You know, I am so lucky to live in the DMV area. I just want to preface that there are often well-known, popular restaurants that have originated elsewhere and end up in finding their way here. In this case, Wagamama, a British-chain restaurant has found its way to Arlington. I haven't visited England yet though happy that I can try Wagamama in my area instead of having to travel abroad or visit the other locations in the US. When Wagamama first opened up in August, I was nervous to dine here after reading some brutal reviews about how the food was mediocre. I was nervous to the point that I almost found an alternative restaurant to eat at since I didn't want to disappoint my dinner companion in taking them to a potential restaurant that was sub-par despite the hype. My instincts always kick-in though to remind myself to try and experience it for myself before judging. To my relief, this was a good experience. What were those other people on Yelp talking about? Really enjoyed the modern feel inside though couldn't feel as relaxed with the bench style seating (maybe I'm getting old). Started with the poke nachos, mixed mushroom + panko eggplant bao, moved on to grilled duck ramen + chicken pad thai, and finished with matcha cheesecake. We also got two rounds of the same drinks - the matcha mule and thai chili margarita. Everything was solid though I absolutely loved the texture of the baos that I wish I had ordered more for the table but wanted to save room for my entree. I also loved my matcha mule; I just cannot get enough of drinks that offer matcha. I could have done without the grilled duck ramen. For some reason, the grilled duck reminded me of a rotisserie chicken leg but maybe it's just me. Most importantly, I left feeling full. Dinner companion enjoyed their chicken pad thai along with their thai chili margarita. I would come back to try more of their unique cocktails and sample more of the "shareables". read more

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If you like green tea, get the flowering jasmine. It is the coolest thing and wonderful tasting too! I am curious to come back in the future to try juices, sake, or cocktails as well. The green tea soba noodles were also something I'd never seen and were very tasty. The menu has a lot it nice options and I hope to return. Service was very attentive. Environment is plain and could be crowded when full but was quiet on New Year's Day for lunch. read more

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Wagamama (Japanese word for selfishness and/or self-indulgence) is a chain that serves Boston, NYC, and Tampa in addition to Arlington. This is an award-winning Asian restaurant upscale chain serving great food at great prices. Starting with the mango/apple/orange juice (Balance) was a delight. The Gyozas were superb and the Bao outstanding. The noodle dishes we tried were good but the ramens were exceptional. Absolutely worth the visit, if for no other reason. Highly recommend this chain wherever you may find one. read more

Absolutely fantastic. The food was delicious. Our waiter Brandon was an absolute delight. The restaurant was exactly what it needed to be for the dining experience. I will definitely be back with friends. read more

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The bang bang cauliflower app was pretty good but otherwise good was just ok. Service was okay, we had someone who was learning but no issues. It's cute and had a lot of space available so not hard to get a table. read more

This is our 2nd time visiting (and got the same server as our 1st time actually). The warm and flavorful soup and ramen was amazing when it's below freezing outside. I tried their new Short Rib ramen and it was delicious. My husband loved the calamari with the tangy spicy sauce and textures. Highly recommend in the Clarendon area! read more

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Wagamama with the Yelp team! Big ups for this place opening at 11 a.m. when Tiger Dumpling couldn't be there for us. Honestly, had super low expectations for this place since most Asian American fusion places make me cry a little bit. It was great, maybe my taste buds have been accustomed to American ways but I didn't hate anything. The appetizers were all so yummy (the cauliflower had my whole heart) and the tuna nachos were super fresh and crispy. I forgot to take a pic of my main but it was the spicy pork szechuan ramen and it was really good. If I ever found myself in Arlington, this place would be top 5 of said out loud suggestions to the group. read more

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Loved this place! We went to try out this restaurant on a cold night - perfect for ramen! I noticed they have a great cocktail menu, but we skipped those in favor of more food for our first visit. I absolutely recommend getting the bang bang cauliflower to share - SO. GOOD. (We've also gotten it for takeout since, and it holds up pretty well over a short distance) Definitely a dish we'll be getting every time! It's spicy and well-rounded out with slivers of fresh ginger and cilantro. For my entree, I got the chicken gyoza ramen and really enjoyed it. There was a bit of a unique flavor I couldn't quite identify - if you're expecting spicy "chicken noodle soup" broth that you might find at Jinya for example, this certainly isn't it, but it's very delicious and I suggest giving it a try! For a later takeout order I tried the kare buroso ramen, which doesn't have as much flavor in the broth, but was still delightful with the flavorful tofu and chewy udon noodles. Lots of great dishes to try at Wagamama will keep you coming back for more! read more

