Wagamama Hammersmith Review
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Wagamama
Hammersmith, London
Reviewed by Sean Dodson
The white tiled walls of a traditional London fire station have something of the utilitarian chic that we have come to associate with Wagamama over the years. So it is no surprise that the East Asian style noodle bar has co-opted the old firefighters HQ in Hammersmith for its latest branch.
We started in the bar with a couple of cocktails. This is the first Wagamama to have its own cocktail bar and patrons don’t have to eat to drink there. The mojito (£5.95) of vodka and sake, all sweet and mellow, was enlivened by fresh mint and a dash of lime. A margarita (£5.95) as sharp as the London Shard, was intensely flavoured with tequila, yuzu sake and lime juice.
Wagamama is known for its communal seating, but more recent branches have started to offer individual seating. We sat at one of the private tables and ordered a cleansing raw salad (£3.30) of mixed leaves and crunchy red onions garnished with fried shallots and served with the house dressing, a light soya-infused sauce with a subtle touch of ginger. Equally delicate was the platter of summer rolls, miso chicken and marinated chilli beef (both £4.25), each enveloped in a translucent wrap as thin as rice paper and served with a delightful dipping sauce.
Japan is the country most associated with Wagamama, but it has long offered a range of pan-Asian classics. The chicken and prawn pad Thai was an attractive bowl of rice noodles in a plummy tamarind sauce with chicken, prawns and a delicious fried tofu that was just the right side of fluffy. The attendant beansprouts, leek, garlic and ginger, peanuts, mint and lime helped create a dish of some complexity and a snip at £9.55.
Across the table, my partner tucked in to another Thai inspired dish. The tom yum soup (£10.25) came in a big, brown bowl full of a comforting sour-but-slightly-sweet stew of prawns and vegetables. The crunchy leeks, firm courgettes and juicy mushrooms complimented the soft curls of vermicelli noodles most agreeably.
The Hammersmith branch – replete with its fireman’s polls (sadly not for customer use) – is a fine addition to a chain that remains flexible enough to change, while presenting its customers with consistently healthy and tasty food. Since the first branch opened in Streatham Street in Bloomsbury I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve eaten at Wagamama. I’ve never, ever had a bad meal there.
Rating: 5/5 
For more information, view menus or find your nearest Wagamama visit www.wagamama.com
