OK it's a chain, but it does jolly good Japanese food you know

Wagamama apparently means 'selfishness' or 'disobedience'. So a restaurant for gluttons perhaps, everything to excess, and uncontrollable staff impossible to keep on the leash.

It's anything but of course. For the benefit of those who haven't been to one, Wagamama offers the 'non-sushi' brand of Japanese food, basically bowls of soup and noodles, and in a canteen-like environment. Great to get a cuisine most of us don't eat very often, but it can seem all too hectic.

The new Cardiff branch has got to be one of the best in the collection though. The views out onto the Millennium Centre are glorious (it's perfect for a quick pre-show meal) and they've done a top job on the interior, right down to the dinky little handbag hooks under the tables. You might well share a table, but Cardiff people really are very friendly. And the food is very decent, distinctly healthy in fact. Yasai Itame is a tasty number - pak choi, onions, mushrooms, bean sprouts and tofu in a coconut and chilli sauce - although some might find it a bit on the salty side. And fish lovers will enjoy the Wagamama Rame with good chunks of prawns and dory together with chicken and (more) tofu. Actually, if you don't like tofu, watch out. Try the black Asahi beer too. At £4 it's steeply priced but adds a real depth to the food.

If there is a complaint to be had it's with the robotic approach to service. The staff themselves are lovely, but they seem to be forbidden from using their brains at all times during shift. Everything's done to a script, right down to asking whether your meal is OK which (and this is the give away) yields a special little tick in the corner of your menu. Yes, that's the level of sincerity we're talking about. Come to think of it, the Japanese are quite good at robots. Might look for wires and batteries next time.