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✔️Brunch ✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out
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Cool farm-to-fork spot with Southeast Asian small plates & a courtyard strung with lights.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 1208 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Phone: (805) 965-4566
Website: http://www.samasamakitchen.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: samasamakitchen.comtripleseat.com
Order: Order online
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Related Web Results
Sama Sama Kitchen
Let us host you for lunch, dinner or your special event! LOCATION: 1208 State St. Santa Barbara, CA. HOURS: Lunch: Tues – Sun 12pm-3pm. Dinner: Tues-Thurs …
Sama Sama Kitchen (@samasamakitchen) – Instagram
Twelve years ago, we opened our doors at 1208 State Street, and we’ve been pouring our hearts into every dish ever since. From humble beginnings to six …
Sama Sama Kitchen – Santa Barbara – a MICHELIN Guide Restaurant
Sama Sama Kitchen – a Bib Gourmand: good quality, good value cooking … Sama Sama Kitchen. 1208 State St., Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, USA. $$ · Asian.
Reviews
Brandon Martin
Chicken Vietnamese are bomb! Noodles are good. Chicken satay was pretty good. All the food came out kinda cool. Maybe they need to hear their plates better or get it to the table quicker. Will definitely be back. We came at a time when they weren’t that busy.
… moreH
Fried rice doesn’t have enough flavor. The crispy onions add a nice texture. Noodles and braised pork in it are flavorful but the meat portion is too small. Signature wings have a little tangy taste but nothing unique.
… moreAndrew Brown
I lived in Santa Barbara for 4 years but somehow managed to never make it to Sama Sama, partially due to the amount of hype the restaurant receives. I always thought to myself – it can’t be THAT good right? Newsflash, Andrew, it’s THAT good!
They’re known for their crispy chicken wings, and for good reason. The meat was tender, the exterior was crispy, and the sauces were delightful. Our favorite dish we ordered though, was their black cod with coconut rice. The meat was succulent, the sauce was a perfect balance of rich and spicy, and the rice was an excellent vessel to soak up all the flavor.
Our waitress was also an expert of the menu, and was very patient walking us through how to best order – including our order of pork noodle to go. The next time we are back in Santa Barbar, we will be back at Sama Sama.
… moreThey’re known for their crispy chicken wings, and for good reason. The meat was tender, the exterior was crispy, and the sauces were delightful. Our favorite dish we ordered though, was their black cod with coconut rice. The meat was succulent, the sauce was a perfect balance of rich and spicy, and the rice was an excellent vessel to soak up all the flavor.
Our waitress was also an expert of the menu, and was very patient walking us through how to best order – including our order of pork noodle to go. The next time we are back in Santa Barbar, we will be back at Sama Sama.
Alan Ritchie
We had an excellent meal at Sama Sama. We started off with the brussels which were outstanding-some of the best brussels I have ever eaten. We then got the wings (split 1/2 between the vietnamese and traditional wings) and the braised pork noodles. I was very impressed by everything and felt that the experience and food lived up to its Michelin designation. My only con was that the noodles were a tiny bit dry for what I was expecting. This was a minuscule complaint in the setting of this excellent food, service, and atmosphere. I highly recommend this restaurant.
… moreCat C
This place is so unique and full of flavor!
Another amazing part? The great stuff (you know what I mean )—SO good.
We all absolutely loved Emma She felt like a friend—we seriously wanted to take her home!
The twist on the drinks and food was next level
My fave was the fried rice—the textures, the crunch, the flavor… chef’s kiss
And the wings? A little kick, but packed with flavor.
Highly recommend!
… moreAnother amazing part? The great stuff (you know what I mean )—SO good.
We all absolutely loved Emma She felt like a friend—we seriously wanted to take her home!
The twist on the drinks and food was next level
My fave was the fried rice—the textures, the crunch, the flavor… chef’s kiss
And the wings? A little kick, but packed with flavor.
Highly recommend!
Perry Zou
Local restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating with delicious food! Also dog friendly, we had our mini dachshund puppy sitting outside and they provided a water bowl.
The food is all meant for sharing. We ordered the pork ribs, wings, and braised pork mie goreng, and all three were very flavorful. The waitress was friendly, and recommended we get 2-3 dishes per person.
