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Friday, June 24, 2011

Wagamama | Back Bay

The first Wagamama opened its doors in London in 1992 and in the twelve years since has expanded to open over 70 restaurants in the UK and 36 more in Europe, USA, Australia and The Middle East. Their reasonably priced fresh food in a sleek yet informal environment lends a diverse appeal. They are arguably the most popular chain of award-winning noodle restaurants in the UK. This worldwide chain offers a full menu of pan-Asian inspired dishes, but at its core wagamama is a noodle bar specializing in ramen noodle soups, cold noodle salads and hot noodle entrees. Boston is the lucky recipient of three wagamamas with locations Faneuil Hall, Harvard Square and the most recently opened location in the Back Bay's Prudential Center. We were invited to partake in a menu tasting featuring new kitchen creations and fun new cocktails! The meal tonight was free, however prices are noted to reflect the overall value. (Artsy photos expressing my new obsession with instagram are inserted just because.)Seated in long booths adorned with swag in the form of bright red wagamama tee shirts we were welcomed by the Director of Marketing, Nancy Barrett, who was on hand to briefly explain the new dishes and answer any questions we had. The reasonably priced and inventive cocktails - most of which are rum based, with a sake and a bourbon option thrown in the mix, served to impress. I started with a Mango Sekkai ($8.95) boasting sweet chunks of fresh mango muddled with bright notes of basil and lime blended with rum and soda water. I finished the evening with a Ringo Martini ($8.95) combining sour apple and honey bourbon liqueurs with fresh squeezed apple and lime, garnished with a slice of golden delicious apple.In between there were many appetizers including bowls of tender green soybeans: Edamame ($3.95) and plates of both the Chicken Dumplings ($6.50) and Yasai Dumplings ($5.95) which are steamed, grilled and served alongside a chili garlic + soy dipping sauce. Fun Fact: 1,500 portions of edamame are eaten at wagamamas worldwide everyday.
Tempura battered and lightly fried, the squid in the Chili Calamari ($6.95) remains delightfully chewy seasoned with sea salt and shichimi (Japanese chili pepper). It was served with a sweet chili, garlic + cilantro dipping sauce.Succulent Suribachi Chicken Wings ($7.95) are tossed in a gently spicy sauce and dusted with red chili peppers and crunchy scallions.
Fall off the bone tender Pork Ribs ($8.95) are glazed with a sweet chili hoisin sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Our first entrée (everything was shared family style) was the new Lemongrass Shrimp Soba ($13.95) where perfectly grilled shrimp sit over a bed of soba noodles stir fried with minced cilantro, chilis, garlic and fresh beansprouts. The Beef Cha Han ($10.95) is shichimi-marinated beef in a bowl of stir fried rice with snow peas, carrots and leeks. Wagamama's most popular entrée is the Chicken Katsu Curry ($11.25). Chicken breasts are coated in panko breadcrumbs, deep fried, then sliced and plated under sticky rice and bathed in their famous light curry sauce. This dish comes with a side salad tossed in house dressing. Speaking of salads, the Marinated Yasai Noodle Salad ($8.75) is loaded with vegetables including marinated grilled eggplant, mushroom and zucchini combined with caramelized red onion, roasted sweet potato, asparagus, diced tomato and mixed greens. Whole wheat noodles serve as the base and pickled red ginger and sesame seeds the garnish.
The Seafood Ramen ($12.75) bathes noodles in a wakame and spinach filled vegetable broth. The soup is then topped with grilled shrimp, salmon, swordfish and marinated calamari, garnished with menma and scallions.Fun Fact: Twelve tons of noodles are served at wagamamas worldwide each week! After feeling sufficiently stuffed from a serious round of entrees we were offered dessert. The options ranged from good, to great, to knock your socks off amazing. The Creme Brulee Cheesecake ($5.95) was good with a rich vanilla flavor and biscuit base, but a little to heavy for me after such a filling meal! The moist Chocolate Cake ($5.95) with a chocolate fudge frosting and vanilla ice cream was a pretty great slice of cake. But nothing could top the unexpectedly amazing Coconut Reika ($4.95) which was a refreshing three scoops of coconut ice cream drizzled in a tangy mango sauce and topped with toasted coconut. Wagamama's success is greatly attributed to their mission which is to combine great, fresh and nutritious food in an elegant yet simple setting with helpful friendly service and value for money. Welcoming another "positive living + positive eating" chain in the heart of Boston, the Wagamama inside the Prudential Center is sure to please old fans and newcomers alike!

Prudential Center
800 Boylston St
Boston MA, 02119
Boston, MA

20 comments:

  1. Looks like a great place - and that is a LOT of edamame! ;)

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  2. Wow! Wish I had been able to make it to this. You guys certainly were spoiled. That Ringo Martini looks right up my alley... as do those dumplings.

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  3. I went to the one in London in 2002 and every time I went to a city with Wagamamma it was a must for me. I love it there - and love the fact they came to Boston before NYC :) Just really good easy food...

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  4. I love Wagamama! I order from the one in Harvard Square all the time. I want to try that coconut ice cream though so next time I'll have to eat there!

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  5. Great recap! I missed the cheesecake - I'll have to order it next time.

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  6. Food looks great, with fantastic dessert to finish it off. Very creative to do brulee on cheesecake

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  7. I skipped lunch today so I could gorge at dinner tonight at fun little restaurant but now I am starving. that food looks so good.

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  8. Stop... I'll go! I'll go!! ;-) This all looks so dang good!

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  9. What a fun word to say -- wagamama!

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  10. Wagamama great name. Fantastic photos.

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  11. I've been to Wagamama in London...and since Wagamama was one of my clients at my old firm, I've been to all of the Boston Wagamama locations. It looks like you guys had a great time!

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  12. How did I miss this?!?! I love Wagamama. Great recap... the food looks mouthwatering good.

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  13. I've been to Wagamama in London and I really liked it. I don't think it is as fabulous as I expected but the noodles are pretty good! Super spicy I remember.

    Great recap...the Boston location looks just like the London ones!

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  14. Wow, everything in this post looks absolutely fantastic! I wonder if they have a location near me! :)

    star-crossed smile

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  15. I've seen the Harvard Square location, but never stopped in. I think I will next time. Great review!

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  16. the yasai noodles look sooo good. i have only been once since it came to boston- must go back!

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  17. looks awesome! i went to the one in cambridge and loved the fresh juice as well as the rest of the meal :)

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  18. I love Wagamama, but I never thought to order dessert. That coconut ice cream dish looks incredible!

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  19. I used to frequent the one in fanueil during lunch at work....I miss wagamama - none of these in CT.

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