Samurai Grill & Sushi Bar — Restaurant in Albuquerque

While our chef, Hector, and our server, Flannery, were both exceptional, the host who seated us (Brayden) left very much to be desired, and should NOT be the first point of contact the public has with your establishment. We made reservations three weeks in advance, for a party of 10, in celebration of a high school graduation. At the time of the reservation, it was requested that we all be seated at one table for teppan. Approximately four days prior to our reservation, we called to confirm the date and time, AS WELL AS reiterate that we would like to be seated at one table, together. This was something we were ensured would be no problem. On the day of our reservation, we arrived on time to the establishment and were told by Brayden that we would have to be separated to two tables. We explained that this was not only unacceptable, as we were celebrating a graduation, but, that we were ensured we would have one table when we confirmed the reservation a few days prior. Brayden was not only UNPROFESSIONAL in his demeanor, but aloof in his responses to our concerns, as if we were INFRINGING on his evening! To top it off, after being seated at a table where one side of the party was unable to see or converse with the other, Brayden was overheard badmouthing our party to the female hostess on shift. If I could separate stars, both Hector and Flannery would receive every bit of 5 stars for their impeccable service; however, it is your host, Brayden, who is the forefront of your establishment and should epitomize customer service, which has earned you three stars... we will never visit Samurai Teppan again for this very reason. We will take our business to another Teppan that will appreciate us...

Samurai used to be a favorite restaurant of mine but lately the quality of the teppanyaki has fallen off. Today, the teppan was not heated and when the chef came out to start cooking, he noticed that the teppan was cold. He brought it to the attention of the staff but it took some time for anyone to react and turn the burner on. After the teppan was turned on a few minutes, the chef came back out and checked the temperature of the teppan surface and it was not hot enough to his liking yet he proceeded to begin cooking as my family had already been seated awhile ago. Being a chef I kept careful watch on the seafood being prepared. Because the teppan was not quite to temperature, the chef kept the seafood on longer to insure proper cooking but needless to say, because of the longer cook time, the shrimp were overdone and rubbery. As for the New York strip that was also ordered, the steak was not seared and looked steamed, being gray, without any Maillard Reaction (the caramelization of the meat's natural sugars which give steaks its distinctive flavor) and again, the longer cook time resulted in a well done steak rather than medium rare, which was ordered. The chef did confirm, before the start of the cooking, that the steak was ordered mid-rare. In fact, he did state that mid-rare was how he liked his steak cooked too. It was unfortunate that this series of events occurred as we were celebrating my son's and daughter's birthday. Luckily, tonight's only saving grace was the sushi, but just barely. Maybe I'll return to Samurai and give it another chance.....but, I'm not in a hurry to do so. Not for...

We’ve been to SAMURAI GRILL & SUSHI BAR several times before, and the famous New York & Los Angeles sushi chef Mr. Nori was there - as we hoped. I ordered Seaweed Salad, Shrimp Sushi, Bonito Sushi, and an Eel Cucumber Roll, along with a Sapporo Beer. My wife ordered a Shrimp Tempura Appetizer, then a Wakame Salad (seaweed and cucumbers marinated in rice wine vinegar). First, we were served with their traditional Miso Soup, which was absolutely delicious! We sat at the counter, so we saw the chefs as they prepared our food, and when they presented our plates, everything was mouth-watering fantastic, as well as organized artistically! Master Chef Mr. Nori and his enthusiastic & dedicated Sous Chef Tai Lam were constantly attentive to our needs – plus we shared wonderful conversations about life and culture in Japan and in the United States. Restaurant ambience is authentic Japanese, and prices are reasonable. Beautiful dining experience! Highly recommended.

On Super Bowl Sunday, 4 of us enjoyed a great Teppan dinner experience at SAMURAI GRILL & SUSHI BAR. I ordered the Filet Mignon with noodles, my wife ordered sushi (911 Roll and Hungry Roll), another ordered the Sukiyaki Steak with noodles, and finally the New York Steak with fried rice. Everything was absolutely delicious, perfectly cooked and seasoned. Our teppan chef Victor obviously was an expert and personable chef, and even taking time while cooking to answer questions and explain how he was seasoning our food. It was a delightful and delicious experience! Definitely highly...