I was super excited to try this place because I usually LOVE Udon. Sadly, to me this place tasted worst than instant Udon. Maybe because it was busy, but it was really hard to flag a waiter down to order and pay for our food. Don't have much words to express this place because it didn't leave much of a impression. This is actually the first bad review I've ever written on yelp, so I don't think I'd ever go back again. read more

Probably best japanese I've been in nyc. Proper gyoza, excellent ramen, beautiful place and nice servers. I loved everything of it! read more

This restaurant is insane. We came here on a cold windy December night looking for some good noodles and samurai mama did not disappoint. The appetizers were amazing, especially the gyoza which was some of the freshest I've ever had. The garlic fried chicken was also unbelievable. The cocktails were really unique and very tasty, and finally our main courses came. The udon at this restaurant is absolutely to die for, especially the dipping udon. I ate the whole thing and walked back home feeling full and warm and happy. Will definitely be coming back! read more

This has been the best real-deal Japanese restaurant in Williamsburg for years... Despite being an Udon specialty (fresh house made), it's actually my go-to for sushi. Haven't found anywhere that does it better (Bozu is also good but same owners so similar offering;) Salmon Avocado roll and Kitake Doko 2 are highly recommended, as well as AB Crunchy (may ask for no tempura flakes, depending on the day). read more

I really DISLIKE the policy of this place. DISLIKE the policy .... 7 or more people and it's a 30 dollar minimum per person. Really ? So annoying... The food is good tough. Anyways, this policy is very greedy ! read more

So pleasantly surprised by this place! First of all our waitress was so lovely! I wish I remembered her name but either way she was serving us during lunch on a Wednesday and was just the perfect amount of attentive and friendly! My friend ordered sushi tacos and a roll and the waitress kindly informed her she could get the lunch special which was the same thing, and get a soup and salad too! Saved my friend money & got her some extra food. I really appreciated that. I ordered the salmon ikura don. We also order veggie gyoza to share. Everything was delicious. The carrots and brown seaweed type thing that. came with my friends salad were super delicious. The soup was as well. The gyoza were tasty albeit a bit confusing to break apart! My salmon ikura don was fresh and big and soo good! I was very pleased with the fish quality. And the meal was so reasonably priced. I really like the decor of this place too. I will definitely be back. read more

Samurai Mama - worth it.. salmon ikura don - Japanese Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

We probably ordered the wrong dishes and should've gone with the noodles instead. Our meals consisted of a seaweed salad (very meh), veggie gyoza (burned and too salty), and sushi pieces of salmon avo and tuna cucumber. The sushi was fine but didn't come with the regular ginger and wasabi combo. We ordered to go, so I can't say much about the atmosphere. The communal table looked cool though, but sadly I doubt I'll come back. read more

Came here on a Saturday night. The wait and service is incredibly inefficient. A bunch of people were waiting near the front door and the host would individually guide each group back to the waiting room in the back instead of taking everyone all at once. Then, there were clearly 4 spots at the communal table, but somehow no one could be seated there and we had to wait 20-25 more minutes for a seat. The food did make up for it and I was nicely surprised by the flavor of the udon. We had the vegetarian dumpling and the Sansai udon. The vegetarian dumplings were solid and the Sansai udon broth was really good. They are able to make the broth vegetarian, but I don't understand why it's necessary to charge an extra $1 for it, but they do. Also it's interesting, their shrimp tempura is $3 each and their ebi tempura shrimp udon has only 2 tempura shrimp and is $16. Why wouldn't everyone just get the Kitsune udon ($10) and add 2x shrimp tempura ($6) to get bean curd plus the shrimp in your udon? Seems like a better deal, but not sure how different the broth is. read more

This was pretty disappointing. The gyoza was pretty good, but the udon itself absolutely did not look, taste, or feel homemade as the restaurant claims. They actually taste a lot like supermarket udon that comes shrink wrapped and shelf-stable. There was no flavor to the udon itself and it was missing the characteristic slipperiness and chewiness you'd expect from udon that costs $16-18 per bowl. The broth was certainly udon-adjacent, but was a bit bland compared to what we were expecting based on experiences at restaurants like Raku. Additionally, the shichimi (chili powder) on the table tasted off, like they used regular chili powder that you might use to season taco meat. The service was also pretty bad, it took almost an entire hour to get our food and our drinks came out after our appetizer (which had taken 20 minutes to begin with). I would have been fine with this food if it had been served at a mall cafeteria, but for the price and the hype they try to cultivate, this is not worth your time or money. If you're actually familiar with good Japanese food, particularly udon, you will be sorely disappointed here. read more

