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Category: Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Back BayPrudential (Green)
Back Bay (Orange)
Mon-Wed. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Thu-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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This is a good three stars. If i happened to be at the mall and wandered in here i would be pretty impressed.
The room itself is spotless and really nice to look at, with long tables filling the room in a very orderly fashion. It's really pretty beautiful, and it's a calming space to sit and have a meal.
The service is fine. Its pretty typical, only they scribble on your place mats so the busboy knows who ordered what. Food came out quickly. As they warn you before you order, the food comes out in whatever order it's ready to make sure it's hot when you get it, so don't be surprised or offended if your dumplings come out when you're already tucked into your noodles.
The food was okay. It was not as nice as the room. I had the beef miso ramen, which was a huge portion and was satisfying, but it was a bit salty for my taste and wasn't very flavorful beyond the salt factor. The beef tasted fresh though and wasn't overcooked, and the noodles themselves were fine. Just not a very inspired broth as far as i can tell. At $11 or so it was a little pricey for noodle soup but hardly prohibitive. My date had one of the combos, which is actually a pretty good deal. it includes a soup, chicken dumpling and a drink (12oz kirin ichiban is a drink option, which is awesome. a beer in a lunch combo is ingenious). The soup itself, chicken ramen, was okay. The broth was nice but still not very flavorful. The dumplings were fine, i love pretty much any dumpling; these were a bit more oily than I'd like but still, it's a dumpling, it's good.
All in all it's definitely worth stopping in if you are the Pru and looking for a bite. I didn't leave complaining, and i might be back if I'm in the area, but let's face it, there are plenty of noodles in Boston.
Oh Wagamama, I really want to love you- really I do. I've tried you in Harvard, Heathrow Airport in London and was eager to try you in your new location in the Pru- but I just can't think of you more than a friend.
Anytime I order noodle dishes I am somehow disappointed. Even before eating real Asian food in East Asia- I knew this food lacked something... I think it might be flavor. My last time here I resorted to just ordering gyoza (pork dumplings) and edamame. I can't even drink the green tea- it's just bland! But I never mind going over and over again in hopes of eventually finding something that is absolutely delicious. The prices are reasonable- and the atmosphere is pretty cool. Although, I much prefer the Harvard Wagamama.
Just a little note on the service- I know it's supposed to imitate an Asian noodle house and be a little unconventional, but the service isn't very good. I can never get my water refilled- I really try hard, but I just can't be successful so I'm forced to drink the green tea I don't want to drink. Even eye contact doesn't happen. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.
So look for me in Wagamama making my fifth attempt with a willing friend to truly enjoy my meal and staring down one of the waiters because my water glass is empty.
I enjoy Wagamama and go about once a week because I love their noodle soups. I'm a big fan of the "Pure Wagamama #92" which is a fairly priced meal with melon juice, veggie gyoza, and moyashi soba. It's clear that it's a vegetarian meal, and it's very flavorful. And, it doesn't cause me a huge amount of guilt.
The service is different than most places, but I'm not mad at it.
The benches get a bit uncomfortable after a while, but that's probably so they can keep table turnover high. And, they seem easily able to accommodate large groups.
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OK, after seeing the yummy looking ads on the T for a while now I finally ventured over to Wagamama yesterday for some take out lunch. One order of ginger chicken udon later, I can see this becoming a regular thing. The dish was so tasty...perfectly cooked, fresh and chock full of heavenly ginger. Next visit I will take Alexis' advice and try the chili beef ramen, I had my eye on that one. Move over Panda's orange chicken, there's a new sheriff in town!
People thought this was:
I can't believe the good reviews! I really thought Wagamama had bland, boring, overpriced food. I liked the tables and the atmosphere and the food came out really fast, but my ramen totally sucked. The only part of it I could taste was the overcooked tofu. Also, the gyoza was extremely underwhelming. While the food wasn't worth its value, we did have a dinner for three without breaking the bank. Also, my friends really liked the food, so maybe I just wasn't in the right mood. Still: yuck.
