We were so sick of seeing Wagamama restaurants throughout the UK so wanted to see what the big deal was. At some locations, there was a line through the door. Here, we were able to be seated pretty quickly. The seating arrangement is pretty open. It's bench-style seating which makes it good for large parties. With so many menu options, I was struggling with what to order. I asked our waitress what the most popular item on the menu and ended up ordering that -- chicken katsu curry. I am a big fan of katsu curry back home so by no means was I disappointed that the katsu curry was the people's #1 choice. What I was disappointed with was the dish overall. The only thing this dish has going for it is the presentation. It looks magnificent but it definitely looks better than it tastes. The chicken katsu was breaded well but the chicken was razor thin. Not to mention, there was nothing aromatic about the curry. The curry was bland as can be! I was expecting better after seeing so many locations scattered across the UK. I'm glad I checked this place out once and I'm also glad to know that I won't be returning. read more

Wagamama - Chicken katsu curry - Japanese Near Me - Manchester, XGM

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I was invited to come here as part of testing their gluten free selection, this is one of three Wagamama locations in Manchester city centre alongside locations in the Manchester Printworks and St Peter's Square. This place does look quite nice and is one of the nicer branches of the chains I have seen, the first I have visited, it has long benches which is typical of most asian fusion places. The service here was excellent - the manageress was really friendly, and so was the person who talked me, we began chatting about football and then Manchester City right back Bacary Sagna, who had actually dined here on the same day as me, so it was a real shame i missed him, he of course now has left City and been replaced by two new right backs, Kyle Walker and Danilo Luiz! I was also told some other football players came in here such as Nice striker Mario Balotelli, when he was at Manchester City. I did have some slight issues with my food, although the sauce was nice, I didn't really like the noodles, they seemed stuck together and the quality of the meat inside wasn't great, and I sadly found the tofu to be disgusting. The food were served in big bowls, some of the things inside made it look like a mess in ways, and a little unappetising. I also ordered some coconut flavoured desserts, they tasted like they were fresh and homemade perhaps, but I found the coconut flavour to be too much sadly The smoothies, however, were one of my more favourite things about the menu, I found them to be quite healthy. I'm struggling to comment further as my visit was a few months ago, but I found the food to be quite poor, although they did have some interesting, innovative concepts but sadly despite the very good service, with the food issues I sadly feel this store probably only warrants a high two star rating. read more

For the first year it was open, this particular Wagamama seemed a well kept secret amongst noodle lovers. Now it seems almost as busy as the original branch near Victoria Station. The main draw apart from the mouth-watering food, is the big floor to ceiling windows which make the whole place seem spacious, inviting and sunny. The dumplings, noodles and rice dishes are all consistently good but my personal tip is to try the ebi gyoza followed by chicken kare lomen. It's divine! For those with a sweet tooth, the white chocolate and ginger cheesecake is also lip-smackingly good. read more

Wagamama - Japanese Near Me - Manchester, XGM

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I'm not usually one for visiting chain restaurants and when is comes to Japanese and Chinese food especially Manchester is spoilt with so many independent choices. I had never tried Wagamama's before so I decided to pop by on my way home through Spinningfields and give it a go. I was every impressed - it wasn't too busy and we were seated at the end of a long table and the waitress came over. We ordered a few dishes to start and then a main meal each. The starters were very good! The chilli squid was exceptional and the lollipop prawns too. I found them to be excellent value. My main course was teriyaki beef with sticky rice. It was okay, the beef wasn't as tender as I'd have hoped but still it was enjoyable. I was full by the end of the meal and it wasn't too expensive either. If I went back I'd order an array of starters as a main meal, as these were really good. read more