Wagamama - 35. chicken gyoza ramen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

We wanted to like this because this is a much-hyped chain and we could really use some new restaurants in Arlington, but this underwhelmed us. It tastes exactly like what it is: a European company putting out its idea of what an Asian restaurant is supposed to be like. I got a vegan bowl. The meatless protein was flavorless and underwhelming, and the whole bowl, as many bowls like this often are, felt like exactly what it was - a mishmash of stuff thrown in a bowl together but not fully integrated. The marinaded mushrooms in my bowl were a standout, though, and I wish I could have ordered them on their own. I don't even remember what my fiance got, some variation, I think, on bulgogi and he was totally underwhelmed. Also underwhelmed with the bao. We both agreed the best part of our meal was a spicy cauliflower appetizer because it actually had flavor. Also this is an Asian restaurant but you can't just get a basic iced tea. Not possible. You have hot tea. Guess how you make iced tea. Servers were nice enough and knew the menu but meal timing dragged. We also thought portions and value for price were just not there when you consider that there is plenty of better, more authentic Asian food in the same area with better portions for better prices. Final note: uncomfortable, hard seating in much of the restaurant. Our butts went numb. Giving it 3 stars because it was fine. Not abysmal. Still way better than Hawkers in Ballston which is disgusting and actually offensive to anyone who likes Asian food. This wasn't offensive. Just meh. That said, this is right by Hanabi Ramen and maybe a block or two from Tiger Dumpling, which are both excellent, authentic, locally owned Asian restaurants with better less corporate vibes and greater value (there is also an izakaya next to Tiger Dumpling that I haven't tried yet but looks promising). So why go here? read more

So thrilled Wagamama has arrived to only in DC but even in Arlington! Now where will be my new must-stop at Heathrow? Wagamama was worth the multi year wait - it does not have the full menu spread of the UK, but does have a full range of options including vegetarian. I've been for their special opening night, as well as a couple times for the regular menu, but the definite winner is the "Taste of Wagamama" menu for $30, which gets you multiple (full!) courses with drink pairings, including sake tastings. Takeout also travels well. read more

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Really nice atmosphere here. Got the spicy marg pitcher and a few apps. Enjoyed the time with Damian as our server. Thank you! read more

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This place is excellent! Super nice inside and so busy on a weekend. Service was fast and the food was brought out so fast. I got to try a variety of unique dishes and they were all so good! Loved the chicken karage bao buns and thought the chicken was cooked perfectly. Also tried the tuna tataki which was solid. The entrees were amazing! Tried the beef brisket noodles - such tender beef and really delicious noodles. My favorite surprisingly was the chicken katsu. The curry had a very interesting and refreshing flavor. The chicken was not dry at all and nice and thin - cooked super well! Would def come back! read more

Yummy ginger chicken udon noodles was amazing! We shared appetizers of ahi tuna nachos, bao bun pork and apple, beef dumplings and chicken dumplings. Delicious! Then we shared the chocolate cake for dessert. Truly a feast! Great service too. Tried the special Arnold Palmer drinks which were great. read more

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The food is absolutely amazing!! The Baos are fantastic! The ahi is Omg and the duck ramen is just crazy and don't forget the drinks, you can't go wrong. read more

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The service was great and amazing deal for New Year's eve. Specially the cauliflower was delicious

2.5 stars. Ordered the fried calamari and miso cod soba. The calamari was super bland. Even with the dipping sauce. The soba was actually decent, but the cod was dry and bland. When I went they had just opened, so maybe they didn't not have all the kinks worked out. They have a pretty decent sized menu, so if I ever come back, I'll try something else. read more

