We missed our reservation at a nearby restaurant so decided to give Samurai a try for dinner. The restaurant was clean and seemed to have an energy about it when we entered. Overall a nice atmosphere and good value, while the service and food are average.
We have both enjoyed Poke bowls before, so my wife decided to try the Poke Bowl (see picture) while I opted for the Roll B combination of rolls (see picture). Neither my wife nor myself were fond of this type of Poke Bowl. There was a creamy sauce of which we didn’t like the flavor (we like the lighter, lime-like version), there was no rice included and the portion was quite small. Both of us enjoyed the Roll B options, although ideally we would have preferred a little more spiciness.
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Another great stop for dinner after Mass with friends. Stayed light tonight with the Spicy Tuna Roll, but splurged for a dessert and tried the Mango Japanese Mochi (see picture).
08/05/2023
Another great stop for dinner this evening – and this time we were fortunate enough to have the owner (Mandy) as our server. She was such a delightful person, a great server and full of great suggestions! With each delivery of food to a table, we marveled at the exquisite presentation of the food – a testament to Mandy’s experience in the industry.
This time we started with a Sapporo (see picture) and a Hana White Peach Sake (see picture). Mandy suggested the White Peach flavor and boy was it delicious…none of the harsh alcohol flavor that I’ve associated with sake and more of a semi-sweet fruit juice feel that was similar to a white wine.
For our dinner, my wife ordered the Chicken Katsu Cold Noodle (see picture) because she enjoys ramen and thought it looked interesting. At Mandy’s suggestion, I ordered the Spicy 2 in 1 Roll (see picture) and found it absolutely delicious. Even though it was shown as spicy and included jalapeno slices on each piece, I did not find it to be that spicy – but it was very flavorful!
We topped off the meal with a delicious dessert (again at Mandy’s suggestion) of fried bread with powdered sugar and a decadent condensed milk-like dipping sauce (see picture). If you like fried bread, you will love these!
12/11/2022
Based on a recommendation from a friend, we stopped here for dinner after church on Saturday night and enjoyed the experience. The building is a modern decor – albeit with a strip mall feel (see pictures), the presentation of the food is great (see pictures) and they have a friendly and helpful wait staff. In addition to an extensive menu, they had a decent selection of cocktails, wines and beers (see pictures).
We started with a glass of pinot grigio and a can of Sapporo. For an appetizer, we went with the Philadelphia Roll (smoked salmon, cream cheese & avocado – see picture) and thought it was very good. You can’t go wrong when it includes cream cheese!
For our main meal, my wife ordered the Chicken Ramen (see picture) and I wasn’t very hungry, so ordered the Spicy Yellowtail Roll (see picture). We both tried both dishes and liked them very much – would definitely recommend both of them. The only negative to our visit was that our table was near the front door and we got a nasty cold breeze every time the door was opened. I’d suggest asking for a table away from the front door.
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Spicy 2 in 1 RollChicken Katsu Cold NoodleEdamameFried Bread (Thai Donuts?)Chicken Katsu Cold NoodleMango Japanese MochiSapporoHana White Peach Sake
We had friends visiting from France and when asked what type of food they wanted for dinner, they suggested seafood – so we thought a return trip to Waterfront would be just the ticket!
For an appetizer, my wife ordered the Mini Chuck Roll and Mini Godzilla Roll (see picture) on the waiter’s recommendation – and really liked both of them. My wife ordered the Seafood Scallops (see picture) with New England Clam Chowder (see picture). I sampled both and we each thought they were both delicious. I ordered the Rock Shrimp Basket Dinner to save a few dollars for our friends who were paying and although it was a more typical mass market-type fried food dish, I found the rock shrimp to be quite tender and tasty and also thought the sweet potato fries were very good.
Our friends ordered the Halibut Basket Dinner (see picture) and the Coconut Shrimp Dinner (see picture) – and they enjoyed both of them (although it was way more food quantity-wise than they are used to eating in France).
If you are looking for a solid seafood restaurant with a lengthy ‘fresh-catch’ Market Entrees list in the Des Moines area, you will enjoy a stop at Waterfront Seafood Market.
2/26/2022
Food: 5*
Atmosphere: 5*
Value: 4*
Service: 5*
Our neighbors suggested this place and took us there last night…and oh what a treat it was! If you enjoy good, fresh seafood – you’ll love this place, with your biggest challenge being figuring out which dish to order. As a bonus, you can also buy fresh seafood to take home at the adjoining market – or watch your sushi being made in another area.
Our dinner started with the complimentary sourdough bread and butter – served warm with whipped butter, smelled and tasted great. Next, on the recommendation of our waiter, we shared an order of Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops. As you might expect with these two great food items combined – they were delicious and I highly recommend them.
Next, my wife enjoyed the Creole Seafood Gumbo, while I opted for the New England Clam Chowder so that we could try both. The menu says the Clam Chowder was voted the Best Soup in Des Moines and while I haven’t tried enough soup to confirm that – I can tell you that it was some of the best Clam Chowder that I’ve ever had.
