Restaurant review: Edamame endgame Gamal Nkrumah hails the welcome advent to Cairo of the gusty Wagamama The name Alan Yau has been synonymous with some of the most daring and exciting Asian cuisine in England for the past 16 years. Yau has left a lasting impression, or shall I say sensation, on the palates of first British East Asian food-lovers, then their counterparts in continental European and American, Middle Eastern and Pacific Rim countries. The overriding conclusion of his admirers is that the secret of his success was the weird, albeit wonderful Wagamama -- loosely rendered "selfishness", with a hint of spoiling oneself silly. The award-winning Asian-inspired Wagamama noodle restaurant chain was created by Yau, and the first Wagamama restaurant opened in London's trendy Bloomsbury district in the heart of the British capital's West End. Reminiscent of the ramen restaurants of Japan, drop in at this unique eatery to experience the difference. Today, there are 90 Wagamama restaurants around the world, including the Wagamama in CityStars, Cairo. In many ways, Wagamama is essentially Japanese with a touch of the distinct cuisine and specialties of other Asian cooking traditions -- most notably Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and South Asian. The food is electronically handled, in typical Japanese fashion, or so the waiters claim, and zapped through to the kitchen by radio signal. The striking red and black décor adds to the vaguely Japanese ambiance. I decided to introduce my sons to this Asian-inspired treat. It was a meal that would have brought a smile to anyone with memories of the celebrated ramen (a Japanese broth-based dish) bars popular in Japan. It brought back memories of three wonderful weeks I spent in Japan at the turn of the millennium. Being noodle aficionados, the boys savoured every mouthful of the hot stuff, too. The dishes definitely did not lack the intensity of flavour of a typical Japanese ramen bar. In order to invigorate our digestive systems we decided to start with Wagamama's fabled fruit juices. Carrot with a dash of freshly ground ginger root; a deceptively simple combination of apple and orange -- and passion fruit to boot; the taste-bud teasing and absolutely refreshing pear and carrot. However, we gave the "raw juice" a miss -- carrot, cucumber, tomato, orange and apple. This high- nutrient, high-energy concoction sounded a touch too disconcerting. The delectable duck gyuza : deep fried duck and leek dumplings served with spicy cherry hoi sin sauce followed. Japanese ramen encapsulated in a dish. Nay, Japan fashioned as a dumpling, reminiscent of the blooming cherry blossoms of a freezing but sunny Japanese February. There was more to come. The choice was bewildering, though. We vexed over our options scrupulously. Karim was in favour of the ebi gyoza : black tiger prawns, water chestnuts and spinach topped with a spicy citrus ponzu sauce. Youssef, on the other hand, was in favour of yasai natsubi salad: roasted sweet potato, butternut squash, caramalised red onion, sliced mooli -- which I had to explain was also called daikon in Japanese and is a mildly- flavoured radish -- roasted cashew nuts, courgette, aubergine and portobello mushrooms. Amai udon, a rather atypical teppan, beckons the waiter tantalisingly. Udon noodles with sweet tamarind sauce and teppan fried with eggs, tofu, prawns, leeks and red onions and topped with crushed peanuts? Certainly not. And, it is hardly Japanese. Well, perhaps contemporary Japanese-inspired fusion cuisine that is faintly reminiscent of South and Southeast Asia. Still, the motley mix of ingredients was stomach-churning. Another option was saien soba, wholewheat noodles with shiitake and portobello mushrooms, mangetout, leek, asparagus and tofu. Mushrooms, especially exotic varieties, are all time favourites with my sons. The boys were at a loss, and I too could not make up my mind. The Wagamama seafood ramen and the teppon noodles cooked on a pipping hot flat girdle sounded tempting enough. Or, kare noodles cooked in a coconut-based soup? Then I recalled the unforgettable edamame : freshly steamed green baby soya beans. You squeeze the succulent beans from the plump pod. A heavenly flavour instantly fills your mouth. Wagamama CityStars, new phase Dinner for three: LE290