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One Wagamama is like any other, right? Wrong. This Wagamama is insanely different to the one at the Printworks. First of all, at the Printworks one you descend down a set of stairs into a basement, whereas here the walls are made of glass, allowing for some excellent Spinningfields people-watching. This also means lots of nice natural light as opposed to the harsh windowless lighting provided by the Printworks one. Another noteworthy aspect is that the Spinningfields business district location means that it attracts a different kind of patron. Therefore it's busier here at lunchtimes than in evenings, whereas at the Printworks it's vice versa. But the biggest difference at all, and this is the first time I've encountered this in ANY restaurant... is that they ask about dietary requirements. What I mean by that is not that you arrive, and are seated, and they invite you to write down a list of everything you're allergic to, not at all. I had a guest once who always asked for the yaki soba, but without onions. The staff at this Wagamama always ask, without fail, and this is EVERY member of staff we've ever been served by: 'Is that a personal preference or a dietary requirement?' Yep, that does indeed count as another difference between the Printworks one and the Spinningfields one, they've never mentioned dietary requirements over by the Odeon. It makes me assume that the staff at Spinningfields have customer service drilled into them to the extent that if anybody asks to omit any dish ingredient, they must ask if it's because of an allergy. Of course we never answered yes, because he wasn't allergic - but what would happen? Would they talk about onions in sauces and not really being able to avoid them? Or would they bend over backwards to cook a batch without onions? Who's to know. The main thing is that they ASK. And that's impressive. See, I like the Spinningfields Wagamama a lot because of that extra effort, and the windows, and Spinningfields itself, but I like the Printworks Wagamama because it's nearer to the cinema and has more of an out-for-the-evening vibe to it. But which is better? There's only one way to find out... FIGHT!!! read more

Wagamama is quickly becoming a 'go to' place for my friend and I when we need something quick and relatively healthy. As we're based just across from Spinningfields at work, this venue was an obvious choice for a meal before heading to Gorilla to a gig. Inside is naturally much lighter than its Printworks counterpart, and you can get some great people watching time in. We ordered a bottle of wine, which was a touch warm at first, but it was swiftly encased in a cold jacket which cooled it down instantly. We skipped starters and went straight for mains; after much umming and aahing, I went for the chicken katsu curry. The chicken was delicious, nice and crispy despite the lashing of curry sauce, and topped with perfectly sticky rice, making the whole dish very easy to eat with chopsticks (even for a bit of a novice, which I still am!) Service was friendly throughout, and we were checked up on not only by our server but also by the manager of the branch, which showed they were proud of what they were doing. Nice, relaxed experience which I'd be happy to repeat - even if it is a chain. read more

This restaurant chain is by no means authentic Asian or Japanese food in any way. I find their food to be mediocre. They definitely don't do Japanese food any justice. There is a lack of certain ingredients in some of their food. My noodles were over cooked and it was hard and chewy in some parts. The chickens are dry over the ramen noodles. The chefs obviously has never made Japanese food before, and the food wasn't made with precision and love. typical westernised Asian food, very disappointing. On the plus side, the restaurant is nicely decorated and it is very cosy, I'll give them that! read more

Wagamama - Ginger chicken Teppan you noodles - Japanese Near Me - Manchester, XGM

I popped in Wagamama with a friend one lunch time for a catch up. We arrived at 12.45pm expecting a bit of a wait but were shown straight to a table that was light and airy. We both ordered the Katsu chicken curry with a diet coke and commenced chatting. The diet cokes took a while to arrive despite the restaurant being so quiet. We could see them sat on the bar for a while before a server brought them over. The food was much more prompt. The Katsu chicken was lovely and crispy, the rice sticky but slightly too sticky for my liking. The sauce had a nice spice to it but had been poured over the whole thing. I would have preferred it just on my chicken or on the side so I could decide how much I wanted with my meal. We were shown where the forks were but unfortunately the chicken hadn't really been cut into manageable sizes and the absence of a knife was obvious. We ended up sawing it up with our forks as there weren't any knives to be had! A real shame as the service was relatively quick where the food was concerned and the restaurant itself is much more calm compared to other restaurants in Spinningfields at this time of day. read more

Wagamama - Chicken katsu curry - Japanese Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Looking for a decent sit outside lunch venue near Deansgate, Manchester and was a tad surprised at the lack of options I fancied. Wasn't in the mood for food at Dukes. Iberica and Thaikun didn't have good sunshine exposure. Didn't want any pub food. Didn't want to walk around all day looking for a place, as was getting over-enthusiastically peckish. Enter Wagamama, spinningfields. Great outdoor seating area for lunch, great food and reasonably priced (given its location) Restaurant chains come in different shapes and sizes. As far as the likes of Wagamama's, Rice and Tampopo are concerned I'm not too scathing in criticism. The same way I'm not too scathing in my criticism of Film franchises like Saw. They aren't pretending to be anything they're not. You know what you're getting. At Wagamama's, the menu isn't gonna blow you away but you're guaranteed to be served a decent Pad Thai or a Katsu curry. These aren't hard dishes to make and I LOVE them. So any place that serves them at reasonable prices are fine by me. The set up is simple, the prices are simple, the food is simple. Simple is good. I can do simple. read more