Wagamama - 161. miso cod soba - Asian Fusion Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Fast service of a large group. Wide array of options including ramen and noodles, as well as pad Thai. read more

Wagamama - japanese black coffee - Asian Fusion Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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When I studied abroad in London, I would have dinner at Wagamama pretty much every week. It was one of my favorite places to get Ramen and loved the modern decor. I attended Clarendon Day -- a festival for the neighborhood and won a few free items including free juices and a sharable (or in other words an appetizer). I decided to check out the restaurant since I loved it so much, but was incredibly disappointed by our visit and just how terrible it is for families. First off, we walked in and each of us tripped on the rugs nearly falling down since they're not properly placed in the entry. We told the host and they didn't do anything as the rugs were still bunched up as we left and noticed other people walking in and nearly falling down. We asked for a table for four with two 4 year olds. They took us to a high top with stools (clearly having no idea how this doesn't work for young kids). I asked to be moved to a booth, which they did (which I appreciated!). I think what really irritated my family was just at how bad this place is for parents with kids. We asked our waiter if there were crayons for our kids. He immediately responded nope. Then asked, can we have some pens for them to draw? Nope. What about the one in your hand? No, it's the only pen I have... How about some paper? Nope. What about the pad you're writing on? I went to the host and asked for some pens. As they looked through the drawers, they had about 50 crayons inside. I said that they should probably tell their servers that they have crayons for the kids, but they walked away. Our server Marcel was not friendly or welcoming. It felt like we were completely irritating him and he didn't offer water or seem to care about serving us. We are friendly to all our servers but he was nothing but rude to us. I was honestly so surprised by just how terrible this experience was, especially since Clarendon has so many families. When we went to use our coupons from the festival, they told us that we couldn't use them since we didn't get enough full-priced entrees. This should have been explained at the top of our meal. If it was explained, we would have ordered differently. Again, not shocking since the service was just so unwelcoming. This place is a hard pass. We would welcome management to reach out to us directly. There is some major training that needs to be done with your staff -- particularly knowing how many families are in the area. read more

Yum, yum, yum. Wagamama is a gem in Arlington. Although you can find many places to eat ramen, you won't find many Wagamama locations in the United States. Service was super fast on a Wednesday evening. We had a reservation, but didn't really need one. It was very quiet. Now to the star: the ramen! I got the chili chicken ramen, and it was delicious. It had enough kick, but wasn't too spicy. It felt light and there was a good amount of chicken. I recommend checking out Wagamama for some good, belly-warming Ramen! read more

Wagamama - 20. chicken ramen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

My wife and I went on Valentine's Day and we had a great experience. We started with the mushroom and eggplant bao, which was excellent. Both of us had noodle dishes, which were as good as any high end Asian restaurant I've been to and ended with a delicious chocolate and hazelnut cake. Also, the lychee martini and Thai chili margarita were wonderful. Although the interior could be nicer, the prices were very reasonable. The only negative was that our server, who was obviously frustrated with the manager, said in a fairly loud voice "F**k this place, I hate it here." Hopefully they work things out with their staff as my wife and I will definitely be back again. read more

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 read more

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The Chicken Gyoza Ramen was delicious, I would definitely recommend it. I wish I had gotten it spicy but otherwise I loved it. The Pork Belly and Panko Apple Bao were good. Flavorful and tasty. Though the price and quantity were not ideal. I would still recommend to try them. read more

Wagamama - 115. pork belly and panko apple bao - Asian Fusion Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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I've been to a location in the UK a while back and was looking forward to trying this location. The server was attentive the manager was attentive. Our juice drinks were delivered so slowly. Easily 10 minutes and there were very few customers in the restaurant. Our food came out one item at a time so we didn't really get to eat our meal together. This was peculiar considered neither one of us ordered anything that would needed to be cooked or prepared very long. The server told us that everything cooked fresh. They had no heat lamps; however, when my calamari arrived it wasn't even warm. They did take it back and brought it back later and it was hot; however, it was disappointing. The restaurant was not busy on the day we dined there. I hope that they get their timing worked out. Based on the food and drink prep we experienced, I wouldn't recommend dining here. read more

