Wagamama (Westfield)

Went here for an early dinner on my own after shopping in Westfield. What a mistake. Standards at some branches have plunged from the days when there was only one branch of Wagamama, near the British Museum. I had one of my old favourites, Yaki soba: thin wheat noodles, wok-fried with chicken, shrimp, egg, preserved ginger, green peppers and bean shoots. The noodles had evidently been cooked a long time before and sat in lukewarm, indigestible clumps on a plate which seemed to have been wiped rather than washed after the last diner used it. There was very little chicken or shrimp and the preserved ginger was an alarming fluorescent pink rather than the red I remembered. The pan had obviously not been cleaned for some time as everything was covered with specks of burned food and had a slight taste of rancid oil. I also had a glass of tap water. You'd think it would be hard to get that wrong, but no - it tasted as if it had been sitting in a fridge for a long time. It didn't help that as a solitary diner I was ordered to sit in a dismal corner facing the back of a serving station rather than in the (only slightly more atmospheric) main dining area.

OK, the bill wasn't exactly excessive, at just over £6, not including service, but Alan Yao's newest chain, Cha Cha Moon, manages to offer food of far higher quality for the same price. I would not go here again, and neither should you.
Comment on this reader review

Jessica
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Monday, July 13, 2009