Wagamama

3.5, food was decent but kind of expensive for the quality. Nothing very exciting but you can definitely come here if you’re feeling Japanese food.

Met a friend here for dinner as she highly recommended the White Chocolate Ginger Cheesecake.
Wagamamas can get quite busy and at the Brighton branch, the room has no dividing walls so can hear lots of conversations and the cooking happening in the background.
We ordered some rice bowls which were tasty but I felt the prices were a bit higher than expected.
Had the White Chocolate Ginger Cheesecake which was delicious but to be honest, it was a bit too sweet for me.
Can’t fault Wagamamas too much but I don’t think I’ll return here due to the prices and atmosphere of the restaurant.

For my first time at Wagamama, it was a lot better than I expected.
I’ve always thought of it as the Macdonalds or KFC of the Asian food world and supported local restaurants. However, the one I was going to go to was closed for maintenance so I grinned and beared it when my boyfriend suggested Wagamama.
As soon as I walked in I felt a warmth in the room, physically and metaphorically. It was scorching hot and it smelled fantastic.
We were seated on a shared table which I really liked, and left to browse the menu.
I was surprised to see so many Japanese foods like gyoza and ramen, but no sushi. They had Chinese steamed buns on there (Bao) and kimchi (they spell it kimchee) which I’ve always thought to be a Korean food. So this mix of Asian foods confused me a bit considering I thought I was meant to be a Japanese style of restaurant.
I ordered the prawn itame, and my boyfriend got the chilli ramen, as well as chicken gyoza and miso soup with pickles. We drank a carrot juice and the (FREE!) green tea.
My itame was gorgeous — the lemongrass and coconut with the lime and coriander worked really well together and I was happy with my choice. The miso soup was slightly tepid and I thought it could have had more tofu in it. The gyoza was great, and the sauce was lovely too. Not the best I’ve had but considering it’s a chain, not bad.
The ramen was ok, but took a lot of seasoning for it to have as much flavour as was needed.
We both left full, warm and happy with our meals, and the reason I gave it 4 not 5 stars is because the miso soup let them down. Otherwise, it was great and I’ll be back!

a. I tried this place the first time, as this chain doesn’t seem to have expanded to the Americas. I was pleasantly happy and enjoyed the meal. Nice location, right in the middle of town and close to other hotels/​pubs/​bars.
b. Plenty of vegetarian choices, liked the availability of Dumplings, Ramen Noodle soup dishes, Noodle dishes and curry dishes In one menu — that way a large group doesn’t have to eat the same type of dish. Moreover, everything was pretty tasty — I tried the Surendra curry and liked it so much that I ordered an extra serving. I would stick with Japanese fusion and curry dishes here — the thai dish (pad thai) was not good and even the wrong recipe (not made with peanut sauce). Portion sizes were small for my liking and the price (or perhaps it was only because we went late and was one of the last orders).
c. Service was friendly and prompt. However, they didn’t bring out all the food at once, leaving some of us just staring at each other while other’s ate — a sit down place should be mindful of that. I wish they open more, if one is in the US, I would definitely go.

Great for a lunch out with my friends! They were very quick to seat us, although we were a large group at rush hour. The waitresses seemed stressed and slightly jumbled because they kept bringing the wrong plates to our table, but it was also extremely busy.
The food was awesome. I got the veggie gyoza starter which came with a tangy soy sauce to dip in. I really liked it! For my meal, I got the teriyaki chicken rice bowl and, after adding chili oil, was perfect to my liking! We all left very full and very satisfied.

«Where shall we eat?»
«I’m not sure, you decide.»
«No. You’re the one that decided you wanted to eat out, tell me where you want to eat.»
«Well…ummm… I dunno. You decide.»
«FFS. You always do this. OK… what don’t you fancy?»
«Not sure.»
«Well, I don’t really want to spend too much money. Pompoko?»
«Ummmmm… I don’t really want that. I am quite hungry.»
«Just tell me what you want! Wagamma? You want Wagamma don’t you…»
«Well… I wouldn’t say no.»
«Right, let’s just go to Wagamma.»
I have this conversation probably once every three months with my girlfriend.
You never end up regretting eating at Wagamama.
Green tea + katsu = complete satisfaction.
Now please, just tell me the wifi password.

OK, I put my hands up, I am a bit of a die-​hard Wagamama’s fan.
It’s a great Asian-​Fusion style restaurant, and it’s ALWAYS busy.
Chicken Katsu curry is my go to meal, and I always end up having the Tori-​Kara-​Age as a side along with some overpriced Edamame beans.
Wagamama is a chain, but I have always found the food to be consistent and fresh tasting, whichever restaurant I go to. There are cheaper alternatives in the area (see Pompoko), but when I want to spend a little more I do tend to go for Wagamama.
They update the menu quite regularly, the last time I went I actually didn’t have Chicken Katsu Curry *gasp*and had ‘surendra’s curry with chicken’ — a type of green curry, if you like. I did really enjoy it.
I must remind myself to try more things other than Katsu Curry, but I know that I really enjoy it and I worry about taking the risk of trying something different and not liking it!
Food always arrives in a timely manner (the staff always warn you that your food may not necesarily come out in the order that you ordered it in) and free green tea is always a nice bonus.
I always feel compelled to tip here as the staff are generally really nice and attentive.

