Around Town: London's famed Wagamama lands in Mumbai, here's what to expect at this ramen giant

Indian Express

2 days ago

Wagamama, the popular global ramen chain, made its India debut late last month. Located on the first floor of the restored Cambata Building — home to the iconic Eros Cinema and the newly launched Swadesh by Nita Ambani — the 136-seater in South Mumbai has opened to a warm reception, with queues even on a Tuesday evening.
Born in London's Bloomsbury in 1992, Wagamama is said to have flipped the script on Asian dining with its fast-paced, no-rules approach, serving food inspired by Japan's buzzing ramen bars and Asia's boldest flavours. Since then, it has become something of a cult classic across Europe and the Middle East. Its India entry signals more than the arrival of another restaurant; it underscores the world's growing attention to India's rising, spending population.
The Mumbai outpost, spread across 4,000 sqft, offers a space that's minimal yet warm, reflecting its signature design with concrete and wood textures, bench seating, and origami-style hanging lamps. At the community tables, young parents, suited-up colleagues, and elderly diners share elbow space.
The live open kitchen stays true to its ramen-bar inspiration; everything is served the moment it is ready. As soon as we placed our order, staff scribbled table numbers and details onto our paper placemats, and within minutes, appetisers began arriving.
The menu features Wagamama's global hits: gyozas, katsu curry, yasai yaki soba, kare burosu, donburi bowls, and baos (prawn, lamb, chicken, and vegetarian). Over half the menu is vegetarian or vegan.
We began with steamed yasai gyoza — lightly pan-fried, though slightly undercooked. The sticky miso corn ribs came alive with a touch of chilli sauce. The teriyaki renkon, developed for the Indian market, leaned sweeter than expected. The standouts? Firecracker cauliflower tucked into pillowy soft baos, delivering both crunch and heat, and kare burosu ramen with shichimi-coated silken tofu, udon noodles, and vegetables in a spicy, curried broth. For dessert, banana katsu, a golden-fried indulgence, balanced sweetness and crunch beautifully.
At the core of Wagamama is kaizen, the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement. When we mentioned the food leaning towards sweetness in some dishes, Chef Sunil Shetty acknowledged the feedback. 'Some guests are happy we've retained the London-style Wagamama. Others find it sweet. But we're working on it,' he said.
Karan Kapur of K Hospitality Corp, the group that spent nearly two years bringing Wagamama to India, setting up the supply chain, and conducting exhaustive research and hundreds of trials, echoed the sentiment. Acknowledging India's diverse palate, he shared that they have added dishes for every palate, and they are also in the process of launching an India-specific chilli sauce for those who prefer a fiery kick.
Kapur is also looking to take Wagamama across the country, with plans to launch 100 outlets over the next decade. Each opening, he says, will be deliberate and rooted in quality, not speed. Next stop: Delhi-NCR, where the second Wagamama is expected to open by April 2026, either in the heart of Delhi, the bustle of Gurgaon, or both.