Samurai Mama

Stumbled in here on a rainy Sunday evening for dinner. Went inside to check out the menu but aroma of the food is what made the decision to stay. Ordered the Brussels sprouts and shishito peppers as a starter, I wish there was more shishitos in it but overall well seasoned. It came with this pink salt that added to the flavor. My friend ordered the speciality tacos for $30 and really seemed to enjoy the dish. It was served with soy sauce and another spicy wasabi soy sauce. The fish looked very fresh and delectable. I ordered the pork belly udon (I think it was $18). Which I found very flavorful and the perfect comfort meal for the rainy night. We also had a wasabi cocktail but we both weren’t big fans of it. The service was very attentive and the food was served promptly. We sat at the community table and although it was a shared table we were able sit comfortably. The atmosphere was not loud and we can have a pleasant conversation. Overall, would come back here again.

Ordered the signature ramen and the gyoza as well. Gyoza (8 of them) were pretty good, large dumplings served in an iron skillet and arrived fairly quickly. Sauce was a little thick unlike traditional gyoza but flavor was good. Ramen took a long time (over 30 minutes) to arrive due to a kitchen mix-up — I was not the only customer affected. Staff were very polite and apologetic though. Large variety of toppings all put into the ramen, unlike traditional servings which try to keep the same few ingredients; chalked it up to it being an Americanized version of Japanese ramen. Broth was decent and didn’t have any overpowering flavors, although could have been a bit richer. Additional condiments of white pepper and chilis were provided which I don’t think were necessary but which other customers (Westerners, non-Asian) added in generous amounts. Ambience was good and overall vibe was very comfortable and welcoming. Overall — many differences from traditional Japanese ramen but at the same time, a great meal for freezing weather.

Good ramen! Generous portions of noodles with a half an egg! Came with scallions and bamboo shoots. The whole shebang! Very rare to see in ramen shops in NYC. Didn't feel like I was getting nickled and dimed on handfuls of scallions. Tonkotsu Ramen was excellent. Broth was robust and flavorful. Came with scallions, red ginger, bamboo shoots, and half an egg. Like twice the amount of noodles compared to the other ramen places. Excellent bowl of noodles 🍜 by any means. The garlic fried chicken cam out hot and crispy. Garlicky and tender on the inside and super crispy on the outisde. Great to start the meal and generous portions for two!! Had two tuna rolls and were of good quality tuna. Good portion per person if you have a sushi craving. Didn't make a reservation and waited about 35 minutes on a rainy Saturday night. Which was not at all terrible. Sat by the bar in the back which was a tad cramped and stuffy. But again not terrible. Service was okay. Seems a tad short handed from the looks of it. But adequate overall. I personally do not like communal style seating. There was a massive communal style table in the center of the small restaurant and it looked cramped. The bar seats in the back was also a bench and was a bit cramped. Overall great meal, acceptable service, okay atmosphere.

Perfect spot for a cozy date or a rainy day. They have separate tables for 3+ groups, but usually you seat in a big common table. Great service, very attentive and fast. I find the food top-notch. One of my favorite neighborhood spots. My recos: pork gyoza, any hot udon or ramen. You can’t get it wrong.