Fiona R.

On entering Wagaya and being shown to our little private cosy booth I'm thinking this is something new and fun for me. It's a large venue broken up into traditional looking rooms and booths and it is how I imagine restaurants in Japan may be. The seating and tables have that authentic feel, especially in the larger rooms suitable for bigger groups. We are transported to Tokyo. The booths have touch screen ordering and we have fun perusing the huge menu and figuring out the easy to use system. The restaurant has at least ten Karaoke booths attached so we check out those prices on our touch screen also. Of course a restaurant of this size is fully licensed but Wagaya has the option of BYO wine also. I order an Asahi Dry Black beer. There is red but no white wine available by the glass. We peruse the extensive menu for food and most of the options are smaller tasting plates, which suits us fine as we want to taste it all. We decide on Lotus Root Chips and Vegetable Tempura to start and, after ordering via our touch screen, the service is efficient, unobtrusive and friendly. The Lotus root chips taste a bit like potato crisps and are great with my beer. The Tempura is well prepared with crispy batter as expected and not too oily. Next up we order some more adventurous dishes, Sea Urchin Sushi, Octopus Korean Pancake and Tuna sashimi. I find the Tuna sashimi to be a bit bland, however the Sea Urchin Roe Sushi is lovely. The smooth texture of the sea urchin is topped with fish roe that pops on the tongue. Better without soy or wasabi as to enjoy the subtle sea flavours. The octopus Korean Pancake has small pieces of Octopus in the pancake with a tangy ponzu dressing. The octopus is tender and the dressing compliments the pancake very well. Yum! With more room left in our bellies we order Agedashi Tofu. The tofu comes in its own sauce, sprinkled with spring onions and is deliciously silky with a crispy exterior. The sauce and spring onions accompany the tofu perfectly. The restaurant is busy for a Thursday night and I get the impression it is still being enjoyed by Brisbanites, despite being open for a few years now. The wooden bench seating is a bit hard for a mature chappie accustomed to comfort, however good times are being had as indicated by the popping of corks from the $25 per bottle Jacobs Creek Sparkling. Cocktails are also inexpensive here priced from $8 to $10. We don't really need to eat more food but the menu is very tempting. At between $7 - $12 for most plates we order one last dish, an old favourite, Chicken Karaage. Perfectly cooked tender moist chicken and we enjoy it with mayonnaise and soy/wasabi. Great comfort food to end a very fun evening.

Ron B.

The pictures may suggest otherwise but this was a very disappointing dinner. The rainbow roll was pretty decent and fresh (the mayonnaise was just the basic fat stuff without any spiciness or flavour to it). All else was below par. The wagyu steak was overcooked and had no tenderness (left); it also was prepared with an overly sweet sauce. The fried squid was terrible; I've had bad squid in the past but this was nearly inedible. Look, the place looks nice and the staff is friendly, but in 2014 a touch screen feels quite 5 years ago (as a novelty at least). It may not exist in Brisbane but one-touchscreen-per-customer (that also isn't fixed to the wall) restaurants do already exist. To me the Wagaya setup is mostly a way to cut down on staffing costs. Even worse is that it is used to displays ads. For me this was a one-time visit.

Lani P.

Maybe it's the touch-screen ordering, maybe it's the butter miso ramen, the fresh to your table sashimi or booth dining - either way, just as the four stars say, "I'm a fan." Wagaya has treated my Japanese-loving stomach and I well on several occasions from take-away to late night eats with friends. It's not strictly traditional with some menu inspiration taken from Korean and Western cuisines, but it still makes for a fun night dining in a group. The ramen bowls are some of the largest I've eaten in Brisbane and I'm yet to finish a whole one. Paired with a small side of sashimi and you've got yourself a heart-warming meal for under $20. Pro Tip: keep a close eye on your bill tally via the touch-screen. It's a little too easy to get trigger happy and over order!

Yang W.

Food: Tasty, huge range, modern and experimental. Portions are large and designed to share. A mix of traditional but mainly modern Japanese dishes. They have some strange experimental dishes too (e.g. hot cheese and chilli on sushi) which are suprisingly tasty. The desserts are nothing to write home about. Drinks: Beer on tap and bottled, some wine, some spirits and some Japanese drinks. Service: Efficient. You order everything via a touch screen and it gets brought to you once it's made. The only that isn't are condiments but you can ask for those after buzzing a waiter. Price: Very reasonable for everything. Venue: Booths! Every group is assigned a booth with its own touch screen. A regular booth seats up to 4 and larger booths for up to 8. There are also even larger private rooms which you have to pay a deposit for. Bookings: Yes and is highly recommended during peak dinner time. Other: There is rewards program you can sign up to. Worth it. There is a sushi roulette where 1 in 6 nigiri is stuffed with wasabi. Hilarious. Also open until midnight every night. Hooray! Context: Have had lunch and dinner here over a dozen times.

Michelle L.