… moreThe food is all meant for sharing. We ordered the pork ribs, wings, and braised pork mie goreng, and all three were very flavorful. The waitress was friendly, and recommended we get 2-3 dishes per person.
Michael Fiedler
Stopped by here with no reservation on a Saturday and was able to be seated immediately. Very friendly and accommodating staff. Ordered the crispy rice salad and Vietnamese wings. Was very impressed by the flavor of everything. Would definitely recommend and will absolutely go back.
… moreBrent Cham
Love seeing Southeast Asian flavors making a splash onto the culinary scene.
Was everything perfect? Not quite but I’d still come back.
We didn’t have a reservation so we had to wait 20-30 min at the bar next door till seats opened up. There was a little confusion because the host kept saying the tables inside including the bar were taken so we were initially sat outside but it was a little chilly. We noticed a group of three guys who also didn’t have a reservation came after us and took the bar seats that we were told were taken. No big deal they eventually gave us a large table inside. It was just a little confusing. Service the rest of the night was fantastic so would just chalk this up to miscommunication.
Food wise there’s lot to try here and I’d say the flavors are pretty pan-southeast Asian if not, leaned more towards Malay-Indonesian. The best dish we had by far were the wings. They’re pretty tiny but they give you a decent amount and they’re packed with flavor. The signature wing has a sweet tamarind glaze whereas the Vietnamese wing is bright and salty (def my fave).
The pork noodles were good but was slightly on the salty side. Otherwise the pork was great and they didn’t skimp on the meat. Noodles held up to the sauce and wasn’t over cooked.
The whole fried rock fish was fried to perfection. Crispy outside with succulent meat inside. Came with a tamarind dipping sauce that also fell on the salty side. Needed either some acid to brighten it up or to be slightly diluted.
All in all some minor flaws but an overall great dining experience with delicious dishes. Will definitely be back to try more.
… moreWas everything perfect? Not quite but I’d still come back.
We didn’t have a reservation so we had to wait 20-30 min at the bar next door till seats opened up. There was a little confusion because the host kept saying the tables inside including the bar were taken so we were initially sat outside but it was a little chilly. We noticed a group of three guys who also didn’t have a reservation came after us and took the bar seats that we were told were taken. No big deal they eventually gave us a large table inside. It was just a little confusing. Service the rest of the night was fantastic so would just chalk this up to miscommunication.
Food wise there’s lot to try here and I’d say the flavors are pretty pan-southeast Asian if not, leaned more towards Malay-Indonesian. The best dish we had by far were the wings. They’re pretty tiny but they give you a decent amount and they’re packed with flavor. The signature wing has a sweet tamarind glaze whereas the Vietnamese wing is bright and salty (def my fave).
The pork noodles were good but was slightly on the salty side. Otherwise the pork was great and they didn’t skimp on the meat. Noodles held up to the sauce and wasn’t over cooked.
The whole fried rock fish was fried to perfection. Crispy outside with succulent meat inside. Came with a tamarind dipping sauce that also fell on the salty side. Needed either some acid to brighten it up or to be slightly diluted.
All in all some minor flaws but an overall great dining experience with delicious dishes. Will definitely be back to try more.
Jenn Jiang
Weekday lunch is not crowded. Very relaxing environment and cozy. I have mixed feelings on the food. Definitely I tasted better fish wrapped in banana leaves elsewhere and their ribs were overcooked and burnt but good seasoning inside. The sample platter for veggies appetizer is great. Loved every bite and wanted more of these appetizers. Maybe our expectations are set too high since it is recommended by Michelin guide. There are just so many good restaurants in Santa Barbara and I wonder how it gets the recognition. Maybe we just didn’t order the right main dishes. It is still good but not excellent restaurant judging by the way how the ribs were cooked.
… moreGrish240
We enjoyed our experience at Sama Sama. Our hostess seated us in the patio out back. It was a nice space filled with lights and vines. The servers were on top of things and the food was delivered in a timely sequence. All of the dishes were well prepared, but didn’t distinguish themselves in any particular way. If you come, you’ll be happy that you did but you won’t necessarily be thinking about when you’ll return.
… more