Samurai Papa
| Address: | 32 Varet St, Brooklyn, NY 11206, USA |
| Phone: | +1 718-599-7171 |
| Site: | samuraipapabk.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 12–3PM 12–3PM 12–3PM 12–3PM 12–3PM 12–3PM 12–3PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
JE
Jenn Fung
While I was in Japan, I had ramen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner consistently for the first few days. It was not at my behest and it eventually drove me absolutely mad; I vowed to never touch another bowl of ramen for an undetermined amount of time. Arriving back in the States, I kept receiving suggestions to have ramen at the new hip places that just opened. I refused since I was still in recovery, and not a fan of waiting outside of any establishment in the frigidity of NY. Months passed, and in my search for a place to reconnect with a dear friend of mine, I came upon Samurai Papa. Located in East Williamsburg, its still far enough from the more popular neighborhoods that we ended up not having to wait. The interior has a very minimalist and industrial feel; grey-themed with two communal tables, the middle being the largest, and seating at the bar as well. The unmarked bathroom is hidden behind sliding doors on the left wall. My yuzu and ginger iced tea had a hint of yuzu flavor, but totally missed the mark on the ginger. None of that good spiciness was present, whatsoever- only sweetness. We both ordered the sushi shots to start; I got the hamachi(yellowtail) toro shot. The shots were accompanied by three types of soy: regular, wasabi mixed, and extra spicy. The tiny spoons were deceiving; I would suggest two spoonfuls- 3 was too overpowering. The fish itself was divinely fresh. However, I thought it was priced too high($6) for what it was: a deconstructed roll in a shot glass. Slicing the fish into small pieces only served to make it seem like there was more than you were being served. For the highlight of the evening, I settled on the aori miso ramen. The menu listed a description of the type of broth and ingredients used. My particular one read as such: "stock: chicken, lobster, bonito, mussel, garlic, miso paste, sesame oil. topping: sliced pork, soy sauce egg, mixed vegetables, kikurage mushroom." The broth was absolutely spot on. It was not too heavy or greasy. I usually go with tonkotsu(pork based broth), but this miso broth had a depth of flavor that could rival any of those found in Japan.
YU
yu new
Got here after work on Fri night w no rsvp.. theres only 2 rectangular table and bar seats. Its a cozy spot but definitely fills up around 7pm. Grabbed a seat by the window and its pretty neat that u can put ur bags and thangs underneath the table. It would be awesome if they had a hook too for coats/etc. Anyways, we ordered a bunch of things to try. The uni ikura shot (very small so its not meant for sharing), salmon w avocado roll, veggie gyoza, pork buns. The uni ikura shot was pretty good it has rice and ikura w uni slices. Its expensive for a small shot tho. The roll and veggie gyoza was good. The gyoza looks super cool.. see pics!! The pork buns however, bun was dried and hard.. pork was dried and tough. Didnt like it. We each had a bowl of pork cloudy soup ramen (top 3 on the menu). Like the fact that it comes w extra soup on the side so u can thin out the soup to ur liking or if ure slurrrping slow and the noodles starts soakin up the soup u can add more! I thought the ramen was decent, the noodle texture definitely did not take like the ramen im used to.. tasted and looked very much like instant ramen (wriggly). But it was pretty okay. Service was definitely impeccable. The staff was attentive and came to check on us many times. Also refilled our water!!
MI
Mira Serrill-Robins
I happened to be in the neighborhood, and the internet came through with this suggestion. This is primarily a ramen and sushi place, which was perfect for the cold night. I got the chicken broth with chicken instead of pork, and my friend had the vegan ramen. They each come with extra broth, the meat with bonito broth and the vegan with a side of vegan broth. The ramen was thick and flavorful, with a very generous serving of noodles. I ordered what they call a shot of sushi, although they misunderstood and rough me a salad, and I didnt know what I was supposed to be getting, so we ended up with both. The tuns was good quality. The shot had some sort of flavoring that really enhanced it. The adegashi tofu appetizer was good, nothing out of the ordinary. We also got hot tea, which was of good quality and appeared to be real powdered green tea served in a handled mason jar. The service was great, very friendly and attentive and helpful but not at all overly attentive or rushing. Its a nice simple space with shared tables--a counter, a round table, and the bar. Theres one bathroom.
DA
Dannie Dinh
This is it, this is THE spot. I waited awhile to post this review so I can say with confidence that this is my favorite vegan/veggie ramen in all of NYC (my meat-eating companies said their meaty ramen taste wonderful). The broth is thick and packs so much flavors, but you can dilute it out as needed with the light dashi stock that they serve on the side. The vegan noodle is so chewy and right. The amazing gyoza is pretty much a mandatory start for your meal. Its not that Im misanthropic, I just really have very little patience for loud crowds and long waits. This place is cute, quiet, and tucked away enough so you can peacefully meditate in ramen heaven without having to spend an eternity on a train (from Manhattan) or wait around for a seat. Theres a communal table and another shared concrete table that can easily accommodate any ramen enthusiasts you bring along. But PLEASE dont bring a large, noisy party to a sanctuary. I took my dates here (on separate occasions) and my sister when she visited, but really, it was all very self-serving. They all loved it though.
BR
Bruce Morrison
I ordered the curry ramen which came with pork, a half an egg and some vegetables. This was a to go order so the ramen came in 3 separate containers that you had to put together to make the bowl of ramen. There was a bowl with the solid ingredients, a bowl with the curry broth and a bowl with some clear liquid(water? im unsure).The problem is there was no instruction on how to put it all together. when I was done assembling the ramen it came out pretty watery. something tells me that the clear liquid was not supposed to be added to the ramen. while the ramen was pretty tasty I think it was watered down and the broth should have been more flavorful. Im giving samurai Papa 3.5 stars. Had I eaten in the restaurant I think it would have been better because It qould have been prepared correctly. I dont think what I ate was how they intended the dish to be. Ive had more tastier ramens in various ramen spots in NYC but im still unsure if i got the full flavor at Samurai. Im not opposed to trying them again and if i do ill dine in and adjust the rating accordingly.
SO
Soleil Rousseau
Small place on a side street that definitely produces delicious dishes. The ramen bowls are tasty, especially when spices are added to make it to your liking. The sushi rolls are very simple and basic...they seem to be something that you would have accompany your ramen or other main dish, not rolls you would have on their own as a main dish/dinner. The interior is nice, with community tables, solid bench chairs and well lit. The restroom is a rolling door near the back of the restaurant and it is quite amusing to watch people try to figure out how it works! Downsides of this restaurant include portion size for price paid and lack of sushi selection. It is recommended to order extra noodles on the side if you are getting ramen. Happy hour specials currently include $3 glasses of sake and $3 Orion beers. Lunch specials seem like they would be a good deal as well. All in all, a very good place to get a bite to eat!
