I love when I go to a restaurant and I can tell that the food is fresh and of good quality, rather than taken out a freezer and thrown in a deep fryer for a few minutes.  I’ve found that this happens most often at Asian restaurants.  The first time I went to Wagamama I was impressed, and I was surprised to find out later on that it is a chain restaurant.  The food was so tasty and flavorful, and the vegetables had that crisp freshness to them that most chain restaurants can’t maintain.  Wagamama is a UK-based Asian chain restaurant that focuses on Japanese cuisine and is most famous for their ramen dishes.

On the first trip, I had the fried calamari for an appetizer which comes with a sweet chili dipping sauce.  Whenever I see calamari on the menu, I’m ordering it! This was one of the best I’ve had; something about the sweet chili dipping sauce and the spicy seasoning they used gave it such a unique flavor that I have yet to come across again.  I decided on one of the ramen dishes for an entree.  Although I do not remember exactly what it was, I do remember that it was good.  The next time around, I (obviously) ordered the calamari alongside the Chicken & Shrimp Raisukaree.  This dish is filled with chicken, shrimp, snow peas, red peppers, onions, and scallions then covered in a mild coconut citrus curry sauce and completed with a scoop of white rice, a slice of lime, and red chilies.  As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, a mild curry sauce can take a dish to a whole new level.  The coconut flavor of the sauce really brought all the various flavors together while also toning down the spiciness from the chilies.  All of the vegetables were perfectly cooked and had the fresh taste and texture that I love!  I’ve never been disappointed by anything I’ve ordered here, and they change their menu seasonally so there is always something new to try!  Check them out here.