Wagamama

[bex77]

I got to try Wagamama for the first time today, the newish Japanese restaurant in Harvard Square (opened last October). It's in the Galleria on JFK St., next to Staples.
http://www.wagamama.us/locations/showlocation/628


Atmosphere
It's a big modern cafeteria-like place with long tables. In theory, they'll seat strangers next to you, but it wasn't busy enough for that when we were there at lunch time. It is quite noisy, even half-empty.

Service
The waitstaff have hand-held computers, so they place your order standing right there, and everything is transmitted to the kitchen and cooked to order, so it comes out in no particular order, though all the appetizers did come first, because we ordered them first and then waited a few minutes to decide on entrees. They write what you ordered on your place mat, so whoever delivers it knows where to set it. You can pay the server and they'll swipe your card right there, which is cool, though they still have to go get the charge slip from the printer. Service was brisk and friendly.

Menu
They offer a range of mostly Japanese food, with some hints of Thai and Vietnamese dishes, mostly noodle-based stir fry or soups. In each menu section of 4-5 entres, 1 is vegetarian, so they'd have quite a few choices.

They have a nice selection of drinks - I can't comment on the beer/wine/sake selection, but the non-alcoholic choices range from fresh-squeezed fruit juices to interesting sodas and ginger peach iced tea. Green tea is free.

Food
I tasted three appetizers (which they insist are NOT appetizers but "side dishes" okay...whatever):
gyoza - undercooked, tough, 5 pieces
edamame - just right, nice big bowl
tori kara age - chicken bits - nice smoky flavor, could've used a more exciting sauce than soy/ginger

Then I had the chicken kare lomen, a Thai-inspired black bowl full of a spicy soup made from lemongrass, coconut milk, shrimp paste, red chilies, fresh ginger and galangal, ramen noodles, marinated
and grilled chicken breast slices, bean sprouts, cucumber, cilantro and a wedge of lime. This was quite tasty, if a bit hard to manage with chopsticks and a huge plastic shallow spoon. The spice level was medium by my taste buds.

To finish, I shared the raspberry sorbet and chocolate cake with plum jam. They listed ginger cheesecake as one of about 5 options, but they didn't have any today.

Prices
Seem high - items I thought should be $4.95 were $6.25, and entrees run from $9 to $13.75, which might be fine at dinner but they could use a lunch menu with smaller portions and prices. But I didn't have to pay for myself this time.


Overall
The food was fine, but there was nothing special about it. With the prices, noise, odd seating and a slight "assembly-line, chain" vibe...I probably won't hurry to go back. I would like to eat more noodle dishes...will have to look out for them at our usual haunts!

Comments

[scholargipsy.livejournal.com]

Jesus, I have never understood why they named it that. Are they trying to be ironic? Or did they just like the sound?

[bex77]

What does it mean?

[scholargipsy.livejournal.com]

Sorry -- for some reason, I was convinced you spoke nihongo! Am I imagining that? Weird.

Anyway, it means "selfish," which has an even harsher connotation in Japanese than it does in English.

[bex77]

The only Japanese I know, I learned from watching "Shogun." :)

Wikipedia says: "The chain's website defines wagamama as "wilful / naughty child", however, a more accurate translation of the Japanese word would be selfishness"

Either name is odd. And wagamama doesn't have a particularly attractive ring to me in English, either.

[beezy17.livejournal.com]

one of these days we must get you two out here to the "boonies" of leominster and take you to OUR sushi place, run by kim and her boyfriend, brian (the sushi chef)

[bedfull-o-books.livejournal.com]

I actually had the worst restaurant meal in my life in the one at Faneuil Hall. Granted, it was late-ish (about half an hour before closing) but the food took forever to arrive. In fact, I had to go up to the counter and get the food myself. Beef noodle soup shouldn't have taken that long. And, to top it all off, the soup was saltier than the sea. At least they didn't make me pay for it. Totally not worth the $12 or so they

Oh, and the duck gyoza ("side dish") were tough and bland.

They were out of the cheese cake then, too. I suspect it's mythical.

I never need to go back.

[swiftangel.livejournal.com]

It's an international chain, and I see they've done the old-fashioned "let's just swap the currency sign and not actually change the numbers" thing again... They're too expensive for me to bother with when there are so many other noodle bars to choose from over here.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I looked at their menu in Faneuil Hall but the prices didn't make me curious to try it. $14 for a bowl of noodles is indeed selfish, on the part of the restaurant. Do not want.