Wagamama
Categories: Japanese, Asian Fusion [Edit]
Neighborhood: Harvard Square57 JFK St
Cambridge, MA 02138 (617) 499-0930
- Nearest Transit:
Harvard (Red)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
113 Reviews for Wagamama
Bland, generic, expensive for what you get, loud.
Nice job decorating the place, though.
I walked into this restaurant, in the mood to try a place I hadn't eaten at before. The name, simple atmosphere, and concept drew me in.
I wasn't exactly in the mood for noodles, and I walked in thinking that they sold Japanese dishes in general, not just noodles (and rice dishes), but I was wrong, and I might have to come back again when I'm more in the specific mood for noodles/ramen. Even so, I enjoyed my vegetarian soba dish. It wasn't amazing, but it was tasty and came in a good portion.
The menu is pretty big. It took me a while to decide on what I really wanted. My boyfriend and I sat at a two-person bench in front of the counter at the window.
Our waitress was a bit monotone, which, at first, I took for indifference. But by the end of my experience there, I realized she was just being herself, rather than a too overly nice/"give me a big tip" kiss ass, as some waiters can be. She was actually pretty helpful. When I ordered the vegetarian dish, she asked me if it was okay that it included egg. Confused, I replied yes. Then I realized she was just making sure, because I could be a vegan. I am actually a meat-eater, but I respect that she respected my needs. So points for that.
Like I said, maybe when I'm in the mood for noodles, I'll come back.
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According to Wagamama's website, their name means 'naughty/wilful child' in Japanese.
I was pretty excited to see Wagamama open in Cambridge because it reminded me of going to their first restaurants when I was living in England 8 years ago or so.
The atmosphere is cool and laid back and and the food is fresh and tasty. I wouldn't say the menu really takes any chances, but it's a slightly different angle on Japanese cuisine in a package that Anglophiles like me will enjoy.
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The average Wagamama server rates a 9.5 on the Hotness Scale (scoring based on the traditional 1 -10 method). I'd eat there 8 days a week for the eye-candy alone. Unfortunately, this is impossible. The Beatles can be so misleading.
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Despite some hype online and spotting this place in London for the first time, I decided to walk to 200 yards from where I work over to this location after work one day to pickup some food I had ordered over the phone 15 minutes before. I had some difficulty ordering over the phone; there was a lot of background noise coming from the restaurant over the phone and the women could barely hear me. I repeated myself about 4 times until she finally got it.
I did not order anything too complex; yasai gyoza, tori kara age and saien soba. I picked them up and got charged a "decent" charge, about 24 dollars if I recall correctly and rushed home, tired from work and hungry from the establishment which I must say looks absolutely fantastic. The decor and setting is amazing. It's very clean, very very bright and just really cool, modern looking. I have not seen such kinds of interior decors in the US as many times as I have in Europe and it was very refreshing to see it. I'm amazed and give this place a star just for that.
I then unpacked the food in front of the NFL network and let the chopsticks do the talking. The food was very well packed in these little boxes. It's adorable. Unfortunately, that was the only nice part of my evening...
I took a bite of the gyoza. Not good at all. They looked a lot better than they tasted and I honestly was very disappointed by them. Sure they were a bit soggy because I took them to go, but the stuffing just tasted gross.
I then proceeded to my second appetizer, something that I have only tried once before at another restaurant: tori kara age. I took a bite and let's just say that it was the only one I took. Disgusting. It tasted like fried chicken gizzards (at least I think it would, I've never actually had gizzards...).
Lastly I happily opened up the big box full of my noodle. This can't disappoint, its their specialty. Nothing can go wrong with this. It's soba. Noodles. I love noodles. With veggies and stuff.
Nope, the saien soba was disgusting too. Not only that, but it also had shrimp in it. I didn't notice until my second bite and I promptly ran to the bathroom to "evacuate" the food asap. Their menu never mentioned that ingredient under the description of that item. So not only was it not good, but I almost got my allergies to kick in.
I'm pretty pissed about the whole experience and probably won't ever return there. I give it one star because of the decor which was amazing. The food really just wasn't good. 9 Tastes across the street is a lot more affordable and authentic, and probably tastes a whole lot better from what I hear. For the price I paid I expected high quality, tasty food and was duped.
Fool me one shame on you, fool me twice... well, that won't happen.
Avoid.
Do not be duped by the excellent decor. This is a bad restaurant in the clothing of a good one.
