Wagamama Lollipop Prawn Kushiyaki

Wagamama lollipop prawn kushiyaki is estimated at £9.90 (est.) and carries 184 kcal, three grilled prawn skewers in lemongrass and chilli, the lightest thing on the big flavour bites page by a wide margin. Kushiyaki means skewer grilled, and the lollipop is the shape the prawn takes wrapped around its stick.

This is the page's one non fried plate, and it eats like it: char from the grill instead of crunch from the fryer, lemongrass perfume where its neighbours bring glaze, and chilli as brightness rather than weight. The lollipop form is more than presentation, packing the prawn tight so it grills juicy where a splayed prawn would dry.

The numbers are almost suspicious on this page: 184 kcal for the plate, under 2 g of salt, 14 g of protein, the sort of figures the lighter bites page would claim. For anyone eating carefully who still wants the bites experience, this is the plate, full stop.

Wagamama publishes no price for it, so the £9.90 (est.) figure is this site's estimate against the page's published prices, marked est wherever it appears, and the how much are the prawn skewers question deserves that honesty. Crustaceans rule it out for shellfish allergies as ever.

As the one grilled plate in a fried section it also survives sitting on the table better than anything beside it, no crunch to lose and no glaze to set, which makes it the safe first order when the kitchen is queuing on a busy night.

Three skewers split awkwardly between two, which tables solve by ordering two plates or conceding the third stick to the quickest hand. It partners the heavier plates as their conscience, ribs, trio, squid, and a sparkling water or positive juice keeps the lemongrass clear.