Some days when I dine out, I crave a total change from Italian (heavy pizza or pasta sauces), Mediterranean (oily pesto and sticky goats cheese), and even sandwiches (yes, even I get bored of them!). ON days like these, I steer away from replacing dinner with a seriously overindulgent dessert and rich coffee. Instead, I veer towards a nutritious and healthy Japanese meal, which is as a very reasonably priced type of cuisine, especially with the quality and quantity of food one receives. I'm a big fan of Yamamori and have introduced many friends to this popular South George's Street venue.

However, for a change, and in pursuit of new discoveries, I suggested Wagamama to my friend Sheilagh after her rather heavy Saturday night out! Although she is not a fan of Japanese, she submitted to my temptations, especially after a nice mocha in Gloria Jeans. So down the inconspicuous stairs into the rather deceiving lobby, and then down the main stairs into a very large canteen-style room. The open kitchen extends along the left side of the room, and the rest is full of those picnic tables usually found on garden patios during the summer. Not good for your truly who has a long back and is usually very conscious to remain seated upright with her back supported, not hunched over. Their philosophy, or so it seems, is to eat and leave.

There are no desserts, and as soon as a dish is ready, it is brought to its owner, be a started, main course or side dish. The staff are very polite and efficient. They scribble your order on your paper lace mat as well as punching it into an electronic keypad they carry clipped to their back pockets. The menu is fairly large with mains consisting of ramen (noodle soup), rice dishes, katsu (deep fried chicken or fish and vegetable cakes), sauce based noodles, teepan fried noodles, all concoctions of poultry, seafood and vegetables with various herbs and spices. Side dishes involve various dumplings (gyoza), skewered chicken and vegetables (yakatori), steamed greens or salad. Extras include rice, noodles, miso soup, chilies and pickles. A small selection of wine and a few Japanese beers are on offer, as are fresh juices and teas.

Sheilagh decided on the Yaki Soba (4.90) - teepan fried ramen noodles with egg, chicken, shrimps, onions, green and red peppers, bean sprouts and spring onions, garnished with sesame seeds, fried shallots and red ginger. She could not quite finish it, after her triple chocolate muffin and mocha, but I had several tastes and found it delicious. Plenty of chicken but the shrimps seemed to have 'shrunk'!! I indulged in the 'Complete Wagamama', one of three menu selections. This included any juice (I choose a fruit juice, 2.35, a mixture of apple, orange and passion fruit juice, 'good for cleansing and digestion'), seafood ramen (soup and noodles topped with prawns, crabstick and squid, garnished with wakame, naruto, menma, seasonal greens and spring onions, 7.00) and three gyoza (grilled chicken dumplings filled with cabbage, Chinese leaf, Chinese chives and water chestnuts, served with chili, garlic and soy sauce, 3.00). All this for 10.25 (saving of 2.10!). This is the most expensive selection on the menu.

The dumplings were just divine and the dipping sauce so good I finished it using noodles from my sauce. The juice was refreshing and well made and went down a treat. My huge bowl arrived with a moist cloth and a wooden spoon. Plenty of noodles and spring onions swam around the bowl, the prawns were big and crispy, the crabsticks were the usual chewy fare and the squid presented itself in unusual colorful shapes that I felt would have looked better swimming about in an exotic aquarium! A great hearty bowl of good nutritious food, yet even after a few pepper sprinkles, the whole thing still lacked any real flavour. Such a pity, and I ended up spying most of my companions lunch! I did not manage to finish it, as the broth and noodles were just too filling.
Diners came and went frequently. The toilets were immaculate and even boasted some rather expensive Molton Brown hand wash and cream.

There are plenty of dishes on the menu I want to try and I'm sure I will return. I was just slightly unfortunate to have picked such a tasteless main dish. But hey, you cannot be a winner all the time! The food is fast, generous and healthy, so a main course and drink and perhaps a side order is plenty to satisfy even the hungriest of passersby. Hence the absence of desserts. Ten pounds will get you a nice lunch or dinner, and that's great value in our city. And the seating serves its purpose. Maybe I'll order take out next time!