wagamama, Bridge St, Sydney

wagamama, Bridge St, Sydney

Monday 20 August, 2007

Why do I do this to myself? I've gone on about making poor meal choices at wagamamas before and you would think I'd go prepared today. But no....instead I laboured over the menu trying to remember the one good dish I ordered there in the past. I even asked one of my lunch buddies of she could remember what I had ordered previously......

We arrived on this overcast & windy day and were ushered inside to a table. It's so relaxed at wagamama but I find the staff forced. By that I mean they have to turn it on, be mega friendly and hip, happening individuals. However, it's false. We had several waiters serve us and each had taken their happy pills. One even made a derogatory remark about how he kept such a spotless table and environment that he should have been a women! What the@!#?

I couldn't find the dish I was after so ordered the Chilli chicken ramen -
noodles in a spicy pork and chicken soup topped with a marinated and grilled chicken breast, fresh chillis, sliced red onions, beansprouts, coriander, spring onions and a wedge of lime. Our waiter took the orders and punched the numbers in the electronic ordering pad before writing them upside down effortlessly on our place mats.

The downside at wagamama is that you never receive your orders together. The idea is that the meals come as they are cooked so we took delivery of 2 dishes and had to wait several minutes for the 3rd. This makes a lunch with friends an awkward experience. My ramen arrived and I recognised immediately that I hadn't ordered well.................again! The ramen was average - it was basically a large bowl of clear sour soup with sliced chicken and noodles. It was near impossible to eat with the chopsticks and large spoon but I gave it a red hot go.

The wagamama concept is modelled on the ramen shops popular in Japan for over two hundred years. Although the prices are OK and the dining space is clean and modern - I'd rather hop on a plane and visit Japan than visit wagamama again. I've noticed some Japanese places on York St so will turn my attention there over the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

wagamama's - 38 Bridge Street, Sydney - T: 9252 8696

http://www.wagamama.com.au/