We came on a Saturday night and found two seats at the bar. Bar service was fantastic, Linda was very friendly and quick to take our orders, and special shout out to AJ as well. We loved the yuzu and Vietnamese espresso martini cocktails, they were well made and came out quickly. The restaurant serves many different kinds of Asian cuisines, and while all dishes were solid none were exceptional to me. The calamari was my favorite dish, although the others were still good. The atmosphere inside is cute, and good for a date night or a nice dinner with a few friends. read more

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We came in at Sunday at 4 when it opened and were sat promptly. It really picked up within the hour since its new and people are excited about it. Our waiter was super sweet and attentive. The bar was definitely backed up- took 20 minutes to get our second round of drinks and they almost completely forgot another drink. For a while no one filled our water and then the flood gates opened and everyone was filling our glasses. The blossom and Yuzu drinks were good and they had a nice selection of sake. We ordered a ton of apps and two mains: chicken goyza, Tokyo fries, crispy rice, bang bang cauliflower, duck bao buns, chicken pad Thai, and the tantanmen ramen. Most of the food came out quickly but we waited forever for the bao buns for some reason. Best items we tried: Tokyo fries, cauliflower, and crispy rice. They were all unique with a great depth of flavor, and must fries it opinion. Ok items we tried: duck bao bun- lots of duck but needed some sauce to be drizzled on top or something. Goyza was just ok. Ramen was decent with a nice broth. Bad items we tried: the pad Thai. Maybe an off day but the flavor was just not good. Overall I'm sure the service kinda will work themselves out as the restaurant get its legs. Definitely looking forward to trying new things. read more

Food was great, service was great, ambiance was great. This was our first time here and came here for this weeks date night and was not let down. Our server and bartender Marvin was the icing on the cake! He was personable, funny, came with great recommendations for our first time and was just the best! He is what changes first timers into routine visitors! Well done! read more

Wagamama - Japanese fries w/ egg added appetizer. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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The food was great, but what really made our experience was the service. Ben was our waiter and made the experience extremely unique and special. He did a cool magic trick at the end that I don't think anyone at our table will forget! Would definitely recommend the banana katzu for dessert. This is such a great addition to the neighborhood and i hope next time I am lucky enough to get Ben as my server again! read more

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This was our first time visiting this Wagamama location. We have previously visited locations in New York City and in the UK. The staff were amazing and our server Marcel was awesome! He was very knowledgeable and right amount of attentive. We chose to do the taste of Wagamama which is an excellent deal if you are interested in trying new and delicious food and sake. It's a set menu that does not allow alternatives but has a wonderful variety. My sister and I have a shellfish and peanut allergy and the entire tasting menu was shellfish and peanut free. The price for what you can get is perfect. They also offer a vegetarian option and not everyone at the table is required to participate (unlike other restaurants in the area that have an "all or nothing" policy) The vibe was great and we definitely will be back to try some other menu items. I have posted a few photos from our experience. read more

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Everything was sooo fresh! Love the calamari (has a spice to it!) gyoza, bao buns, and chicken ramen is extremely flavorful without being overly salty. So impressed by the friendly service too! read more

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We've been here twice and had a wonderful experience both times. The Saturday evening bar staff on 11/9 were so friendly (two women, one man). It was a pleasure being around them at the bar. No matter how busy it got behind the bar, they checked in and took great care of is. The food and drinks were excellent both times. They make a great salad to accompany your other dishes :) read more

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TL;DR - Grilled duck was good but the rest of the food were OK only. Service was spotty due to the busyness of the restaurant - Expected during soft opening. I'll definitely come back again once the initial crowd dies down. Service: The service is spotty during soft opening due to the busyness. This is expected, and the staff did their best. Food: While the Grilled duck ramen was amazing, the rest (Tantanmen with Brisket, Chili squid, tokyo fries) were average. Cocktails (Yuzu and Passion Fruit Paloma) are spirit-forward in general - I personally love this, but could see the crowd might need the drinks to be on the fruity side. Ambiance: The music is a bit loud, but overall OK. read more

