Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/482452
20 | APRIL 2015 nshoremag.com photographs by Anthony Tieuli Appetizers Pork Bulgogi $8.50 Lollipop Shrimp Kushiyaki $6.50 Edamame with Chili and Garlic Salt $4.95 Entrées Chicken Katsu Curry $12.95 Mongolian Beef $14.25 Salmon Teriyaki Soba $14.25 Dessert Sweet Onigiri $5.25 Mochi $5.75 Drinks Upside Down Frown $8 Tokyo 92 $10 CONTACT Wagamama 1200 Market St. Lynnfield 781-587-0553 wagamama.us THE MENU Chicken Katsu Curry has been a comfort food of choice for a steady stream of people in 17 countries who frequent Wagamama, a Japanese-style noodle bar that claims its sole American outposts in Massachusetts. Coated with panko breadcrumbs, the chicken is crisply fried and dressed with a mild Japanese curry—exotic yet familiar, complex yet satisfying. That is the idea behind the whole menu at Wagamama—fresh, interesting comfort food. The chain started in London in the 1990s and spread across Europe, jumping the pond in 2007 with three outposts in Boston and Cambridge. The re- centl\ oSened /\nnfield location is the restaurantȇs first suburban eat- ery in the United States, and an apt addition to the trendy high-quality food offerings at MarketStreet. Long cafeteria-style tables characteri]e :agamama /\nnfield, with booths along one wall, large, bright windows, and an open kitch- en at the back. When the weather cooperates, outdoor dining affords enjoyable people watching. In décor and cuisine, the inspiration is Japanese, with traditional noodle and rice dishes taking center stage. The offerings also convey the salt\, sweet, and sSic\ ȵaYors of Southeast Asia. Take, for example, the Grilled Pork Bulgogi Wraps, a traditional Korean barbecue dish. :agamama uses a ȵat metal grill called a teppan to cook slices of pork belly basted with Korean barbecue sauce, and then serves the rich meat with pickled red onions, bean sprouts, and cilantro, alongside Gem lettuce leaves for wrapping. The result is delicious, with the vegetables tempering the sweetness of the pork. Southeast $sian ȵaYors are also samSled in another small plate, the Lollipop Shrimp Kushiyaki—skewers of Setite shrimS assertiYel\ ȵaYored with lemongrass, cilantro, and chili, making for tasty morsels. The menu is a fun read, with clever, casual language and a glos- sary of less familiar terms. Many of the items, like the chili- and garlic-dusted edamame and the chili calamari, pack some heat. Staff may direct spice lovers to the Salmon Teriyaki Soba Teppanyaki, which features stir-fried noodles hot with chilies and curry oil, bal- anced with sweet teriyaki sauce DINE Clockwise from left, Salmon Teriyaki Soba; VP Kamal Lemzaoui and chef Jun Zhang; Lollipop Shrimp Kushiyaki with Upside Down Frown cocktail; and Sweet Onigiri