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Samurai Noodle
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
606 5th Ave S(between James St & Weller St)
Seattle, WA 98104
Neighbourhood: International District
(206) 624-9321
- Hours:
Mon-Wed, Sun 10 am - 8:30 pm
Thu-Sat 10 am - 9:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
448 reviews for Samurai Noodle
Review Highlights
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"The ramen is delivered fresh daily to Samurai." In 348 reviews -
"I always get the chicken/pork broth noodles." In 50 reviews -
"I'm tempted to bring my own hard boiled egg next time." In 15 reviews
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448 reviews in English
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Review from Danielle F.
Seattle, WA
4/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
Very good ramen (but not quite as good as Samurai). The portions were not as huge as I expect from a ramen joint, but with a side of the garlic rice, I was plenty full. The ramen I ordered came with straight noodles, which didn't have the chewiness factor I love most about ramen - next time I go I am ordering one of the varieties with wavy noodles.
Well worth a visit if you are a ramen-lover. -
Review from Adam C.
Mercer Island, WA
5/25/2012
Been coming here (Uwajimaya - Intl. District location) since they opened and have gone though 8 or 10 punch cards in the U-District location. After 6-months absence I am struck by the shockingly callous service. As other reviewers mention, the front-desk is not at all organized and basically invite you to leave. Against better judgement, we decided to place an order and take our seat. Out with a friend and we were in good spirits - but with everything being mis-handled I had to share my thoughts.
Think surly dive-bar waitstaff ...but sober.
All was not lost - we took our (by invitation) to-go order and enjoyed another place nearby. And continued an enjoyable evening.
There are too many good options in the neighborhood to put up with this. I'd suggest Kaname / Phnom Penh Noodle House / Green Leaf / Purple Dot or choose randomly from the scores of very reaosnable options a short walk away. Or hop the lightrail and let Yelp be your guide. -
Review from Camille N.
Olympia, WA
4/8/2012
So this place is not bad at all! Considering we need to drive over an hour to get here.. it better be worth it lol. I got the shoyu ramen with 2 (yes 2) flavored eggs and firm noodles!!! I also tried the gyoza, chicken karaage, and pork rice bowl. That rice bowl was pretty good, I'm actually craving it right now! The wait can be crazy at the U district location, so don't come superrrrr hungry like me hehe. Place is cramped and you get kinda pressured to eat and go cause the other customers waiting are just looking at you like "leave already!"
Not a bad experience, we've gone back 3x since living in WA. I do miss our ramen spots in Hawaii, where ramen is offered with fried rice or curry plate combos. Oh well, this place will do :) it's way better than Biwa in Portland. -
Review from Dean H.
3/28/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Homemade ramen noodles in different firmness? That is what you get at Samurai Noodle. Don't let the name fool you, most of the places with clique "Japanese" names are usually not so good, was I wrong.
This places has the normal fare of shoyu, miso, spicy, and tonkotsu and mixtures of all but this place also has ordering of different firmness of noodles. Yes, if you like mushy noodles, you can get that, if you want SUPER al dente, you can get that too! What is that all about?? I tired the ramen noodles one night (curly) and then did the thin noodles the second night. Both with tonkotsu broth. MMMM good.
Happy hour gets you 4 shumai, some edamame, and a full glass of sake. When I say full glass I mean about 8 ounces of sake for 5 dollars. Yes, you heard that right, 5 dollars.
You can also add on a rice bowl. I got the pork bowl and it was basically the "char sui" pork from the ramen broken up on rice with 5 tbsp of green onion. It was pretty good cause the pork is lightly flavored with shoyu sugar mix. I liked it a lot!
Another thing is that you can add extra noodles to your bowl for $1.50. It says, "save your soup" and get another order of noodles after. I was like WHOA, good stuff if you are still hungry. The serving was pretty big so it was more than filling.
The validated parking at uwajimaya is a good deal and the bathrooms were clean. The wait staff is very friendly and the restaurant was clean. Small place with about 4-5 tables.
Go and order first at the counter and then go sit down. Yeah, that is how they roll.
