Wagamama's hit Leeds!

I did not realize how much I'm into noodles until I moved here. Spoilt by the variety of Vietnamese pho shops and mid night wonton place in San Francisco, I had never experienced a country which deprived me of my noodles.Until I moved to the Land of the Greasy Chowmein.

So it was with pleasant anticipation when I heard the name wagamama's mentioned. I remember slurping down steaming bowls of noodles a long time ago when it had a branch in Bangsar - where Red Chamber now is (or has Red Chamber closed down too?!). I remember the cool PDA thingys that they used to key our order in...hey, in 1998 PDAs WERE a novelty ok!! Huge bowls and huge spoons were a novelty then as well - and wagamama's were the first to use impossibly huge bowls and spoons.

It opened its Leeds doors on 31st July, and like good little puppies, I dragged Bacon and mommy bacon there the day after - don't blame me, I didn't find out it was open until the 1st,otherwise I would be there waiting for it to open its doors.In the typical style of a posh noodle bar, communal eating had never been more in-style in the UK. Long tables and long benches...it serves its food whenever it is ready ,so starters arrive after the main course.Which is good in a way; get it down you whilst its hot.


Prawn gyoza - strange how they deep fry gyozas and not panfry. The usual dipping sauce of red vinegar is replaced by some poor imitation of rice vinegar dilluted with some sort of liquid.Apparently their duck gyoza is so good it sold out the second day it was open for business.


Chicken Katsu - if you've ever eaten at any Jap restaurant with me,you would spot that this one's mine! Extremely cute presentation..the rice is shaped into a bottom-down currypuff with strips of fried chicken underneath it like legs. Japanese sweet curry is splashed all over it like ice cream topping. It came with a small salad-like thing at the side - yummylicious!


Mommy Bacon contemplating her huge ginger and lemongrass yaki soba.Very light tinge of lemongrass and ginger, it was not flavourful enough for my tastebuds,but she loved it and polished the whole platterfull off - using her chopsticks,she was proud to add.


Bacon's Spicy Beef Ramen. Nicely sliced medium-well done beef atop rice sticks (beehoon). Did they not realize ramen means instant noodle aka Indomie or Maggi? Nice nonetheless, but nothing will beat Yo Sushi's Spicy Beef noodle.At £9.20, I thought it was a little overpriced, although it did come with a fair amount of veggies and good quality beef....still nice though,in fact, I polished off half of it.

I ordered a portion of non-refillable miso soup,which was just mediocre, and had the free green tea which was amazingly lukewarm. The mil had a £4 glass of white wine and Bacon had his Asahi

Total damage? £38 = RM 255

can.die.com

But like all idiots, I'm heading towards it again next week.