A moment with Wagamama’s Steve Mangleshot: Noodle Lab is our chef’s playground

To the delight of foodies across London, Wagamama recently brought back its recipe test kitchen, Noodle Lab, to Soho. In a candid conversation with Steve Mangleshot, the Global Executive Chef at Wagamama, we delve into his culinary journey as he shares insights on the exclusive menu, and why the vibrant neighbourhood of Soho was the chosen destination for this future-focused food venture.

**Global Executive Chef at Wagamama, Steve Mangleshot | Photo courtesy of Wagamama.**

Q | Welcome back to Soho! How has the noodle lab’s return been received so far?

A | Thank you! Being back in Soho is super exciting for us at wagamama, and the feedback we’ve had from our guests so far has been really great. Our restaurant on Great Marlborough Street has been a part of the Soho food scene for over 8 years, so it’s been a real moment to bring noodle lab back here, and offer some new and exciting dishes exclusively at this venue, getting the locals and regulars excited, as well as the tourists who might fancy trying something new.

Q | What’s the concept of the noodle lab, and why is its return to Soho so important?

A | Noodle Lab is our Wagamama test kitchen. Our space for endless recipe and idea testing that allows us to play around in a future-focused food landscape. It’s our chef’s playground. A kitchen bursting with creative concepts + menu innovation, with our guests playing a fundamental part in the concept. That is why we have brought it back to the heart of Soho – there’s a real energy to the area, and the streets are buzzing with foodies who are excited by anything new and different. So it feels like Soho is noodle lab’s natural home – plus, wagamama has so much history with the area. It just feels right.

Q | What’s the inspiration behind the new menu/ limited edition dishes?

A | The melting pot of the flavour that emerges from Asia provides us with endless amounts of inspiration. The way of cooking and eating over there is where we look to for inspiration. The ideation process for the noodle lab exclusives was no different. We were really excited by the incredible street food scene that exists across Asia, and the satisfying juxtapositions you see in this sort of food, whether it’s textural with the crunch of our new k-dog, or the sweet and salty flavours on our vegan ‘pork’ tonkatsu. And then there’s our super crispy tokyo fries, which are contrasted with the toppings and the sticky korean sauce. We wanted to create dishes that were really exciting to eat, and that also look amazing, too.

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Q | We’re seeing a lot more vegan dishes on the menu. Is this a growing trend we’ll be seeing more of from Wagamama?

A | We’ve always invested a lot of time into crafting really tasty, innovative plant-based recipes for our restaurants, and it’s something we’re super proud of. Whether you’re with your family or having a quick lunch break on your own, we want people to come to wagamama and not have to worry about there being something on the menu that everyone can eat. So, we want to ensure we are offering our guests plenty of options and this will continue to be an area of focus moving forward

Q | How does it differ from the regular menu?

A | Our noodle lab menu has all of your wagamama classics on there, but it also has exclusive dishes that you won’t find anywhere else. This means that you can come here with your friend who is a die-hard katsu fan, knowing they can order their favourite dish while you try out some of the new dishes from the exclusives menu.

Q | What’s your favourite dish/s?

A | From our lab exclusives menu it would have to be the beef brisket tokyo fries. A hearty serving of sweet potato matchstick fries with a sticky korean-inspired sauce, topped off with vegan mayo + sriracha. They’re absolutely delicious + great for sharing!

Q | What’s your personal connection to Soho?

A | After working in the west end for a number of years before my time at wagamama, Soho has always been the place to go when you want to try something different. Soho always has lots going on + new restaurants pop up every few months! The buzz + vibrancy of the area enhances the creative process and gets the juices flowing when it comes to our chef’s playground, Noodlelab! Soho will always serve as inspiration for me personally and for us here at Noodlelab, continually driving food innovation forward.