Fast fare served with flair

Communal dining, Japanese style, is part of the Wagamama atmosphere.

Auckland is about to come of age - the noodle age. Next month, international noodle chain Wagamama will introduce their canteen-style fast and fresh food to the city with the opening of their first New Zealand restaurant.

Since opening its first British eatery in 1992, Wagamama has revolutionised casual dining.

Restaurants are modelled on ramen bars, which have been popular in Japan for hundreds of years.

The emphasis is on healthy eating and stylish dining.

Customers sit at communal tables and staff take orders using a handheld electronic device which relays information to the kitchen.

The Auckland restaurant, which opens in the Metropolis building in High St on April 11, will bring the number of Wagamama restaurants to 38 worldwide. Founded by restaurateur Alan Yau eight years ago, Wagamama professes a zen-like philosophy of positive eating plus positive living.

With its menu of Japanese dishes and freshly squeezed juices, it was a pioneer in the trend for meals that are cheap and quick but healthy.

The menu features dozens of noodle and rice dishes, with plenty of attention paid to vegetarians.

The menu is broken down into ramen (noodles in soup), chilli men (noodles in spicy soup), kare noodle (noodles in coconut-based soup), teppan (noodles cooked on a hot griddle), korroke (Japanese potato-cakes) as well as rice dishes.

The drinks menu offers a great selection of Japanese beers, the perfect accompaniment to a huge bowl of yaki soba noodles or an entree of gyoza dumplings.

Lone Star restaurateur and former Olympian Mark Keddell, 30, owns the New Zealand licence.

International development executive Andreas Karlsson says partners are chosen for their track records as restaurateurs, especially those operating multi-track restaurants.

The Lone Star has 11 sites in New Zealand.

"Money is not what's driving us," Karlsson says. "If it was we could make more money around the world, but we'd have more headaches."

He says that Keddell is a relatively young entrepreneur but very talented.

"He loves Wagamama and loves what we are doing."

Depending on how the High St site fares, two more restaurants may open in Auckland before others are opened elsewhere in the country.

Wagamama set up four restaurants in Sydney before opening its Melbourne site.

Customer service is crucial for Wagamama, Karlsson says, as are local touches in each restaurant.

"It is a chain, you can't deny that. If you go to 20 McDonald's they are certainly the same, but if you go to 20 of our restaurants there is certainly a difference.

"Staff members are allowed to be themselves.

"We're not making them robots. They're individuals who work for Wagamama, using their personalities."

Karlsson is optimistic about Auckland's restaurant.

"We have a great chance to be very successful there, as long as we concentrate on what we are good at."

Although Yau sold his share of the business three years ago, the chain still reflects his vision of healthy eating and stylish dining.

* Wagamama opens on April 11 on Level 2, Metropolis Building, 1 Courthouse Lane, Auckland.