![\"Wagamama](\"https:\/\/www.socialandcocktail.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Wagamama-151x300.jpg\" "\\"Wagamama")
A summer\u2019s evening, and the doors are thrown open onto a busy street in Hammersmith. Three young ladies sit at a high, pale wood bar, sipping from martini glasses. The bar-top is elegant brushed metal \u2013 the atmosphere is spacious, light, and has an element of quirky design from its original fittings as a fire station. This could be any up-and-coming cocktail bar in London.<\/p>\n
But look closer, and you\u2019ll see that behind the island-bar are some familiar sights. The bright red T-shirts\u2026 the deep ramen bowls\u2026 the sheets of paper being scribbled on by a waiter with a sharp memory for numbers\u2026<\/p>\n
Because yes, this is\u00a0Wagamama<\/strong><\/a>; the chain refuge of the noodle-hungry. It\u2019s not usually synonymous with cocktails – green tea and dishes that arrive piping hot and delicious as soon as they\u2019re ready, yes. But cocktails and a bar?<\/p>\n Hammersmith is now the third restaurant that is offering a specially created cocktail menu, and they\u2019re doing it properly. This isn’t just a case of shoehorning in the odd cosmopolitan and mojito at the end of the drinks menu \u2013 they want to make it a true drinking experience, where one might come just to enjoy a tipple (although we defy you to not be tempted by the gyoza). But are the drinks up to scratch?<\/p>\n We\u2019re impressed with the mojito straight away \u2013 it packs a fabulous punch and the sake gives it a great taste. I find\u00a0mojitos<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0sometimes run the risk of being a bit too soda-heavy, but this one is jammed with flavour and has a kick of citrus from the lime. There\u2019s also a rather nice floral element that balances the whole thing, and enough sweetness to complement the acidity. We\u2019re sold.<\/p>\n Next we ask Ed what the best seller is, and are told it\u2019s undoubtedly the\u00a0Ginger Lychee Martini<\/strong>. Good, because this is presumably what the ladies at the bar were enjoying, and we\u2019re keen to try.<\/p>\n Next we look to the new green tea sharers, and opt for the\u00a0Oriental Pearl Grey<\/strong>. This unique drink includes gin, Chambord, earl grey tea and sparkling elderflower with a twist of lemon and coriander. It arrives in a stunning heavy stone teapot and two little Japanese cups. There\u2019s a definite sense of ceremony to pouring the drinks \u2013 perfect for a party of sippers. The drink itself is quite sweet \u2013 the Chambord gives it that slight sickliness, but luckily the elderflower ensures it is still refreshing, and there\u2019s a wonderful aftertaste of coriander that is certainly unusual and much appreciated by the taste-buds.<\/p>\n During our tea-session we realise there\u2019s no way we can sit in\u00a0Wagamama\u00a0without having any food \u2013 it\u2019s far too tempting. Since we\u2019re at the bar we decide to order one of the sharing options, and go for the Mixed Platter, which includes delicacies like the lollipop prawn kushiyaki (scrumptious seafood marinated in lemongrass and chilli) and grilled belly pork skewers. The perfect accompaniment to an evening of drinking, and the whole thing is delicious.<\/p>\n We decide to ask Luca, another seasoned\u00a0Wagamama\u00a0professional, what his favourite drink is, and are advised to try the\u00a0Sake Margarita<\/strong>. It\u2019s a really good twist on the classic, and the sake mellows the tequila. It\u2019s zingy and pops in the mouth, as fresh as a newly laundered kimono.<\/p>\n We stumble away from\u00a0Wagamama\u00a0two very happy campers, with our thirst and our hunger entirely sated. Plus, with each individual cocktail under \u00a37, then the focus is on accessible, purse friendly drinks that give a true taste of Asian flavour.<\/p>\n It seems bizarre that a decade ago, cocktails were usually found at rather exclusive venues. Now that\u00a0Wagamama\u00a0are offering a special menu it proves that the general public are keen to experiment and enjoy a more exotic and ambitious style of drinking. I certainly predict that the concept will be a success for this Asian chain, and that it won\u2019t be long before other food-focused places jump on the bandwagon. For now, get yourself down to\u00a0Wagamama\u00a0Hammersmith to try some delicious food and drinks that are not only value for money, but will open your taste-buds to some exciting flavours.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Time for a Cocktail? Wagamama shows how mixology could be coming to a chain near you… A summer\u2019s evening, and the doors are thrown open onto a busy street in Hammersmith. Three young ladies sit at a high, pale wood … Continue ![\"Sake](\"https:\/\/www.socialandcocktail.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/photo-9-247x300.jpg\" "\\"Sake")
We arrive on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, and the aforementioned ladies are already on what looks like their second drink. The set-up is certainly conducive to just sitting and enjoying a tipple \u2013 we perch on one of the high black stools around the central bar. Our barman, Ed, is only too happy to talk us through the list \u2013 one that combines classics with\u00a0Wagamama\u00a0favourites. We naturally hone in on the specialty cocktails, and are seduced by the\u00a0Sake Mojito<\/strong>. It\u2019s a twist on the rum classic, using vodka and shirakabe sake with fresh mint and a dash of lime.<\/p>\n![\"wagamama](\"https:\/\/www.socialandcocktail.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/wagamama-2-262x300.jpg\" "\\"wagamama")
The drink arrives; a beautiful pale yellow with a lychee garnish. It incorporates gin and lychee liquor with ginger syrup and lemon juice. The first sip is a revelation. Lychee can sometimes have a sickly taste, particularly when combined with ginger syrup. But the fruity liquor is lifted by a tang that is almost fiery \u2013 the kind of rough effect you get from fresh shavings of root ginger. We are told that\u00a0Wagamama\u00a0make all their own syrups and infusions, hence this amazing flavour. No wonder it\u2019s so popular.<\/p>\n![\"Wagamama](\"https:\/\/www.socialandcocktail.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/wagamam-4.jpg\" "\\"Wagamama")
<\/p>\n![\"wagamama](\"https:\/\/www.socialandcocktail.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/photo-8-300x300.jpg\" "\\"wagamama")
The final cocktail we decide to imbibe is the\u00a0Yuzu Collins<\/strong>, and once more\u00a0Wagamama\u00a0comes up trumps. With a mix of gin, yuzu sake and fresh grapefruit juice they have created a more-ish cocktail that is reminiscent of a glass of alcoholic bitter lemon. The sake is infused with yuzu fruit and the grapefruit gives it an even more lip-puckering freshness.<\/p>\n