Wagamama - Ideal... - Japanese Near Me - Manchester, XGM

Wagamama is just one of those places that never lets you down. I was out with a group of people the other night, we were off to the Opera House to see Aladdin and we had just less than an hour before we had to be there...only problem was that we were starving. One hour to eat on a Friday night?! Only one place for it...! The people I was with had never been to Wagamama before and I'd never been to this Spinningfields one, it's a much nicer style than the Printworks one, it's all glass windows so great for people watching and there is ample seating, it's still a bit weird for first-timers that you all sit together on benches but you get over it in after about 5 minutes. The service was unbelievably quick and so was the food, a lot of people don't like the fact that the food comes separately when it's ready, they don't wait for all dishes for one party. I actually really like it because the food is always steaming hot and not been sat on a hot plate for 20 minutes. Sure it's a bit antisocial but it's never a long wait for any dishes so it's not for very long. It's about £6-£10 per main course so it's cheap as chips but much tastier! There's always a deal on too, in January it's 2-4-1 on main meals! Bargain! The daily specials are worth a look too, the crab cakes I had the other day were amazing, I hope they end up on the proper menu because I would go back for them alone! read more

Wagamama - "Website Photo" - Japanese Near Me - Manchester, XGM

A favourite of me and my chums we will often log onto student beans, rustle up a 2 for 1 then head down. I still struggle to grasp wagamama's menu, but generally speaking anything you order is all about big flavours and big portions. The latter is great news for a fat boy like me, however the first point should be well adhered to, when things are hot they are hot, when things have ginger in them you better dam well hope you like ginger. But don't let this put you off everything is delicious. The restaurant is set up so you sit at a long table facing across from your friends, green tea is free (that rhymes).... (not that you needed telling that) and there is lots of huge soups which can quickly fill you. My favourite is wagamama ramen basically as huge broth of tofu, chicken, noodles and every variety of green matter ever found. Prices won't break the bank. read more

Wagamama - Japanese Near Me - Manchester, XGM

food service is ok. ambiance bit expensive though. energy is good and nice and not too noisy read more

Locates well. Just to the opposite of the city main library. Well-decorated but the music is a little bit loud when eating. The ramen tastes good but a little bit expensive including service charge read more

Wagamama - Chili beef tastes nice, not that spicy. Wagamama ramen is good and classic. A little bit expensive - Japanese Near Me - Manchester, XGM

I. LOVE. THIS. PLACE. The food is so yummy, so decently priced and tastes fresh! Quick to serve food (but be prepared if in a group, it may not all come at the same time!), did I mention FREE green tea, smoothies to overwhelm your taste buds from all the vitamin goodness and lovely staff! I love the pad thai and this is another place that can provide for people with a gluten intolerance - you can get rice noodles! I'm not sure how far with allergies... On my to do list! After swimming, I love to come here and chow down on my noodles, stir fried vegetables and then rock on over to Fruurt next door for some Fro-Yo. I suggest you try the same! read more

So my friend celebrates his "Clean Time Birthday" every year at Wagamama's, and I've been the past 3 years. Last week, 30 of us rocked up on a Friday night unannounced and we could all pretty much fit on one table so celebrate our friends achievement (how many places could you do that on a Friday night I ask you?? Not many!) Poor poor Wagamama's staff! Anyway they were completely unfazed by this, and we all promptly got drinks from 3 staff who came over and took our orders- no fuss, no problems and got nothing wrong! They told us that our meals will come staggered at different times because it was cooked fresh which we completely understood. We were just happy with the prompt efficient service. We all got our meals, and each one of us was not disappointed. I couldn't find fault with the Chicken Katsu Curry (YUM) I ordered, and at £10 I was totally satisfied with the quality and portion size! I was eyeing up everyone else's food (as you do.. Waiting for them to offer you a bite..) which looked amazeballs. I think per head no one paid more than £17 for a soft drink, a main and a side/ and or pudding. They offer healthy selections of alternative delicious grub for those watching their waistlines too so don't be put off if you think it's all heavy run-of-the-mill Asian cuisine because its not! There's no need to have a diet crisis here.. I've never had a disappointing experience here. I've not been to other Wagamama's so I'm unable to compare, or guarantee they're all like this, but I can vouch for this Spinningfields chain for sure! Give it a whirl if you've not been. If you don't like it, I'll eat my fist. read more

