Wagamama have recently launched their new Spring menu and I was kindly invited down to my local restaurant to sample it and I couldn’t say yes fast enough!
Wagamama is quickly becoming one of my favourite chain restaurants, simply because of their commitment to becoming more conscious of their impact on the planet and of course, their menus going 50% plant based by the end of 2021.
Of course, I’m only going to be talking about the new vegan dishes here so if you’re interested in the non-vegan options then I’ll direct you to their website where you can view the menu for yourself!
Wagamama’s commitment:
"Our Earth is demanding action, but where do we begin?
We believe in the power of small choices for big change. that individual actions when made collectively add up to create a positive change in our world.
Filling bellies sits at the heart of our business, so this is where we have started. We know the Earth could benefit from us all eating a few more plants so, we’ve made 50% of our menu plant based, to provide you with the option whenever you fancy through soulful substitutes that don’t compromise on taste."
The New Vegan Dishes:
*There are of course more dishes than I’m mentioning here, but these are just a few highlights. Some of their older dishes have also been refreshed to give them a Spring makeover.
Teriyaki vegan ‘chicken’ ramen
Seasoned soya protein in a spicy teriyaki sauce, udon noodles, sweetcorn, bok choi, chilli sambal paste, spring onion, chilli, coriander, chilli oil and vegetable broth.
Spicy vegan short ‘rib’ ramen
Mushroom + soya protein ‘ribs’ in a sweet and spicy sticky sauce, udon noodles, roasted bok choi, spring onion, chilli, coriander, sesame seeds, chilli oil and vegetable broth.
(refreshed) No duck donburi
Shredded seitan and shiitake mushrooms in a cherry hoison sauce, edamame beans, kimchee, coconut and sriracha vegan ‘egg’, cucumber, spring onion, chillis, coriander, sesame seeds and brown rice.
Shu’s shiok jackfruit
Tumeric and ginger marinated jackfruit, roasted and served on a bed of coconut and lemongrass dressed rice, pickled slaw and radish salad, chilli, coriander and caramelised lime.
Tempeh katsu salad (I tried this one!)
Tempeh in crispy panko breadcrumbs, dressed mixed leaves, apple slices, cucumber, edamame beans, pickled asian slaw, pea shoots, japanese pickles, red chillis and a side of curried salad dressing.
(refreshed) Fried vegetable gyoza
Five tasty steamed yasai dumplings, servied grilled and with a dipping sauce.
Sticky miso corn (I tried this one!)
Corn on the cob roundels, sticky miso sauce and red chilli.
Ssambap – tempeh
Baby gem lettuce wraps, pickled asian slaw, spicy kimchee sauce with coriander cress.
Miso caramel ice cream (I tried this one!)
With toffee sauce and fresh mint.
Drinks – I had two drinks: A High Five juice (melon, pineapple, lemon, apple, orange) Cherry Blossom Lemonade (cherry blossom and cloudy lemonade syrup, sparkling water topped off with dried rose petals).
Both were delicious, especially the Cherry Blossom Lemonade, perfect on a sunny Spring day!
My Wagamama Menu And Reviews:
The choices I went for included: Sticky Vegan ‘ribs’ - I’ve had these before and they’re absolutely delicious. I hadn’t had them on my last visit so I went for this time, despite them not being part of the new Spring menu!
But I urge you to try them if you haven’t before because that teriyaki sauce and the texture...oh my word. Stunning.
Sticky miso corn – OK this is part of their new menu and wow, so tasty! I love this new addition to the Wagamama menu, it reminds me of summer BBQs in the garden and eating corn on the cob, fresh from the grill! Delicious and so tasty, the miso imparts a deeply savoury flavour which brings out the natural sweetness of the corn itself. So good!
Tempeh katsu salad – Another addition to their Spring menu, this light and refreshing salad with crispy tempeh is perfect for the sunny Spring days we’re hoping to have. I loved the addition of apple to the salad, good to have another crispy element along with the cucumber. And the curried salad dressing is the perfect accompaniment to the salad! Highly recommend!
Miso Caramel ice cream – I had to finish off my delicious meal with some of their ice cream and this new miso caramel is absolutely delicious and again, would be good on a sunny Spring day! (do you think I keep talking about it, the sunshine will come back?!)
Overall, I am one very happy vegan with the dishes on offer at Wagamama. I know I haven’t tried all of the dishes available, but I’m intending to go back and try them so I can give you a full and rounded review, but I like to think I’ve tried enough of their main staple dishes to be able to recommend Wagamama to everyone.
I love visiting their benches and feeling welcomed in. The Harrogate team are always so friendly and being one of their chosen influencers to try out their new dishes, I feel very lucky.
So, big thanks to the Harrogate Wagamama team for this invite, I loved trying out some of the new dishes and drinks. You know I’ll be back! Sarah xoxo
