wagamama northampton — Restaurant in England

I recently dined at Wagamama Northampton, where I experienced a mixed culinary journey:

Service: Exemplary. Throughout my visit, the staff demonstrated attentiveness and professionalism, providing a seamless dining experience.

Food: Regrettably, the culinary offerings did not meet expectations. The rice was overcooked, detracting from its intended texture and flavor profile. The Bang Bang Cauliflower, though intriguing in concept, fell short as it arrived burnt and possessed an unpleasant aftertaste reminiscent of lighter fluid. Similarly, the Yasai Katsu lacked depth of flavor, failing to impress compared to its pumpkin counterpart. However, amidst these disappointments, the Ramen stood out as a redeeming dish, showcasing decent execution and flavor complexity.

Atmosphere: While the open kitchen concept typically adds to the dining ambiance, the experience was marred by the audible cussing and loud voices of kitchen staff, particularly noticeable from the chef adorned in a green hat. This detracted from the overall ambiance and sophistication of the dining environment.

Additionally, I appreciate the proactive approach of the waiter who promptly addressed the issue with the overcooked rice by removing the firecracker dish from the bill.

In conclusion, while the service at Wagamama Northampton was commendable, the inconsistencies in culinary execution and the disruption of the dining atmosphere...

Since reservations are not possible, we were able to walk-in and get a table for our group pretty quickly. We were greeted immediately and the waitress gave us our menus and coloring sheet and crayons for kids.

Ordering was very straightforward as the items had numbers and were easy to do. The starter arrived very quickly. However, each of the main menu orders came separately with long delays instead of together. So it felt like different people were eating at different times and felt a bit unacceptable as there were very long delays between receiving each order. This delay and the lengthy exhausting excuses given by the staff made the whole experience unpleasant as we were celebrating and this issue spoiled the celebratory mood of the group. The staff were kind enough to offer a complimentary dessert to make up for their delay as it felt like our orders were the only ones delayed in the entire restaurant.

The atmosphere was lovely. The food was very average. The service can be improved as it's abysmal at the moment.

Update 6th March 2024

We were immediately offered a table. Our drinks, starters and mains came in record time within 15 minutes. We all enjoyed our meal. Increasing my rating because of this pleasant experience...

Arriving at the new Wagamama Northampton, there is plenty of parking and we were quickly seated, even when asking for a booth with back support rather than the standard uncomfortable bench. It took a fair while before our order was taken for food and drink, around 20 minutes. My Bang Bang Cauliflower came out very quickly, as did my Ginger Chicken Udon both of which were delicious. My Girlfriend ordered the Vegan K-dogs and veggie yasai gyoza. The K dogs took another 15 minutes to come out, and the gyoza never appeared. It took us chasing up the order before staff realised it had been mixed up. I decided to order some Edamame so I wasn’t sat with an empty plate while my girlfriend ate… but this never turned up either. The food was delicious, I’ve never been let down by the quality of the food, but the service needs improving. I understand it’s new and the staff are still learning, but to have 2 items not arrive is not good enough. I would recommend the vegan k dogs, even if you aren’t vegan,...