Go get some of that good hot broth and stuff, you won't be disappointed.... -
Review from Alex G.
Seattle, WA
3/14/2012 2 Check-ins Here
We used to frequent Pho Cyclo for our noodle kick and walked by Samurai Noodle on Broadway and decided to give it a shot. Watching them hand make the noodles and then asking us "firm, medium or soft" during the order changed our noodle eating habits forever.
After a few more trips to the Broadway location we found the ID location because it's closer to home and the parking situation is awesome. You can park in the Uwajimaya lot and they will validate your parking ticket. So you don't have to look for parking along Broadway. Huge time saver.
Although Pho and Ramen are completely different we choose this place over Pho 9/10 times. The predominant reason is you can really taste the better quality of the ingredients. I would compare it to one place shops for its ingredients at the clearance section of Albertson's the other place gets theirs fresh from WholePaycheck.
You get quite a few options in terms of soups. You have a choice of two noodle styles. Both are handmade buckwheat noodles one recipe has egg the other doesn't. Then you basically have a choice of chicken or pork broths (they do have vegan options but who cares, you're not even a real person at that point and you clearly hate food). Some broths contain miso, chili etc.
You definitely need to go with a friend and stick the spoon in to their soup and try it. The faster you sample the selections the sooner you'll know what you like and you'll keep coming back for more. Personally after having them all I keep coming back for the Shouyu with extra noodles in firm. It's a classic taste. It kind of reminds me of the college TopRamen days except with Daniel's Broiler style ingredients and quality. I kind of get that "be somebody" feeling from The Jerk when he has a fancy umbrella in his drink - hah. -
Review from Marti L.
3/6/2012 1 photo
Samurai Noodle. The elusive destination we had our hearts set on.
Our local friend told us that the International District location is the best. But from day one, our attempts to go there have failed. We were either too early, too late, or the restaurant was too packed. Finally on the last day of our trip, the 4 of us decided to ditch the other 5 people in our group. When we got there, lo and behold, a table for 4 available to us.
I ordered the tonkotsu ramen, which is my usual ramen pick and I heard great things about the one here. The broth exceeded my expectations. It was rich and flavorful, but not over salty or oily. I also liked how we can choose the type of noodles and cooked to what firmness.Listed in: Ramen Adventures!
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Review from Eddie C.
Jersey City, NJ
5/8/2012
Good ramen; in fact, better than I'd expected. But I am a terrible snob and didn't think there'd be something comparable to good NYC ramen out here in Seattle. I got the Tonkotsu plus the Samurai Armor, which is egg, more scallions, extra pork, seaweed, and some veggies. The noodles were al dente, the broth was fairly tasty although a little too salty, and the pork was less melt-in-your-mouth than I'd like, but overall they still got the"kaidama" from me. The place is small; it can probably only seat about 12-14 at peak.
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Review from Woo K.
Portland, OR
3/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
First impression- OooOO nice looking menu, I want all of the menu please. Decided on the Tonkatsu ramen with the pork broth (recommended by the staff)
Second impression- YUM, broth has a nice deep flavor- I was told that they boil the broth for 3 days. It definitely shows.
Third impression- a bit on the salty side once you keep eating, but still good in my book. That and I will admit that I like things on the bland side (I'm a bit weird sometimes)
Price was not bad but not great. The soup only really comes with one chunk of meat, but you can do a lot of add on's to the dish which is pretty neat. I guess the bigger stomach you have, the more money you will spend, but that's usually the case everywhere. The staff here was only two people, but that's all that is really needed to run this place since it is a hole in the wall. I liked it- a warm friendly vibe and it came out speedy fast.
I saw that they made their own mochi's here and was super excited, but realized that they had run out a few hours prior. That can only mean that they are super delicious. I WILL be back for those mochi's! -
Review from Charlie L.
Seattle, WA
3/3/2012
I am a huge fan of noodles... especially the street style noodles of asia.
Although Samurai is no where near the absolute amazingness served up in San Fran's Japantown (Maki, if you ever find yourself in that city), it is the best I've found in Seattle so far, which is kinda disappointing because of the huge Asian population here.