I resent being charged more than $12 for an oily, near-inedible bowl of ramen and a drink. I would have been angry if I paid $6 for it.
Go across the street to "nine tastes" if you are determined to have Asian food at a moderate price. If you want a sure thing, just go to Pinocchio's (across the street and down the alley). You will be able to get five dollar's worth of pizza... and pay $5 for it. Just don't go to Wagamama and get charged $12 for $2 worth of noodles, broth, and chewy meat.
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Wagamama reminds me a lot of a place I used to go to in New York City's Union Square, called the Republic. (I'm sure Republic's style was modeled on Wagamama's.) So I like the look and feel, although it's much quieter than Republic.
Service is BAD. It wasn't just bad, I left feeling offended. Yes, we were brought a straw several minutes after our request, but in those minutes, we were left to wonder if we would ever see the straw for when we asked for it we were not acknowledged in any way.
Our waiter was acting a little too much like an old queen for his tender age. I'm not even sure that Miss Thang was our waiter. Our drink orders were taken by him, then our food orders by someone else, our check given by a third server. Service feels completely impersonal.
The only reason this place gets 2 stars is because the food was pretty tasty (even though our dishes were served about 10 minutes apart. Even though we were warned that 'Food is made to order' and that this would happen, it still doesn't make much sense to me. I work at a restaurant where food is made to order, and we don't put guests in the uncomfortable situation). Although I enjoyed the decor and my ebi chili men, I would have rather paid half as much for the same quality noodles and service at a take out place in Dorchester.
All foods in the Wagamama menu, I would call them Japanese Soul food(Sushi can be too fancy for some of us). All items are something middle class and below Japanese eat pretty frequently. Wagamama sell those item with pretty sassy decor and novelty of "Sassy British Japanese chain".
Flavor is mediocre good. But that's the nature of Japanese soul food. Most of base ingredients are profoundly good, so it's hard to f**k them up unless you pour arsenic in it.
Like Japanese curry for example, all you need is the Japanese curry roux. You can make something just as good as Wagamama yourself. So, don't order curry from Wagamama. Just Haul yourself to one stop north, Porter sq to get a box of curry roux and make it yourself.
But for ramen, it's a different business. Making the good broth is quite painstaking thing to do. It's always to better to have home made broth, that's been simmered with pork rib for half a day(That's common practice at any ramen joint in Japan). You wouldn't do that unless you have great ambition and determination.
I am not sure if Wagamama makes the broth that way. Miso ramen didn't have that "good kick" in the broth. And camouflaged with loads of salt, my head vein was throbbing that I thought I was going to explode like the dude from "The Scanner"(80's horror movie, anyone?). But I am not saying that it tasted bad. It was mediocre good.
For ramen, I would definitely prefer Ken's. And again, haul your ass out to Allston via #66 bus if you are craving for ramen.
So... this prompts me a question of "Is there a place for Wagamama in Boston?". I would say "no". I am not sure about the environment in UK, but as far as Japanese food goes, Boston/Cambridge is more than sufficient with this type of Japanese food. You can get exactly same thing with cheaper price at Porter Exchange which is just one stop north from Harvard sq. You may find this place pricey if you aren't appreciating its atmosphere or decor. The service is adequate and polite but it's standard level. Again - mediocre.
I have a feeling that this location won't last. Although Fenueil Hall location has better chance as they have more tourists to deal with.
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If Ikea and a Chinese food restaurant had an illicit love child, it would be Wagamama-- which for the record, means naughty (but clever) child-- I asked the server.
It's got the look and feel of Swedish Ingenuity goes Asian-- the little wooden benches, the big semi-abstract wall paintings, the total lack of music or other background noise. It even sort of feels like a little warehouse full of cheap things that you need to assemble.
That said-- some thoughts. It is High School Cafeteria LOUD in there. The acoustics are terrible and there's no music so all you hear is the blah blah blah of everyone around you.
If it's crowded you're rubbing elbows with the people next to you-- not in a communal hibachi-steakhouse sort of way....more of the city-bus sort of way.
The food is pretty good-- the servers know their stuff-- especially Justin who helped me pick out something not too spicy.
I ordered the melon fruit juice which looked and tasted like frothy pink orange juice...eh...I told myself it was good for me and used the straw like a champ.
GF ordered the duck gyoza which were a little too fried for me-- I like my gyoza pan fried, not carnival food fried.