Wagagmamas is generally somewhere I go to that's a safe bet, and ticks all the boxes. Obviously this all depends on you liking Japanese and Asian food! But I have found there is generally something for everyone on the menu. Since I last visited, their menu seems to have had a slight re-haul. With additional items added to spice things up (like the beef and red onion steamed bun that I had, which was delicious!), but they've also kept the old favourite's on there, like the Katsu curry and the Phad Thai (my personal fave... Thai I know, don't hate me...) so I was pleased to find they hadn't banished some dishes off the menu, instead just extending it, which in Wagamamas case lends to its culinary repertoire. Slight negatives: my edamame beans were boiling hot when they arrived, and wasn't informed to their temperature, I am used to edamame beans being cold so this was a surprise to me and I almost burnt my mouth on one! Secondly, my tofu was still a bit under cooked - now I know tofu technically doesn't need to be 'cooked through' but it was just a bit too cool in the centre for my liking. Could of done with being a little hotter. Also, last note, we had to wait for a very long time for our plates to be cleared after we finished eating. We must of sat and chatted for 20 minutes or so after we finished eating, and no one came to clear our plates until I actually asked for the bill. Food was delicious, staff communication with customers could do with a little work. read more

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Been to Wagamamas several times before. This was for a unofficial Christmas do for the company I used to work for. Tried one of there new soup based noodle dishes. As usual very tasty. Didnt have to wait that long for the table even with it being so close to Christmas. Also didnt have to wait that long for the food to arrive. The restaurant was generally warm - especially with it being SO cold outside. Below zero! I was however underneath some either the aircon outlet or a draught but it wasnt too bad. read more

Good place to go for a working lunch. I've been here a couple of times now in my limited 1 hour break from work; its just across the street and upon telling the waiting staff you have around 50 minutes they reassure you that their service is quick at lunch. I met a friend here for a brief catch up as she had arrived into Manchester airport an hour or so ago. We were shown to a seat - and luckily weren't squashed in next to other diners, as I know wagamamas tend to do this on their long benches. We shared a starter of Duck Gyoza served with a dipping sauce. The little parcels were tasty with a fair amount of actual duck meat inside. If you have eaten here before you will be aware that the dishes all come at different times as soon as they have been cooked. Which is why it makes Wagamams an ideal quick-lunch. My friend opted for the Yaki soba which was tasty and full of flavor from the ginger. I went for the Chicken katsu curry that is served with sticky rice and breaded chicken - the curry was about average but not as tasty as my friends dish! As promised we were in and out the restaurant in less than an hour, which was all we needed! read more

Went here by my lonesome whilst waiting for friends to finish work, I throughly enjoyed my meal I had katsu chicken which is like heaven on a plate and a smoothie which was as smooth as your skin after you've used a bit of nivea. The waitress was super friendly too and the food cane quicker than the blink of an eye, thanks waggas! read more

Wagamama - Chicken and prawn Yaki Soba - Japanese Near Me - Manchester, XGM

This was the place of the first tasty meal I had in Manchester, the only decent Asian meal, and the only one my student adviser took us starving students out to. Bastard. I heard he said stuff about me to other students, wondering why I "couldn't get it together", you know, based on the one half conversation we ever had. Oh yes, I remember that when it was time for dessert, I took pleasure in ordering. "Sweet punani, please!" The American kids chuckled, the adviser didn't, the waitress smiled. read more

To be honest, I've never been to a bad Wagamamas but the one in Spinningfields is a particularly pleasant setting. Although it is a little like a greenhouse when the sun's out because it gets so hot with all the glass windows.. that aside, gorgeous. There's always space to sit but still seems to be busy so you're never sitting in an empty restaurant. It's fun to sit with people you don't know and in fact, this is the best way to spot potential meals. That's how I discovered the Chicken Katsu curry. Heavenly. Although the portions are quite big, I seem to be able to get through it with relative ease... the curry sauce is just heavy enough to taste full but goes well with the chicken in breadcrumbs. The salad that comes with it usually remains untouched on my plate but hey some people may enjoy deviating from the delish to some greenery. If there for a birthday, the staff are lovely and they give a free dessert to the birthday person. How unexpected and yummy - definitely the chocolate cake. But the cheesecake is pretty good as well. read more