Tried the tonkatsu noodle - really good (almost "slurp it out of your bowl" good), reasonable price, just one bus stop from work. I would totally go again. -
Review from Chris Y.
2/20/2012 1 photo
I've tried all 3 locations and the good 'ole ID location is the best...
I've tried every bowl of ramen on the menu but always come back for the Tonkotsu, firm noodles and extra rich broth! YUMMY!
I'd say its easily the best bowl of ramen in the emerald city.
Bonus points for parking validation in the Uwajimaya lot. -
Review from Nick S.
Seattle, WA
4/29/2012
I spent some time living in Tokyo, so my ramen standards are a little out of control. This place is not super good. This is totally an American ramen joint. All of the little things that make Japanese ramen great are kind of f@~ked up. No attention to detail. Sloppy ramen.
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Review from Cameron S.
Kent, WA
3/14/2012
Seattle is infected with pho. It's freakin' everywhere! Don't get me wrong, I like the Vietnamese noodle soup, but pho places have populated so much that it's hard to tell the quality of items served there. Where I work in Redmond has about nine pho shops alone, not including it being offered in our own company cafeterias. I compare pho restaurants to teriyaki restaurants; it used to be hit or miss, but now there's this huge in-between area where the food is just okay. I mean, you have all these places opening and having to compete with each other, which means they have to lower prices and, consequently, the quality of their food. And that's how I feel about pho places now. I've never had a bowl of it and gone "Wow, that's some really good pho!" Thus, I never crave it.
On the other hand, ramen places are few in the Seattle area, so the attributes of the ramen shops are higher. Enter Samurai Noodle, one of the most popular ramen restaurants in Seattle. The first Samurai Noodle opened up in Uwajimaya Village in the International District, and additional locations opened on Capital Hill and the University District. This review is for the original International District location.
I had never been to Samurai Noodle before. Its exact location is on the west side of the Uwajimaya Village next to Herfy's Burgers. It's one of the only stores on that side of the building, so knowing that, you shouldn't have any problem locating it. The first thing you'll notice about Samurai Noodle is how small it is. There are only nine tables that each seat two people. Even at 2 p.m. on a Saturday, the place was full. I've heard that lines can form outside if you go during lunchtime. Best to go well before or after the rush.
The first thing you do when you get inside is go up to the counter and order. The selection of ramen is good. There's the three main broths, tonkotsu, shoyu, and miso, as well as some spicy and vegetarian specialties. Most of the ramen include a slice of pork and at least two veggies. Any of these items can be opted out. There are also some dipping ramens and rice bowls. Also, the ramen can be cooked however you like from soft to al dente.
I ordered the tonkotsu ramen which is a pork meat, pork fat, and pork collagen based broth. The broth is cloudy and it came with "thin noodles". The noodles were indeed a bit thinner than your average ramen, but the major difference I noticed was how straight they were. Like spaghetti. It was very tasty though. I requested no green onion and black mushrooms on mine, but it did come with a slice of pork which had too much fat on. Still, a very satisfying soup that I would recommend.
My wife ordered the shōyu ramen which is a chicken, vegetable, and soy sauce based broth. It came with "fat noodles", which I don't understand since they were your average sized curly ramen. I tried some of it with the broth and I think I liked her's more. We both ordered medium firmness noodles, but my wife's were a little more firm.
My sister-in-law ordered the spicy pork rice bowl. I tried some of that, too, and it was really good. She also got some edamame, which I did not try since I am not a fan. But, she did say they were good.
While slightly inconsistent, my first experience with Samurai Noodle was a pleasant one. It's unfortunate that there aren't more ramen shops in the Seattle area, but if that means maintaining good quality, then I'm satisfied with what we have right now. -
Review from Naomi H.
