Being served a complimentary green tea alongside the usual ‘tap water please’ is always going to work in my favour, so with a helping of nostalgia and a cheeky 20% knocked off the bill, perhaps Wagamama is back in rotation.
Manchester is awash with Asian fusion restaurants; you can’t move for bowls of ‘noods’, hearty ramens and crisp, overpriced gyoza. But, Wagamama has been a high street staple for the best part of 30 years, and with GK Barry at the helm (for some reason), the chain are offering a brand-new student discount, in partnership with Student Beans.
@wagamamauk students. @Grace is cutting you a deal 😏✂️ thanks to gk barry and student beans, you can now get 20% off food *and* drink at wagamama sunday to thursday yep, you read right. chilli squid? 20% off. katsu curry? 20% off. prosecco? 20% off all you’ve got to do is sign up to student beans to get your unique beans id. then head to your fave wagamama sunday to thursday and show it to our team to get 20% off your bill. simple as so we’ll see you there, yeah? ts + cs apply
♬ original sound – wagamama
Wagamama’s longevity on our streets has meant a reliable menu, that hasn’t changed much since my youth, and while I can’t say I’ve frequented the restaurant many times, it was comforting to see the classics still going strong. With a round of peach iced teas for our table (£11.10 for 3), we sipped on the sweet, but aromatic drinks while pondering starters – or in Wags’ case, ‘whenevers’.
Our lovely waitress Natalie gave us a handy reminder of the restaurant’s service style, whereby food is brought to your table as soon as it’s ready. So, we ordered Koko ‘prawn’ crackers (£2.70), named as such as a vegan item, yet tasting suitably similar to the original when brought to the table. Their coating of chilli, lime and coconut salt married well with sweet chilli sauce, making for an elevation of the table staple.
Alongside them arrived other starters of duck gyoza (£8.20) and tama squid (£9.20), with the latter being a group favourite.
Unusually, the duck gyoza’s exterior was not the typical dumpling wrapper, but instead mirrored the floury texture of a pancake, that had then been fried. While the taste of hoisin duck and pancake is a combination proven to go well, the thicker texture of the wrapper was unexpected, so if you’re looking for the traditional gyoza bite, perhaps opt for chicken or vegetable.
The tama squid was however delightful, with each bite revealing soft, melt-in-the-mouth squid, coated in a light, crispy batter. Toppings of seaweed and bonito flakes gave touches of umami flavour, with their additions only increasing the textural success of this dish, while a drizzle of okonomiyaki sauce provided a hint of sweet and savoury to finish it off.
Of the three starter style dishes we ordered, the final one came later in the evening, while we enjoyed mains, so was served as a side. Roti and raisukatsu (£6.20) was something I wouldn’t usually have ordered, however opted for out of intrigue, but unfortunately was disappointed. The rotis were indeed flaky and crisp, but when dipped into the raisukatsu sauce were underwhelming; the conclusion was that the sauce towed the line between delicately spiced, and under seasoned, drawing mixed reactions from the table.
Moving on to main courses, we ordered the chicken katsu curry (£14), a Korean BBQ duck donburi bowl (a customisable dish, that here came to £17) and, the crispy saku saku duck soba (£19.50). Without the discount, the mains were a slightly steep £50.50, so that 20% off came in clutch here.
The chicken katsu curry was a comforting classic, that scratched the itch it needed to. Hitting all the points but one however, we discovered that the side salad no longer came dressed with the famous tangy dressing that once accompanied it. But overall, the dish brought all the warming, savoury flavours expected with the juicy, crispy chicken.
A similar rice dish was the donburi bowl, with both offerings reminding me that sticky rice in a restaurant is always better than out of a packet. The Korean BBQ duck was sweet and spicy, and balanced tender meat with crisp vegetables nicely. This bowl is definitely a more summery dish, boasting freshness and drawing on uplifted garden barbeque flavours.
Remaining on theme, the duck soba boasted similar flavours, with the fried noodles adding a warming chargrilled taste. Compared to a homemade stir fry equivalent, the quality of ingredients was higher, and the portion of duck was generous, justifying eating out further.
Though stuffed from generously portioned plates of food, we felt it only right to sample a dessert, with savings to be made, opting to share a white chocolate and ginger cheesecake (£7.50). Decadent cream cheese and a buttery biscuit base will always be a winner, and with fiery ginger to balance out the sweetness, it made for a lovely end to the meal.
So, when it came to the bill, how much did we save, and was it worth it? Without the student discount, we would have paid a whopping £84.30, for three main courses, four side dishes, three drinks and a dessert. 20% off however takes that total down to £76.32, which for a three-course meal, is not bad value for money.
Of course, we were keen to review a range of items on the Wagamama menu, having not visited the staple spot in some time. But, for those just looking for a few small plates, or a big bowl of ramen, you can definitely dine at Wagamama on a budget, as while it isn’t as cheap as it once was, the quality of food is still reliable.
