Wagamama’s new vegan dishes reviewed

Wagamama’s vegatsu curry has been making waves in vegan circles – so I was excited to try it when I was invited to the Peterborough branch on behalf of the Peterborough Vegan Group.

My partner in vegan admin crime and I actually tried the whole vegan menu – but I’ve reviewed the kare burosu, yasai steamed gyoza and dessert in a previous blog – https://veganonadesertisland.com/2017/11/26/a-vegan-meal-out-at-wagamama-food-review/

It must also be said that the yasai katsu curry is newly vegan on the menu – originally, the salad dressing meant it wasn’t – that has been replaced with seasoning.

The harusame glass noodle salad is also new to the menu – don’t worry, the noodles aren’t made of real glass.

It must be said that Wagamama has the Vegan Society accreditation – this is only possible through having a separate vegan fryer in the kitchen. When dishes are ordered they actually flash up white, green for veggie or orange for vegan on the kitchen’s order screen.

I love how the vegatsu and the mixed mushroom and panko aubergine hirata steamed buns are marked with a “vegan hero” symbol – both actually tasted heroic -although, I do wish they would use capital letters on the menu – as a former sub-editor, this offends me greatly (even if the food still rocks).

I actually fell madly and passionately in love with the, now vegan, the mixed mushroom and panko aubergine hirata steamed buns (£5.50) as a starter. As a huge mushroom fiend (I love them – I’m not a monster with a fungi head), these were always going to appeal to me – but the buns are so soft that they just melt in one’s mouth. They are stunning.

The edamame beans (£4.50) and wok-fried greens (£4.50) are also fine – but not as fine as mushrooms or dumplings (previous blog again).

We washed these down with the new nix and kix (£2.75) drinks – the cucumber and mint tasted predominantly of cucumber and the mango and ginger of mango – so, I preferred the latter. Both contain cayenne pepper to boost the metabolism – you couldn’t taste this though. All 163 Wagamama branches now use paper straws, incidentally, so there’s no damage to the environment here.

So, how was the vegasu (£10.75)? Pretty damn fine actually. I sold my soul to seitan a while ago and the devilish wedding between the gluten steaks and panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) works well here. The diner is served up a satisfying crunch before they taste the tender delights of seitan. The mound of sticky rice and mild curry (think chip shop curry sauce with class) and accompanying salad (a pleasant light vinegar hit) complete this dish.

A dish not to be upstaged? I thought so until I tried the yasai katsu curry (£9.75). The dish is a replica of the vegasu, except, instead of seitan, you get sweet potato, aubergine and butternut squash dressed in a coat of golden panko. And it works a treat.

The soft veg compliments the panko gloriously, again working with the rest of the flavours on the plate to serve up a divine dish.

A mixture of flour, water and oil is used to coat the veg or seitan in order to make the panko stick, incidentally, thus veganising the dish.

 

The other new dish, harusame glass noodle salad (£9.50) comes with nice firm tofu, light noodles and a delicate vinegar hit. Again, this works well, especially in the summer months (what we get of them in the UK), and it’s nice to try tofu that actually has some flavour to it.

Elsewhere on the menu, the yasai pad thai (£9.95) is now vegan thanks to the use of rice noodles. The lime taste shines through here and I adore the fresh coriander leaves. This one uses silky tofu and has a nice sticky texture to it.

The yasai yaki soba (£8.75) has a wonderful ginger hit – and the fried shallot garnish works a treat for me – I like onions almost as much as I like mushrooms! The substantial wheat noodles are a joy to devour too.

If you like things a little spicier, you could do worse than the yasai itame (£10.75). This contains a strong chilli kick and a lovely taste of coconut. The two work very well together to create a “wow factor”. This soup contains chunks of tofu and veg including bok choi – an underrated vegetable in my view.

It would have been rude not to try the saki as they’re both vegan-friendly. The sho chiku bai (12%) is the cheaper option (£3.50)  and the mio (5%) is equally as nice, but more than twice as expensive (£7.25). Both a light and deceptively mild, although the former does have a strong alcoholic kick. The latter is a sparkling wine equivalent and is actually more refreshing and palatable than it’s more alcoholic sister.

I guess my only complaint is that I’d like to see more choice on the dessert front. While the two sorbets on offer are very nice, a more indulgent vegan offering wouldn’t go amiss.

But, in a city such as Peterborough, which lacks a fully vegan restaurant, the expanding range available at Wagamama is very welcome indeed. They also offer takeaway and delivery services.

https://www.wagamama.com/

 

A vegan meal out at Wagamama – food review

Wagamama’s new vegan menu has got the online plant-based community excited – so Peterborough’s Vegetarian and Vegan group decided to hold one of its social nights at the local branch to see what all the fuss is about. I thought it’d be rude not to review my meal for the lovely vegan community out there.

I went for the kare burosu for my main. At £10.95 it was actually a substantial and very filling dish (it actually came in a bowl). The mushrooms interacted with the vegetable broth to produce a strong, rustic taste – mushrooms are my favourite meat substitute, so this was a definite thumbs-up from me. The wooden ladle provided to eat it with added to the rustic feel too.

 

The dish had a strong chilli kick – another plus in my book – which didn’t overpower the other flavours but complimented them perfectly. The soft tofu was delicious addition – and it was cooked just right. Tofu is a very hard ingredient to get right – Wagamama has succeeded here.

Wagamama didn’t skimp on the veg or the herbs in the meal either – and the udon noodles were divine – they are certainly my favourite noodles – thick and substantial. There was also plenty of fresh coriander to garnish the bowl.

I complimented my main with a side of yasai steamed gyoza – basically vegetable dumplings with a balsamic dip. They’re divine.

I’ve always been a huge dumpling fan, and these hold a perfect selection of vegetables the balsamic sauce is just the perfect compliment. A hint of chilli finished it off perfectly.

I also tried the wok fried greens and the broccoli and bok choi were delicious – stir-fried in garlic and soy sauce – they had just the right amount of crunch. I like broccoli cooked in soy sauce anyway, and this just reinforced the opinion of my taste-buds.

The edamame with salt side dish also gets a thumbs-up – it certainly had a kick to it. The salt definitely enhanced the beans’ natural flavour.

I had to try a dessert to finish off the evening – it’s vegan law. We had a choice of two sorbets and I went for the pink guava with passion fruit one – very nice it was too. I love a strong fruit flavour and this definitely didn’t disappoint in that department.

I chose a Kansho craft beer to wash down my food and I’m glad I did. The growth in the craft beer market is good news for vegans as we can actually drink a lot of them – and as most are made by independent breweries they score high on the ethical scale too.

This one had a pleasant zesty taste and looked like Irn Bru. It was light and, again, I enjoyed it very much.

You can check out Wagamama’s full vegan menu online – https://www.wagamama.com/our-menu/vegan

I have tried the yasai yaki soba before – I had that with rice noodles. I’m a mushroom fiend, so I pretty much go for anything with mushrooms and dish also impressed me. It’s not as substantial as the kare burosu but is a bit cheaper. It’s also less spicy – if you have a more delicate palate.

Wagamama must be commended for offering such a comprehensive vegan menu. The staff were also very friendly and helpful. The layout of the Peterborough restaurant is very welcoming. It’s well lit, unfussy and spacious. Wagamama also offers takeaway and delivery services.

An extremely pleasant evening.