Sunnyvale, CA
4/30/2012
My first Ramen experience in Seattle. I had Shoyu - Tonkotsu and disappointed. First of all, soup was sweet, luke warm and dull. I know Tonkotsu broth can be sweet but it suppose to be harmonized with saltiness of shoyu (soy sauce ) and other ingredients to make the soup mild and deep flavor . Unfortunately this one was just sweet .. may be using too much onion to make a broth? garnished roast pork was thin pieces. I expected more meaty portion paying over $7. I was exited about home made egg noodle which not many ramen shop do, but it had no distinctive ramen noodle flavor which was another disappointment. the noodle was cooked as I liked but it didn't matter anymore since I was turned off by other things in my food bowl. I can't find a positive feedback about the food and can't give it more than two stars. Sorry Samurai fans ! but I was born and raised in Japan and believe that I know a lot of good ramen shops (Inside/Outside of USA) . I don't think quality of Samurai ramen is no more than an average ramen restaurant in USA. This experience made me want to explore more ramen shops in Seattle to see what is popular here. anyway, I don't recommend Samurai for real ramen Lovers.
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Review from Jeff B.
Redmond, WA
2/5/2012
Though the rating is based mainly on Japanese spouse's impression, I basically agree. She has been here twice for lunch; I have been once. Decent value for the price.
Food: 3.5 to 4 stars. I had Tanpopo ramen. Large chunk of pork to be sure--rather than one thick slice a few thinner slices would have felt more like Japan.
Service: 4 stars. We had fast experience with no problems.
Atmosphere: the few tables (holds about 10-15 people in tiny space) and their small size felt much like Japan. -
Review from Chef Bigfoot ..
Seattle, WA
$12 a bowl
Damn good noodles.
I did the Hellfire, not bad..not bad! -
Review from Hamburger Time O.
Seattle, WA
4/8/2012
Nothing special. Ramen wasn't cooked enough. I like 10 cent ramen better, which I could have bought about 180 packs of instead of going to this place.
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Review from Ken S.
Seattle, WA
2/24/2012 3 photos
Samurai Noodle serves ramen 25 yards away from where Uwajimaya food court also serves ramen. If it's a choice between the two, then Samurai has the edge, but not by a huge margin. Because Seattle has so few dedicated ramen joints, I can't allow myself to be too picky, but the ramen itself was about par with what you'd find at Boom Noodle or the like. I felt that it was overpriced for what it is.
The first time I went, I ordered the miso ramen. I was a little let down. The noodles tasted like the the standard refrigerated noodles, a definite step up from dried instant, but I still felt that pang of disappointment. The toppings were very meager and the broth average. The next time, I ordered the extra toppings, called "samurai armor". This addressed the toppings issue and significantly improved the dish to a solid but not particularly memorable ramen. Including tax, the ramen plus the extra topping was $15. That's a bit like being charged $15 for a burger; it better be a damn fine burger or there better be a white tablecloth on the table. I asked for gyoza, a ramen house staple, but they don't serve that. So make that a $15 burger with no fries.
I have a high bar for places that are dedicated ramen joints, so I'm writing from the standpoint of high expectations. Those less frantic for ramen probably wouldn't see things the same way. -
Review from Vivian H.
I was hoping Samurai Noodle could be my go-to ramen place in Seattle. Nope.. the ramen in my tanpopo ramen was hard, although I had selected medium firmness. It was as if the noodles were actually undercooked. The broth was OK, but next time I will order the tonkotsu ramen to judge this place more properly.
The place is very small, so expect a short wait. -
Review from Ricky M.
3/27/2012 12 Check-ins Here
I usually order the Tonkatsu which is excellent. Nice rich pork broth and thin noodles. This dish contains one piece of pork which flavors your bowl. The only other thing I've tried is the Shoyu Ramen. I though the Shoyu Ramen had a greasy texture which I didn't like as much as the regular Tonkatsu. All in all it's an excellent place for Ramen.
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Review from Joe B.
Bellevue, WA
2/2/2012
My favorite mid-day meal on a cold rainy Seattle day is either a great bowl of Pho or a great bowl of Ramen.