Dangerously awesome. I've been here about 6 times now and each time we seem to order such a massive array of things from the mammoth menu that we can barely fit the dishes on the table. It becomes a race to finish dishes to make room for the new ones to arrive. I have to have a serious talk with myself before I sit down for dinner here, it goes something like this; "Now, Michelle, just because it is SUPER EASY to order things off that magical touch screen, WHENEVER you like, DOESN'T mean you should, okay? Now settle down or I'm turning this car around" It's also great because you get your own little private booth, or if you want to pay an extra $20 on the busy nights you can get a whole room for your party of 10 or more. My favourite's are the Sashimi Boat, lotus chips, edamame, Agedashi tofu and the (OMFG!!) crispy chicken wings, we always end up ordering several serves of this. So fun, so good and I love the sleek Japanese style fit out.

Denny J.

One of my favourite Japanese haunts. From the touch screen ordering to the yummy little plates that come out of the open planned kitchen it's the place to go for a cheap bite before heading out of or even a function like a hens night. Best part is that you can see how much your bill is right at your table in the touch screen. Very handy on a night out with friends to keep a track of spending. The atmosphere is wonderful with private booths of various sizes and good sized function rooms as well. This place boasts karaoke but I've not dare enter the den for fear of shattering glass. The cocktails are quite affordable and all their food is more for sharing so you can order a stack of variety to share. The only reason this place didn't get a five star was because of the dessert selection (not for me) and the time limits they seem to have on bookings and time slots. You will have to book if you want to go during peak times as this place is popular.

Rhiannon S.

The touch screen ordering system is really efficient and a lot of fun. It is pretty easy to go crazy and order a shitload of dishes, but you can always check on your balance to see how much you have ordered. As soon as you place your order, it's sent back to the kitchen or the bar, and the only time you see staff is when they are delivering your food and drinks. Very smart system! The menu is really extensive, but is categorised to make it easy for searching what style of food you want - nibbles and salad, deep-fried, grilled, sushi and sashimi, noodles etc. For entrees and nibbles, I highly recommend the Takoyaki (octopus balls), Seaweed salad, Edamame and Renkon chips (which are lotus root, thinly sliced and deep-fried. Highly addictive!) The Hot Pots are fantastic value - the small size is about $12-14 and it is enough to split between 2-4 people if you are sharing dishes. The Beef Curry Hot Pot is always our favourite. There is a dish on the menu I've been longing to try, but my friends are lame. It's Sushi Roulette - 6 pieces of sushi, one is stuffed full of hot, hot wasabi. But you won't know until you all pop your piece into your mouth and chew. Hilarious! For drinks, order a hot green tea ($2.50) and then enjoy free refills all night. They have a huge range of non-alcoholic cocktails, including one for each month of the year. If it's your birthday you will get a free cocktail of your birthday month. Most of these drinks feature Calpis, which might be unfamiliar to you but is really good! Give it a go. There's also a huge range of beers and Sake, Shochu and mixed drinks. The menus here are really huge! They are also open for lunch, and there is a limited menu that features Bento Box set meals ($12.90-$14.50), as well as rice and noodle dishes and many of the entrees/nibbles.

Meegan W.

Walking into Wagaya is like walking into another world. This is a world where your touch screen is a god and your food appears at your table like magic. A world where you can eat an entrée, eat a main, and then eat another entrée if you so desire. In this world, your crazy food fetishes can be realised without having to explain yourself to a sceptical waiter. The experience of Wagaya is almost enough fun to outweigh the prices, which are quite high for the size of the servings. The style is similar to tapas, and I usually order several small dishes and share with the people I am eating with. Because you order your food and drinks with the touchscreen and you can constantly add to your orders, the bill can skyrocket very fast without you noticing. If you keep this in mind, you can keep things economical and fun. Most of the food is excellent, especially the salmon skewers, sashimi, and sushi. I found the agedashi tofu a little bland, and the wagyu skewers sounded better than they tasted. The décor is simple yet effective, and a beautiful full size bonsai tree has pride of place near the centre of the restaurant. Couples and smaller groups sit in booths while dining rooms are available for larger groups. These group dining rooms feature traditional sunken tables and shoes are removed outside. The group dining experience is a lot of fun, but keep track of what you order to minimise the stress and pain of sorting out the bill.

Brent W.

Yeah Japanese stuff is all awesome. Wagaya is proof. Here's the thing, each booth has a iPad-like ordering touch screen. You select what you want and how much, and within about 2 minutes they'll bring it out to you. It's a system that works fairly well. On the one occasion a waitress did mess up our order, but at the touch of a button another waitress came out and fixed it all up. It's also interesting seeing how much you've spent as you order. Definitely a great way to ensure you aren't bothered by waiters wanting to know what you want. The dishes range in price, style and serving style but it's an incredible place to bring friends. No BYO though, which sucks, but they've got some pretty unique beers that are reasonably priced.