I haven't been in Santa Barbara in years. So, of course, I had to ask for recommendations from someone who knows the city. Naturally, I went to the Sous Chef that I was working with and Sama Sama Kitchen was one of them. I went there on a beautiful sunny day with a cool gentle breeze. I sat outside, at a table that's 6 feet away from everyone else, enjoying the salad, wings, and pavlova.
With everything that's going on, there's a huge emphasis on safety and sanitation. So, when I got to the restaurant, I had to check for specific things such as... if they had outdoor seating or take-out, if they had masks on, etc. When I got seated, I waited for the hostess to hand me a menu, but she explained that they didn't have a physical menu but had one that could be downloaded via QR code (cool).
And now to answer the anticipated question... how was the food?
Crispy Duck Salad
Do you know that feeling when you see something and you're like "gasp omg that sounds so good!!!"Then you get it and you're like "oh, not what I expected at all..." and then you get that feeling of disappointment.
That was my exact feeling about this dish. Don't get me wrong, the salad itself had good flavors (so I didn't regret ordering it) but the duck was not crispy and that's the thing I was most excited about.
Vietnamese Wings
Now these wings...these wings were something else. The aroma was intoxicating, and the flavors were spot on. This plate of wings brought me back to my childhood. I kid you not, it hit all the taste buds in my mouth...salty, spicy, sweet, sour, and probably others I can't identify. It's a bit messy, but that's what wings are all about right?
*Recommended
Pavlova
Let me just start off with the fact that I don't like pavlova. What's a pavlova and why did I get it if I don't like it??First, a pavlova, for those who are not sure what it is, is a dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar. Second, I was taught that if you eat something you don't like then to try it again because your taste could've changed since that last time. If you ate it multiple times and still don't like it? Move on, simple as that. Anyways, the pavlova itself was sweet and the center was soft (exactly how it should be), The components that accompanied it balanced it out perfectly. The coulis (I believe that it's raspberry) and the fruits gave it a fresh and tart taste, while the whipped cream gave it a creamy feel.
Overall, the crispy duck salad did not have crispy duck, but the flavors were there. The wings were so bomb and it hit all the buds in my mouth (salivating as I write about it). The pavlova dessert had a good balance to it. Would I recommend this place? Yes, I would! If I were in Santa Barbara again, I would go back and try some of their other dishes. Check it out if you're in Santa Barbara.
Happy eating!
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