The Wagamama Cookbook                 
By Hugo Arnold

If the title, the wagamama cookbook isn’t enough to entice you into picking up this book, then reading words from author Hugo Arnold’s bio on the back flap, should reel you in: “...believes in the power of food to calm, restore and excite. After that he is simply greedy.”

 But first a few words about wagamama for the uninitiated if the cover hasn’t already clued you – a man with his face in a bowl either furiously chopsticking food in as fast as he can or noisily slurping broth and sucking in noodles – then know it’s a fast food chain of noodle shops that has spread from England to Ireland, Holland and beyond.

 This fast food style of eating is based on Japans’ centuries-old ramen stalls and London-based wagamama has adopted the concept serving up a wide range of noodle-based dishes. the wagamama cookbook deciphers the restaurant’s style of cooking for home cooks. Many recipes can be executed in under 15 minutes, most under 10 and some in less than five. They’re convenient too – most of the staple items are already in our cupboards.

 Sections in the book cover the basics like stocks, sauce and dips, and sides, and there are chicken dishes, lots of meat and vegetarian options galore. The amai and chili ramen sauces, oven-steamed mussels, salmon ramen, and ginger chili mushrooms have made it into our regular repertoire. Desserts –oh yes – have not been forgotten. Coconut rice brulйe or sake poached pears with chocolate sauce anyone?

Reviewed by Judith Lane, wine and food writer

Back        Books