My entre came (the Chicken Udon) - I guess I'd never had Udon noodles before because I didn't really like them-- which wasn't really their fault. The pickled ginger sprinkled on top was a little off-putting. But the meat : fried egg : veggie ratio was pretty right on. I'm sure if I'd liked the noodles, it would have helped.
GF got the steak teriyaki....which had a few too many sesame seeds on it for my taste and the sauce was really salty.
Desert, however, was the real winner-- the highlight of my meal. I got the coconut ice cream with the mango sauce and toasted coconut topping. I liked it so much, I seriously considered taking it in a to-go cup....but I resisted.
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Oh, this just made me sad! I wanted to like this place, really I did. There's a place in SF that is like this but a hundred times better...
I got the chili zen veggie noodles and it was lukewarm and the sauce was just weird, very bland and not spicy at all!
blah!
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Yucko!! This is probably the worst place to have ramen. The only people who come here are the Harvard college kids who don't know how to make a bowl of ramen for themselves. Calling this place an asian restaurant would be insulting to all other asian restaurants.
The ramen broth and the ramen itself was bland. The chopsticks they provide you was too short. Other than the fake soy sauce, there was no additional condiments to add to the bland tasting broth. The server was unattentive and rude due to volume of people they serve everyday.
You would have a better experience by buying a .89 cent bag of ramen at 7-Eleven which is right down the street and making it yourself. You'd save yourself the wait time, money and your taste buds!
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Wagamama. What kind of name is that? Although I do like their logo. In fact I think I like their style in general. But that's neither here nor there. I happen to like their food too. I've been here twice and both times I enjoyed my experience. But really, what kind of name is wagamama? And I must say, it's a little refreshing to go somewhere where the seating arrangement is different. It's not like you're eating there everyday either... so everynowandthen it's nice to sit next to a total stranger and ask her to pass the soy sauce. Why not man.
I personally go for the dishes that seem most satisfying. I don't usually order salad, because I'm out for a meal, not a side dish. That being said, I would probably order a salad here if I stuffed my face with a large meal about 2 hours prior. That would make for good salad time. And I would come to wagagamamama because their vegetables are fresh and crisp. Major brownie points right there.
But as I was saying, I like dishes. Big ones... with a hearty mixture of carbs, veggies and meat. So I usually get the noodle dishes (when I say "usually", I mean the two times that I've graced these wagamamas with my presence). The first time I went, I got something with fish powder on it. It was very tasty except 1) It was mad salty yo. 2) That fish powder made my mouth mad dry yo. This happened last night too, although it wasn't fish powder it was something else that looked like shredded chicken bits. So I end up chugging my beer like homer... siimpson, you fool.
I don't mean to call you a fool, dear reader. You're not a fool. You would be if you didn't give this place at least a try.
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I remember loving this place in London in the mid-90's, so when I drove by and saw they had opened one in NEW England, I just had to grab a bench with the whole family in tow.
LOVE the salads. Ordered every one. My personal favs are the chicken atakaakaka (sp?) and the fish salads (5 stars). We also had the grilled asparagas side dish (ok... probably a little to froo-froo with the sauce: 3 stars), the chicken cutlet curry (4 stars, not the best I've had, but still good), this fried shrimp gyoza (terrible: 1 star), and the chicken ramen, but with udon noodles (too salty for mom, so anyone on a low-sodium diet, stay away: 3 stars).
The MUST haves? The raw juice (OMG..... in LOVE with it.... ordered 3.... and spent the rest of the day..... in the bathroom with the runs... limit yourself to just 2), and the ginger-cheesecake (NEVER had anything like this... OMG good... yum... yum.... good..... ok.. I'll stop touching myself).
Maybe because I'm older now, I don't find the food perfect enough to warrant 5 stars, but 4 stars in my book is still pretty good. Still has the same clean, fun atmosphere in London, service is great, and the prices are decent.
I guess I can look at it like having sex with a blast from the past that was an awesome memory, but then after hooking up many years later, you're sorta like, "hmm... well maybe she wasn't THAT good....." but you still smile about it.
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When I first saw Wagamama in Harvard Square about 8 months ago my only reaction was to laugh at the name and then repeat it as often as possible, not necessarily in the context of discussing the restaurant.