Chili beef ramen. Chili beef ramen.
I'm addicted.
If you go for nothing else - chili beef ramen!! My boyfriend and I have been here maybe 5-6 times now, and we love it. It's fast, it's clean, it's something different. Open floor plan. You order by number at large communal tables. It's fun. BUT it is different. Ok so you order and whenever it's ready it comes out. So your app might come out after your main course. Also your party's food may come out at different times. I say just enjoy. Snipe a bite of their food. They won't make you wait long. It's great bc you don't get ONE waiter. Everyone working their can take your order, get you drinks, and do whatever. That's why it's fast.
The duck gyoza leave something to be desired, but the regular gyoze are much better. Yesterday we tried the chili squid app-- it was good. Crunchy fried squid with chili powder, and sweet dipping sauce. Very good. Also on other times I've gone I've had the ginger chicken udon. Their chicken sketches me out, but the noodles are amazingggggg. Also the miso beef ramen is kinda meh. I love Wagamama. Also had a cappucino to go yesterday- it was pretty awesome too.
Love the chili oil and chili powder condiments. I always add tons extra.
I've been to 3 Wagamamas in Boston, but I'm only going to review this one as I was here quite recently. In the middle of a shopping mall is quite a strange place for this restaurant, but it works. I used to live in London so am no stranger to this chain...and the Boston experience is 100% authentic. I love Wagamama. I even have the cook book. The food is reasonably priced and extremely tasty. I always go for Chili Chicken Ramen, and this time I also shared some dumplings, chicken satay and a new lobster starter that was just great. They serve the food in no particular order so don't feel too put out if you have to eat your appetizer after or during your entree. This is normal.
Wagamamas is okay but a bit too catered to a certain crowd (if you know what I mean). The muddled flavors are uncharacteristic of Asian dishes, especially if a lot of the dishes are supposed to emulate Japanese food.
I've been there a couple times, but the last time I went I ordered a ramen and it was a bit salty and greasy... two things Japanese food should never be.
Decided to go on a Friday night after work with a friend. The place was dead.
I'm a fan of the decor, and the way they write on the placemats reminded me of a Dim Sum restaurant. I thought it was hilarious that on the website they boast "outdoor" seating, when it reality it's sitting in the hallway of a mall.
Our initial waitress was very upbeat and answered our questions without a problem. The second waiter that helped us was a bit slower and over-eager, and not as helpful. It took him 3 minutes to figure out how to say "no onion" on his little computer.
We ordered the Ginger Peach Iced Tea which was unsweetened and very refreshing. I noticed they had a good selection of beers and sake, something for next time perhaps.
The Tori Kara Age (deep-fried chicken pieces prepared with soy sauce, mirin, dried oregano, thyme and a fresh ginger marinade, served with a chili, garlic and soy sauce) was delicious and came quickly after we ordered, but we hardly had time to enjoy it because our main courses came too soon after the appetizer.
For an entree I got the Ginger Chicken Udon and my friend got the Miso Beef Ramen. The noodles were cooked perfectly, tasted very good and the rest of the ingredients were fresh and blended nicely together.
My friend was sweating from her dish being so spicy, but ate it all anyway.
We were both so full from the noodles that we opted out of dessert.
Generally a good experience, though I did feel rushed. I'd like to try the one in Fanueil Hall next time so we can actually eat outside.
People thought this was:
I made a lunch date with a friend recently, and she wanted to try Wagamama. I had printed out their online menu recently, and thought their dishes sounded interesting, so I agreed to go there.
We had a late lunch, so the place wasn't busy. We had a wonderful waiter (I think his name was Louis?) who was very nice and very attentive. Since I had already looked at their menu prior to going I knew what I wanted, which was the #44 - ginger chicken udon. My friend ordered the #42 - yaki udon. I also ordered a large melon juice, which was the best part of the meal. It was so fresh and delicious I could probably live on it.
