MAXINE GORDON checks out the latest menu at Wagamama in York

WAGAMAMA lured me back with the announcement of a new menu for vegetarians and vegans.

I had in tow my teenage daughter and her friend, who is a veggie – and we turned up an early Friday evening, hungry and thirsty.

It was just before 7pm and the place was busy, but we managed to get a booth table, which was a first for me – on previous visits, we have sat in the main atrium at the back, which is next to the open kitchen and more bustling, which I actually quite like.

But the booths are good too – the “leather” banquettes are comfy, and it is more intimate, if that is what you prefer.

If you have never been to Wagamama, here is the low down. It serves a range of Japanese-inspired curries and broths with noodles and rice.

Popular choices include ramen: big bowls of noodles and broth with a range of garnishes and different fillings including chicken, duck and seafood. These dishes are hearty yet feel really clean and nutritious to eat.

Donburi is another big bowl of pick 'n' mix, this time with rice and either duck, chicken, beef or veggies, often with a side of kimchee (an Asian speciality of salted and fermented vegetables).

Teppanyaki is a plate of sizzling noodles (choose from soba: thin, wheat egg noodles; udon: thick white noodles without egg, and rice noodles: thin, flat made without egg or wheat). Again you can choose to have them with a range of fillings and toppings such as salmon, sirloin steak, chicken and prawn, or mushroom and vegetable among others.

There is plenty of choice, and dishes for vegetarians and vegans are clearly marked. Better still, from this summer, vegan and veggie dishes appear in their own menu.

As we studied what was on offer, we ordered some drinks: a refreshing peach iced tea for the teenagers (£2.60 medium/£2.95 large) and the Jinzu Fever G&T for me (£6.95). This Japanese-inspired gin sounded a must-try: infused with cherry blossom, sake, and the mysterious-sounding yuzu. It is served with Fever Tree tonic and fresh lemon and pink peppercorns. It looked pretty on arrival, but flavours didn't especially stand out and the peppercorns were just annoying. A bit disappointing.

Wagamama is one of those places where orders hit the table as soon as they are ready – this means you might get a “main” before a “starter” (which our waitress called “sides” ), and there is a good chance meals will arrive at different times. In my book, that’s never ideal when dining out with a group, but Wagamama staff point this out at the greetings stage, with the implication being that you consent to this by ordering.

We ordered two "sides" to share: veggie dumplings or "gyoza" (£5.75) – which we asked to be fried rather than steamed – and the hirata steamed buns with mixed mushroom and panko aubergine (£5.50). The dumplings were OK (I normally have the duck ones which have a lot more flavour), but the hirta were top notch: lovely little fluffy buns with a sweet yet crunchy filling of sweet aubergine and meaty mushrooms, with mayo and coriander. I could have happily eaten an entire plate of them!

For our mains, I settled for a favourite of mine: raisukaree curry with chicken (£12.25) – a wonderfully colourful medley of mangetout, peppers, red and spring onions and chicken, garnished with sesame seeds, chilli, coriander and fresh lime.

Alarmingly, this appeared within moments of ordering. I tentatively tried a mouthful and found it to be lukewarm and the chicken tough. The mound of rice was rigid rather than soft, as if it has been sitting under a hot plate for a while. I immediately made my complaint to the waitress and she whisked it away.

It wasn't long before my dish appeared again. This time, it was warmer, but the chicken was tough and the rice still had that firm rather than fluffy texture. What I used to like about Wagamama was the sense that the food was cooked fresh to order, but now I was wondering if that was the case. Perhaps I was doubly unlucky, but my dish didn't feel like it had come straight out of the wok.

The girls were happier with their choices. Our veggie friend really enjoyed her savoury noodle dish yasai yaki soba (£8.75), which came with egg, peppers, beansprouts, spring onions, and mushrooms. My daughter gave the thumbs up to the teriyaki donburi with chicken (£10.25), with sticky white rice, shredded carrots, pea shoots and spring onions, but would have liked more sauce.

We shared two desserts: a fig and coconut cheesecake and a chocolate layer pudding, both priced at £5.95, and pleasant rather than memorable.

The girls finished with a mug of green tea, which is served free to customers.

When the bill arrived, the curry and one of the desserts had been removed as a gesture of good will.

That was welcome – but I would rather have paid and had a decent dinner.

Wagamama

77-81 Goodramgate, York

T: 01904 610 888 W: wagamama.com

Food: Good in parts 3/5

Service: OK 3/5

Ambience: Informal 3/5

Value: OK 3/5

Reviews are independent and paid for by The Press