www.wagamama.com

Visited September 2003

We went to the Kensington High St branch having being recommended by friends.  I thought this was a  new chain of Japanese food restaurants  as I had never heard of them but having visited the site was amazed to find the first one opened in 1992!  The concept of their interiors is definitely minimalist.  You sit at long tables on benches.  They obviously want you in & out as quickly as possible as the seating is not very comfortable but the food makes it all worth while.  The menu is the length of a novel & if you are not used to Japanese food the young staff are only too happy to explain & make suggestions.  They order the food on hand held computers & it all arrives as soon as it is has been cooked & in no particular order.  It is so fresh!   I am not going to type out all our choices, you must visit their site & look at the menus.  My choices were No 102, a side dish of dumplings & a No 43 a dish of teppon-fried noodles.  My mouth is watering remembering the flavours, yummy, yummy!  I am glad I didn't choose the ramen noodles as they arrived in a large bowl of soup.  I couldn't resist a white chocolate & ginger cheese cake for pudding.

You can also find out where all the branches are & opening times etc.  on their site, I wish they would open one nearer to Southampton.  It is not the sort of place to pass a leisurely evening but the food really makes it worth a try if you are ever near to one.  Most of them also do take away.

At the bottom of their menu is the wagamama ethos, I love this, " wagamama was conceived as a non-destinational food station; consequently bookings are not accepted."  Now if anyone can tell me what exactly that means I would be very grateful!

Cost, with 2 bottles of house white, well there were 4 of us, £ £ £ £

Yummy factor 8/10

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