Authentic Japanese cuisine! They mainly specialize in udon and sushi, but at lunch you can grab some donburi and ramen from their lunch special. The gyozas are AMAZING. They have pork and veg options and the sauce that you use to dip them in is super tasty. The garlic chicken is also very delicious. It is always fried until very crisp and never disappoints in taste. The sushis are very good as well. The rice is seasoned with some kind of vinegar and the fish they use is always fresh. The hot peper tsukudani and hello yellow rolls are my favorite. Mama Ramen from the lunch special! Its a traditional kind of ramen with the seaweed, egg, scallion, unfortunately no bamboo. But thats okay! It is delicious nonetheless. For udon, i like it chilled and simple. So the chilled Wakame udon is my go to. read more

Japanese food! From a Japanese restauranteur! Served & made by Japanese people! This is a true rarity in NYC, and especially Brooklyn... so lots of respect for Samurai Mama (and Bozu) on that front. And the food itself - beautifully presented; delicate and fresh; delicious and earthy... just fucking good. The restaurant itself is also a beaut - and the waitstaff so kind, lovely, friendly. I came here on New Year's Eve of this past year and am so glad it was one of my last memories of 2010. And be sure to tip the smiley bartender in the back - he really deserves it. read more

I was blown away by how good the food was. Every single dish was outstanding. Everything was fresh and felt very authentically Japanese. Can't wait to go back and order even more!!! read more

I don't know why this place is Michelin recommended. I would be just as satisfied eating at the H Mart food court and their policies are completely absurd. The thing I hate most about this place, as I hinted at above, is their outrageous policies. It's sort of like they think everyone should be dying to go here so they don't care about screwing customers over. Let me break it down for you: 1. They never take reservations 2. They will not seat you until your entire party is there 3. If you're already seated and eating, and your friends come to join you, you have to go back to the waiting room with everyone 4. They're cash only 5. The real kicker - if you have 7 or more people, everyone must order at least $30.00 worth of food and drink. I do not think this place is worth waiting SO long- seriously, just go to another Asian restaurant or the H-Mart food court. Their food isn't bad, but it's also nothing to rave about. I seriously don't get it and I LOVE Asian food. I also want to be clear that their staff is nice and it's not their fault that the owners employ shitty policies. Seriously, don't waste your time and money. read more

BE AWARE WHEN YOU PAY......... I wished I took a pic of the bill to proof what I'm saying. First of all, we had a party of five. When the bill came, like any normal person, we look at the subtotal of the bill and calculate the tips. And that's what we did. When we were about to leave, my smart ass husband asked if we paid enough tips. I said we paid double the tax. He said there no way tax is so cheap according to the subtotal. Therefore, we took another look at the bill. "Open Tip" calculated under the food. And then tax was added and then the subtotal. We were kinda confused. Asked another waiter, he went a doubled check with our waitress I assume. Came back and told us tips was indeed added on. Wow! Kinda shady isn't it? Overall, food was just okay. read more

In order to write this review, I did some research on the term "bukkake." My plan was to use these facts to buttress my argument that Samurai Mama's continual use of this word is a crude, juvelline joke that might be worth a chuckle at first blush but is just off-putting when repeated over and over across the pages of the menu. Some inconvenient facts emerge. It turns out that the English-adoption of the Japanese verb bukkaberu to describe an act of mass male ejactulation on another person is a secondary use of a relatively common Japanese cooking technique. Samurai Mama is mostly off the hook, although even if they are trying to reclaim this language the people behind menu seem to be laughing at the gaijin's discomfort at the graphic menu images conjured at their menu. It's all probably the only joke in the entire restaurant, which combines a large communal table and several nooks that evoke an ryokan high in the mountains of Honshu. A secondary dining room is located through the kitchen, which seems here to be a layout necessity rather than any mission statement about proximity to the food being prepared. The menu is at once limited but expansive. Udon is the focus, and no ramen or other noodles are served (ramen has been kicked over to a less successful sister restaurant, Samurai Papa). Outside of the main course, a feast of smaller plates, both cold and hot are available. Two orders of the kariage could serve as an alternative meal. The menu sticks to Japanese tavern fare, but the edamame is black and the miso soup mixed with long, thin mushrooms. The sushi operates a strange middle ground between the high-end omakase preparations that would be star of an entire restaurant and the overstuffed American-rolls from a takeout place. The selection is large enough to indicate this is no side-show, but not quite good enough to justify a meal on its own. Some are solid - the yellow tail belly, ume Q - but could be excised from a long menu without too much complaint. It's no wonder that subsequent efforts from this group have pared things down, because there's a five-star menu lurking inside the dishes on offer here. Choose carefully and you'll have an excellent meal. Be more willy-nilly and the results will still be pretty good. And they also know how to use the word bukkake correctly, if you're into that. read more