For the main course, my wife ordered the Shrimp and Scallops, while I opted for the cajun Halibut and Salmon. We thoroughly enjoyed everything, with my lone exception to the 5* rating being the preparation of the salmon – as it was overcooked to my liking and was rather dry as opposed to soft and moist when it is cooked less. It was definitely a great experience for my wife and I and I highly recommend it for the lively atmosphere, fresh seafood and great service.
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I had no idea this place had opened so close to our home. Went with a group from work today and loved it. The free soup and fried appetizer was very good, the service was friendly, the food was delivered very quickly and the entree tasted great.
For my lunch break, I ordered the Crispy Honey Chicken as Very Hot. I thought the spice level was just right (just at the point of making my nose run) and the flavor was great. I will definitely be back with my wife for dinner some evening.
Dinner update 1 week later: Was so good, I stopped back with my wife for dinner. We had a coconut mango mojito, the Surf & Turf Roll special, Panang Curry, Tom Kha Kai Soup and Mango Salad. All were very good, but I really liked the Mango Salad best of all – mango, onion and cilantro with the spicy lime dressing and fish sauce were a wonderful combination!
Update 2: Dinner last night was delicious as usual. I started with an Irish Mule and then had the Sushi Set. I really enjoyed the nigiri, which I had not eaten before. Per my request, the chef even came out to tell me what each of the pieces were. There wasn’t a lot of flavor difference between any of them, with the main difference being texture. My wife had the Crispy Shrimp Cashew Nut (see picture) and it was also delicious.
01/20/2023 Update
Yet another stop at one of our favorites last night and once again, we thoroughly enjoyed it…and left very full and satisfied! On this trip, we started with an order of Crab Rangoon, which was delicious – especially when dipped in the honey. I ordered Healthy Fried Rice (see picture) with a heat level of 4 (out of 6) and while I found it delicious, I didn’t feel it had much spice, so added more at the table. My wife ordered the Homestyle Chicken (see picture) with a heat level of 3 (out of 6) and really liked it.
5/25/2023 Update
Yet another great stop – this time we enjoyed a Pama Mama Mule (see picture), Heavenly Beef with Sticky Rice (see picture), Crispy Chicken on Ginger Rice (see picture) and a Larb Salad (see picture). As always, all of the dishes were shared by both of us, were delicious and I’d highly recommend all of them.
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Homestyle ChickenHealthy Fried RiceLarb SaladCrispy Chicken on Ginger RiceHeavenly Beef with Sticky RicePama Mama Mule
Several friends recommended this place within a few days, so we took the opportunity to stop by with friends from Brazil who also enjoy sushi. We were advised to get reservations as they are very busy and even at noon on a Friday, the earliest we could get a table for 4 was 8:15 – so I highly recommend getting reservations.
We arrived a few minutes early and were immediately seated near the sushi counter (see pictures). A very modern and lively atmosphere along with friendly service. Our server was Deja L. and she was fantastic – excellent recommendations and a friendly demeanor…the kind of person you would want representing your business.
We started with drinks and a shared appetizer – I ordered the Cherry Vanilla Cola (see picture) and we shared the Combo Dynamite App (see picture). The drink was good as expected and the Combo Dynamite App was dyn-o-mite (as the name implies).
For our meals, I ordered the Volcano (see picture) and my wife ordered the Fire Cracker (see picture) – both Chef’s Special Maki and both on the recommendation of Deja. We really liked both of them and would definitely order them again as well as recommend them for you to try. Our friend ordered the Salmon Roll w/cucumber (see picture) and also really enjoyed it.
We were definitely tempted to order dessert, but ended up deciding to pass and stop for another cocktail on the way home instead. We can definitely understand the strong recommendations for this place as we offer the same – fantastic food and service…just make sure to make reservations!
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Cherry Vanilla ColaCombo Dynamite AppVolcanoFire CrackerSalmon Roll w/cucumber
Stopped for dinner tonight and was impressed with the food quality and taste. We started with an order of edamame and a beer, then ordered several rolls to share.
We ordered the Salmon & Avocado, Shrimp Tempura and King Crab Crunch rolls (see picture) and enjoyed all of them. My favorite was the King Crab Crunch – creamy, spicy and delicious.
Visit 2 Update:. Had a similar great experience in our most recent stop. I ordered the Thai Mango Chicken and thought it was delicious – a great combination of mango / sweet and spicy. I highly recommend this dish.
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Can’t think of anything that could have been better with this dinner! It was Sushi Happy Hour when I arrived (Monday and Tuesday evening), so I started with the Spicy Tuna and Spicy Salmon. The coconut soup was highly recommended by the hotel hostess, so ordered that very hot with chicken. It was so cranky and delicious – I highly recommend it.
Lastly, my waiter recommended Coconut Milk Custard for dessert and it was also delicious! This is a great restaurant with a fantastic, lively and modern atmosphere that I highly recommend!
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