A few
weeks ago (well the week before we moved), mum, my auntie, Alfie and I went to
Lakeside. There were a few shops my auntie wanted to go to while she was over
here and I was obviously in need of baby and house bits – it certainly was a
successful day! Whenever we go to Lakeside, we always go to Wagamama for lunch –
the last time, I was pregnant so was restricted on what I could eat. It’s fair
to say I was looking forward to it... even with a hungry and grumpy munchkin in
tow.
Upon
arrival, we had to wait for a table, not usually something you have to do at
Wagamama, but because the waitress was clearing a table big enough for us and
the buggy. Most pushchairs and prams were parked up at the entrance, but there
was no way I was leaving mine there, especially with our shopping so far! It
was fine though – we waited no longer than five minutes and we had plenty of
space, with a bench to ourselves. I’m used to sharing tables with strangers at
Wagas, so it’s always a bonus when you get a bit of lunchtime privacy!
As
seafood was out of the question last time (read: Back for buns and my Wagamama fix at Intu Lakeside), I was excited to be having my all-time favourite Wagas
dish: a side of Chilli Squid. It was definitely worth waiting nine months for!
The coating was crisp, the squid itself wasn’t rubbery and the chilli was just
enough – the seasoning wasn’t as spicy as I had remembered. Of course, we also
shared a side of Bang Bang Cauliflower – a regular occurrence since it joined
the menu last November (read: New Dishes Galore at Wagamama, Intu Lakeside). My auntie enjoyed it too. In fact we all said we
weren’t fans of cauliflower and would only eat it when covered in cheese sauce.
But when it’s cooked and flavoured this well, wow!
I
always used to order the Seafood Coconut Broth, which has now discontinued *sad
face*. So when I saw a Seafood Ramen, I just had to go for that instead. Sea
bream, shell-on prawns and breaded tilapia on a bed of ramen noodles in a
vegetable broth, garnished with pea shoots, wakame and samphire – what’s not to
like? Well truth be told, I was quite disappointed. The portion size was huge,
with far too much for me – especially after demolishing those sides. The sea
bream and prawns were really good; I just wasn’t a fan of the coated tilapia,
as of course it was soggy from sitting in the broth. The coconut broth was so
flavoursome, but this was rather bland and needed some chilli or something to
give it a bit of oomph! I had high hopes following the previous seafood broth,
so was underwhelmed... don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but not to the extent
I’d have it again.
My
mum and auntie ordered from the Omakase
section of the menu: Sticky Pork Belly (with grilled miso aubergine and white
rice) for my auntie and Tonkatsu (a pork katsu curry with white rice and mixed
salad leaves) for mum. I got such food envy when I saw my auntie’s dish arrive.
It was something I was tempted by and when it arrived, it was presented well
and looked and smelt so tasty. The two dishes took a little longer to arrive,
but as a seasoned Waga-goer, I’m used to either starting first, or snacking on
sides while waiting for my main dish to arrive. It was the former this time and
my meal came while I was feeding and changing Alfie. It was still piping hot
once I’d finished and returned to the bench!
As
always, the service was very good and the food, hot and fresh. I can’t believe
that once again I didn’t have room for dessert – someone find me a better
dessert than Mix It Up Mochi!
Love,
Lucy xx
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Love, Lucy xx