The Great Wagamama Challenge 2009

In true Eastenders style we decided to head ‘up west’ and tick Leicester Square off the list of restaurants set to be visited as part of the Great wagamama Challenge 2009.

Head downstairs and it’s definitely one of the smaller restaurants in the group but also one of the best with its exposed brickwork and intimate alcoves.

Ordering is a doddle in wagas, a green tea and a tap water without thinking, possibly even a fresh juice if I have a voucher.

‘Are you ready to order food?’

Given that ordering anything other than a chicken katsu curry is always a gamble too far, I could have ordered as I was coming down the stairs to be honest, just shout ‘number 71’ into the open kitchens in fact… although as it’s all done electronically now, that probably wouldn’t get me very far.

If 8 is a lucky number in China then 71 must be a very lucky number in Japan, as that of course is the number of the wonderful chicken katsu curry.

But what’s this, no yasai katsu curry for Emily?! It’ll just have to be the chu chee snapper special instead then.

I order a side of miso soup and pickles, managing of course to get in my classic line ‘miso hungry’, which is a sure-fire hit in any wagamama.

The food arrives separately as we were rightly told to expect, with the katsu looking good, possibly a little light on the curry sauce front but with a good serving of ‘mixed leaves’, drizzled in its own unique and delicious dressing.

Snap the chopsticks and get to work on the leaves, easy. Not so easy when it comes to picking up sticky rice but then that’s why the good people at wagas always brings you a spoon and fork.

No need for the fork just yet as I saw through the deep-fried chicken fillet with the spoon edge, spinning it in my fingers and shovelling on a good dose of sticky white rice and a healthy coating of curry sauce in one much practised and silky-smooth movement.

As far as katsu’s go this one is right up there with the best of the best and things only get better when a further bowl of lightly spiced curry sauce arrives to make up for the initial ladle ‘not quite’ full.

The miso soup was suitably piping hot and refreshing, with the accompanying pickles as sweet and beautifully neon as ever.

Using the fork to spear the last few grains of rice and I’m finished, miso full! And what about the chu chee snapper? Good, but definitely no yasai!

With a 2for1 voucher the whole meal comes out at just £13.15, which in my book is jolly good value.

The only downer on an otherwise perfect meal comes in the form of my change, finding that the £5 note brought back to me has been defaced with red marker pen, annoying but quickly offloaded in exchange for a Timeout and a bag of Jelly Tots at Piccadilly Tube station.