I finally actually ate here last night, and it was enjoyable. I got veggie ramen, which was delish, and my friend got these chicken and scallion skewers and red wine. Service was quick and friendly and attractive, even if the system of writing on our placemats was kind of weird. Everything was really clean and simple, which I liked. Also, I was really happy that many of the dishes were made with whole wheat noodles - score!
For dessert we split the ginger cheesecake with white chocolate sauce and it was sooo good. I don't know if it's just because I love cheesecake, but dayumn.
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I'm Asian and I found their food okay, especially the ginger chicken udon noodles and the edamame. It's true that the food is a little bland and lackluster, but the prices can't be beat (if you show your college ID, you can get a free entree with the purchase of an entree---PERFECT for going with a friend).
Also, the place is exceptionally clean, efficient, and pleasant to be inside. It's a nice spot to grab lunch or dinner when you're just walking around Harvard Square with no particular destination.
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::sniff:: Memories of London gone awry...I was expecting greatness from the (for me) nostalgia-laden Britain-based chain. However, this Wagamama didn't live up to the hype ("Really? Wagamama's coming HERE??" was the reaction of all my study abroad comrades). First off, I got the plum wine, which I hadn't had before. It was seriously watered down (seven dollars, really???) and in a plain old water glass. I had the miso ramen, which was OKAY, but definitely not great and much too salty (and I LOVE salt, so that's saying something). The atmosphere and service are fine, but not enough to make up for the lackluster food and wine.
i think that if you look at this place as a fast food type japanese place, it's fine. i do think it's a little on the expensive side.
i had the chicken katsudon curry (or something like that). it wasn't bad, i'd definitely have it again, but like i said, i think it's too pricey for what it was.
the service isn't great they kind of take your order, run off, bring you your food. nothing fancy, but it's okay. i'm not a fan of the cafeteria type seating, and if you don't really enjoy sitting so close to complete strangers, i would consider skipping this place.
overall, i think it's pretty okay. i would go back if my friends wanted to go, but i probably won't be jonesing for it anytime soon.
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Let me tell you all the story...
15 years ago, a few months after it opened, I ate with my sister at the original Wagamama by the British Museum in London. It was a revolution and a revelation. Udon, Ramen, Soba, Gyoza? What were these exotic strange foods? Sitting on communal tables! Oh my, how cosmopolitan and edgy. I would've given it 5 stars without a thought.
Wagamama was an instant hit and long ago left the safe clutches of Alan Yau's control and became this 100+ international chain. He at least bestowed upon it a sense of cool attitude, rule-breaking methods and great modern decor. If you're in London soon make sure to check out his other ventures - Hakkasan for Chinese, Yauatcha for cocktails and dim sum (both winners of Michelin stars), Busaba Eathai for Thai, Ping Pong for dim sum and tea, Sake No Hana for Japanese and Cha Cha Moon for Chinese fast food. The effort that goes into designing his places is phenomenal - it's like eating in modern art and often it can be the cheapest place in town.
But, the sad fact is that Wagamama was his first and his baby and it was famously unhappily taken from him by investors to become this chain.
Now.... I'm back at Wagamama 15 years later for my second ever time and now in the USA too. How does it compare? Lackluster. Very. It doesn't take a genius though to work out that this is more about where UK dining was 15 years ago and how far it and me have come since. Look around you in Boston.... are udon and ramen really that exotic these days that you need the menu to explain them to you and then you have no issue paying twice the going rate? Is Asian-Fusion food something new and exciting? No, it's everywhere.
So yeah, Wagamama was a great thing in 1993 in the UK when the alternative option was Pizza Hut. Now, go just for the decor - everything else is a letdown. We've moved on.
Still no flying car, though.
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I love the atmosphere in this place. We had this sterotypical Harvard Square trendy waiter that actually had a brain. It amazed me. He was very attentive and made the entire dining experience pleasant. His shorts were a bit much but he still rocked. The food was very good. I found the prices to be fair for the area. The restaurant was busy and clean which is a very difficult combination to maintain. I will definitely return and recommend this place to anyone looking for some good eats in Harvard Square
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Quirky and tasty. I like the communal tables, food arriving as it's ready (instead of all at once or in order of appetizer, meal, etc.), and the lack of a singular server for your particular visit.
The food is hit-or-miss, and more towards the 'hit' side. I love the beverage choices (great juices) and I like what they have available for desserts. Pretty cool that you can get a cherry chocolate cake slice after eating a healthy veggie ramen soup.
