Wagamama

Etiquette at restaurants is often held in high esteem, but how far can you push social boundaries? Today, I almost crossed the line between ‘pushing the limits’ and just being plain rude.

Leonie came down to visit me for a couple of days from Ipswich and we spent the majority of the day in Salisbury. For lunch, we decided to go to Wagamama. We occasionally go there in Leicester and regard it as a restaurant where we can order and eat with minimum hassle. Two cokes, two chicken katsu curries, no desserts and ‘sayonara’.

But today, I decided to be a bit adventurous. One of my favourite parts of the curry is the salad, so I decided to order salad and sesame chicken. It was risky, but highly recommended by my sister’s partner. We sat there chatting and eagerly awaiting our meals. Mine came earlier than Leonie’s.

It had nuts. Okay, I don’t regard myself as particularly fussy with food, but nuts are one of my pet hates. It could be the sandpaper flavour or that crunchy warm texture. I started picking them out one my one, but this was clearly a futile task. Leonie sighed – I’m sure she edged slightly away from me.

When her Katsu came I had to grab the waitress and make a quick excuse. It’s not one of my proudest moments, but I claimed I had an allergy to ‘big nuts’. She paused. She went to get the manager. Leonie looked away. The manager came and the situation was quickly ‘diffused’ and I managed to get away with a chicken katsu five minutes later. Although I started to enjoy it, it felt dirty – like blood money.

But jokes aside, it’s strange how you can become so attached to a seemingly unimportant place. Indeed, I don’t think I would have been so rude as to ask for a new meal for the fact that they know me - I’ve always been to the Salisbury Wagamama since it set up. I’ve often gone there with my sister when I’ve come down from Leicester. It gives us a good opportunity to catch up – and for me to hear the latest gossip on my dad. My sister is also a devout fan of the chicken katsu curry.

But this attachment also applies to other places. I choose to buy my morning paper from my nearby Spar, rather than the one on University campus. This isn’t just because of the friendly staff or the proximity – it extends to routine. How can I be so sure? I am less likely to buy a newspaper down in Salisbury than in Leicester – in fact, I rarely buy a paper in the South. It sounds petty, but routine really does have a strong impact on everyone – and I’m the least OCD of people.

But ultimately, what I think matters, is that we must take risks and try things different all the time. It might feel wrong, but you’ll never know what that dish tastes like until you order it. Today I was ignorant of what was actually on the menu, but if I never experimented a little bit with what I ordered, I would have just had the usual and not know any better. Although I didn’t like the dish, I’m glad I took the risk.