When I want porky good Ramen, I come here, to this little hole in the wall on the back side of Uwajimaya. (If I want any other variety, I head up to Aloha Ramen)
They have the best pork ramen I have had any place, even Tokyo (where they barely give you any meat) Their pork broth is terrific and so is the pork sholder (Well most of the time. I have been here later in the day, and have clearly gotten the dried-up pork meat left overs tossed on my Ramen, so come early).
You can get your noodles cooked traditional al dente, or soggy American-style. I recommend al dente. I also recommend ordering all the extra goodies too, such as aded egg and fried garlic chips. (Just make sure you date eats them too)
Note: There has been rumors that they might open one up on the Eastside in the Bellevue Uwaji's - I sure hope so! -
Review from Carlos E.
Northampton, MA
5/4/2012
I had a mix of the hell fire and another ramen bowl. It was amazing. I accidentally laughed and inhaled this spicy dish and although tears came, I don't regret it. Yummy.
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Review from Mark L.
Seattle, WA
1/11/2012
True Ramen places in Seattle are hard to find... I'm glad that Samurai comes close. The "Tampopo" Ramen is my favorite... with extra garlic chips. I like when ordering that they ask how I like my noodles cooked... again, a good sign.
This location in the International District is a nice hole-in-the-wall... out of the "food court gauntlet" environment of Uwajimaya. Very limited seating and be careful because half the seating is reserved at lunch time for locals... That makes me feel like a second-class citizen.
I'll be going to their other locations, but I'll probably have to time it just right to avoid crowds.... -
Review from Jon D.
12/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Not the best ramen in town - but pretty dang close. These guys are definitely in the running and still improving. Their broth is a little bland - I found myself having to add quite a bit of chilli oil and peppers to spice it up.
I love the fact that everything is pretty much made to order here. Lots of different options and combinations for ways to brew up your most scrumptious concoctions of noodle goodness.
Couple words of advice - get here early. This place (like all good ramen places it seems) is small and fills up fast. Also - if you're got an appetite going - make sure that you get the extra noodles. Probably on the side. The average bowl of noodles isn't quite enough, where if you add the extras IN the soup, it's almost too much. Getting it on the side? ...you can add it yourself which makes it... juuuust right.
Get the Samurai Armour. You'll be glad you did.
The guys working here are super helpful in case it's your first time and you get at all confused about the menu and the ordering process. They'll walk you through it and make sure that you get something that will bring out your inner Samurai or Ninja... or Ichiro. Whatever you prefer.
Best time for Samurai noodle? On these cold, rainy, damp Seattle days/nights. So...in other words.... just about anytime.
Good stuff. I'll be back. -
Review from Joseph P.
Everett, WA
5/1/2012
my go-to ramen place is always Samurai Noodle. i typically get the Tonkotsu with the Samurai Armor add on. the place is very small, with only a half dozen tables, but i always stop in when i'm around the international district. i spent a few weeks in tokyo, and this is pretty good from what i remember. i'm sure you can get better in japan, but you can't get better in seattle.
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Review from Lee W.
Kenmore, WA
2/27/2012
I really liked the food, and the staff was very friendly. It is very tiny inside and, due to it's popularity, was pretty packed. I wish there was a little more room inside, or that it wasn't quite so popular. :D I will definitely go there again.
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Review from derek c.
Seattle, WA
11/13/2011
Very poor service. The cashier girl basically asked us not to wait because we have 8 people, even though there are 2 empty tables.
She is definitely rude. -
Review from Rebecca S.
Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA
Service here was really, really awkward. The girl working up front was just kind of all over the place. One minute she was taking orders from the line that went out the door, the next she was yelling at customers to not sit down before ordering and then she was assuring me she was doing it for me. She remembered some tea orders, but forgot mine until I was halfway done with my ramen.
As for the ramen, it's just glorified $8 top ramen! It's good and all, but I could just heat up some top ramen, add sesame and chili oil and be just as happy and have only spent 10cents.
Maybe I'll be happier if I go on a cold winter day, but so far, I'm not so impressed. -
Review from Wyman L.