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I really like the food here, especially the teppanyaki. It tastes nothing like actual teppanyaki, but as it's own thing it's delicious. If I were able to teleport, I'd choose the Quincy Market location over this one because the service is much better, and I'd maybe give them 1/2 a star more.
But there are problems with this chain, starting with the ridiculous prices. $10 - $15 for noodles? Seriously? I can deal with the communal seating, but the service is extremely variable at the Harvard Sq location. Sometimes you get a peppy and friendly server, other times surly and hateful. Food can sometimes take forever, regardless of how busy it is. I also don't like how pushy the servers are about getting more courses. I really can't stuff myself after my huge plate of noodles just so you can up your check average.
I really like the food there, though, so I'll get take out every so often to avoid the bad service.
it tastes like fake asian food.
the noodles and soups all taste like they were made from powdered mixes....
i hate the cafeteria style seating especially when it's crowded... you can hear every conversation on both sides of you...
because of this, it's hard to go with a large crowd...
they take your order and then write it down on your place mat, almost fast foody type service.
the spoons they give you to drink the ramen soup bowls are so shallow they barely get any liquid.
frustrating experience all around.
wouldn't come back here unless the people i was dining with INSISTED on coming here.
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I have celiac disease, meaning that if the smallest particle of wheat, barley, rye, or oats, or anything derived from these ingredients, or anything that -touches- anything derived from these ingredients ends up in or touches my food, I get sick. Food preparation for someone like me needs to be undertaken VERY carefully.
As a company, Wagamama gets this, which makes me happy (I usually order the very yummy chicken itame). Their Faneuil location has never made me sick. The JFK location did, on Thursday night. I spent Friday curled up in pain.
Hey Waga JFK: Get your act together. You're making your parent company look bad.
Celiacs: avoid this location. They're sloppy.
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Gotta be kidding me. I received a 2 for 1 ticket and decided it couldn't hurt to try. But even at half price, our food was no bargain. Yeah, the food came quickly, but it was very salty and there wasn't really anything too it. You're basically paying $10 for a bowl of ramen with a few things thrown in. A total joke.
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This place tries so hard to be super innovative, breaking the conventions of restaurants and all that. To a certain extent, I think that's cool. Then it just gets annoying, like the kid at school who tries too hard to be "unique" and "self-expressive."
They have these long tables and they'll combine different groups of patrons, and they serve food in the order that it's prepared (so plates don't arrive at the same time). They write all over your paper placemat in secretive code (okay, so it's not secretive), and the waiters take your order with a hand-held machine.
It gets you all hyped up, like the food you're going to have will taste good in some equally innovative and pioneering way. Instead, everything tastes like it was cooked by someone who's never tasted Asian food before. I understand that it's not supposed to taste like traditional Japanese food or anything, but I don't think it's supposed to taste bland. If you just focus on the food, it's very forgettable, but you remember this place because it's overpriced, and again, because it reminds you of that kid who tried too hard to be someone he's not.
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I get what fusion might be and I did try giving it a second and even third chance but it was just not doing it for me.
firstly i dont mind paying $10 for a bowl of noodles, hey, i'll even pay $20 if it's a good bowl. but the noodle soup i had barely had taste and it was just a strange kind of fusion that didn't really whet my appetite. The gyoza was ok, nothing special and again overpriced.
Had to say i was REALLY excited when Wagamama came to Boston, but terribly disappointed with what I got.
the second star is given since they had a good selection of japanese beer there. that's it.
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I first tried Wagamama when I was on vacation in London. I loved it and was psyched when I heard that they would be opening locations in the U.S.
I work in Harvard Square and frequent the one there every few weeks. For the most part, I really like it. The food is good. It is freshly prepared and very flavorful. The Ramen noodle soups (let's face it -- that's all they are) are yummy. The broth is a little strong and heavy though.
The only thing I don't like is the community, picnic-style seating. I know this is what they are known for, but it bothers me to be sitting elbow-to-elbow with a stranger and trying to have somewhat of a private conversation with my lunch date. It is annoying, to say the least.
The staff is pretty friendly and nice. I like the little palm-pilot-like contraptions they use for orders.
I LOVE the food here, especially the yasai curry -- deep fried slices of sweet potato, eggplant, and squash, covered in a thick, delectable curry. I will always come back here for that dish.
