Sama Sama Kitchen
Southeast Asian restaurant · Downtown ·
Southeast Asian small plates & craft cocktails on a lit courtyard patio
Southeast Asian small plates & craft cocktails on a lit courtyard patio
"This eatery in the heart of downtown is not only good fun but also good for the wallet. Here, the Chefs/partners bring their disparate expertise—one is a barbecue aficionado from Nashville, the other is Indonesian, and together they turn out a menu of thoroughly pleasing Southeast Asian food. Attractions include a well-spiced rendition of green papaya salad, mixing aromatic herbs, chilies and peanuts. Bao can be ordered fried or steamed, which yields a pillowy soft bun to be filled with crunchy fried chicken in a tangy sauce.The interior is appealingly simple, but the back patio is a hidden gem, filled with string lights and communal tables that can be booked for parties. Weekday happy hour simply means steep discounts on a variety of food and drinks." - Michelin Inspector
"At first glance, Sama Sama Kitchen looks like any other cutey State Street spot to make a quick stop for drinks and a little snack before browsing overpriced candle shops. But that would be a mistake. Make space in your calendar to hang out for a while on their comfy patio as you pick at krupuk and sambals—light, crispy, shrimp chips paired with house-made chile dips that you’ll want to put on everything. Go for the braised pork mie goreng, a delicious tangle of thin, chewy noodles, but make sure you leave room for the wings, ideally ordered half-and-half, so you can try both flavors: smoky tamarind BBQ and sticky-spicy fish sauce glaze." - brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park
"Located on a quieter end of State Street, this casual spot serves some of Santa Barbara’s best Southeast Asian food. At lunch, plate sets let you sample combinations such as the aptly named Morning After, piled with smashed cucumbers, nasi goreng, shrimp chips, and nutty chicken satay. Especially during warmer weather the move is to double or triple up on the salads — don’t skip the crispy rice salad, served with a behemoth pork belly round. The best seats are on the small sidewalk patio, which gives the perfect vantage point to watch life on the street as you pore over tangy, sweet, sour, and spicy fried chicken wings." - Eater Staff
"Find Southeast Asian specialist Sama Sama directly across the street from the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Sit indoors or on the festive patio and order the Indonesian nasi goreng, Javanese chicken curry bowl, or Peking duck-inspired salad. At lunch time, plate sets might include a combination of dishes to sample — the Morning After has smashed cucumbers, nasi goreng, shrimp chips, and nutty chicken satay. The move, especially during warmer weather, is to double (or triple) up on the salads, which are some of the best dishes on the menu (don’t skip the crispy rice salad, served with a behemoth pork belly round, for anything). If dining with more than two people, get a double order of Sama Sama’s sticky fried chicken wings, available Vietnamese-style with fish sauce, lime, herbs, and pickled Thai chiles, or in its signature tamarind-soy barbecue sauce." - Mona Holmes
"At first glance, Sama Sama Kitchen looks like any other cutey State Street spot to make a quick stop for drinks and a little snack before browsing overpriced candle shops. But that would be a mistake. Make space in your calendar to hang out for a while on their comfy patio as you pick at krupuk and sambals—light, crispy, shrimp chips paired with house-made chile dips that you’ll want to put on everything. Go for the braised pork mie goreng, a delicious tangle of thin, chewy noodles, but make sure you leave room for the wings, ideally ordered half-and-half, so you can try both flavors: smoky tamarind BBQ and sticky-spicy fish sauce glaze. photo credit: Jakob Layman" - Cathy Park
