noodles. While their noodles are good and the broth was delicious, service here is a little less than ideal. The waitress either misheard or wrote the order down wrong, and when they came to drop off an incorrect dish, we tried to politely inform her that it was not what we ordered. She got confused and started pushing bowls around the table as if that would fix it, but no one had ordered that one. She eventually gave us a dirty look and took it away and brought the correct one later. After that, she basically never came to our table to check on us or clear dishes. It was a sour moment in an otherwise delicious meal. Additionally, the host was not very pleasant to deal with. Prices here are a little on the high end for udon, but not unexpected in New York. Considering the high praise for the restaurant, I'd hope that the staff would've been a little more pleasant, considering that I've gotten better service at a dive bar than here. read more

Me and my boyfriends favorite restaurant in BK! The menu is pretty hard to understand and the items have no descriptions, but the food is AMAZING. Order the pork dumplings, its the best dumplings I have ever had. The service is always terrible but the food 10000% makes up for it. If you can handle waiting 10 minutes to be greeted every time, stop in. You will not be disappointed with the food. read more

Udon/Ramen shop with other Japanese dishes like donburi, rolls and sushi. Mostly underwhelming. There is quite a bit of variety for udon, none of which sounded that appealing. Choose from cold, hot, and dipping udon. Only two options for ramen! *Garlic chicken: this was the only winner. Seasoned well and cooked perfectly. Not salty and good for sharing. - Katsu donburi: so disappointing. Katsu was overcooked and very dry. Rice was really bland and didn't have that sweet vinegar taste that most other donburis have. Egg was absent. - Pork belly udon: Porkbelly was underwhelming... very. Four pieces of little bits of pork belly that isn't braised? Pretty much breaks in the soup as you eat the udon noodles. Soup was ok - nothing special here. Udon noodles were overcooked and would break easily. Service is slow and quite hectic. It was packed on a Sunday afternoon, not sure what the hype is. read more

It's been awhile since I've written a 5 star review. And I'm thrilled to have found a 5 star worthy place in Samurai Mama! I first heard about this place through my ScoutMob app, so my friend and I met up for a Thursday night dinner. The space has an awesome, laid back vibe with a surprising number of tables inside. Perfect place to catch up with an old friend or go on a date. My friend ordered the curry (that night's special) udon, I had the classic (Nukujil) udon with pork belly, and we shared an order of guacamole tuna rolls. Everything was AMAZING. The rolls were fresh, and the udon is the best udon I've had in Manhattan. Will definitely be back. :) I need to try the gyoza next time - the table next to us placed an order after we sat down and I experienced some serious food envy when the giant platter of crispy dumplings was set down before them. read more

The eggplant appetizer is great. Nails the texture with the soft eggplant and harder dried bits of shrimp. The gyoza are good but not life changing. I can make gyoza. It's really not super hard. I had the pork udon with kitsune added to the soup and it was decent. I thought the noodles were great texturally and the port and kitsune were tasty as well. The broth was probably a little bit too salty though. Portions aren't huge so maybe get some appetizers. read more

I have to say our service was outstanding and the only thing I wouldn't recommend ordering was the vegetable dumpling gyoza. The sushi rolls were 5/5 for flavor and quality and price. We got the spicy tuna, jalapeño yellowtail and fries eel. Amazing and I really enjoyed the spicy soy sauce mixed w wasabi. We got the spicy bukkake udon dump style. The meat was a bit of a let down but the perfectly poached egg made up for it. Carafes of cold sake and draft Sapporo to wash down all of the spicy goodness. read more

I had the one of the ramen there. It was pretty good. it had a lot fo different types of meat and veggies. The egg was slightly overcooked, but the broth was really outstanding. I would definitely come back, I would like to try other stuff here read more

This place provided me and my friends some amazing sushi! Me and some friends were just out having some drinks and we worked up an appetite in the process. One of my friends spoke of an awesome sushi place that she enjoys and we were like, lets do it! We made it here around 7pm on a Thursday evening and luckily they had a booth available. Very dim lit, sort of chill type of vibe here. I loved the scenery as they have a big communal table in the mid section of the place with the booths off to the side in addition to the exposed brick. I started out with a seaweed salad in which I thought would be quite small, but was a huge portion that I wound up sharing with my peeps. I then ordered 3 rolls...Spicy Tuna, Salmon Negi Roll & Helle Yellow Roll. They were all equally delicious and some of the best sushi I have had in quite some time. The rolls came with some interesting soy sauces...actually 3 different types. There was regular soy, mild soy (a little bit of kick) and wasabi soy (the best and spiciest!). It was one of those times you wished you could fit more in your belly LOL! Service here was stellar as the staff made sure we had everything we needed. Awesome spot that I definitely plan on returning! read more

Have been back a few times since my run in with the bad waitress. Thankfully the staff is back to its usual attentive and polite service and the food is solid as always. read more

Always a crowd pleaser, never disappoints. Their udon is the shining jewel of the menu, hot, cold, with broth, or without.

