In praise of Wagamamma

Why i liken Wagamama to Starbucks is that it's a guaranteed 6/10 experience. it's a safe, inoffensive option. It's never going to be truly awful, but it's also never going to leave you gushing about the place. For some reason Britain seems obsessed with this type of experience - everywhere you look are chain pubs, chain restaurants, chain coffee shops.

Wagamama isn't bad, but if you've grown up eating authentic Asian/Oriental food - and I'm lucky enough to come from a city where amazing and fairly authentic Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai are all easily available - then Waga's is a pretty bland imitation. You can also get much better noodles at plenty of places in Chinatown.

This is the same way that people who like good coffee (myself included) feel about Starbucks.

well said, Britain is lame.........going for the easy option, unadventurous, risk averse, give me the authentic any day. business backs it up as well, or else why would so many good ideas never go into the streets?
In New Zealand small businesses are given incentives to try new ideas,
went to an amazing coffee shop there once, Auckland- coffee/music shop witha huge long counter, you are encouraged to go in, browse c.d,s get some to preview listen to whilst having your coffee (you have control of the c.d playing etc)--
brilliant idea! lush coffee! wheres the shit like that here?