Liz Nicholls reckons you can’t go wrong at Wagamama (except if you’re her)

Let me be clear: I don’t do food envy. With food, unlike almost everything else in life, I am greedily driven to make the right choice.

I wake up every morning thinking about food, so you won’t find me dithering over dish decisions or poking a rueful fork at my partner’s pudding, oh no. But I succumbed to it at Wagamama.

Most of us know Wagamama by now; the hip and simple chain which won over students and other grazers back in the ‘90s with nutritious bowls of ramen. That was before Asian-fusion snacking was everywhere, of course. These days you can pick up a pack of sushi with your suncream and Japanese/ Golden Triangle streetfood is part of the landscape, rather than some exotic rarity.

But we still love Wagamama with its casual, democratic air of a work canteen and simple, freshly-cooked, reasonable faves. The Oxford branch is no exception; a quirky old building tucked behind the Covered Market with a code to access the toilets on the first floor (“to keep out the tramps” said the lady in front of me). Inside is your standard scran zone; utilitarian and refreshingly un-British benches for sitting either with your own group or alone jabbing at an iPad over a noodle lunch. It’s spotlessly clean but not sterile, with open kitchens and the sort of effortless, sunny service which puts other, less multinational, chains to shame. In short, it’s very hard to dislike.

Anyway. Maybe you haven’t seen Wagamama’s saucily suggested summer menu but it flirts: “fall for something new this summer”. Alongside usuals are fresh dishes such as beef lettuce wraps (£5.65). These three words don’t particularly jump off the page and tickle you under the chin. But the combo of marinated sirloin beef (cooked over seven hours, apparently) doused in a Korean barbecue sauce spiced with peppers, and ready to be rolled in cute, perky leaves and dunked in chilli sauce, is heavenly carb-free fare. It could even make the Atkins diet bearable. Summer rolls are just as frisky and fresh. You marvel at the delicate rice paper parcels of shredded chicken doused in miso mayo copping off with shredded coriander, mooli (a kind of long white radish) and carrot, with more amazing dip.

But I pined for stodge and plumped for the veggie version of katsu curry – yasai, (£8.45) – with, instead of grilled chicken, medallions of squash, sweet potato and aubergine. These come fried in breadcrumbs, golden outside, soft within — always a comforting mix of textures. You’ve probably had it, as I have (lots), but it’s not summery. It comes with a lovely portion of sticky rice and that sauce which is so familiar. “It’s like the sauce you get on your chips up North,” said my boyfriend “but nicer and more... posh,” and he’s right. But this is a poor choice because this is a simple dish to make and its wintry veg makes you feel gutted you’ve missed out on some summer bonanza on the other side of the table.

Beckoning and mocking me, was the salmon miso salad (£10.45). As it had the word ‘salad’ in the title, I’d given it a swerve, but this was a mistake. Summertime tastes like this: seaweed, wasabi rocket, warm salmon flesh and wasabi cream. It looked so beautiful I had to dive in with whatever implement came to hand (no chopstick snobbery here). No contest: that and the chicken version were highlights.

Our friend’s pad Thai (£9.55) was earthy but it didn’t sing, and paled in comparison. But the standard is so high eating here is never a chore. Kids get fun, picky versions of bigger dishes and puds are sweet without sesame- infused oddities. Two new juices (tropical or berry mint) are a joy, as is Raw Juice (£3.30), despite the boyfriend’s gagging noises.

Also— and this is a huge part of the pleasure — it makes you feel so virtuously healthy that you feel you wouldn’t need to be rolled out of the door, even if you ordered, say, 10 lots of everything. And for greedy people in bikini season, that is appealing.

  • Wagamama, 8 Market St, Oxford, OX1 3EF Tel 01865 249183 Open every day, noon-11pm