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Wagamama Wants Diners to Pay £13 for the Privilege of Eating Seared Watermelon

The method for the tuna substitute has gone down in internet lore for being, well, not great

Wagamama’s vegan watermelon tuna, served with rice
Here it is folks, watermelon tuna
Wagamama [Official Photo]

Good morning to Wagamama’s watermelon “tuna” brass neck only

Hot on the heels of Greggs’ vegan steak bake and KFC’s Quorn chicken burger, Wagamama wants its vegan, vegetarian, or sadistic diners to pay £13 to eat cooked watermelon and play “spot the difference” with tuna. Despite mimicking sashimi — that is, raw — tuna’s texture, the dish is eaten hot, according to the Independent, with the watermelon brined, cooked sous vide, and then seared a la minute before being plated alongside white rice, soy seasoning, radish, kale and tenderstem broccoli, as well as a guacamole made with avocado, (yes) edamame, (ok) and tofu (what.)

The restaurant says that the watermelon tuna tastes like watermelon, not tuna, which brings to mind one of the great food articles of 2019: Naaman Zhou’s journey towards a smoked watermelon ham, in the Guardian. That watermelon was brined, baked, and then glazed, and ended up: “ like “an evil Christmas”, “an old packet of cigarettes” or simply “regret”. It is the exact temperature of a human body that isn’t doing so well. Someone likens it to warm sashimi.” Warm sashimi that tastes like watermelon, exactly what Wagamama is promising, for £13. [Independent]

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