Why It Took Wagamama So Long to Drop Down in the D.C. Area | Eater DC

"After years of “coming soon” promises, the London-born, European-bred modern Asian chain finally opened its first D.C.-area outpost for dinner on August 2 at 2950 Clarendon Boulevard in Arlington’s Clarendon neighborhood. I found the Clarendon menu mixes Wagamama classics — like fried chicken katsu curry and ramen bowls such as a spicy Sichuan-style pork swimming in a spicy chicken broth with onions, snow peas, scallions, and a tea-stained egg — with Clarendon-only items including miso cod served over green tea soba noodles, sweet potato fries loaded with Korean barbecue beef, and ahi tuna nachos on wonton chips topped with sesame cream, chili mayo, and furikake. The 17-seat bar is already serving crowd-pleasers like a Thai chili margarita (with chili liqueur and coconut syrup infused in-house) and sake-centric cocktails made with SOTO Sake, including a Vietnamese espresso martini, a matcha mule with yuzu and ginger, and a passionfruit paloma spiked with both sake and tequila alongside grapefruit and turmeric. Steve Mangleshot, Wagamama’s global executive chef and brand ambassador, says the brand has matured since first trying to open in D.C., expects the Clarendon menu to evolve with customer feedback, and aims to “Wagamama-ize” flavors from places like Seoul or Tokyo while balancing spice levels to local tastes. Nearly 35 years after its first storefront, Wagamama keeps prices reasonable here (most dishes under $20, none over $25; cocktails under $15), seats 47 outdoors and 131 inside across booths and long tables, and begins daily lunch service at 11 a.m.; hours run until 10 p.m. Sunday–Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday–Saturday." - Lulu Chang