This place is SO reminiscent of my favorite noodle restaurant in NYC, Republic. The selection is great. Great for kids as well. I had the grilled salmon and vegetables, and the salmon was very hard after grilling. The gyoza were fabulous.

Come here if you want to be massively ripped off!
I used to be a fan of Wagamamas. What the hell happened? The food used to be tasty and fresh and the prices were reasonable. You were looking to pay about £6−8 for a main…
I’ve been getting more and more annoyed and disappointed with Wagamama but kept giving them the benefit of the doubt (stupidly).
First of all, I liked the ‘Itame’ but after coming a few more times it tasted different, much less flavour. I asked a member of staff about it and they informed me the recipes had been changed. Yeah, cutting back on all the decent ingredients because they want to make more money more like, thinking us stupid Brits won’t notice with our feeble palates? Just cos you’re a chain doesn’t mean you have to conform to the tasteless evils of the world!
Bit extreme Brix…
Although the starters are nice, I find them over-​priced too.
Today I had a chilli chicken noodle dish which I kid you not, was pretty much spaghetti and tomato sauce with a few meagre strips of chicken flopping about… I actually inquired about this dish, as it was over a tenner and there was no chilli to be seen! I was then informed by the manager that if I’d ever had a noodle and meat dish from there before, I’d know that it was pretty much some noodles and a bit of sauce… Ok but it’s not a freaking Italian! Absolutely extortionate prices for something that clearly isn’t japanese. They really need to re-​think themselves.
I know Ping-​Pong is Chinese, but it’s a chain too and the dishes are much better, more authentic, more flavour and more reasonably priced. Take a leaf out of their books Wagamama!

Wagamama is a great chain Japanese restaurant featuring a variety of rice, noodle and sushi dishes to please everyone. I frequent the Wagamama in Soho in London usually but was in Brighton for work and gave it a go.
It was great — just as good as the other Wagamama’s I have visited. I did knock a star because the service as others have said was not top notch, our starter was delivered after our main courses which is a bit of a faux pas…
But I will be back for sure.

I have been lucky enough to hit Wagas at a less than normal time and have been impressed ! The food is fresh and a delight, but if you order varied dishes expect them to come at varied times as being fresh from the pan is the criteria here, so if in a group expect to eat when it leaves the pan!
The prices reflect the importance of being fresh from the kitchen to your table!!!
The layout or seating is canteen style, long tables and when busy almost shoulder to shoulder so if possible dine out of peak times.
Great for the kiddies, fun food and yummy.
Staff are more than staff, almost feel as if there your friends… Top marks!!!
Fantastic food if you like that sort of thing!

Okay food. It’s overpriced and the service sucks. When I got my food it was cold and not very good for £9. The soups are good but stay away from the ‘curry’.

Being a royal and dedicated fan, I was disappointed on my latest visit.
The waitress was clearly not interested in our orders or even pretending that she was.
When ordering soup she choose to pick just how we like our miso soup.“without” pickles. But the pickles are the best bit! That can be overlooked. We ate it nevertheless.
One good thing did come of meal, after ordering plum wine, it wasnt quite to my liking and after speaking to the manager she was able to remove the charge from the bill and get me a fresh drink…20minutes later. enough said right?
It gets worse, my favourite dish is 71 (the fact i know the number shows how often I go) chicken curry katsu. It comes with fantastic curry sauce and I always ask for extra. Usually they supply it in a small bowl with the main dish. When did mine come? when I had a quarter of my plate left.
Now Im well aware that they state at the beginning that food will not arrive at the same time especially when they’re busy. But there were only 7 people inside that evening. of which 4 people were us!!! sigh.
Why O why must the service slip. The food is still amazing and regardless of events Ill still be going. Crossing my fingers for them to fix up.

I love wagamama! It had been a long time since I’d been in one but my return to the brand (albeit in a different location) was a good one.
They sell a delicious range of freshly cooked dishes, truly with something for everyone. The surroundings are good and this restaurant was clean and modern. The staff were all friendly and attentive, and the prices are very reasonable given the size of the dishes that you get.
The menu is split out in a very easy to read format, so you can quickly decide what kind of thing you want to order, and if there are a few of you (as there were when I visited) the side dishes come in good sizes to share.
Freshly squeezed juices, along with a good variety of other drinks, complement the food perfectly.
My only complaint was that the booth we sat in was a little on the narrow side, so it was tricky making sure you didn’t elbow the person next to you with your chopstick arm! The large long benches elsewhere in the restaurant though would afford more room at quieter times but at the sacrifice of privacy.
Heartily recommended for healthy, inexpensive, quick food.