We stumbled upon this place randomly when the restaurant we wanted to go originally (cats walk) did not open..wow what a gem this place!! They have one of the best Udons I've had in ny. The ambience is great as well as. Blends in wit the hipster feel of willyburg. Love it!!! I think this place is a bit fusion but still holds it japanese character in itself. For the two of us we ordered a 6 piece porkn gyoza to share. They were nicely cooked with thin skin and crisp along with their special spicy sauce and soy sauce. Love it! So goood!! Comes in a sizzling pan as well. For entree we each got a different type of udon. I got the spicy bukkale udon. The way they present it is so different! So the noodles and the minced beef came in a bowl along with arugula salad on top. Then on the side you get a bowl of sauce which you then pour into the huge udon bowl. And a poach egg on the side. Saucing was just about right! Not too spicy and not too salty. We both decide this dish is our fave! For my bf he got the curry udon. It was really goood too!! The curry flavor is not too strong but enough broth to make it distinct. Overall it was a great experience! Service was great tooo! We got seated on a huge table with a bunch of other people (refer to my pics) they are pretty huge and spacious! Then they have little booths for parties of 4 or more. Great selections of udon and dishes as well. Will def come back again soon!! Oh and CASH ONLY! They have an atm inside. read more

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so THAT's how udon is supposed to taste!! I can't believe I've lived my entire life not knowing udon's true potential. The noodles are so fresh! The meat is flavorful and delicious. We ordered the Spicy Bukkake which is a dry (no broth), cold noodle with spicy minced beef and a poached egg. It comes with a bit of cold broth if you want to add it. The other dish to die for is the mackerel. It's like sushi but slightly cooked. The meat is fresh and delicious!! Like sushi, it doesn't taste fishy. Unlike sushi, it's not so slimy. It's really an in-between that you have to try! I love the ambiance here too. We came with a group of 8, which we called in for 2:30p. The service was friendly and accommodating. I love the decor here too. I can't wait to go back! read more

Samurai Mama - Spicy bukkake! - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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This place did have delicious food, except I did not enjoy the vegetarian broth for my udon. It's probably much better for meat eaters I had the shrimp tempura udon and I shared some if my friends appetizers which included fried tofu in broth and sea urchin/roh over rice. Both the apps were delicious. I preferred them over my noodles. I found the Ebi tempura udon to be a rip off. It's just broth, noodles, seaweed, and 2 tempuras for $15?!?! Come on. It is a nice place for a date tho. The atmosphere is quite cool and romantic. read more

Samurai Mama - Ebi tempura udon - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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A couple of friends and I came here for dinner sometime last year. We were lucky enough to get our own table on the side after a short wait so we didn't have to share with other people. I really did like the interior set up, cute and cozy! We pretty much ordered udon all around, also a taco platter and the gyoza and yakko to share. For the udon, we had the option of hot or chilled. I personally preferred the hot, but the chilled version had some interesting broth pairing? I felt like the udon was pretty good and that was about it because the broth (hot) was a bit on the salty side. The pork belly wasn't all that memorable either. The gyoza was just alright, I've certainly had better! You know that crispy layer of goodness? It was just eh here. As for the yakko (chilled tofu), it went well with the toppings/seasonings, but lacked in texture. I was hoping for some smooth tofu, but it just wasn't there yet. I don't know how we found this place, but I think one of our friends had suggested it. I don't feel like this is authentic udon, but they're unique in their own way. I don't think I will be back considering the area has so many other options for lunch and dinner. I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to try this place, but if you're in the area and crave some udon, they'll do. read more

Super tasty! We got pork udon soup, pork udon dipping style and the sushi tacos. All were very tasty. I felt that the soup udon broth was a bit bland but they provide spicy chili powder on the side that you can add in to kick it up a notch. The sushi tacos are a must get and as far as we could tell, you can't go wrong with the udons read more