Seattle, WA
3/13/2012
This is a fantastic noodle place Ihave been so far. The broth taste pig's bone and so rich. The meat is soft and tasty. My favorite is "Hell Fire" which I always request to mix the noodle in the soup so it tastes so much better. Other choices are awesome too. It's a must go place for Japanese noodle.
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Review from Robert F.
Bremerton, WA
2/6/2012 3 Check-ins Here
I love the ramen from this place! I have always been looking for an "authentic" japanese ramen shop ever since i left japan, and this place has not disappointed me! the noodles here aren't the previously dried versions that others supply, but rather soft, tender noodles. the soups also rock! i reccomend the shiro tonkotsu, with samurai armor (extra toppings). the only gripe i would have is that sometimes the meat is too dry on the inside.
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Review from Harmony V.
Lynnwood, WA
3/10/2012
I love noodles so very much, and noodle soup in particular. This place is the best I've found in Seattle. Their tonkotsu broth is tasty, and I appreciate that you can specify the noodles' firmness. I always make sure to order the extra noodles, and pay for it afterwards when all that starchy goodness starts expanding in my stomach later. Still, totally worth it.
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Review from Kirsten M.
Seattle, WA
3/5/2012
Samurai Noodle is, hands-down, my favorite lunch spot in Seattle. To-die-for, authentic noodle bowls, fun and funny staff, and speedy service, all for under $10. LOVE.
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Review from Daniel S.
Seattle, WA
9/20/2011
First comment:
When it is busy, eat fast and scram!! Otherwise, don't go when it is packed full of people.
Second comment:
Ramen in Seattle?!! Why aren't there MORE of these places!! YUM!
I love ramen and samurai noodle is a good place to start if you are exploring new options. I might argue even to try it before Pho coming to Seattle, but both have their equal share of culture here.
Love soup, love ramen - Two thumbs up to Samurai Noodle -
Review from Kevin O.
1/15/2012
This place is directly across from my work so I go here quite a bit. I have had a bunch of the different Ramen soups here but the Tonkotsu is by far the best. If you are unfamiliar with Tonkotsu, it is a Ramen soup with skinny noodles in this creamy white broth. They also put a big chunk of roasted pork min there and some other veggies. Definitely spend a little extra and add the samurai armor to any soup. I'll be back!
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Review from Matt N.
10/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
I really like this Ramen shop. I ended up going about a week ago to meet up with a friend. I would like to make clear that you should get the thick noodles because that's what I think of when I think of Ramen. I tried getting the pork broth. One thing I do appreciate is they ask you how you would like your noodles done. I prefer mine a little on the stiff side so as I take my time to eat the noodles, they can get soft without making it feel like it's falling apart in the soup.
It's definitely worth checking out! -
Review from Tina L.
San Francisco, CA
My friend, Sharlyn L, and I went to Seattle for the first time, and she was wondering if there were any ramen houses in Seattle. So of course, what do we do? -- We Yelp! We googled "nearby" and they weren't actual ramen houses, but a little more digging, we found Samurai Noodles. The zip code on here is actually different from what Google Map gave us. So I gave them a call to confirm, I was totally expecting an Asian voice to pick up, but this voice was clearly Caucasian-y. Haha.
So we went there, and there was no one there yet, but we ordered our food, and BOY did it come FAST or what?! It was really good. I wanted to order more noodles, just because "if you're hungry, save the broth and order more noodles". I was honestly full, but I never seen a ramen place offer such thing, so I just wanted to do it to say I did.
This place was definitely on the smaller side, but if you come early, I'm sure there is plenty of room available. Plus, they serve fast, so maybe people will be hustling in and out of the place. -
Review from Jen T.
Currently craving it as we speak!
The tonkatsu broth is divine. Creamy and savory! I like that they give you options for ramen.
Skinny or fat noodles, soft//med//hard.
I always get the Tonkatsu with skinny ramen medium- extra corn & bean sprouts.
Service is good- quick and delicious.
I also appreciate the condiments that are available at the table- Chili flakes, Sesame seeds, Japanese red pepper seasoning, and pickled ginger( my fav!)
