Wagamama

Typical wags mama they are everywhere and the chicken is very juicy while the different peri peri sauces are freaking amazing!!! Must try!

Light snacking on the go @wagamama_uk. Haven’t been in an age, but was craving some sort of seafood. So delved straight into the lollipop prawn kushiyaki.
Skewers marinated in lemongrass, lime and chilli. Making me wish I was in Asia right now but it was a neat snack. I think the food is a very fast food version of an authentic Asian place and you know what you are getting. It’s relatively cheap and cheerful.

Everyone loves Wagamama don’t they? It’s a chain restaurant that whichever branch you go to, it seems to deliver consistently good food.
There’s better customer service, although it’s never bad, but if you want quick, tasty food without having to book this place is a great choice.
We were seated quickly and when we had to wait for a friend, we didn’t feel rushed. Two of us both couldn’t decide whether to go for the good old chicken Katsu curry or go for the beef donburi so we ordered both between us and the waitress have us each an extra plate.
I do love katsu and it was definitely my favourite dish. I would have liked a little more sauce as it’s so tasty and because there was so much rice.
The beef donburi was delicious but again, there was too much rice. I had to add a fair bit of soy sauce so the rice wasn’t so dry. The beef was tender and I did enjoy it.
My other friend had tuna steak to have a slightly healthier option. It was a decent size piece of fish and she was impressed with it.
Overall, very tasty dishes with big portions, although too much rice.
Still a safe bet every time for a decent and quick meal.

Been to London dozens of times — and this is a definite go-​to place for me.
Yeah yeah yeah — surprised myself too — as it IS a chain, and typically I do have my reservations about chains, but there was nothing commercial, or cookie cutter about the menu or dishes.
You can come here and get a good fusion type Asian meal. I got the curry pork cutlet dish, which was tasty, crunchy, and had a good amount of heat.
There’s also a really impressive selection of smoothie, or extracted drinks. Seems really good — but never ordered as it can seem a bit heavy.

PRO: Warm, dry place to hide from the rain; like the green tea
CON: Noisy, the food, little bit of honesty about the food, chef.
BOTTOM LINE: If you want Asian food, go to Chinatown; don’t waste your money here.
As a Chinese and frequent visitor to Japan, definitely am already wary of any «Asian fusion» items, but came here for a quick snack and to escape the rain. The service was fine; appreciate the free green tea. We just had a few snacks, but specifically the steamed pork gyoza. About 5 quid for 4 pieces of gyoza (Japanese version of Chinese potstickers) wasn’t a horrible price, but mind you, we ordered STEAMED gyoza. What comes out? Pan-​fried gyoza… clearly pan-​fried.
We asked the waitress why it wasn’t steamed; she brought it to the chef and said, «oh, they are steamed, but the chef fried it on one side so it would taste better.» O… em…gee…were they actually trying to educate CHINESE people about how to eat dumplings and gyoza? Really??? Oh, and may I add, I MAKE potstickers and gyoza from scratch, including the wrappers. Would’ve felt a little better if she simply admitted that the chef couldn’t be bothered to give us what we ordered. Whatever… the gyoza was sub-​par; very bland, and not even crispy if you were going for pan-​fried. Let that be a lesson to us for trying a bastardized version of asian food.
If you want real potstickers or authentic dumplings, go to Chinatown. Four Seasons and Old Town 97 do not disappoint. Seriously, don’t waste your money on subpar food and uncomfortable seats (yes, realize that is their business model). You can at least go to the worst restaurant in Chinatown and get better food there.

I’ve been Wagamama’s customer since 2005. Over the years my favorite dish changed a little bit but still one of the best ramen’s in London for the price and portion size. Chicken Katsu Carry recommend if you are not a Ramen person. Service is quick but do not expect to get food at this same time as your party. Food comes whenever is ready made. Good to go for the price and taste and quick service.

I was working in South Bank, and came here for a quick lunch alone. I was impressed by the host, who took an extra effort to seat me away from all the babies and kids, as this was a warm sunny day in London and lots of tourists were out. The service was quick and efficient. I ordered the Surendra’s curry chicken which was suggested by the waitress. The portion was just enough, and tasted delicious. The place is a bit noisy so not the perfect place if you are looking for some place quiet.

