My first Wagamama experience and introduction to their Katsu Chicken dish came years ago in a location far away (London) and whilst over the years, their venues crept closer to home via Manchester then Horwich, the announcement they would be coming to Preston was long overdue. So when the next primary school catch-up with friends Sarah and Kerry appeared in the diary, Animate’s sparkly new Wagamama it was.
Upon arrival it was immediately noticeable that the long tables and benches were a thing of the past and a sleek, modern décor was now the Wagamama style. Menus were on the table, and a server came over to explain that some dishes were unavailable due to a change of menu the following day. I was hoping for the amazing crispy pork balls starter I’d had before in Horwich but as it was a few years ago, they weren’t there. Boohoo.
Instead I chose Duck Gyoza (£8.50) to start and the Chicken Katsu (£14.50) of course. The duck dumplings were rich and tasty, but I was a little disappointed in the katsu which wasn’t as good as I remembered it being all those years ago. The chicken was like a breaded escalope you can buy in the supermarket which made me think they have cut costs over the years. The katsu sauce was ok, nothing special but the side salad was nice and crisp and a welcome fresh accompaniment with the chicken.
Sarah went for the Ebi Katsu (£8.50) although was reluctant at first due to the tails… I completely get this. Urgh. But she decided to just deal with it and cut them off. At least there were no eyes. Her main was the Steak Teriyaki Soba (£19.90) which unfortunately came out medium when she asked for well-done. They decided to cook a new one but by the time it came out, Kerry and I had almost finished our mains. That said, Sarah rated both the starter and main as delicious.
It was a spicy selection for Kerry who also chose the Ebi Katsu (£8.50) followed by the Firecracker Chicken Curry (£15.80). She enjoyed the prawns, but her eyes widened with the spiciness of the firecracker curry which she thought was tasty but overpowering. When it came to dessert, Kerry chose the Coconut Reika Ice Cream but unfortunately wasn’t a fan. She thought it was far too sweet, and the sauce didn’t taste like passionfruit. I did try it and didn’t get much passionfruit either, but I liked it. It was, however, extremely sweet, which for me is saying something!
My dessert was the star of the show for me, the Miso Caramel Banana Bread (£6.50). It was light with a delicious toffee flavour, and the crunchy banana topping was perfect. I’d definitely recommend this dessert. Sarah had the Raspberry Snow Cake (£4.50) from the ‘a little something sweet’ section of the menu and it was bigger than we expected. Like her starter and main, Sarah thought it was delicious, and so did I when I pinched a bit. It was very cold which I liked, and delightfully coconutty.
The service was a little inconsistent, attentive initially but a long gap between our main and dessert with staff taking a while to ask us about dessert and bring it out, so we felt a little neglected at times.
The total came to £110.20, which included two soft drinks and a peppermint tea with mains and a latté and a cappuccino with dessert. I’d say it was a little expensive and I probably won’t rush back but I know Wagamama is a firm favourite with a lot of people. So perhaps it’s worth another try at some point.
Tried Wagamama in Preston? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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