Wagamama’s is basically a household name in a student city. A reliable weeknight takeaway spot with fun fresh food. I’ll admit, before this evening, I’d never set foot in a Wagamama’s, as takeaways were enough to fulfil me.

But, if you’re finding yourself with not a lot to do on a Wednesday night, (maybe YOLO’s queue is looking unappetising in the rain), get yourself down to Wagamama’s where they’re hosting their new collab with Locked On Records, bringing dance music to the forefront of the restaurant. Until the 12th of November, they are offering a 20% discount on all bills, free Asahi, and back to back DJs on the playlist for the night, from eight PM until close. On our night, they were host to live guest DJ Kow; who’s a Warwick business student and part-time artist who mixes beats full of punch and energy.

For an hour, he accompanied our dinner with a mashup of popular and new songs, and some of his own work was thrown in the mix. Born and raised in Japan, whilst Kow is happy with music as a hobby, he does want to be recognised for his skill with club music, representing a small number of Japanese artists who are popular in the DJ scene. From teaching himself his technique since high-school to having an agent sitting next to him whilst we chat, I’d say that he has a promising future.

At night, Wagamama’s transforms from a hot stopover to a restaurant with an impressive evening atmosphere – low lighting and soft music wash over you as soon as you step through the door. At seven forty-five, there was a buzz of energy in the restaurant – a mix of people of all ages and numbers. Plenty solo diners were cosied up on tables as well.

Everyone who served us for the night, gracious and chatty, plied us with menus and recommendations. Of course we started with cocktails, and if you’ve never had one there, then you are missing out. Strong, fairly priced, and delicious, we managed four between us before the night was out, alongside a selection of dishes.

Although the new bao flavours were all unavailable, we got our hands on their katsu udon – a new and fully customisable noodle dish – and even tried the recently added panko baos for dessert. This new era for Wagamama’s has proven to be a lot of fun for them. The new Studentbeans and eat-in lunch deals have brought in the masses between eleven AM and three PM, Locked On supports the diners who are a little bit later in the day.

It has been good fun for Wagamama’s to host, our servers say, although it’s hard to get the word out as most students are out on a Wednesday. But if you’re bored of the wait-times on a Wednesday, or if your body is feeling the effects of the last five weeks, then make the time for a little low-key evening, and if you can’t bring a date, bring a mate!