Vegan tuna? Wagamama ‘makes fish out of watermelon’ in special Veganuary dish

“How do they make watermelon look like tuna?” my son pondered as we sat in Wagamama’s new Old Street branch, waiting for the new vegan dish to be served up.

Wagamama in Old Street. Picture :Emma Bartholomew - Credit: :Emma Bartholomew

Good question. It's quite a long process.

Apparently it's sliced, soaked in brine to balance the sugars and take out some of the water content, before being cooked in a sous-vide which gives it some texture, and then seared on both sides just before serving.

While it really does look authentic, there's no getting away from the fact that it is a piece of fruit - so it has a sweet flavour and refreshing consistency rather than fleshy and savoury.

It costs £12.95 and is a nice meal overall - the kale it comes with has a BBQ tinge, crispy shallots give a crunchy texture and guacamole with edamame and tofu is a winner.

Wagamama's yasai nikko curry. Picture :Emma Bartholomew - Credit: :Emma Bartholomew

It's a special addition to the pan-Asian restaurant's menu this month for Veganuary, and if it does well it'll be added permanently.