Nice place, good environment, service was very polite. Food was good taste but they can do better. This place has a really good miso soup. Nice concept of sharing a huge large table, weird at the beginning but then it's just nice. Will be back occasionally. read more

You know, I'm not a big fan of these Japanese places that have bland sushi. Either you know how to make it or you don't need me to finish this sentence. I'm partial to the udon though. Nuff said. I wipe my hands clean. read more

One of my favorite authentic Japanese Restaurants in all of NY! What to order? Repeat after me: SPICY BUKKAKE! The best thing on the menu. Don't be fooled by this disgusting sounding name, the food is quite appetizing! It's minced meat with udon noodles and then you pour the sauce/broth and the egg in and mix it up! My other favorites to order is the sushi. The sushi is simple and delicious. The fish is always fresh and the wasabi sauces are great. I personally like the salmonavo and the salmon scallion ones. The fried eggplant is also a great choice for appetizer. On top of that, I love the ambiance of the restaurant! It's just so...cool (for lack of a better word). I always recommend this place for when friends come to visit! read more

Not really what I was expecting out of this place the dumplings and the ice tea was the best things I ate here. As for the udon soup I was left wanting, I felt the broth needed more flavor. Maybe TOTO ramen has spoiled me! I did enjoy the service; I found the service to be very engaging and attentive to our needs as they checked on us periodically. read more

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The place has very nice atmosphere the people are super chill, great location but their dishes need work I was expecting to be blown away by it based on the rating..but goes to show you, you can not trust ratings ..you can easily paid someone to get high ratings and make you look good on social media. read more

First impression of the place - cool, hip, casual, and somewhat romantic in its own way. Love the ambiance! I'd easily overlook this spot if it weren't for my friends or reviews from Yelpers. We ordered the Mackerel - flavorful and different from most we've had, Taco Set - interestingly delicious, Udon - good flavors with different textures, Poached Egg - cold silky awesome, Pork Belly - soft, tender and disintegrates in one bite, Curry Udon - somewhat heavy with thick sauce. Like the choices with seating. The communal table in dining room is ideal for large groups or anyone who likes to make new friends, while the booths or small tables are great for small parties or couples. Great place to be for late night bites. read more

The interior space is really cool - moody, dark, and sexy. It didn't seem to fit the bill for a Japanese noodle shop, but hey, I liked it so I'm not complaining. I was led here by a 50% Scoutmob deal so try and score that if you can. There's a wide variety of maki (hand rolls) and regular rolls, so I was pleased to see my favorite standbys on the menu: yellowtail and spicy tuna rolls. The fish was devoid of any fishy flavor, so I enjoyed the freshness. Cons are that the rolls are small and can be quickly consumed in six bites. The Bukkake (dump-style) Udon I ordered came with pork belly and swam in a large bowl of over-salty soup. The noodles were firm and freshly rolled that morning, so everything was tasty even though I guzzled a gallon of water with it. If it weren't for the deal, I probably wouldn't come back again. Nothing to really write home about. Oh and CASH ONLY, they have a ATM machine in the back near the toilets. read more

