Wagamama

Another of London’s more popular chains, Wagamama scores with fast friendly service and good value. The restaurants are modelled on the ramen bars popular in Japan for many years. You eat communally, sat at long wooden tables and benches, although there are a few more cosy corners which, if you come as a couple, you MAY be lucky enough to grab (don’t count on this though).

The menu consists of side dishes and main meals (no starters), plus desserts. Your order for the first courses will be marked up on the paper table mat, and also taken on an electronic handheld device and zapped through to the kitchen by radio signal where it is cooked immediately. All dishes are delivered to the table as soon as they are ready, so you need to be happy to eat whatever comes whenever it comes!

On a recent visit with friends I chose a side of ebi gyoza: deep-fried dumplings filled with chopped black tiger prawns, water chestnut and spinach, and served with a spicy citrus ponzu sauce. These were absolutely delicious, but I managed to sacrifice one to trade with a friend and sample her almost as tasty duck gyoza, served with a spicy cherry hoi sin sauce. My main dish was chicken kare lomen: a spicy soup made from lemongrass, coconut milk, shrimp paste, red chillies, fresh ginger and galangal, and served with ramen noodles and garnished with a marinated and grilled chicken breast, beansprouts, cucumber, fresh coriander and a wedge of lime. This was also delicious, but came in too large a portion. Despite that, I managed to squeeze in a dessert of tamarind and chilli pavlova – sounds odd, but was REALLY good! The white chocolate and ginger cheesecake went down well with one of my friends too, by the way. My very filling meal, with a fresh juice to start with and a large glass of white wine, cost in the region of £20 – very reasonable indeed for central London.