Samurai Mama had a 50% off coupon on ScoutMob on Wednesday so I got it after reading the reviews on yelp. But of course it is just a maximum of $10 off. I've been trying to find a good udon place in the NYC area and haven't been able to find an authentic place that doesn't make udon out of the frozen packages that they sell at Asian supermarkets. They actually make the udon from scratch on site as well as the soup and broth! I'm glad I saw the deal and got it and came here the same night! It was a perfect chilly night to have some hot udon in soup! My favorite! I ordered the normal udon with fat pork belly and scallions. It was nice and hot. It was a little bit on the salty side for me, but it was still pretty good! He ordered the shrimp tempura udon noodle soup. The two of us also ordered a glass of Sapporo beer that was at a happy hour price $3, usually it's $5. For appetizers, we ordered the veggie gyozas, BBQ beef spare ribs, and a sushi roll with eel and avocado. Everything was amazing and delicious! The BBQ beef was mouth watering...droolssss!!! Both appetizers came on a sizzling hot plate, which was awesome because you can tell how fresh it was and that it was freshly made! We luckily were able to get a booth table so we didn't have to sit at the large communal table that was in the center for the room and share with everyone else. I see that there was also some space in the back for seats. We got there at about 6:30PM and made reservations for 7PM. People really starting rolling in at 7PM and started to get busy and crowded. They do pretty well for a Wednesday night. If that many people come on a week night, just imagine how many people are there during the weekends! I will definitely be back here sometime soon, especially with this cold winter that's already starting! :) BTW...this place is CASH ONLY!!! read more

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Tasty, but not very filling. You don't get much other than udon noodles, even with their hot udon with mushrooms ($15 w/o tax & tip). Really cute interior. The veggie gyoza is really great. read more

Samurai Mama - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Amazing sushi, I know they're known as an udon restaurant but I love their sushi. I'd give them 5 stars if they'd deliver. ‍ read more

I have to admit, Samurai Mama was actually great. I love the vibe. Really impressed with their menu, lots of great options, Pork Gyoza was absolutely magnificent. Not to mention, the service was fantastic and the staff was very friendly. We would highly recommend Samurai Mama. read more

Love the ambiance here! Also love how genuine and nice the servers are. Things I love: - The huge table in the middle of the room. I love how different people come together by one simple thing - good noodles. The big table really takes your dining experience to a whole new level - the pork belly was delicious i can't eat that stuff all day long - The cold udon! You don't see cold udon everywhere but they definitely have one of the best cold noodles i've had - very affordable prices - friendly staff that was always ready and willing to assist you with anything you need what a great place to go when you're visiting the wonderful neighborhood of Williamsburg! read more

Samurai Mama - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

5 stars for food 1 stars for service. Me and my friends came to your restaurant for dinner. We put the name on the list because restaurant was so crowded and host asked us to wait around 45 minutes and we were ok with that. 10 minutes later host walk to us and told us to come back in 30 minutes. I had to asked her to wait inside again because it's 43 degrees outside. Then she told us that the restaurant has "waiting room" inside. Everything was going well until "server" (lady wore hat) come to ask us if we finished the meal. Of course not I was still eating my food and she kept picking up the plate on the table. Before we leave she brought the check back to the table and "step on my foot". I suddenly looked at her and waited for an apology but she walked away from our table. good taste but rude and rush read more

Ehhhh. If you're hungry and want a quick fix, this might not be the best place to go. Food is pretty good but if you're willing to wait a long time for it. Might have just been a busy day but from door to actually eating, it took around an hour to start eating. Stood at the front for 10 minutes to get seated and 40 minutes to get our food. ---Food--- Not bad. The spicy salmon roll and the salmon roll were pretty good, they didn't skimp out on the fish either. I got the Mama ramen which was a solid 6/10, which is still acceptable. The bowl came with a soft boiled egg, charshu, seaweed and the black fungus. The noodles were cooked perfectly. The broth was good at first, packed with flavor but everything past the second sip was salt salt salt. By the end I needed to just eat the noodles because it was so salty. It's a nice place to eat, and yeah, I'm willing to come back and try it but when I went, it just wasn't the best experience that I know it could be. read more

An interesting experience. I think I'd give it a 3.5 stars.... A bit odd - communal dining (really just one big table in the middle (two booths on the side though) the food ... well, I felt stuffed but really couldn't tell what I ate, sounds weird I know. The pork belly was nice - perhaps a tad bit on the dry side. Sushi were quite fresh and while it wasn't too much rice for some reason mostly what I tasted was rice; the ramen was just overload so that went home with us ... over all, not bad but I can't say I was happy with it. Also the fact that half the things on the menu are "sorry for dinner only" including drinks ... read more

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I kindly ask the hostess if we could move sits because we were by the front door at the community sitting and my daughter was cold I was told the only option we had was to sit by the bar I then explained to her I can not sit by the bar because my daughter was underage. As per the hostess we couldn't be moved because we did not have reservations but I noticed after sitting there for an hour diners of a certain race was being sited in the back area without any reservations. That goes to say this was my first and last time visiting this establishment. I wasn't the only person that was dining here and notice this. A young man even ask her if the back was for vip because people were being sited there without reservation. read more