One look at the menu and I was already wary… a long list of pan-​Asian dishes is rarely a good sign. But my parents wanted to go and we were hungry! I got the pork ramen. It advertises «noodles in a miso, ginger and chicken soup topped with barbecued pork, a tea-​stained egg, pea shoots, and wakame. served with a korean barbecue sauce and garnished with menma and spring onions.» I did not taste anything korean about it and the broth was very boring. Luckily there was chili oil on the table. I did enjoy the pork, egg, menma, and pea shoots. The noodles were all right. My parents enjoyed their dishes and this was actually their second time eating at a Wagamama in during their week in London. It seems pretty expensive for what you get. I see why it is popular, but I just don’t think it’s for me.

This restaurant seated us quickly. It’s the same menu here as every other Wagamama’s as expected. The chilli ramen with chicken tasted mostly of red onion, and chilli. I am always disappointed by the lack of vegetables, and the huge serving of noodles. It lacks exciting textures and colours to eat. So nothing exciting to report. It’s a decent steady offering of Asian food.

It was a Thursday evening and I went there looking for somewhere to eat with my wife. We were strolling by the river and spotted Wagamama. I thought to myself, ‘it’ll be a good experience like always’. I’ve had Wagamama before a few times and its always been a great experience. Its just this branch that didn’t satisfy us the same way.
We queued up to be seated. The waitress gave us a table next to the dish collector. The other staff didn’t know that table existed. It didn’t appear on their system. We ordered food and the waiter was quite rude when I asked him again what this particular dish was. There seemed to be an ongoing issue amongst the waiters and staff. They were all complaining to each other loudly infront of every one about how poor the management is.
We got our food and it came separately. My wife got her food 10 minutes after me. I didn’t quite understand that. During the meal apart from the ongoing complaining of waiters, the plates were being thrown in the dish collector next to us. It was a horribly loud experience! They also didn’t know about our table because it didn’t show on their system so they were taking our food to other tables.
In the end I asked for the bill and it took them 15 minutes to bring the bill. Then I asked for the card machine and that took them another 15 minutes to bring.
Only reason for my 3 stars is the food. The quality of the food is always great! The service was very poor! I don’t think I’ll ever go to that branch again.

I’ve been to nearly all the wagamamas in London … Quick service and the food ain’t bad … This particular one was like the rest. Fast service but the food wasn’t as flavoursome … I won’t complain much as it didn’t cost much and I was hungry

Good food, if a little over priced. Not the best place to go on the South Bank though, particularly as it’s pretty dark as below bridge!

Nice for a quick meal but well below minimum quality standards for this restaurant chain. The pad thai was disappointing and not great. I guess it’s in a tourist area so difficult to stand out. Still, Wahaca is at the same reputational level and the food quality is excellent.

Food was very good but server could not split our check up we had to do the math ourselves. Kind of different but whatever

Wagamama is one of the few restaurant chains to succeed in turning a great concept into a nationwide chain without losing all of its original appeal. The food is consistently good with new interpretations of healthy pan-​Asian dishes added to the menu regularly enough to make you come back for more. Mind you, their chilli chicken ramen remains one of my all time favourites — a massive bowl of steaming broth sprinkled with fresh herbs and spices. They weakened over the years and added a selection of alcohol and pop to their healthy menu, but they still offer a great choice of freshly squeezed juices (so much better than many juice bars!).
So why only two stars?! I have been to this particular branch of Wagamama twice in a month and experienced the most disappointing service on both occasions. The servers are equipped with devices which allows them to send the orders straight to the kitchen via a centralised computer system (pretty revolutionary when they first introduced it, but fairly standard now) — so there really is no need for long waiting times.
On my previous visit the server took down the wrong order — admittedly, my friend and I changed our mind a couple of times when we saw the new dishes served to the people sitting next to us. Our server then actually told us all about her favourite curry and convinced us both to change our orders. Needless to say, I received the wrong (previously ordered) dish. This in itself wouldn’t have been the end of the world as I have never eaten anything at Wagamama that wasn’t delicious. But instead of apologising and offering a solution, the server wisked away the wrong order without another word and went on her break — at least this is what her colleague said when we asked to check into the order. My food arrived just as my friend had finished hers …
And the last experience was similarly disappointing, considering that a fast food concept is perfect for a pre-​theatre crowd and you really have a captive audience in the undercroft of the Southbank Centre. The meal itself was great and our ramens even arrived more or less at the same time (a few minutes’ difference is normal as everything is prepared fresh and in batches). However, when we said we’d skip desert as we had a show to catch, the bill was put in front of us but the server never to be seen again. Surely, taking payment is the single most important transaction from a restaurant’s point …
In the end my friend had to rush ahead to pick up our tickets and I took the bill to the counter. Again, no apology or even acknowledgement … What’s going on — Wagamama, get your act together or you’ll lose one of your most loyal customers!

