Address: | 1801 Durham Dr #2, Houston, TX 77007, USA |
Phone: | +1 832-879-2982 |
Site: | samurainoodle.com |
Rating: | 4.4 |
Working: | 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–9PM |
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Jeremy Keen
I just got back and it was completely inedible. But let me start from the beginning. We started with beer. The Buffalo Bayou beer was delicious because they have no part in creating that. They brought out glasses with it that were dirty. And then we noticed a dead spider on the rail behind the table. Gross. We also got an order of gyoza. It was fine, but just tasted like the ones that you can buy from the frozen section of Walmart. Not bad, but nothing to brag about. Then...the ramen came out. I ordered the Garlic Shoyu and boyfriend ordered the Miso. The Garlic Shoyu tasted and smelled like rotten fish. I took two bites but couldnt even handle it. My suspicion is that they used a seafood broth on accident. The Miso had half a stick of butter in it, so when it melted, all you could taste, feel, and smell was....butter. Yes, it says on the menu that it has a "pad of butter", but this was much more than a "pad." On top of the nasty seafood taste and butter, the noodles were hard and inedible. There wasnt a single redeeming aspect of these dishes. So we had maybe two bites of each, chugged our beers, and went to pay. The waitress asked how our meal was, and in a moment of honesty, I told her it was really bad. She laughed and said "wait really?" Her reason for the rotten fish was that there are fish flakes in it. If thats the case, they should probably advertise it. But even so, that wouldnt ruin the whole dish. No effort to correct the issue though. Instead, took the credit card and charged us $40 for a meal we didnt even eat. Do yourself a favor and go to Jinya- youll walk out satisfied instead of feeling cheated.
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Jonathan Nassar
I know people that will nitpick over which ramen place is the best in Houston - but I think the larger point is that we now have multiple good options. Our trip to Samurai Noodle was enjoyable. First, the bad news - our food took a while, and the shu mai was just okay (though to be fair, we didnt have it with the sauces which accompanied it). There was also a wait for a table, but we got there before a line formed. On the good side, the food was great. The gyoza was the best Ive had. The menu is divided by style (wavy noodles or straight noodles - choose your firmness on the straight noodles), and then you choose your broth. My mushroom broth was outstanding and had a great earthy depth to it. Each ramen comes with your choice of pork belly, pork shoulder, or... something else. The pork belly was just okay, but it was really the noodles and broth that stole the show. You dont get a lot of toppings included, and next time Ill try more of them. All in all, a great experience. They had high chairs, so it was decent but crowded for a kid. Parking was easy, despite being in a busy part of town. Ill definitely come back.
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Jay Francis
Japanese food and me. Well, it is a challenge. I am one of those wimps who has shied away from raw foods. Yes. I know that all sushi and sashimi grade seafood is frozen to minus 40 degrees C to kill any parasites. Aside from not being a huge fan of the flavor, I always worry that the person making the sushi or sashimi isnt practicing good hygiene (washing hands after the bathroom, wiping his/her nose, using the same rags or towels for multiple surfaces, etc.) So. I typically have defaulted to the cooked dishes or the soups at Japanese style restaurants. And so began my love of the ramen noodle soup in all of its various forms from different regions. I enjoy dining at Samurai. I enjoy looking forward to the next opportunity to dine here. I have watched the owner make the noodles from start to finish and am blown away by the process involved and the machine being used. The food geek in me could watch the noodles being made here for hours. The soups are good. Very good. I cannot believe that anyone would find fault with what this little place is doing. Recommended.
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Jerry V
Awesome ramen, I tried the extra rich spicy tonkotsu and that thing was the bomb!! They do not play around with either term lol. Appetizers were great as well and we received great service from the person who I understood to be the owner or manager. Beware of parties larger than 4, the place is tiny and we had to wait over 90 minutes for a table... Well worth it for my first experience but Ill be honest, I just placed a to go order for my second one... ***UPDATE 9/25/16*** Last two times we have been here the service has taken ridiculously long, today we have been waiting for over 45 minutes after our order was taken, apparently because they were trying to service a bunch of to-go orders. Many tables that arrived before us are either done or already eating. Nobody approaches you, very poor service. The previous time it was over an hour and we thought it was a special case, but apparently this is how this business operates now. So sad they may be losing our business... Dropping from 5 to 3 stars just because food is still good..
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Katie Basch
This was my second time here. Husband and I both ordered the takoyaki app and tampopo ramen. Takoyaki is the best Ive had. Tender, chewy, well-sauced and generously topped with bonito. Tampopo ramen was SOOO GOOOD. Shoyu broth was complex and the noodles had a great bite and flavor. All toppings perfectly complement each other. The egg was especially good. We overheard the manager, Thomas, describing broths and dishes to our dining neighbors. He was very knowledgeable and I thanked him - I learned a lot! Thomas spoke to us a bit, asking what we ordered. He then sent out the dry ramen with chili-garlic oil "compliments of the house". He explained we should enjoy the noodles plain, then stir in the chili oil and scallions. Delicious! Let me just tell you, I am a fat, happy woman right now. No shame. Kudos to Samurai Noodle for delicious, fresh, authentic food, and to Thomas for exceptional management and attention to customers. Its a 45 minute drive for us, but well be back again and again.
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Roger Yu
Hear this place and wanted to give it a try. Well...I cant give it a zero star, so Im stuck by giving it a 1. According to the menu, all looked fine. My party ordered some appetizer, such as takoyaki, fried chicken Carage, fried squid, etc. these were super greasy and mediocre at best and the squid was undercooked and sloppily prepared, the presentation were laughable. Our main course were the Spicy Miso ramen that based on the menu.. came with either pork belly or pork shoulder. Upon mixing it, the meat were no where to be found on none of the three bowl weve ordered, our server did however apologized for the mistake, and brought three sorry thinly sliced pork belly and said one for each order. So one big bowl of so so flavored pork stock, spiced with hot miso, few bean sprouts, some chopped scallions, a tablespoon of canned corn for $10.25??!! They have got to be kidding me. One thing Im sure of, I aint come to this establishment anymore.
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Brian Stanfill
Wow! Samurai sets a high bar for customer service and rich-tasting noodle soup. The servers at Samurai will always greet you with smiles, and the noodle chef will happily explain the origins of his noodles and broths if you ask. These are curly egg noodles, straight wheat noodles, and delicious broths -- all made in-house. The menu is varied enough that you can eat a different entree on every visit without feeling bored, and it is simple enough that choosing doesnt overwhelm you into eating your usual. Compared to other ramen restaurants around Houston, Samurai deserves high marks where they count -- for quality, flavor, and execution. The friendly staff turn an otherwise lackluster dining area into a wonderful dining experience. That Samurai offers take-out and delivery could be enough to make it my exclusive ramen restaurant.