YUM! Boyfriend and I went here for dinner on a Sunday night. Arrived at 8:30 and the place was packed, luckily there was room for 2 at the bar. Ambiance is very cool at this place. One large communal table in the center with a few booths on the side and a room of tables in the back. The bar is it's own little area with one long bench for everyone. The bartender was a very sweet, efficient woman who was quick to get us drinks and put our order in. We feasted! Here were the highlights: - Kinpira: was a small portion for $4, but tasty, flavorful - Pork Betty Daikon: so delicious, the broth was phenomenal, can't go wrong with pork belly and the daikon was tasty and perfectly cooked - Pork dumplings: these super fresh, homemade delights are not to be missed. Dont' think I've ever had dumplings as freshly made, light, crispy. - Hello Yellow taco -- two "tacos" in the order. Very healthy portion of fish. The pre-mixed soy/wasabi is unique and very tasty. - Ebi tempura udon. Noodles (homemade) were great, but trumped by the great broth and the perfectly done tempura. - Seafood curry udon. This was boyfriend's entree and he literally licked the bowl clean. I tried it and the curry was very flavorful. Seemed to be a good amount of seafood in the mix. I had some extra udon from my bowl (I was stuffed) which he took to help finish off the curry. Worked out perfectly! Bill came to $84 total (incl 1 sake, 2 beers) which was on par for the amount of food we ordered. Definitely plan to come back here again. read more

Hipsters slurping udon around communal tables... It's not my usual scene, but I'll go anywhere for noodles. The atmosphere is some kind of odd farmhouse-industrial. I walked right past the place because it didn't look anything like what I expected from an udon restaurant, but hey, the look works. Fiancee and I were sat at a communal table, though we didn't have any neighbors until it was time for the check - which suited us just fine. Service was unremarkable throughout - not especially on point, but no egregious errors either. So, my dish: Nikujil kake Udon, a soup featuring udon, pork belly, and scallions. I enjoyed it, to be sure - I even like udon more than ramen, those larger, chewy noodle hit the right spot. Flavorwise, it was nice, but unremarkable. Fiancee's dish: Spicy bukkake - while the flavor was acceptably spicy, the bukkake faced a critical problem. Because the ingredients start separate and have to be thrown together, and because our dishes weren't quite timed properly, her food grew cold far too soon. While I've seen cold noodle dishes before, if they're not what you signed up for, they're no good. The flavors are all there, but a few technical missteps keep Samurai Mama from being quite as impressive as its predecessor. read more

I love Samurai Mama. The interior is dark and wood-lined, with a long communal table running down the middle of the main room and other little private spaces partitioned on the sides. The back room hosts the bar as well as a few more tables, with a back wall that is actually a garage door, left open on warm evenings. The hand-pulled udon is fantastic; it comes both cold with dipping sauces or warm in a soup, offered both in a vegetable stock or a beef-based stock. Your topping options are almost limitless. I like to start with one of the salads, which are always fresh, crispy, and inventive. Honestly, anything you order here will be fantastic. Note: Cash Only. read more

I really wasn't impressed with Samurai Mama. I prefer their other restaurant, Bozu. It is much better there and many more options. The udon noodles were nothing to write home about. Not very many vegetarian options. Definitely NOT gluten-free friendly. My friend whom joined us had a couple of food allergies so she could not have gluten. She tried the shrimp and avocado salad, but the shrimp was very fishy. Also our sashimi tacos were not that fresh. Maybe we went on a bad night, but I don't think I would go back with a large group of picky eaters. CASH ONLY - So not good for large groups. Too expensive to be cash only! read more

Decided to grab dinner here after having drinks at the Wythe Hotel. Came around 10pm-ish, and it seemed as though a few of the items on the menu were no longer available. Every time we ordered something, "oh, actually we don't have that right now...but you can try..." came out of our waitress' mouth. We ordered the kinpura (?) salad, some fishy thingies that melted in my mouth, and udon in a soba broth. Or something along those lines. Oh, and we also got a spicy tuna roll and some avocado roll. Best meal, ever? We also drank cold sake. I loved the picnic-y table in the middle of the restaurant, and wooden booths along the wall, and the tiny bar area in the back. I wish I could eat here at least once every month. Cute waitresses. read more

I have to say, I'm definitely not impressed. I'd much rather hit up Bozu. The options for sushi were quite limited and seemed to be a tad uninspired. I think we ordered 75% of their options. The gyoza, while delicious, left my boyfriend and I burping the most rank gases for HOURS. I found myself sticking my head under the table at bars we visited later in the evening, attempting in some way to spare my friends from the stench coming from my mouth. So. Horrible. It wasn't an awful meal, but I definitely can't see myself coming back for more. There are too many other places to get quality Japanese food. read more

