Wagamama’s noodle lab returns to Soho

The test kitchen restaurant acts as a space for recipe and idea testing and which allows diners to try and provide feedback on dishes that are yet to be released company wide.

The concept first opened in Soho on Dean Street on 2017​​ but later closed.

The 120-cover noodle lab ‘will act as the chef’s playground, a space for endless recipe and idea testing, allowing Wagamama to tap into the cultural conversations, experiment with cutting edge sustainable solutions, groundbreaking and talk worthy dishes’, according to the company.

The noodle lab menu will keep Wagamama’s promise to be 50% plant-based and features classics such as the katsu curry, yaki soba and crispy chilli mushrooms.

Dishes on the menu include vegan k-dogs - plant-based Korean corn dogs coated in a noodle crumb with sriracha and turmeric vegan mayo and topped with chilli, coriander and red pepper powder; and a vegan ‘pork’ tonkatsu served cabbage slaw mixed with white miso and mustard dressing, topped with sesame seeds and red chilli.

New side including tokyo fries, sweet potato fries covered with Korean sauce, vegan mayo and sriracha and topped with either barbecue chicken, barbecue beef brisket and aubergine and caramelised onion; and a dish of wok fried greens made with cauliflower stems and leaves, designed to further reduce food waste.

For dessert are chouxnuts, a combination of soft doughnuts and crisp choux pastry with a custard filling choice of either sweet matcha or kuromitsu.

“Our chefs’ can’t wait to showcase their skills and play with the weird and wonderful to create innovative and ground-breaking dishes,” says global executive chef Steve Mangleshot.

“My team are taking on the challenge to.cement noodle lab at the centre of the UK food landscape by serving relevant, sustainable and creative dishes.”

In the coming months the noodle lab will also host a series of collaborations with a range of food innovators.