Went Wagamama's last night was really good. First time I've ever been, but my boyfriend lived in Japan for a year and says it's quite authentic. I had the vegetable (yasai katsu) curry, it was delicious. My boyfriend had the chicken katsai curry - I wanted his more! Would definitely go back. Not to bad on price either. Oh yeah the yakitori's good too! Enjoy! read more

If you are looking for somewhere fancy, but affordable, Wagamamas is the place for you! With a wide range of oriental style dishes to try it really makes a great night out. The styling of the rooms may not fit everyone large benches with long tables where you could be sat right next to strangers as opposed to separate tables, but to me this just adds to the social atmosphere. Dishes are served when they are ready from the open plan kitchen, so one person may be eating while others wait please don't stick to table etiquette and wait, just tuck in, and if someone elses arrives before yours, tuck into theirs (after asking!) They run a variety of special offers through the year, frequently running buy one get one frees, so a nice meal for 2 can cost under £20. Staff are very friendly, and have always been happy to explain what a dish is, or what it contains. The food is fantastic, a variety of oriental meals that I relly cant do Also with the location close to Granada studios you can often see stars from Coronation Street popping in in the evening! read more

The Spinngfields Wagamama is by far my favourite restaurant in the city. I was never a fan of oriental cuisine, but I love this place! The delicious food has completely converted me, and although I order the same thing every time, I know I'lll get a filling and tasty meal each time - and their puddings are just as great! Each dish is quite reasonably priced. The atmosphere is fab in this restaurant. The long tables mean you could find yourself sitting next to anyone. This isn't always everyone's cup of tea, but it makes the whole experience more fun. The restaurant is light and airy, with huge windows letting in natural light. The food is all cooked in an open kitchen so you can see exactly what's going on - again adding to the fun. It's a bit of trek from the centre of town - just off Deansgate, but since it's kind of tucked away, it never gets as busy as the Printwork's Wagamama. read more

Went here once with my boyfriend. I was not expecting much but I was pleasantly suprised! My veggie soup was delicious too!

Far eastern cuisine served in an informal canteen style with long benches. Don't be surprised if you find a stranger sat next to you or your meal arrives before your fellow diners! Stir frys and large bowls of soup are the order of the day here. Their best venue in Manchester, light and airy unlike Printworks! read more

The food was OK, Quick to arrive but it was on the cold side after 5 minutes. I don't really like the concept of sitting on benches next to other people who I don't know. It was like being at school dinners again. read more

Love this place. I start with green tea. Then edamame beans with chilli and salt and for a main yasai Itame and a glass of carrot juice with ginger. The food and the service is consistently good. Unconditionally recommended . read more

This is a brand new wagamama in the new spinningfield development which is still work in progress so the view is mostly workmen which is not a bad thing. The menu like the other branches is varied and as usual very fresh. The seating arrangements on benches in the same and the service is fast and efficient however it was very quiet at the time of my visit. read more

Wagamama is a place for those who want to find the balance between the Eastern cuisine and Western style and chilled atmosphere. The Spinningfields outlet gives you just that. You can enjoy your sushi or soup, overlooking either busy Deansgate or the entrance to the Manchester Evening News building. I prefer it at the start of the day, when it is not too crowded. The best thing about it, compared to many other places (oriental or not), is attention to children. I still remember a father visiting the place with his small son, and the two men spent half of their time drawing with colour graphite pencils on the back of the menu. read more

Can't fault the fast paced yet casual atmosphere. Dishes are full of flavour! I find a main course is enough here. Decent selection of drinks too. read more

Wagamama has become increasingly popular over the last couple of years and it's not all that difficult to see why. The service is fast, the food tastes good, and the benches are extremely comfortable. One of those is a lie, guess which. I've never had a bad experience in Wagamama, so by that standard it gets a good mark. What prevents it from getting a four or a five is the fact that I'm not overly keen on the food. It's nice, but doesn't grab me in a big way. But, if you dig noodles you will love it. read more

I like this wagamama. But I still tend to go only if they have special offers that I get off their website. Ohterwise it can be a bit pricey just for a few noodles , especially their starters!! At least the green tea is free!! read more

I have visited this restaurant over a dozen times and have to say this place never fails to disappoint. The food is top notch and worth every penny. It has a good ambience about the place (comments about soup kitchen...., well enough said !!!) the staff are very friendly and have never received a bad experience at all from any of them. Well worth the 5 stars I have given :) read more