I was introduced to Wagamama a few years ago and prior to visiting the restaurant, I was under the illusion that they only served noodles and soup, which yes, they do, however I remember being pleasantly surprised to have seen that their menu had a lot more range than I initially thought!

Founded in 1992, Wagamama is an oriental restaurant which serves dishes which are mostly Chinese that have been inspired by Japanese food. I had been invited along for a complimentary meal with my friend at the Harrogate restaurant to see if I could bring myself to try something new other than Chicken Katsu Curry…

Starter: Tama Squid
I am a big fan of Squid, particularly the Chilli Squid which is what I usually go for but seeing Tama Squid on the menu jumped out at me and sounded rather tasty! Crispy fried squid balls drizzled with Okonomiyaki sauce and Mayonnaise topped with Aonori and Bonito Flakes. When the dish arrived we were told that parts of the Bonito Flakes moved whilst they were warm which was a pleasant surprise! They were delicious. One of my favourite dishes and I would even go as far as to say I preferred these to Chilli Squid! They were slightly hard to bite into and rather crispy but soon melted in the mouth and burst with flavour!
Main Course: Yasai Katsu Curry
Okay, I failed. (Kinda). I love Katsu Curry, what can I say!? However, this was from the Vegan/Vegetarian menu and it had been a while since my last visit so this menu was completely new to me. Differing from the main menu, the Yasai Katsu Curry comes in the form of Sweet Potato, Aubergine and Butternut Squash coated in crispy Panko breadcrumbs which has the infamous curry sauce drizzled on top. This also comes with sticky white rice and a side serving of salad. For me, this was the perfect alternative to the Chicken Katsu Curry! There was near enough no difference in taste other than the Sweet Potato circles which were soft and tasty. My only personal thought on this dish was that I found 4 of the Sweet Potato circles a bit too much… They were incredibly filling so I only managed around 2 and a half but with that being said, this was just a personal preference!
Dessert: Chocolate and Shichimi Ice Cream
Despite feeling fit to burst at this point, me and my friend always, have room for desserts… I opted for the Chocolate and Shichimi Ice Cream and as I took the first scoop, the chocolate was so creamy and rich and as I began to swallow, a whole explosion of the Shichimi burst inside of my mouth! At first it took me by shock as it was spicy and not something I had envisaged being inside of a chocolate ice cream! I persevered through as the chocolate was so delicious but the spiciness was a little overwhelming at times.

I had a wonderful time at Wagamama and it was a great way of trying out new dishes and being able to taste things I may have not noticed or ordered before! A big thank you to Caitlin and the team for inviting me along and I am already looking forward to my next trip for the Tama Squid again!

Have you visited Wagamama before? If so, what do you typically order? Have you tried anything from the Vegan/Vegetarian menu? What did you try? Have you tried any of the things I’ve mentioned within this blog? Do let me know your thoughts below as I would love to hear from you, and don’t forget to click the ‘like’ button!