I don't remember this place being so BAD! I came for lunch a while ago, and thought it was fine. But this time, my dinner experience just made me flat out angry. It just felt like a cruel joke. Food on par with lunch specials ordered on Seamless. We started with some appetizers. The Shime Saba was probably the best of the worst -- average at best. The Pork Betty was just a sad, small piece that did not have a good texture and was not a good balance of fat and meat. The Short Rib BBQ was like a Chinese take-out beef lunch special. Had a bunch of the sushi rolls, and they were just your regular ol' Midtown sushi lunch special rolls! A complete disappointment. I had the Sushi Taco sampler for my entree -- and, oh boy, was that a huge mistake. It tasted just like the damn rolls! And not in a good way. The udon was also disappointing. The broth was more bitter than anything. The noodles were super soft and had no bite. It's pretty obvious that I will not be back. And I want to try to help the others that appreciate good food to avoid this place. AVOID, AVOID, AVOID!! read more

Honestly? Over hyped. Small joint with a communal table and a couple of small tables on the other side of the communal table. My boyfriend and I had gyoza, garlic chicken, yellow tail roll, and two types of udon. The dipping one and the (I dare say it) bukkake styled one. I did not like either of the two. The flavors were too rich and inbalanced. My taste buds couldn't handle it. read more

Booked a table for 8:30 on a Saturday night and were told to arrive promptly (as in 15 minutes early) or we would lose our table. The place was packed to this gills when we arrived, which is a good sign (and made me thankful that we'd reserved our table), but we were made to wait for nearly half an hour for a table. This was extra irritating because the host kept telling us our table was ready and he would seat us soon. What's worse: the space is not really conducive to waiting for a table. There's a large common table in the center of the dining room where most people sit. Those waiting for a table stand around the table, so you're constantly eating under the angry gaze of hungry, impatient hipsters whose only desire is that you leave so they can take your seat. Also, the night we were there, the crowd spilled out the door, which remained open nearly all night. And in January that meant that if you sat near the door you needed to wear your winter gear all through the meal. Overall, a poorly designed dining room made worse by an incompetent host. The food is decent. The menu really up sells their "housemade noodles", which, while good, can really only take you so far. I mean, it's really what you DO with the noodles that matters. Their flavors were rather bland for my taste. The sushi is good. Not amazing. On par with sushi from most places in Brooklyn. No pickled ginger. And they had these tiny bottles of premixed soy sauce and wasabi in three strengths, which was alright if a little gimmicky. I'd rather mix my own soy and wasabi. I wasn't crazy about the way the menu was set up. I think sushi and I think endless combinations and permutations. But this was limited in what you could order. For example, I wanted a couple of rolls and some sashimi, but to order sashimi you have to order the entire entree portion, which is way more than I wanted. If you aren't as adamant about what you want then this menu will suit you. They offer a variety of styles: teppan yaki, noodles, sushi, tempura. So come with an open mind, some good standing-shoes, a fur-lined anorak and a pair of blinders if you don't want to face the angry crowd waiting for your seat. read more

Samurai Mama has the best Japanese food in Williamsburg. I really like the Spicy Bukkake Udon, which is not really spicy. Favorite appetizers are Garlic Chicken, Pork Gyoza and Pork Betty. Their sushi is also great, AB Crunchy, Spicy Tuna, Hello Yellow are pretty good. The staff are really friendly and attentive. The prices are reasonable. read more

Came in for lunch. Place was pretty empty and we asked to sit in one of the booths. They said we had to sit at the large communal table because booths were for large groups....does that make sense? They were also very rigid about where exactly we could sit at the large, empty picnic table. We left without ordering which is disappointing because we've enjoyed the food many times in the past. Service needs to be improved. read more

The food might be decent ( I'm still waiting for the food) but the service is shockingly terrible. It was raining outside, and we were told that we couldn't wait inside before the lunch time. The waitress is really good at giving "no" to our questions, like " Can we sit at that table" "NO, you sit here". Avoid this place no matter how the food is, no customer should ever be treated like this. read more

