Restaurant Review: Wagamama

A few months back I mentioned that Wagamama was opening in Copenhagen. They have now, and I finally got a chance to pay it a visit tonight. Here’s my unsolicited review.

The good is great as ever. It’s filling, nourishing, fresh, tastes great, is served in minutes, and leaves you full without the bloat. The decor and cantina atmosphere is great, if you’re into that kind of thing (I am).

The service … uhmm … not so much. We had to wait 5 minutes to get any attention, and then another 5 to be seated, even though it wasn’t busy and there were 3 waitresses right next to us. We were told a dish wasn’t spicy and our 1-year old could eat it, when in fact it was spicy. We had to wait longer for a glass of water than for our entrees. The waitresses were walking around stepping on each other’s toes in seeming chaos.

It’s odd, because in Amsterdam, the service was just as well executed as the rest of the experience. I’m starting to see a pattern here. A friend of mine spoke to Per Bruun, head of luxury deli chain Emmery’s. He related how his biggest problem was getting quality, motivated staff.

Could it be that it’s generally difficult to get people here to take service seriously? To take pride in serving well and knowing every last detail about the food you’re serving? It seems like it. Is it because we don’t tip? That’s probably a contributing factor, though I suspect it runs a bit deeper than that.

One final gripe: Why is the green tea free but you have to pay DKK 5 for a glass of tap water?

For dinner when you’re not into spending fortunes, and when you’re sick of the typical café fare, it’s the perfect choice. I’m definitely going to be a frequent visitor, and I hope they get the service sorted. Soon.