Wakaze — Restaurant in England

I have been here for the first time as I adore Japanese food. I only ordered crispy duck sushi and a portion of rice to take with me as I was visiting Leicester and had to pick up the car from the Mall parking that was closing at 22pm. I was told it will take 30minutes but I ended up waiting 50minutes. It is understandable that they were busy, clearly short staffed by the looks of it but surely there must be something they can do in order to keep their word. I had to ask again how long it will take after the half an hour passed as I saw that table service was quicker. It looks like they prioritise table service and disregard the other orders. I find it very difficult to understand, as they didn’t even had the curtesy to tell me it will last another 20minutes extra. The girl was apologetic but was very alienated by the whole situation. Would be respectful that chefs could coordinate better as it is truly unacceptable to wait for only a main course almost an hour. Wasn’t a big order and chefs should have taken this into consideration. Plus the portions are ridiculously small. Wish they advise upon ordering. I dislike complaining, I tried to understand, in the meantime I got a bottle of Yuzu and a portion of pancakes to add to the order but I was disappointed by the lack of communication. We are humans after all, must understand one another but respect it is pivotal, especially in customer service industry. Also when it is delayed by this much a complimentary drink should be offered, tea or water, it is bare minimum they can do for their customers. But I wasn’t even asked if I want a glass of water, completely ignored. If I knew it will take this long would have dined in. Clearly quicker service and more...

A deeply upsetting experience—left without eating. I rarely leave negative reviews, and I never make accusations lightly. But what my friend and I experienced at Wakaze was so disturbing that I feel compelled to speak up.

From the moment we were seated, the treatment we received—especially toward my friend, who is Black and wears a hijab—was cold, dismissive, and dehumanizing. The server assigned to our table dropped the menus without eye contact or a greeting. When we asked for recommendations, she stared blankly and refused to respond, despite having just spoken fluent English to another table. We tried to remain polite and asked for more time, but she simply walked away.

When she returned, her demeanor hadn’t changed. No warmth, no courtesy—just a curt “ok” and a pen poised to take our order. I was overly polite in hopes of shifting the energy, but the way she treated my friend made it clear: we were not welcome.

We ultimately chose to leave without ordering. The contrast in service at Yo! Sushi afterward—where we were greeted with smiles and treated with dignity—was stark and heartbreaking. It opened my eyes to what hijabis and visibly Muslim women endure far too often.

I hope no one else has to experience what we did. Wakaze needs to reflect deeply on how their staff treats guests, especially those from marginalized...

not being from Leicester we were unsure on where to eat, but walking through town this was a hidden gem. A very easy place to walk past and ignore but once you go there it’s lush! Very simplistic, Japanese style furniture- the whole place seemed very authentic down to all the decorations. The food was an amazing! the waiter helped me pick out food when i was unsure on what to have. We had edamame which was yum! Also had the chicken gyoza which came very quickly hot and fresh alongside the spring rolls. Both came with dipping sauce and had lots of flavour! I then followed with the tobboki which is my favourite Japanese food! It was the best i’ve ever had, a lot better than similar restaurants where i’m from. It had lots of cheese and the spice and seasoning was incredible! For mains i had the chicken udon noodles which were incredible- the portions were huge i couldn’t finish and i eat a lot!! Even with huge portions, the food quality was consistent through everything we ate! My mum had the teriyaki salmon which she ate all of and said was amazing, i tried it and it was so delicious; great flavours and again a brilliant portion size for the money! Overall i would recommend, a really great hidden gem in the centre of Leicester,...