I think with my stomach, so normally I'd give a place like this five stars, but it really bugs me that the food doesn't come out at the same time. The service is also a little hit or miss. Some of the servers have a very lackadaisical attitude that I haven't witnessed since Tower Records still existed. Wagamama, please stop hiring people who think they're too hip to work there.
ps--the dumplings are also totally awesome.
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I heard a lot about this place before I finally made it, for better or for worse. I'd heard that it was amazing over in London, but not so great here. Sadly, I have never been to London so I guess I have to *sigh* base my Wagamama's experience solely on their Harvard Square location.
The food was good but not great. I had a vegetarian spicy noodle stir fry that was mostly yummy, but too heavy on the sauce. My dining buddy had fried sweet potato and eggplant patties topped with a yummy green sauce and served with rice. Damn they were good, though I could feel my arteries clogging with every deep fried bite... If I go back, I think I will try one of their noodle soups-- I was eyeing the person's next to me throughout dinner.
Service was weird. As I placed my order, the waitress kept reaching over my shoulder to write codes (for what I was ordering, I presume?) on my placemat. It was a little awkward, her arm in my face, me confused and not sure what I was getting myself into. It felt like "hip gone wrong," and was too chaotic for my taste.
I did, though, really like being seated with others at a long table. It's almost cafeteria style in feel, but also makes it more likely to swap food recommendations with a neighbor or interact with those around you. Plus, it's good for eavesdropping/ people watching. It would be great for a casual date, and not so great for a romantic night out with your honey.
3 stars for okay food and weird service.
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I'm not really a "hard core" Asian food fan. Since some of my friends are trendy young urbanites, I tend to get dragged to a lot of overly-pretentious or overly authentic Asian restaurants where I have to scour the menu for something I can actually eat. With that as my baseline, this place was a breath of fresh air.
This place is primarily an Asian noodle place, which is good because there aren't a lot of good sources for basic noodle dishes. (except for the ubiquitous pad thai and chop sewey). The long menu makes sure everyone could find something they could eat. One time I went with a notoriously picky vegetarian friend, and had a "Mickey likes it" moment. I came a couple of times to the Harvard square location. The Chicken Udon with ginger was very good, it had a light, fresh taste with an interesting flavor just a little different from what you get at most places. The chicken katsu curry was good but not great. A perfectly done chicken katsu is one of the most under appreciated bits of Japanese food, but if you do it wrong it ends up just friend chicken. In this case the chicken was just a tiny bit too greasy.
The dessert menu was disappointing. I liked my coconut ice cream, but everyone else at my table thought there cakes was disappointing.
The service was good. The waters were perky young Harvard square punks, and the service was fast. The decor was modern and clean, but a little too "cafeteria" for my taste. They gave some very good free green tea.
Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe it was too expensive. Maybe i would have appreciated the soup if i had gone on a colder day. Maybe the hype surrounding the latest addition to Harvard Sq was exaggerated. Maybe my waitress was just in a bad mood. Maybe ...
You see, I wanted to love this place. I wanted to vow that I'd come here several times a week to try the many different noodle soups. I wanted this to be my new favorite spot.
I give it three stars.
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Definitely not a fan. I don't think Wagamama can really compete in a country where we have actual decent food options. It's overpriced, everything looks the same, and there doesnt seem to be any impressive flavor associated with the noodle dishes. I didn't finish my spicy chicken noodle dish and still felt unwell after.
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I can't decide if I like this location more over the Faneuil Hall one. All I know is I have a noodle addiction, and I need a fix at least once a week. This location is much more turist and local-oriented, whereas the Faneuil Hall is more for the workaholics and late night wanderers. I have a couple negative remarks, hence the 4-stars. Went there with friends visiting from abroad, and our waiter was just a little bit rude. They had already eaten, and just wanted to have some beers while my husband and I ate. They refused to let my friends order beers without food, as "this is a restaurant, not a bar". Fine! They didn't mind ordering a plate of edamame just to comply with regulations, but jeez, the WAY you say something totally changes the scenario (not to mention it affects your tip!). Went back last night for takeout, and they took about 30 minutes to make the food (I only ordered a soup and one dish). Not the way they usually operate, as their food is out (even though each dish at random times) very quickly. Still love the place though, it's just the service that is slackin' as of late.
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OK, I'll be honest: the food is not quite as good as I remember the food at the Auckland, New Zealand Wagamama. That said, this place is always busy, always fast, and reasonably priced, compared to the outrageousness of Harvard Square. Absolutely the most student-friendly restaurant in Harvard.
