Wagamama

Friday lunchtime in Newmarket and the restaurant was completely empty … that should have been a big clue.
We had a selection of dishes to meet our vegan requirements and were really disappointed in the quality of the food. (Incidentally we’ve had the exact same dishes at Sylvia Park Wagamama recently with much success).
The chilli and salt Edamame was oily, overcooked and basically salt free.
The wok-​fried greens were good.
The mushroom Ongiri was really oily and came on a bed of parsley instead of the seaweed salad the menu promised.
The dumplings were good (although I suspect that’s because they’re bought in already made)
The rice was gluggy and starchy and disgusing.
I would not go back there ever again.

Really like the food here — fave is the ginger chicken udon. Nice desserts as well and friendly staff

Overall a great place to eat contemporary Japanese fusion food. Good variety and options for vegetarians too. Nice ambience with tables and benches with overhead lights. Took me right back to my udipi hotel days. Having predominantly experienced a vegetarian selections on offer I recommend the Kumara Kusabi with Wasabi Mayonnaise which was kick ass awesome and the fried yasai gyoza. My go to main has almost always been the Yasai Katsu curry. And the dessert is the banana Katsu with vanilla bean icecream. I didn’t like the cheesecake which was too dense and almost unpalatable. But Wagamama would make a good change from your usual eateries.

I remember when we went on a family trip to Europe when i was pretty young and our family friend took us to Wagamama. We were all so so impressed and when I herd it was opening in New Zealand I was super excited. I don’t know if we were just excited to be in London, or if this type of dining was just more unique then, but my last visit here wasnlt nearly as exciting.
I don’t mean that it was bad — far from it — btit;s just not that special. I think the most unique thing about it is the vibe in the place. Following the London vibe, it;s big and white, very crisp and clean. There are big long table where you can sit with fellow diners, or smaller tables if you manage to get one.
Like I said, it isn’t necessarily special, but the food is always good. And one word that comes to mind is fresh. The colours, the sauces, vegies and meat, just make up really goodlooking fresh meals that feel good in your belly.
You can get a few plates to share, or just a meal for yourself. There is a fun buzzing vibe here and everything moves pretty fast.
Pricing is pretty reasonable and you’ll leave very satisfied without breaking the bank.

I used to be a huge fan of Wagamama in London, as one of those casual places you could pop in for a cheap meal and a drink or two without breaking the bank, and know you would get consistently good food and service. I still don’t know why they reach around and scribble on your placemat each time your order something though, that’s a bit weird.
I have checked out Wagamama in Auckland and find the prices translate pretty well given the exchange rate, and the style of restaurant is pretty much the same as well. I recognise a few dishes on the menu as well, chicken tama rice, yakisoba and katsu curry. I can’t see my fave chicken and mandarin salad though. Can you start making that please?

I was a fan of Wagamama in London and was encouraged to find a branch in Auckland while wandering around Newmarket one day. It’s a fun and funky place to eat and the service is always friendly and attentive — you could say it’s a bit quirky the way the write the number of your dish on the napkin! As regards the food, I can’t complain. I generally go for the salmon ramen which is a big portion and very satisfying. Since I have never been to the Far East, I don’t even try to use chopsticks, but that’s ok — you can use a fork. I am also a fan of the deserts at Wagamama and me the wife always get the banana fritter with ice cream. Wagamama is not all that cheap but I enjoy the dining experience here and will look forward to coming back.

Everyone I know raves about Wagamama. Acknowledging their exuberance, I decided to give it a try. Now, I don’t know if this is just me not liking the blandness of Japanese food, or the restaurant itself, but I really did not enjoy the food. I’ve been there three times now, each time thinking I’ll give it one more chance, maybe I’ll like it this time. I have sadly disappointed myself.
I had some kinda soupy vegetarian noodle dish, as well as another non-​soupy one the other time I went — I found them both to be wholly un-​flavoursome. On the good side, the service was great (especially from one good-​looking waiter!) and the food came out fast. Sadly, this is not enough to make me want to go back there.

Always been a fan of Japanese food and ramen in particular, and the first place I tried in Auckland was Wagamama.
Whilst not the absolute best, it still remains one of my favourite places to grab ramen in the city, as the service is quick, the atmosphere is a mix of funky and traditional, and the locations are great.
Slightly expensive, can be over $ 30 for a bowl of ramen and a drink, so it’s not a regular visit, but always enjoyable when I do