The Dormouse team love eating out and one of our favorite places to lunch is Wagamama so when we were invited to try out the new menu,well, it was an offer we couldn't refuse.

We visited the Wagamama restaurant at The Printworks in Manchester and I must admit this is one of the nicest restaurants in the chain we have visited.  It always seems cosy and the staff are so friendly it is a pleasure to eat there.  This visit was no exception we were greeted by a lovely smiley waitress  who quickly made us feel right at home.

Wagamama's restaurants are modelled on Japan's famous ramen bars. Your order is sent through  to the kitchen by radio signal at the time of order and dishes are delivered to your table as soon as they are ready to be shared and tucked into immediately.

The menu is quite extensive and we were excited to see some new offerings on there that we couldn't wait to try.  Not only are there plenty of choices for adults there are also lots of choices (and adventurous ones at that) for children and it certainly is a nice change to see something different from pasta or sausages . 

We ordered our choices and drinks quickly came. Apple and Lime juice (£4.65) and Super Juice (apple, orange,sharon fruit and cranberry juices) (£4.35) and a milk (£1.05 ) for Little D, all delicious and thirst quenching.  We also drank complimentary green tea which islovely and a nice touch as it really does settle the stomach.

We had ordered two sides and two main dishes and a portion of noodles for Little D.  First up were Pork Ribs (£6.05) new to the menu and quite delicious. They were tender and glazed with Wagamama's special recipe barbecue sauce and a sprinkling of black and white sesame seeds.  They were really lovely and were a great start to our meal.  Little D tucked into his noodles (£2.20)

Shortly after the Chilli Squid (£5.55) arrived.  I have had this before and this portion was generous and extremely delicious.  They were hot and tasty without being the least bit rubbery.  Frankly I do not normally like squid and it is testament to the Wagamama chef that this is one of my favourite dishes.

I had ordered the Teriaki Soba Salmon (£11.20) whilst Mr Dormouse had selected the Chicken Raisukaree (£9.95). I had never tried this dish before and found it a bit rich and heavy for my own personal taste.

However the chicken was a taste sensation.  Juicy and tender chicken breast stir fried it in a coconut and lime curry sauce with mangetout, peppers, red and spring onions, fresh ginger and garlic served with some beautiful sticky rice.  This is a dish I would definitely order for myself next time.

We finished the meal with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (£1.15 ) for Little D, Chocolate Fudge Cake (the Wasabi is definitely an acquired taste) for myself and Sweet Ginger and Apple Gyoza for Mr D which were the highlight of the meal. Hot little pies with a custard dipping sauce they were gone in an instant.

Wagamama is a great family restaurant, informal but just that bit different to make you feel like you have 'been somewhere'.  It's great for a quick lunch or a get together with friends.  Highly recommended. 

We were given lunch at Wagamama free of charge in return for a review.