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If I could figure out how to give this place 10 stars, I'd not only do it but it still wouldn't be enough! Came here 7/30 for soft opening. the decor and ambiance are upbeat and energetic. Staff was unbelievably attentive, professional, and proactively engaging. I was greeted at the door, directed to hostess location, seated by Jeffrey. He saw that I had a friend at the bar, and asked if I would like to be seated there. Jeff and Rachel behind the bar took care of me. Literally everything I could want was preemptively provided. Napkin crushed up? Another provided before I could mention it. Glass getting low? Filled up before it ever was empty. Food recommendations on point. I could not have asked for better service, more tasty food, or a better "pre birthday" dinner. They somehow topped all this anyhow, and comped everything. Can't wait to come back! Cheers team, all of you absolutely crushed it tonight!!! read more

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I know people love to hate on chains but I love Wagamama, and have loved them since I lived in England. The food is consistent, there's a lot of variety, and it's always a happening scene. Is it the most authentic Japanese food? Absolutely not, but I love the katsu pork and crispy tuna appetizer. read more

Got the rice bowl and a juice! Both very good! Restaurant is much bigger inside than expected, and all the ingredients tasted super fresh and yummy! Need to come back to try more! read more

Wagamama - Asian Fusion Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

We came here on a friday and really enjoyed it! All of the food was delicious - not pictures but the fries were my favorite! Cocktails were also delicious and service was super quick and great! read more

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One word-Horrible. Tantanmen Brisket Ramen was trash. I don't even know why you would put brisket into ramen, it ruined the whole delicate balance. Not that there was a balance. The brisket tasted like Christmas ham. Bamboo shoots tastes off, kimchi was extremly sour, and worst of all there wasn't even any flavor. I might as well have been eating and drinking water. No matter how much broth and ramen I drank, I had a faint whisper of chicken fly by and it's gone. Gyoza was mediocre, it says "steamed" but definitely doesn't have the qualities of one, more like microwaved from Costco. The edges were hard, the chicken was bland. I had to dunk it in sauce several times to get some flavor. It was slightly better than ramen. Curry was horrendous. There was wayyy too much rice and not enough sauce. It's more like heat up pouches you buy from the grocery. Katsu was very very thin with hardly any meat and left a burnt aftertaste in my mouth. Sauce was strangely sweet and salty at the same time (that isn't a good thing) and tasted like a kids curry from Japan. Would get a better taste and experience from Hmart, than going to this restaurant that frankly gives me gentrified asian food vibes. For dessert I ate the banana sweet. The ice cream tasted good, but you can't even mess ice cream up since it's mostly store bought. The fried bananas were flavorless, which I can't even believe is possible since banana is a very sweet fruit. Server was nice, and was very attentive Considering the meal quality, the prices are to high. read more

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It's pretty telling that we were the only Asian table at this restaurant, much less only table with people of color. The food is okay, service was fine, but nothing I would return for. Easily better ramen spots - that serve MORE - in even DC. The tuna bowl was so disappointing - the vegetables sparse in comparison to the mound of plain white rice at the bottom. The best thing to order here are the drinks, the matcha sugar dust on our glasses is legitimately tasty. The baos were fine - highly recommend the korean fried chicken one if you are here - but I wouldn't come back just to eat them. read more

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What I will say is everything is fresh here and you can tell that it is made with no a lot of thrills very straight to the point. I enjoyed the katsu chicken the gravy was AMAZING super flavorful. Being GF I only had four selection s to choose from and ordered the chili chicken however it came out like a ramen with no spicy chicken broth, peas or the other items mentioned. When I realized they had for sure given me the wrong order I was too far in. The menu is also small and limited. Direct and to the point. Would only return because my partner loves this place but I would never crave it. read more

Been here twice and while the service is great, the food tends to be in the saltier side. The place is spacious and great for a casual date or families. Would come here again if in the area. read more

Wagamama - Asian Fusion Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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I was looking forward to trying Wagamama, but have to say I was a bit disappointed. I'm only giving it a three since I can't rated it 2.5 stars. The dish I ordered was average, the broth was plain; it did not have a lot of flavor. The only good thing was the tofu and mushrooms. The service was good. read more

Wagamama - Asian Fusion Near Me - Arlington, Virginia