HAVE you noodled yet? The Wagamama experience is like no other – and definitely worth a try.

The Japanese restaurants sweeping the nation have not yet reached Southampton. But Salisbury and Basingstoke both have a restaurant and now a third has opened nearby – at Gunwharf Quays. This waterfront one is extra special with lots of outdoor seating overlooking the marina.

I didn’t really know what to expect from my first taste of Wagamama a few years ago. The canteen style seating is different and many of the dishes on the menu were previously alien to me. But after sticking a pin in the menu and coming up trumps, I have since become a definite convert. So I went along to the newest restaurant in the chain, which opened at the end of March – and found everything exactly as you would expect it at any of the chain.

A friend and I quickly ordered our two main dishes and two sides. Your order is taken on an electronic handheld device and is zapped through to the kitchen by radio and cooked immediately. This means different dishes are often delivered at different times, but you’re encouraged not to wait, just tuck in and share.

On this occasion, our ‘starters’ of melt in the mouth deep-fried duck and leek dumplings with hoisin sauce and Wagamama must-have steamed edamame beans with oodles of salt, arrived only just before our ‘mains’.

We were soon tucking into a veritable feast of those, plus Ebi Chilli Men – perfectly cooked stir-fried noodles with prawns, courgettes, red onions, peppers, mushrooms and mangetout in a really tangy chilli sauce and Chicken Katsu Curry – chicken breast deep-fried in panko breadcrumbs topped with curry sauce and sticky white rice.

The restaurants are modelled on the ramen bars that have been popular in Japan for many years. The atmosphere is very laid-back, the noise level sometimes high and you should fully expect your waiter to scrawl your order number on your throwaway paper placemat.

Our meal for two, with a bottle of wine, came to £42.75.

Wagamama is not a fancy experience and don’t expect any frills here. But what you can guarantee is fresh and healthy food at a reasonable price – plus that all-important chance to keep the food envy at bay. Reaching over and tucking into your companion’s dish is positively encouraged here!


Wagamama, North Promenade, Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth,
PO1 3TR
023 9286 1128
wagamama.com