Location: 210 5th Avenue at, W 26th St, New York, NY 10010
Cuisine: Japanese
Cost: $$
Overall: A delicious and healthier alternative to fast food that is also surprisingly affordable. Good for your waistline and your wallet.
We were first introduced to Wagamama earlier this year. The British born fast-casual eatery is known worldwide for its fresh ingredients, incredible hospitality, and welcoming atmosphere. Their United States debut has evolved into a growing enterprise with 5 locations nationwide, including two in New York City. We recently visited their flat iron location to sample their latest creations. The new Summer items include two new Kokoro bowls and the return of renowned vegan chef Gaz Oakley’s delicious BBQ seitan dish. Also added to the menu is a tasty new teppanyaki dish with fresh green tea noodles and miso glazed cod fillets.
Chili Squid
These are our favorite small plate item. The crispy bits of squid are very lightly breaded which makes them a pretty good low carb starter option. The squid is dusted with a spice mixture for a tolerable bit of heat. Trust us once you’ve had these you won’t want your squid any other way.
Pork Belly + Panko Apple Bao
We’ve never been able to resist the siren song of good pork belly, so we happily revisited the pork belly bao. Generous slices of pork belly are placed inside a fluffy steamed bun along with a crispy katsu apple, topped with mayo and sriracha.
Grilled Duck Donburi
Donburi is a popular Japanese rice bowl dish consisting of meat and vegetables simmered and served on a bed of white rice. The grilled duck is shredded and tossed with a spicy teriyaki sauce served with carrots and snow peas on a bed of sticky white rice topped with freshly shredded cucumber and a generous helping of kimchi. The bowl is a hearty mixture that can easily be shared. The proper way to enjoy this type of bowl is to mix everything together with chopsticks before eating.
Nama Spicy Tuna Kokoro Bowl
Kokoro loosely translated from the original Japanese is heart, spirit, and mind. Each element of these bowls is chosen to appease the senses. Unlike the donburi, the Kokoro bowls are vibrant, colorful, and a much lighter meal option. For this brown sliced marinated lightly seared tuna is served on a bed of brown rice with fresh tomatoes, cucumber, edamame, and radish topped with Goma seaweed and drizzled with a spicy mayo and miso dressing.
Ryokucha Soba Teppanyaki
For this summer teppanyaki or sizzling noodle plate, green tea soba noodles are stir-fried in a complex mixture of mirin, soy sauce, and sugar known as tsuyu sauce. The saucy noddles are tossed with bok choy, snow peas, and red peppers then topped with two juicy miso glazed cod fillets. The noodles are a bit oily but delicious. They have a mild but distinct flavor that is unlike anything we have ever tasted. The cod was beautifully prepared and scrumptious. The fillets melt in your mouth. Be careful of those peppers though, they pack a good punch.
High Tea and Painappuru
If you’re looking for summer in a glass, look no further than these two cocktails. The high tea is a fresh light slightly bitter mixture of grapefruit soda and mild tasting green tea shochu. Painappuru is a sake-based cocktail that is refreshing and slightly sweet made up of plum wine, Nigori Sake and pineapple juice.
Chocolate Cake with Coconut Ice Cream
Our meal ended with a slice of chocolate layer cake. The cake was moist and rich with a smooth mousse filling. The ice cream was creamy and delicious.
One of the most remarkable things about Wagamama is their impeccable service. The staff is fun and friendly and the kitchen moves like a well-oiled machine. Just minutes after placing our order our food arrived piping hot and fresh. Overall, Wagamama is a welcome upgrade from the usual casual dining establishment.
Learn more about Wagamama at wagamama.us.
Cheers!