The dishes arrived shortly, and they were the perfect size. I hate when I go to a restaurant and get overwhelmed by how giant the entree is when it arrives. The dishes smelled delicious. The udon noodles are thick noodles, kind of the same thickness and consistency of earth worms. Well, I'm GUESSING they're the same consistency. I've never actually cut into an earth worm. I was lucky in science class. Thankfully the udon tasted good. There was a really nice pickled red ginger garnish that I liked a lot.
My friend is from Taiwan, and I felt a little embarrassed at first by my lack of chopstick experience with this type of noodle. So she asked the server if he could bring me a fork and knife. Right after she asked I realized that I didn't really NEED a fork and knife, but I digress...
The bill came to around $30, which wasn't too bad. My friend was upset that no one ever gave me a fork & knife, and didn't want to leave a 20% tip. I normally tip at least 20%, so I felt bad. I really thought the service was excellent, and the food was OK. A little pricey for what it is, but I don't really plan on going back any time soon. I would, however go there for their juice. As expensive as it is, it's worth every penny.
People thought this was:
I love noodles. In soup, pan fried, with vegggies, meats, Asian spices! I was excited for this brand to open in Boston after visiting it in the UK. I've been here for my birthday in a big group and also with just another person and its always good.
I really enjoy their ramen soups. Some have spice and are interesting flavor combos. I know when you think ramen, you may think the 10 for $1 variety in the supermarket. But try some real ramen here. And their noodle dishes are wide in variety, even the veggie dishes are pretty good. wide noodles, wheat noodles, clear noodles, blah blah, they have a lot. I like the ones with a bit of spice and adding steak or chicken. No more of this pad thai boringness - go to wagamama and get some variety!
They have several locations - I think I like Cambridge best. The Prudential one is good, but the time I went the service was sorta slow. I felt bad for the servers as they were really trying their best to be hostess, waiter, busser and all around good peeps.
I also really like the cafeteria style seating. Very cool.
Love this place. Such a clean, efficient experience. The food is great, service brisk, ambience calm. The Cha Han was SO good. The right amount of egg and cooked to perfection. Also good was the duck gyoza and raspberry sorbet.
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Went on a Sunday night. Interior design? Cool. Kind of looked like a cafeteria but as "Asian fusion" it's sure better than the ambiance at somewhere with similar food, like Mentei.
I don't know, but this is just overpriced ramen. They were understaffed, with 2 waitresses serving ~12 tables. Food was fast, but that's about all that the waitresses could do, no drink refills, no stopping by to ask how the food was. Waited about ~5 minutes for someone to come pick up my credit card for the check.
At $10 for a bowl of chicken ramen, I'm expecting a damn good bowl of ramen, especially if the menu calls it a "big bowl of noodles." For 20% cheaper I can get a bigger bowl of ramen at Mentei a couple of blocks away.
I guess Wagamama is an experience most people must have once or twice, but it's just not that great. Sorry. Wish I got more food, better service. Left hungry, disappointed, and that much poorer.
I romanticize Wagamama - I'll admit, I always remember the London spots as these great places to grab very solid food and have fun during a night out with the girls. So I get nostalgic and wander over to Wagamama US (usually in Harvard) and then find myself disappointed...I shouldn't. The truth is I was always drunk at Wagamama London - so I really have no clue whether or not the food was worth it.
So, having been disappointed many a time by the blander than bland fare at Wagamama in H2 I'd pretty much sworn it off.
That is until today when the mister and I were wandering through the vast wasteland that is the mall and my tummy growls and throbbingly painful ear ache were turning me into a whiny brat.
We passed by the Wagamama and figured, what the hell - hot soup is good for what ails ya right?
To our collectively happy surprise, we discovered that a. Wagamama restaurants are peanut free, and b. ridiculously accomodating of vegans, gluten freedom fighters, and dietarily restricted folks in general.
The manager came over with a nice fat book (beautifully laminated) that detailed, for every type of dietary restriction, the safe and not safe list from the menu (I was thrilled to see a Vegan page poking out). He then double checked everything personally with the chefs.
Such attention - such service! My bratty self loved it.
