Wagamama - Newmarket

A few years ago, when I worked in the city, people would rave about Wagamama. I finally got to experience it for a friends birthday last week and it was really average. I spent over $70 on meals for two including drinks and that was after getting a free meal with an entertainment voucher. I had a lamb and rice dish which was pretty bland and the meat was chewey and had gristle in it. I honestly will not be rushing back there and at that price would consider not going for another birthday if I were invited too.

Wagamamas is modelled on a Japanese raman bar.  Long shared tables and a menu full of noodles, rice and soups. The chain in Newmarket is child friendly and wheelchair accessible.

That’s about it. No frills, just freshly prepared Asian food. The seating arrangement are long tables and benches, you can end up next to strangers, it adds to the fun! To be honest though, never seen it that busy. The food is simple. I had a chicken salad and it was yum….friends had ramen. Not on my top lists of places I must revisit.

I love Wagamama's.  True, they're the same everywhere but with Wagamama's that makes it cool.  we came here with our 4 yearold and the grandparents, none of whom had ever been to anything like this before.  Wagamama's is one of a few restaurants who have tapped in to the family market - parents with young kids who want to eat at 5pm and be out by 6.30, leaving the restaurant empty for the usual 7pm onwards diners.  Wagamama's suits us because they don't mind if we make a mess!  Newmarket's crew were helpful, friendly and attentive, happy to clue the GPs in and dole out forks and spoons.  They didn't keep us waiting and they didn't rush us.  The food, as ever, was great - hot and tasty.  Wagamama's has never disappointed us.

They had excellent staff, and our waiter asked if we had ever been to Wagamama. I have not, so he took the time to give a brief introduction and explanation as to how Wagamama worked. I thought that was nice We were...what you would call "needy" customers. We kept on asking for things, like an extra set of forks and spoons, more drinks, condiment sets...we felt kind of bad for doing that. But the staff were great and fulfilled our every wishes. The interesting thing is, if you ask for a knife, Wagamama actually doesn't have knives. How do we know? Because we asked for a knife. We ordered the teriyaki soba and the curry chicken on rice. The curry chicken on rice was SUPERB. As we shared our food, my boyfriend and I kept on going at the curry chicken. The teriyaki soba with beef was pleasant, the beef was nice and tender. But the dish itself was nothing spectacular, and was not as exciting as the curry chicken. If you don't mind curry, then I definitely would urge that you order it. Great place!

They often have specials on, or advertise on daily deal sites. When you get two-for-one it's really great value!

Often call in here during the week for lunch. Love the food.  Sign up to there mailing list as they often send out half price off

The Wagamama experience is certainly a unique one, with orders written boldly on your paper placemat as you make them. It's an interesting way to ensure the servers don't forget who's ordered what! Wagamama serves primarily Japanese hot meals though there is a Thai element which works its way into some of the curries and soups; bringing coconut cream and lemongrass into the dishes. The Panko crusted vegetables are a favourite as is the cha-han- fried rice served with sides of Miso soup and Japanese pickles. Dishes are made fresh to order though they're hesitant about accommodating changes to the dishes. Nevertheless, the food has been uniformly tasty and filling. Well worth a visit.