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Samba Steak and Sushi
1138 Worcester Rd. (Rt 9 East.)
Framingham, MA
508-628-0288
http://www.sambaframingham.com/
Category: Chinese
Price Range:
Reviews:
Would like to add my two cents about Samba's. My husband and I stopped for a quick bite, so we bypassed the hibachi (sp?) tables. Tim had a nice assortment of sushi, and I had a couple of appetizers, fried calamari and chicken satay. All were quite nice, the service was helpful - we were in a bit of a rush and the presentation was well done. We will definitely go back.
Susan McIntyre 7/7/07
I first tasted the food from Samba's at the Framingham Education Foundation's Festival of Extraordinary Food on 6/12/07. I couldn't believe how fresh and unique the maki samples were. Several days later we went to the restaurant for dinner. We chose to sit in the lounge area because we wanted to face each other and talk. The atmosphere in the lounge is very plain and it's small, but it's the only option for sitting face-to-face. Otherwise you sit at the sushi bar or the cooking tables. With those options, part of the experience of the restaurant is watching the food being prepared.
The food is very fresh, top quality, and presented very nicely. It's tough to know what to order. We tried the appetizer combo to give us a sampling of what they had to offer and it was very good. Then we ordered a variety of maki. We really enjoyed it. Last night we went again with friends who were visiting from San Francisco. We ordered a much larger assortment and shared everything. They had a pan seared chilean sea bass special that was extraordinary. We were all very pleased with the unique variety of offerings, and the quality, and freshness of the food. This restaurant has the potential to be successful in a location that seems challenging for those who are not good enough to be a "stand out" destination. If the quality remains as good as it is now, we will be frequent customers.
Audrey Hall 6/28/07
You missed a truly great experience at Samba. We've had 4 fabulous lunches there. The food is ultra fresh with fabulous combinations. The service is top notch. I don't know about the other restaurant. I wouldn't base my dining decision on how full the parking lot or restaurant is. I think a lot of people don't realize Samba is open for lunch. You may get an opportunity to be the first to learn about a truly great place. Take a chance you may be pleasantly surprised.
Daphne Smith 6/28/07
I realize that this discussion has been here for awhile. However, my friend and I just ate at Samba last Saturday 2/3/07. I highly recommend this restaurant to everyone. Whether it be two or a large group. The food is delicious. We started with Lobster Miso Soup which was terrific. The Lobster makes the soup. Then we had Fried Calamari. A bit salty, but good served with a nice special side salad. Maki is the best part of their menu. We had Amazon Monster Maki, Amazon Black Forest Maki, California Maki, and Rising Sun Maki. For non-Sushi lovers they do offer other things on the menu.
Chris Lorant 2/5/07
The food at Samba is very good. A bit pricy, but definitely worth it. A good variety of sushi on the menu as well as other things too. A large function room is downstairs as well as a wine cellar. As for a tour. Upstairs is the dining room and lounge. The service is good as well. And the hospitality is good too.
Chris Lorant 6/29/07
I know I'm late on this, but I wanted to share my experience. My wife and I ordered up some takeout Sushi from Samba a couple weekends ago (just before New Year's) - I went to pick it up and it wasn't ready yet... no big deal, but because they had told me 15 minutes (and it had been that long) the owner (who's name escapes me) came over and was very apologetic (though he certainly had no need to be) and took me over to the bar and treated me to a beer while I waited. The place is gorgeous and on this particular Saturday night it was full of patrons. They brought me my food when it was ready and I was not disappointed when I got home and we ate it - it was spectacular.I'll definitely be dining in there at some point soon - they seem to have it all going for them: good service, great food, and a fantastically redone interior. Highly recommended.
Gary Zaino 1/8/07
My daughters had lunch here the day after Christmas and also had a very good experience. They had the sushi, which they said was excellent, better than other places they've tried around Framingham. They were even given a free sample of one of the dishes, some tuna, I believe. Sounds like a quality place.
Mary Clement 1/8/07
Samba - I was surprised when this turned out to be a Japanese steakhouse where they cook in front of you (ala Chef Orient). Obviously, comparisons to Chef Orient ("CO") are expected and necessary. The place looks terrific and no doubt a lot of money was spent getting it ready. The Sushi at Samba was quite good and very fresh. Much better than CO. Almost as good as Oga's in Natick. However, the main course was quite mediocre. I had their finest steak. It was smaller than CO's (and the same price). It came with salad with a very strange dressing that tasted like orange marmalade. No soup (unlike CO). The vegetables had more variety than CO and were good. Same shrimp appetizer. No spouts at the end and no dessert (both unlike CO). I actually left feeling hungry which never happens with me at CO. The "show" was the same schtick (volcanoes, flipping of the shrimp tails, etc.).
Overall, if you are a sushi lover, this place is good but there are other sushi places where you can avoid the noise and the show. If you want a Japanese steak house, go to Chef Orient.
Robert Hirsch 1/4/07
My wife and I had lunch there on Tuesday. The decor was great and so was the food. Unfortunately there were only six people in the entire restaurant. This appears to be a great place that just needs customers. This is really worth a try. Frank Genova 12/22/06
Links:
Boston Globe - Review
citysearch - Description and review
MetroWest Daily News - Restaurant profile
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