The food was pretty solid fare. As is typical, slightly bland (even my "spicy" dish) - but still properly filling and tasty enough.
All in all a good standby if you're picky, fussy, hungry, deathly afraid of food, shopped out, etc...
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I can't decide if I really LOVE Wagamama's or just think it's aight. Yeah the Curry is really good, and the Salmon noodles aren't bad.
There is only one cold noodle dish, and it's a salad, which makes it hard to want to eat there on hot summer days.
The ramen is pretty good, but it lacks something, I'm not sure what. They can't add egg to it.
They don't have enough drink choices. It's 7 dollar Sapparo, or nothing pretty much. The fruit juices are Okay.
It took them FOREVER to bring out my friends food. She ordered the same thing as the people who were seated next to as (after us) and it came 15min after theirs did. But the waiters were friendly and tat least 3 of them apologized.
I mean I did go here twice last weekend so It can't be all that bad.
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I had walked past this place a couple of times but I'd never been in there. I tried it today, and liked the food but didn't really like the service. It seemed rushed and too busy/understaffed. Some people who got there after us got their dishes first. Oh, and they bring out the dishes as soon as they're ready, so your dining companions may get theirs before or after you and it's really awkward.
Still, if I was shopping at the Prudential or something, I'd go there for lunch.
I stopped by mostly knowing from other reviews that only the juice would be worth it. Melon juice, it was pretty refreshing and satisfying. I even had two.
The ramen... not so good. I had the chicken ramen, and it was very salty. The chicken reminded me of that lemon-pepper spice. It came with chicken gyoza, which were ok. They had a very smooth texture, but the taste I can't remember.
I had a children sized scoop of ice cream with mango that was ok although a bit too generic...
Really, don't waste your money... just get the juice to go... that's what I'll be doing next time.
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EXPENSIVE! and not even tasty.
The place looks so cute on the inside but the food was a fail. Don't go.
I can't stand this place. I just don't enjoy the food at all, ever. I try and try and try and I always leave so dissatisfied and just...full, but nauseous. The flavors never seem to flow together and I feel like the spices that they use aren't meant to be used together and if not, they aren't used together correctly. There's just something off about this place. Blah.
The fact that everyone is my server is so annoying because I can't figure out who to ask for what. And it takes forever for someone to come by so I can get my check. Sheesh. What are those things in your aprons for? Just to look cool? Because I've been sitting here for fifteen minutes waiting for someone to scan my card and so far, nothing yet.
Blah. I avoid this place at all costs. I won't die if I eat it, but puking it up isn't really a great alternative.
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If this was just a juice bar, I'd give it 5 stars. I never get tired of their "raw juice" or "melon juice", and I love the fact that even the juices that come with the kiddy meals are fresh (love that freshly crushed apple juice)..... because my kids hate it, which means I get to drink more!
I've been doing Wagamama since the London days, and I finally realize why I don't mind coming back here, even if the food isn't the most exciting, like the above-average-looking girl I used to date in highschool with the personality of a bumper sticker.
All the ingredients are fresh. Uber fresh. From the juices to the noodles, to the rices to the soups. That unusual taste, which blends in full harmony with the clean crisp dining atmosphere they try to uphold in most, if not all, of their locations, is freshness. Yep... it's not that stale or over-marinated yum, or dry-aged twist you'll find with what I deem "exciting" or "sexy" food. It's simply fresh.... which some people may not totally appreciate, like a brand new condo VS. a well lived-in Victorian brownstone on Beacon hill.
SO.... with that in mind, I'll say this: I appreciate Wagamama at the Pru for its freshness, awesome juices, coolish casual chic atmosphere, chaotic-but-friendly staff. It's only a month old, so it's got that nice fresh-paint buzz about it too, which I like.
... BUT but BuT bUt.... if it is exciting yum food you're seeking that keeps you coming back for more because of an awesome aftertaste.... then don't bother coming here... except for the juices. The food is a good attempt at sorta-fusion-sorta-ramen-Japanese-chic..... but honestly, for taste buds, I'd rather hop over a few blocks and eat somewhere else. Even the food court about 20 feet away has some better choices.
