Wagamama’s 2025 autumn menu features new bao buns, noodles and ramen, as well innovative ‘bao nuts’ for dessert – here’s what I thought of each new item on offer
Wagamama’s new menu
Wagamama has announced its new autumn menu, offering a range of new dishes from fluffy bao buns to hearty noodle dishes. As a long-time Wagamama fan, I headed to its location just off Oxford Circus to try the new additions. It was the perfect excuse to venture away from my standard order of a chicken katsu curry (it might be basic — but there’s a reason it’s a best-seller!)
To start were the new bao buns (£9 per dish). The first was Korean fried chicken and the golden crunch of the fried coating contrasted perfectly with the soft, fluffiness of the bao buns. The tonkatsu pork bao bun, however, was my favourite of the two – not only did it look beautiful but the meat was beautifully tender and the glaze was bursting with flavour.
Up next was the katsu udon (£12.80), which I was apprehensive about beforehand — would it compare to my beloved katsu curry? However, while it contains the same katsu flavour, it is a star in its own right.
The crunchy sweet potato shavings add texture to the soft udon noodles and while the dish has been created as vegan, diners can customise it by adding chicken, tofu, or prawns. Alongside the noodles and katsu sauce is red pepper and cabbage, broccoli, carrots, beansprouts, baby corn, edamame beans and the sweet potato.
The star of the show, however, has to be the gochujang pork belly ramen (£16.50). The pork was glazed and crispy on the outside and absolutely melt-in-your-mouth. The noodles were hearty, salty, and warming without overpowering the meat, while the broth was exactly what you’d want on a chilly, autumn day. It also comes with charred sweetcorn, pea shoots, spring onion, and a tea-stained egg.
For dessert were the new deep-fried bao buns filled with ice cream, called ‘bao nuts’ (£6). The bun resembled a kind of donut – golden crispy goodness on the outside, and pillowy softness inside – complemented by the miso caramel ice cream with toffee.
The other ice cream flavours on offer were ube and cherry, and matcha and chocolate – and while I wasn’t the biggest fan of the matcha, the friend I was dining with loved it. This was my first time trying ube and it was delicious – sweet and vanilla without being too overpowering.
I washed everything down with the yuzu and lychee gin and tonic (£12) which was light and refreshing with a kick of sweetness, and finished off the meal with the indulgent popcorn affogato (£4.50).
Wagamama’s global executive chef, Steve Mangleshot, said the new menu is “packed with fresh, bold flavours” – a statement with which I would find incredibly hard to argue. He continued: “Whether you are after something familiar or looking to try something new, the menu has something for the whole family.”