Profile

West Villagers flock with Lourdes-like devotion to this frenetic diner—carved from the original Jefferson Market space—but it’s not for the standard-issue Chinese selections. Brawny noodle soups in giant steaming bowls are the draw. Emerging from a white-tiled open kitchen overlooking Sixth Avenue, Sammy’s soups may indeed possess curative powers; their arrival seems to revive diners whose eyes have glazed over at the cheerless dark-wood furnishings and gray-slate tiles. Lacking MSG, the bracing broths come mercifully free of the oleaginous layer native to New York takeout but loaded with crisp greens, sloppy noodles, and firm meats. If trawling through dense soup sounds too labor-intensive, Cantonese sliced roasted meats, the other house specialty, will satisfy. During high-turnover times, chicken and duck on rice arrive moist and tender—but may turn out desiccated when the place quiets. Otherwise, the Iliad-length menu is competent but indistinct. Since a disproportionate number of solo diners seem to linger here, singletons can try their luck attempting eye contact while slurping mai fun. — Michael Kaminer

Chicken thigh with vegetable & noodle soup, $7.50; roast chicken Cantonese style, $8.25