I'll always come back though. It's just kinda cool, and my kids love it here. Wife doesn't mind it. Mom.... meh.. she passes on it. Brother-in-law with no taste loves it. Sister... I think she likes it. So for family outings of 7-8, it works :)
People thought this was:
! the orange-lime juice is tasty.
! they have tiger beer.
! i can get ramen after working out.
~ ramen here is bit pricey.
! a bit tastier than mentei.
~ don't confuse the server(s)
by asking questions.
; order something.
; take the risk.
; it's not the end of the world.
! (cute girl working
evenings.
during the week)
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I got a complimentary meal here for the grand opening of the Prudential Center location-- and if last night was any indication-- they are doing things right.
I tried the fried shrimp as an appetizer and they were rather delicious. For my main meal I went with the chili beef ramen. It was spicy enough to clear out my sinuses, and the beef was cooked juuuuuust right.
Our server was capable and attentive. The manager even came to our table to thank us for coming! Gotta love being treated like royalty.
The atmosphere is great here with plasma tvs, open-air cooking area, and glass windows which provide a greater sense of space.
Definitely check this place out if you're shopping around the Pru and need some noodles in yo belly.
People thought this was:
Wagamama is very upfront about what they are, a noodle place where you sit at communal benches with super fresh food that can have you in and out in next to no time. Perfect for a quick lunch with some of you co-workers if you work in the tower, especially if you are sick of the other options available inside the prudential center.
I like the fresh juice, the crispy stir fry and the excellent broth in their soups. There are a few problems with the place though, but the upfront nature with which they address them makes it seem quaint and quirky.
1. You are going to be sitting next to strangers, and they can be very close. But they tell you this up front and the whole place is bench seating, so it can be charming in a you just put your elbow in my soup kind of way.
2. The food doesn't all come out on some sort of schedule. It is possible to get both your appetizer and your entree at the same time, because that is when they happened to be finished. You might get your entree before the people you went with because you ordered meat and they ordered tofu, who knows. They tell you this up front, so it kind of makes up for it.
3. It is impossible to flag down a waitress. They are running around that place like crazy trying to serve everyone, and as the place just opened I am sure they are trying to get the system down.
4. In the same vein as flagging down a waitress, it take a waitress 5 minutes to find you a fork. All of the place settings have chopsticks, which I like to use, but sometimes the people you go with need forks, it took our waitress 5 minutes to find a fork. (maybe she didn't know where they were kept, or she got sidetracked or whatever but still a problem)
All in all I think this place is a step below P.F. Chang and a big step above the food court.
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I'm wowed by the crappy reviews-seriously, this place is solid! Yeah, maybe you went to a Wagamama in the UK once before, but how recently was it?
Dorian came here tonight for a girly dinner pre haircut outing, and it was a great choice. I got there before Dorian, and was seated right away and ordered a beer and water, and then ended up ordering the chicken kare lomen for myself, a soup filled with mushrooms and tofu for Dorian, and some veggie gyoza for us to share. It arrived soon after she did, and we were happy campers. Everything was piping hot and awesome. The gyoza were very tasty and perfectly fried. The dipping sauce was well flavored with chiles without being too spicy. My soup was delicious. The chicken kare lomen is a spicy soup with lemongrass, coconut milk, shrimp paste, red chilies, and ginger. It's then filled (I mean FILLED) with ramen noodles and topped with grilled chicken breast, bean sprouts, cucumber, cilantro and a wedge of lime. It was very yummy. It was very flavorful and had a great kick to it. The portions were as generous as my 22 ounce Asahi. My giant beer was $6.50 and my soup was around $12. I finished the beer, but the soup won the battle with against stomach.
In general, the food is an interesting fusion and I love how everything was flavored, and was a little out of the ordinary. I'm excited to try some of the noodle and rice dishes on our next outings. Dorian ended up getting an ice cream dessert for dinner and loved it-it was heavy on mango sauce.
