One of Arlington’s most-anticipated restaurants has started serving customers.
More than two years after Wagamama’s first D.C.-area outpost was announced, the “playful modern Asian concept” restaurant opened in Clarendon on Thursday with a sold-out grand opening event.
Diners indulged in a variety of samples from Wagamama’s menu, which is heavily influenced by Japanese cuisine. Servers walked around with trays featuring gyoza, bao and other dishes.
Complimentary tastings from the drink menu, which includes East Asian-inspired cocktails, sake and wine, were also part of the festivities.
The restaurant at 2950 Clarendon Blvd — formerly home to Oz, a restaurant owned by “Real Housewives of Potomac” stars Ashley and Michael Darby — will be open for dinner service through the weekend before adding lunch hours next week. Its normal hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Reservations can be made via OpenTable or the company’s website. The restaurant’s menu includes salads, ramen, noodle and rice bowls, and curries.
Wagamama initially hoped to open in Clarendon during the summer of 2022 before encountering an assortment of delays. It missed a target of opening in June, but at last announced its grand opening last month.
The British chain has more than 200 locations across 27 countries. The Arlington location is the company’s eighth in the U.S., with others in Dallas, Tampa, Boston and New York.