I go there quite often because the food is always top quality and delicious. The service is always great and I like the open plan space.
If I had a negative comment to make, I would say that it’s a little on the pricey side.

I must say that even though so many of my friends absolutely adore Wagamama, I just don’t quite get the hype. Firstly, I don’t like the canteen-​style seating, where everyone sits along a giant bench. When I eat out, I like a table to myself and my friends thank you very much. Also, there isn’t much I can eat only a limited selection of the main dishes are wheat-​free as most are made with wheat noodles or contain soy sauce or both. As for the starters, I may as well forget it unless all I want is a bowl of edamame beans.
The food I did have wasn’t particularly tasty either just a pile of bland rice and chicken and was most definitely overpriced at about £8. This is an expensive fast-​food place that often isn’t even that fast, on the handful of occasions I’ve been here we’ve all been served at different times meaning that some people have finished eating while others hadn’t been served yet.
If it’s authentic, value for money Japanese food you’re after, I would recommend heading down Jubilee Street to Pompoko (
)

I’ve only eaten here once and found it okay. Its perfect for large groups as everyone sits on long benches together but I’m not too keen on sitting elbow to elbow with someone I don’t know. I don’t enjoy doing that with people I do know.
The food is ok and comes out pretty fast. Its got quite a lot of corriander in most of the dishes though which I despise. They do sell some nice dimsum style dishes and the curries are excellent.
If you want to eat quick and then get back out on the town, this is the place for you. If you want a nice relaxed, intimate meal with a few friends, then I’d check out one of the hundreds of other places near by.

Wagamama’s is one of Brighton’s biggest restaurants, and seems to be perennially busy, even at times like 3 in the afternoon… who’s eating then? Anyway, it’s very big, very popular, and not bad. The food is good quality, if nothing special: I’d have thought a Japanese restaurant that doesn’t offer sushi would have hamstrung itself from the off-​set, but there are plenty of nice dishes here. I notice how similar they are to Pompoko, just down the road, for about double the price here… Also, the ambiance is just on the wrong side of cafeteria. Plenty of complain about here, although you can’t argue with popularity.
I can see why people often come here: the food isn’t bad by any stretch. A meal here is just relatively uneventful: there’s no really out-​there flavours, universal blandness seems to be on the menu here, along with big piles of rice/​noodles that fill you up rather quickly. These are cooked very well and taste very nice, but there’s no sharpness, no taste beyond soya and occasionally ginger or curry. My tastebuds are very bored of places like here, especially when compared to the great flavours of Yo Sushi and Moshi Moshi, as well as Pompoko.
I suppose people like it here because it’s quick, and I do have to give them that: even when Wagamama’s is heaving, the food comes out quickly and without a fuss, which is pretty impressive if you consider there seem to always be 50+ diners at one time. I always find my food to be lukewarm despite that, leading rise to my theory: the food is all made in advance, and flash-​heated: a bit of a no-​no if they’re charging £7+ on most meals.
No, I’m not a huge fan of Wagamama’s, but I know for a fact that I’m in a minority. Everyone seems to love it here, and there’s a reason it’s so busy all the time. Still, if you’ve noted any of my complaints, I hope you’ll see why I just thing Wagamama’s is a poor imitation of some of Brighton’s better Japanese restaurants.

As far as chains go, Wagamamas has to be up there with the best of them, not that there are many to be up there with. Fast, efficient and a consistently high standard of service and food. The mess hall styled eatery is a great place to grab a quick snack or meal. Although the obligatory Miso Soup is cheapish (£1.40 with pickles), the rest of the menu is quite expensive, I always leave fulfilled but it usually only last for an hour or so. That doesn’t mean I don’t keep going back though. The Pork Miso Ramen and authentically smiley staff go some way to making it such a loveable place.

I am addicted to Wagamama’s Chicken Kare Lomen.
Whenever I feel hung-​over, premenstrual or under the weather, I know kare lomen will make me feel better. The fiery red coconut and lemongrass soup soothes my soul whilst the ramen noodles, cucumber, beansprouts and finely sliced chicken breast feed my hunger. Add a side portion of edamame with chilli & garlic salt or ebi katsu (fried prawns in panko breadrumbs with a spicy chilli sauce) and I’m ready to face the world again.
Occasionally, I’ve been given a less than hot bowl of kare lomen but the service at this branch is usually so good, it’s replaced with a perfect bowl a few minutes later. The open plan dining makes eating at Wagamama a perfect place to eat cheaply, quickly and informally. The only thing that stops it from being a 5 star location is it can be unbearably noisy when it’s very busy.