The decor was great and minimal in the dining room, but the bathroom is pretty blah-there were five stalls and one sink and one dryer. Bathroom fail.
The service was really friendly and inviting, and we were taken care of well. Everyone was very attentive, though it did take a while to get Dorian's to go ice cream and the check.
We'll be back, and this will be a go to on cold winter days when we don't feel like heading to Kaze Shabu Shabu.
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I dunno, I could go either way on this one. I really really want to love it, but at the same time, I always leave sort "eh".
The last visit was my first dinner time experience. My friends food came out right away, not a big deal, but when my server (one of about 5 of them) came over with my order and it was wrong I was a bit bummed. Then I got to see my chicken terriyake get delivered to 2 other tables before mine came out. All in all, 3 servers brought me 3 different plates of the wrong dish before I got the correct one. Which seems to be a major problem in the "everyone is your server concept".
When I did get my food it was average. Cute girl servers are always a plus, I just wish I had one of them and not 5 overing my table.
Shopping with the family in the Pru. Wanted something different other than Cheesecake Factory and the food court. Came across Wagamama and thought... yes a noddle shop! Now my expectation was something in line with Orochon in Lalaland. We're talking about ramen and noodles at an inexpensive outing. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Instead I get a small bowl of overpriced ramen on fluff. Wagamama wants to be that noodle house but the price and the lack of knowledge of the staff makes it subpar.
My waiter couldn't describe the difference between the coconut soup based ramen to the regular broth ramen. I had to explain to him that the coconut soup ramen was more curry based and had the flavor and consistency of such!
Come on...if you are going to charge over $10 for a bowl of ramen make sure you leave the customer with an experience... a positive at that.
I'd pass and head over to Allston or Chestnut Hill for Pho.
Left disappointed only b/c expectation was different. Maybe I'll have a more positive experience with an open mind.
Not....
People thought this was:
Let me just say that I don't know why I went here. It's overpriced and not very good. We had five pieces of gyoza and it cost us over $6! That's more than a dollar per gyoza! The noodles weren't all that either and on top of that, were expensive. I had their chili chicken noodles (dry). My wife commented that she thought she could've done better (this is not to say that my wife's cooking isn't good). But either way, it looked like they just sprinkled some red sauce over the noodles and put some chicken with veggies on it. My wife had a chicken katsu and it wasn't very good either. The rice was super sticky and hard to eat.
The only saving grace for this place was that the service was good and they have nifty handheld ordering devices. If you really want some good Asian food, try something authentic and not a restaurant chain that is based in England.
I think this Wagamama makes a nice addition to the Prudential scene. Always good people watching, a nice menu (although the desserts were kinda gross), and decent prices.
Nothing *amazing*, but a good solid choice and waaaaay better than going to the food court across the way.
I ordered the spicy beef noodle soup and the fresh pressed apple juice.
The beef was bland and chewy. The soup was not as good as instant noodle (Shin Ramyun by Nong Shin is way better).
The apple juice was too gritty and not chilled enough.
What a disappointment...
Wanted to try out a new place for lunch, so we stopped here. I was able to order my dish without the onions, which made me happy, but I was highly confused by how the waiters kept writing things on our menu. Might have been partly because we had about 3 or 4 waiters in the course of a simple lunch.
The food was fine, but it left this really weird after taste that I could not get rid of for the rest of the day. It took some microwave popcorn to make it go away.
The prices were a bit more expensive than I thought they should be, but they at least give you a lot of food for your order.
The seating didn't bother me, but I saw a lot of people request different seats since they didn't want to sit next to strangers. If you don't want to sit next to random people, I would suggest sitting outside in the "patio" area since those tables were smaller.
Came here for lunch with four other adults and 3 children (1 was too young to eat). Overall, the service was not good. We had to ask for drink refills and for one of the dishes to be wrapped up a few times. One of the children's order came out wrong, too.
I was not too hungry, so I ordered the Yaki Soba. It was one of the first dishes to come out, and it was not as hot as I would have liked it to be. The shrimps were teeny tiny, and the chicken was not very tender. The noodles were OK.