I recommend the fresh juice and the edamame; do not like the breaded cutlets :P
Well, I was expecting to have to defend my rating of three before coming to Yelp to review, but now it looks like I may be judging too high.
Let me start by saying that based on the recomendations of friends, I was expecting Wagamama to be great. Well, I found it to be just average. Some things were good, but other were bad.
The Service: Our actual server was a cute little dyke who doesn't belong serving food, and that's her opinion of herself too, if you know what I mean. After a while she must have gotten bored, because another girl who was also cute and much better came over and closed us out. Many of the servers were easy on the eyes (boys and girls) but some were definitely bad servers. Is their uniform "hipster w/attitude"?
The Atmosphere: Average, kind of QSR inspired with a fast food bent. But the prices and the time in and out were more "upscale" (than fast food). As most people have mentioned, it bothers me that the food comes out sporadically.
The Food:
- duck fried dumplings: really, really good, albeit a bit salty.
- the chicken curry rice dish: very tender and good chicken, but a bit salty.
- the boy's beef ramen dish: tasted like fish water with rawish meat floating in it, he liked it though.
Bathrooms: clean-ish, but broken toilet seat. No paper towels, in a restaurant? Seriously? It isn't McDonald's, a hand dryer isn't going to cut it. I don't like eating with wet hands, thanks. On that note, dropping Wagamama to 2 stars. (Wish I could give 2.5)
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DO NOT GO HERE ALONE. Chances are you will be seated at the bench along the window overlooking JFK. Which is all fine and good, until the servers start invading your space, reaching over your shoulder to scribble things on your place mat. They also have an uncanny ability to approach from behind -- and I mean directly behind -- and bark at you as soon as you've taken a big bite of noodles. Is it that hard to take a line of approach at, say, 45 degrees? What's a courteous diner to do? I've actually responded to abrupt queries of "How's your food?" by tossing a thumbs-up into the air toward the disembodied voice floating somewhere behind my head. Almost wish I'd opted for a different finger. It's just not worth it for mediocre, pricey noodles.
Come to think of it, don't go here at all. Porter Exchange is just one T stop away, after all.
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I've never seen a menu with so many disclaimers. "Our side dishes are not appetizers!" it barks, and "some dishes may arrive later than others, but don't wait to eat!" Just slurp up your soup and leave your friends behind with the bill, I guess. Actually, that's not a bad plan.
With so many negative reviews, Wagamama did not inspire a visit, but when my boss revealed two buy 1 get 1 free meal coupons, I decided to chance it. Normally I'd order a bowl of miso ramen, but I'm doing the carb-conscious thing these days, so I decided on one of three salad choices, the Ata-taka Chicken Salad ($9) with ginger chicken strips on bean sprouts, red onion, and baby spinach.
Our eager server gave us a run down on the disclaimers, took our tap water order, and scampered off. In very small print it says that green tea is free of charge with a meal order, so we got teas as well. Then, as we ordered our meals, the weird stuff happened. Without warning, our waiter reached in front of us and wrote some kind of hieroglyphics on our paper place mats. As efficient as this system may be, I'm always a bit distracted when a waiter invades my space, especially when the whole order is done on a big hand held computer thing anyway. What's the point of writing stuff? It's like asking a robotic toaster to make you toast and the toaster hands you a form to fill out first.
While my companions' various soups came out all at once, I was the lucky guy who had to wait. My salad looked pretty good, maybe not as substantial as I would have liked, but warm and fresh. The dressing was actually delicious, and I added some spicy oil to it to give it a kick. The chicken was fresh, not really in strips, but in bits. There were only a few sprigs of cilantro, so if lots of fresh herbs and spices are your thing you may be disappointed.
I cleaned my plate and felt pretty satisfied, but I must say that most of that satisfaction was due to the coupon. If I were to pay $16 instead of $8, I probably would have felt cheated. And that's probably the biggest complaint here--it's just too damned overpriced, especially when you're at long communal tables with waiters reaching in front of you to doodle on your place mat.
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I tried it out for the first time in London and wasn't blown away by that either, but this was a particularly unexciting establishment.
It's definately expensive, fast food with service for asian food and I think you can find ramen and noodles in Cambridge/Somerville that are way more flavorful and similarly priced, if not cheaper.
It looked like it was a big hit with families with children though.
Two stars for letting me relive London, at least a little bit and making me quite full.