I couldn’t believe one thing about these dishes (Image: Mia O’Hare)
Wagamama is known for its wide range of Asian dishes from ramen, rice bowls, katsu curry and teppanyaki. However, they have kicked off 2026 with two very unusual additions to their menu.
The pan-Asian restaurant chain, which has branches all across the UK, really decided to go all out by adding Italian and Mexican dishes to their offerings. It immediately caught my attention when I saw it, as I love all three cuisines. I also wondered, how could they make it work?
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I headed to my local Wagamama to try it out for myself. Given that they are limited additions, I knew I didn’t wan’t to waste any time in giving them a go.
I ordered both of the new dishes – tacomama and udonara. Even their names are a play on the Asian infusion to the classic Mexican and Italian dishes.
The tacomama sees an assortment of Mexican and Asian flavours sit on two crispy open gyoza skins. It is perfect as a starter or side.
Wagamama serves their dishes when they’re ready but I was pleased when my tacomama came first. Teriyaki mushrooms, sweet potato and kimchee mash, mixed leaves, vegan mayo and pomegranate seeds all sit on the crispy gyoza.
They were much bigger than I was expecting and a real feast for the eyes as there was so much colour on my plate. I did struggle knowing how to tuck in and decided a knife and work was the best option.
The flavours all worked perfectly and despite some reservations as to how it would all come together, I was happily proven wrong. It was not like anything I’ve had before and each bite gave me an asortment of flavours.
I am not a vegan or vegetarian, and would typically order beef mince tacos if I was having Mexican food. However, I could honestly not tell that I was eating mushrooms instead of meat – it was that succulent and flavourful.
Next up came the udonara, which if you haven’t guessed already is an infusion of Japanese udon noodles and an Italian carbonara. The dish featured thick udon noodles in a rich, creamy sauce with crispy vegan bacon, king oyster mushrooms and coriander.
Carbonara is my favourite Italian meal, as I much prefer creamier sauces over tomato ones. I also love Asian food, so this really is a match made in heaven for me.
The noodles went so well with the creamy sauce, I forgot I wasn’t eating spaghetti or ‘real’ cheese. And again, the bacon was just like the real thing despite it being vegan.
These dishes are not around for long, and I am very glad I tried them for myself. However, the only question I have been left with is how they managed to get mushrooms, creamy sauce and vegan bacon to taste like the real thing?
I suppose that really is a true compliment from a meat eater, and a lesson to be learnt – don’t be put off vegan dishes, especially this Veganuary.
Dining and Cooking