I heard the ramen noodles were OK as well, but nothing spectacular. The place is definitely over-priced for what you get, but what else would you expect from a touristy franchise noodle place? It was fun to try, but I don't think I would be coming back here for a long, long time.
love love love LOVE Wagamama!
I am so so glad they opened a location in the pru, because although I loyally headed out to Harvard many times for this gift from the Japanese chain gods, i would rather a short trip for my yakisoba.
Their Yasai Yaki Soba is a perfect vegetarian friendly meal, that isn't bland or tasteless. Its one of my staples when i go to Wagamama. I always order extra japanese pickles they are so derishious!
Miso soup and japanese pickles for $2.50? YES!
Perfect Veggie Yasai Gyoza that dont taste like they've been frozen 10 times or PACKED with sodium and other icky stuff? YES!
A lunch combo with a Beer, Entree and Desert for about $12? YES YES YES!
oh god wagamama, i adore youuuuuuu!
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Yumyum, it's a chain, and it's a good one :)
Or at least, #44 is.
In fact, #44 is amazing.
I don't even remember what it was called. It did involve some kind of noodle (udon, maybe?) that they then proceeded to fry up in a pan or something...
Now, I agree. How can something fried *not* be good?
Well, #44 was so good, I got scared of what this new discovery would do to me.
There are some other flavors involved in this dish too, and that adds to the goodness of it all.
I think there was some ginger in it, and cilantro maybe? And some chicken...
Oh, and of course they freshly prepare every dish.
This should be a given, for any kind of restaurant, but at Wagamama, the chefs can't hide in the kitchen, they work out in the open - so you can make sure they cook your order in a pan (it's not a freezer-to-microwave-to-plate process).
For dessert, I've only had the ginger cheese cake and the coconut ice cream, and the ice cream wins, hands-down.
It's very coconutty-tasting, and not like the fake coconut flavor at all. No, it tastes very real!
On the other hand, the cheese cake was good (it has ginger in the crust and in the cheese cake part - not bad!) but it was still almost boring tasting, compared to the ice cream.
So, it's a chain.
I have some friends that would scoff at Wagamama, just because of that.
But the fact that this is a chain with locations all over the world must mean something...
Of course that's also true for The Golden Arches.
Well, Wagamama is still somehow a step up from that :P
I'm going to go get some #44 now.
Wagamama is a chain of Japanese ramen/rice "quick eat" restaurants that started in Britain, and this one in the Prudential Center is relatively new.
First off, it's not cheap. It's about $12 + tax/tip for any given entree on the menu which definitely sets it above Mentei's price point.
On the other hand, it's pretty darn good and quick for what it is. I highly recommend the Miso Beef Ramen because its loaded full of ingredients, has lots of flavor, and the noodle tastes are pretty high quality. Plus, they have some really tasty fresh juices which just kind of accentuate how unJapanese this japanese chain is.
It's not the best ramen I've ever had but considering how much better it is than mentei, it will probably be my ramen hot spot every time I have cravings.
I loooove Wagamama and especially the chicken katsu curry so I just could never give Waga a bad review. Also, I love this new location and the layout of it. The waiter was nice and I had a super coupon to buy one entree,get one free, with no limitations on how many you could use per group. That ended up saving us about $35! I loved every moment of my chicken katsu curry and I would definitely go back to this location. It is way less crowded than the other ones and in a good location for where I usually stay when I am in town.
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Pretty good food, service is a bit scattered (no one person, but they will all come by to help if you can catch them). They forgot my tea until I asked a second time, but are otherwise pretty efficient, esp. with the food delivery, I went when it was only 1/4 - 1/3 full (early dinner on a Sunday night). I like to call ahead and get takeout.
Consistency is the key to this place. We have been to their two other locations, Faneuil Hall and Harvard Square. Great service, great food and fast! My favorite is Yasai Yaki Soba and Ebi Kare Lomen. Whereas, my husband's favorite is Chicken Chili Men. Great place to go even with a large group of people. Always look forward to go to Wagamama!
