Japanese-inspired UK restaurant chain Wagamama is re-opening its experimental Noodle Lab in Soho, London, which will act as a test kitchen for recipe creation.
In line with Wagamama’s commitment to be 50% plant-based, the Noodle Lab will feature new plant-based menu items, including vegan K-dogs (a popular Korean street food). The dish will consist of corn dogs coated in a noodle crumb and topped with sriracha, vegan turmeric mayo, chilli, coriander, and red pepper powder.
Other menu options will be the ‘pork’ tonkatsu (consisting of deep-fried and breaded vegan pork) and plant-based pork buns made with jackfruit. Additionally, Wagamama will be experimenting with sustainable initiatives such as including cauliflower greens in stir-fries.
“Relevant, sustainable & creative”
The Noodle Lab will also reportedly be hosting collaborations with leading UK food innovators in the coming months. The news comes after the chain further expanded its plant-based menu earlier this year, offering vegan kare lomen and a full English breakfast with scrambled plant-based eggs (the latter is only available at airport locations).
“We are so excited to welcome guests to the benches of Noodle Lab Great Marlborough Street,” Global Executive Chef Steve Mangleshot told Secret London. “Our chefs can’t wait to showcase their skills and play with the weird and wonderful to create innovative and groundbreaking dishes. My team is taking on the challenge to cement Noodle Lab at the centre of the UK food landscape by serving relevant, sustainable, and creative dishes. Our fantastic team has been working hard to ensure we can bring our much-loved Wagamama experience to guests.”
