Hannah H.
Yelp
I've been waiting for wagamama to open for years now; I tried it for the first time back in London over 20 years ago and had a good experience, and with the back-and-forth of planning in the works, scrapping, and the back-and-forth, I had almost given up that it was coming to NoVA.
We came here for an early dinner, and we ordered:
+tokyo fries - sweet potato fries topped with Korean barbeque beef, sriracha, and Japanese mayo; we opted out of cilantro; the description sounded appetizing, but the actual item was not; the beef was really weird, as they were strips that tasted a cross between beef jerky and wet strips of beef you find in Chinese takeout; the 'fries' were more like shoe strings, and super thin and seemed more like it should be used for as a topping; there was hardly any mayo nor the sriracha; the dish was also more on the greasier end, as the fries were not drained properly
+chili shrimp + kimchi ramen - spicy vegetable broth with marinated tail-on shrimp, kimchi, and scallions; opted out of the cilantro; broth was okay, but the shrimp had an odor to them; thinking they could be more fresh; noodles were cooked al dente
+chicken ramen - chicken broth with dashi and miso, with sliced grilled chicken; this was just okay; chicken was underseasoned, the noodles were cooked al dente, but the broth was unflavorful
Staff were friendly and kind. There seems to be runners who just drop off foods for all the tables.
High-tops were a little uncomfortable, but there are also regular tables and a counter seating at the bar.
I'm glad I was able to revisit wagamama, but most likely won't return.
Metered street and garage parking available.
+unflavorful broths
+seafood could be more fresh
+friendly service
+metered street and garage parking available