If you've been to a UK Wagamama, don't expect the same. I'm with Allix - the food and experience is much different. The service was awful. We were there, it was dead, and the waitress screws up one of the orders. Ok, no biggie, but it isn't corrected until after we're almost *done* eating our meals. No apologies. We saw the same entree being served to other tables - don't you think it would make sense to serve it in order of who's been waiting the longest? I guess not. The food is not very flavorful - I'd opt for the Men Tei noodle house on Hereford.
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I was in the Pru today and discovered Wagamama so, I thought I'd give it a try. I was actually hoping that it would be a great noodle house...and I was wrong. :( I ordered the chili chicken soup. It took too long to arrive but the waiter apologized. The wait didn't bother me because my soup looked good and I was eager to try it. The soup wasn't bad but it wasn't flavorful either. It was just...blah! The noodle dishes did look better than my soup (I should've asked for a bite since the guy was sitting so close to me. Read the other yelper's reviews on the seating). I didn't leave satisfied, I left craving a big bowl of pho! My large pho is still half the price of Wagamama's noodle soups.
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Wooden tables pushed together in rows. Roomy benches for two. A place to hang your coat on the wall. Placemats that list the dessert options. Waiters who take your order on a handheld thingamajiggy, and write the number of your dish on your placemat. Open kitchen. Dishes that arrive as they are prepared. Bills that arrive on little silver plates.
Food -
Appetizer: #100 gyoza $6.25 - chicken gyoza were 5 to an order, pan-fried, tasty, but even better were the #99 duck gyoza $6.95 - which were definitely deep-fried, juicy and tasty, and came fanned out 6 to an order even though the menu stated 5.
Entree: #71 chicken katsu curry $11, looked like a little brown turtle with a small pile of greens sprinkled with the red pickles. #72 yasai katsu curry $9.50, came with the same mound of curry topped sticky rice, but with a single panko breaded deep fried slice of eggplant, and three slices of similarly treated sweet potato/butternut squash (too hard to tell which was which). One thing I noticed as I perused the menu, was that while there were several vegetarian options marked with a red "v", the Wagamama dishes that had meat often offered very little vegetables, so I was glad when a friend was willing to split the two curry dishes, so we both ended up with some meat and some veggies. The curry sauce was tasty, but pure sauce - no hidden lumps of vegetables there! The portion was decent for a light supper, given that the two of us had also split an order of gyoza.
Speaking of portions, however, two of our party had a hankering for a hamburger after finishing their entrees - a noodle soup (I think it was #35 edbi kare lomen $11.25) for her and a chicken katsu curry for him.
If you're celebrating a birthday at Wagamama's, a few FYI/warnings:
1) They wouldn't keep the cake for us in their fridge, in fact, they brought it back to us and held it up where the birthday boy couldn't miss seeing it, asking if it were ours.
2) Due to fire codes, they couldn't light the candle for us... later, after we had already sung 'Happy Birthday' over an unlit candle, they said, well, we could light it ourselves if we wanted too. Unfortunately none of us had matches or lighters.
3) Although we were a single large party, we were presented with checks by table - we were three tables. That's great for normal dining situations when everyone expects to pay for what they ordered, but something to keep in mind when the party wishes to treat someone.
10/24/09 visit -
Duck gyoza $6.95 were 5 to an order this time, but still yummy.
Edamame $3.95 came with your choice salt or chili and garlic salt and arrived with an empty bowl to hold the pods.
I ordered the absolute wagamama combo #91 for $14.25:
1) chicken ramen $9.50 included a moist plump grilled sliced chicken breast in a bowl of tender noodles, a handful of tender leaves, and a tasty broth
2) 3 chicken gyoza ($6.25 for 5) were light and tasty
3) melon fruit juice $3.95 tasted healthy and the juices separated over time so you have to stir it back together - okay but I probably won't order it again
Baked stem ginger cheesecake was light and creamy with an obvious ginger flavor and a sweet graham cracker crust.
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