One thing on my MUST DO list for London trips is always a trip to Wagamama. I just love their food.
I appreciate the fresh ingredients and the delicious spices. The warm dishes are especially delicious in cold weather.
The staff is great – very helpful and quick.
Don’t expect to have an intimate conversation here. It’s always overcrowded and very loud. However, it’s fun for a group of friends to enjoy a quick meal.

Yes, I’m that lame American who loves Wagamama and always eats at one when there’s one nearby. I just always enjoy the quality of food, the friendliness of the staff, and the fact it’s one of the few places I can nab an elderflower soda — a love I have that isn’t quenched at home in Paris.

Always busy, always noisy, so please don’t complain about the noise. It’s quite plain to see from outside that this place is positively heaving for most of the day. It’s not surprising given its locale so keep that in mind and remember it’s communal tables so don’t try to fly while you eat :)
I treat Wagamama as an in and out experience. Order your food, scoff, pay and leave. The seating isn’t comfortable and since this one is so crowded all the time, it’s probably not a good idea to stay for no reason after you’re done eating.
Eating here can be very economical if you steer clear of alcohol and dessert. Chicken katsu is a filling and cheap option, free green tea makes it a complete meal. I don’t feel the ramen dishes are as filling but hey, if that’s your thing than knock yourself out. Kare lomen is where I think it’s at but the Wagamama ramen is pretty decent. Seafood hete is always nice and fresh. Sides and desserts are pricey so I would stay away if you’re hoping to get a meal for under a tenner per head.
Wagamama’s a safe bet. I will never claim that it’s particularly good food but given that it’s quick and available just about everywhere in London, it’s one of the places I’ve come to embrace as a sanctuary for the cold, weary and hungry.

I do not understand people’s fascination with Wagamama…
This is my second time trying out Wagamama, the last time was many moons ago in Boston (USA). Needless to say, this experience was equally lackluster.
We arrived around 6:30pm on a Monday to a very crowded restaurant. This is obviously not anything against them as this is the way a place in Southbank should be at this time. The girl who served us was ok although she seemed like she really wanted to rush us out. My friend and I hadn’t seen each other for a while so we weren’t immediately ready to order (she wanted to take our order as soon as we sat down… sorry, I’m not a regular and haven’t memorized the menu?)
I ordered pad thai and it was disappointing. No real flavor jumped out at me, it was just a bunch of noodles with some peanuts, prawns, and maybe some chicken (I can’t even remember!). We didn’t order anything else and the dish was so unremarkable that I can’t really comment much further!
For the price, I’d rather go somewhere else.
I will say their one redeeming quality is the free green tea but, to be fair, this is quite watered down and it tough to flag someone down to get more tea or water.
I’ll easily wait a few more years (or more, if I can!) before attempting another Wagamama…

It was a dreary day, and we were all ready for some hot food, not of the English variety. I’d eaten my fair share of pub food for the previous 10 days and needed something spicy to warm me up on the wet day. I’d remembered this location from a business trip 7 years before, and was happy to find it still there.
We were seated at one of the long tables and had at least 2, if not 3, servers taking care of us. We started with the gyoza and the chili squid. Then two of us had the firecracker chicken, and one had the chili beef ramen. I enjoyed a ginger beer to wash it all down.
Everything was tasty as expected. There was a nice level of spice on the chili squid and definitely for the firecracker chicken. The portion was huge, but I managed to take out mine and some of my friend’s. The beef chili ramen was warm and comforting, but not as good as the firecracker chicken in my opinion.

After all this Years, still à good Place to have Lunch or Dinner. It Mighty Be à but too man Tourist’s, but where is this mit the Problem in àGlobaltime, go on !