It feels like a real ramen shop in Asia :) -
Review from R W.
Seattle, WA
12/3/2011
This small restaurant around the corner from the entrance to Uwajimaya has the ambiance of a hole-in-the-wall place in Japan. It is quite small and there always seems to be a wait, but it's one of the better ramen places in the International District.
There is a variety of broths to choose from ranging from simple shoyu to spicier fare for those who prefer that sort of thing.
I opted for the miso, and it was pretty good. I decided to try it with the pat of butter, but next time I think I'll skip it... it adds a weird fatty flavor that doesn't seem to blend well with the broth. The noodles were cooked well, and over all it was pretty good. -
Review from Kelly M.
9/6/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Ramen. I could live off just ramen, then again I'd probably get pretty hefty and bloaty. Nevertheless, I love ramen.
I have been here countless times, to the point that I just keep losing my punch card which should be the opposite, no? Anyway, the first time I heard about this place I was uber hyped. For how many years was I searching, hoping to find a ramen place and there it was.
Now my favorite is the miso ramen and I always, ALWAYS, get it. Call me boring but it makes my tummy happy. They serve it with all the goodies like corn, bean sprouts, green onions... Depending on my mood I will add naruto or garlic chips but always the samurai chili sauce. I like it spicy, yum!
I'd say the service and prices are fair/reasonable. It's a small little restuarant on the side of the Uwajimaya building, so it can get pretty cramp in there. Doesn't take very long to be served and the ramen is just so delicious that there's not much to complain about.
I just came here again last Saturday and it is still oh so good as I remembered. Brought a friend in for the first time and he seemed to have enjoyed it as well. Overall, I'll keep referring friends here as long as they're open to some real ramen and none of that top ramen crap :) -
Review from Karen C.
Sugar Land, TX
10/18/2011
Dude this place is SMALL!!!!! there's only 6 tables that fits two ppl per table (I think). Seriously eat and run, if you have to eat in the restaurant. We had pretty good timing because when we went it wasn't pack and we got a table right away after 10 mins the place started to get packed. Good thing they put the condiments on a shelf above the table, so it doesn't take up table space.
This place is really easy to find. It's located next to the Uwajimaya Store and it's diagonally across the street from the LINK International District stop - really convenient if you're using the LINK to get around Seattle. (when you're done eating, go visit the Uwajimaya Store - it's fun just to walk around)
A friend recommended this place, I asked him what restaurant should we try in Seattle; the first and only recommendation he said was Samurai Noodle. I told the BF about this place and pretty much the whole day he was like "I'm saving my tummy for ramen.... I can't wait to have ramen, etc, etc."
Let just say, the Samurai Noodle lived up to the expectation. It's also reasonably priced: 2 bowl of ramen + 1 order of extra noodles = $15 "AWESOME!" He ordered the Tonkatsu and I order #8 (they soy based veggie one).... My #8 was good in flavor and had a nutty flavor to it - I don't like the brown mushroom thingys and forgot to ask them to leave it out (oh well - it didn't ruin it for me). I loved the bamboo shoots. The tonkatsu broth was really good (probably one of the best one I had besides the one at Ipuddo NY) and the pork had good flavor. I'm definitely coming back here again next time I'm in Seattle. I love the place. -
Review from J K.
Seattle, WA
11/4/2011
Kudos for showing people in America that ramen noodles can be good eats - not just budget food for when you're scrimping and saving - and their broths are decent. Overall the food is good, but not amazing and there's very little seating. Unless your timing is good, you'll be waiting for a while to have somewhere to eat. I actually like the dive-y, hole-in-the-wall atmosphere that reminds me of my favorite ramen places in Japan but even those places have stools or sufficient counter space so you can get your food and eat.
I prefer the ramen and gyoza at Fu Lin around the corner and they have plenty of seating.
I'm looking forward to checking out the new Capitol Hill location to see if the seating situation is any better.Comment from Anastasiya K. of Samurai Noodle 11/16/2011
I thank you for your loyalty on behalf of Samurai Noodle,… More »