I ate here over the weekend and wasn't too impressed. What was pleasant was the interior design and we were seated immediately but other than that everything else was mediocre. The waiter sat us down in the big communal table in the middle. He didn't offer much explanation of the menu or any superb services. Three of the group decided to try for the Fatty Mama Ramen ($11) and one Chilled Tempura Udon ($16). Not the greatest ramen in nyc but not the worst. The broth unlikely to others has seafood such as clams and mussels brewed in it so I had high expectations towards the flavor. But it turned out to be very light and you can't even pinpoint the fragrant in the broth. My boyfriend and little bro liked the broth a lot though but I felt it didn't give a satisfying hearty flavor ramen usually gives. The ramen contained ingredients such as nori, scallions, mushrooms, 3 pieces of cha siew and a soft boiled egg sliced in half. And they do give a side of baby bok choy and roasted garlic to add to the ramen which I relied on a lot. The noodles were different as well, they were squiggly and chewy and a bit shorter yet thicker than most ramen noodles. I felt it didn't go well with the light flavored broth. I regret not ordering their udon dishes - I learned after their speciality is udon. read more

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

Cute space, communal table when you walk in, booths to the right. Went for lunch on Sunday afternoon, for appetizer we shared the pork gyoza which looks like one continuous ring which was interesting. Really good dipping sauce, think it was a chili paste soy sauce? We both got udon, I ordered the ume oroshi udon which is plum paste, shiso and grated daikon radish with a side of pork belly. C apparently comes here all the time and his usual wasn't on the menu but they made it for him anyway. Will call it the "special request" which is udon with tender pieces of lightly seared salmon with ikura in a cold broth which was absolutely delicious. Ordered green tea with comes in a huge jar, good for two cups... Will add extra hot water upon request. Will definitely be back for the "special request". read more

Three stars for horrible service (and that's being generous). BUT I enjoyed the food and ambiance! There's a waiting room in the back. I suggest NOT going there because the host told us that there was only one table ahead of our party. I saw him seat at least four parties in the back part of the restaurant, so who knows how many he seated in the front. I'm pretty sure he forgot about us, which is why we ended up waiting over forty minutes. I wanted to say something to the host but my friends gave me the please-don't-unleash-hangry-ashley look so I complied and just waited. And waited. When we finally got seated, no server came to our table for at least ten minutes. I wanted to get in our app orders ASAP because I was starving. I raised my hand and looked at the Japanese woman who works there (Manager? Owner?) who was just chit chatting away w a server. She looked at me and then looked away. Took about another 10min til a server came. This is when I should have unleashed the hangry ash, but I didn't want someone spitting in our food. Soooo, yup, just held it in. We ordered the sashimi platter (the sushi tacos looked so much better. I recommend going for that), gyoza, and fried chicken. Fried chicken was on point. I had the spicy bukkake which was good--not amazing, but good. I have to say that the udon noodles are cooked perfectly though, so props for that! All in all, I'd definitely come back if I'm in the mood for udon. Bad service here is supposedly the norm so now I know to expect that. read more

It's good if you're looking for udon with a different spin. If you're looking for something traditional, this definitely isn't the place for you. Basically, if you imagine your typical hipster or white person trying to make Japanese food and then throwing in some weird, yet interesting spices and flavors, you get the food at Samurai Mama. I ordered udon in hot soup with shrimp tempura and the soup had a weird earthy taste to it. It wasn't bad, but definitely not what I was looking for. The udon was slightly undercooked and the tempura was bland. My boyfriend ordered the udon with spicy beef, dumping style. The flavors were overwhelming, to say the least. Good but again, not what we were looking for when we looked this place up. Basically, if you're looking for good ole' traditional udon dishes, this isn't the place for you. But if you're looking for udon with a new spin, this is the place to try. read more

I TINGLE! The pork belly is sublime and is a force to be reckoned with. The dish is a sex act and should not be consumed in public....but if you dare to do so, bring a friend that you don't mind sharing with and that won't want the last piece. I wanted to pick the plate up and lick it. Only the shame of my grandmother's memory kept me from doing so. The potstickers are wonderful and a bit spicy. read more

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We sat at the communal table, and slurped a tempura eel udon, a pork belly udon, some pickles, edamame and gyoza. The food was uniformly good, the service friendly. The udon broth was very good - a depth of flavour without excessive saltiness, and the attendant noodles first class. read more