Daikichi (Upper Ground Floor, shop no. 2, JMD Regent Arcade, MG Road, Gurgaon)

In a nutshell:

Japanese restaurant in Gurgaon run by Japanese National , usually full with Japanese expat guests, good service, great food – A must visit for those who have started to appreciate Japanese Cuisine.

Address & other details: Daikichi

Meal for 2: Rs. 1500 onwards

Cuisine Type: Vegetarian & Nonvegetarian

Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:

We saw this tiny Japanese Restaurant in JMD Regent Mall on our way to the Korean Restaurant Tomato in the same mall. Daikichi looked totally different from anything around & absolutely stood apart inspite of its small size. As we peeped in thru the glass, we saw all seats occupied by Japanese expats – a view that made me think for a second that I am in Tokyo. So, decided to pay a visit to Daikichi soon & here we were in a month’s time.

The entrance is quite tricky. There is a traditional curtain at the entrance that was made out of natural fiber ropes. One is supposed to brush it aside before entering – unable to imagine that b4 entering, I walked past & reached the KFC door, only to realize my mistake.
The interiors are not as Japan specific as the exteriors. It cud well have been any other restaurant. However, few posters on the wall with stuff written in Japanese gave a feel. The right side had rows of tables with 4 seats each & on the left were few cubicles with 4 seats each. The dividers of the cubicles were so high that u cud not see the guys in the other cubicle.

The restaurant has a partially open kitchen & one can easily peep inside the very neat & clean kitchen.

The 5 page menu card is pictorial with a caveat ‘the photograph is an image & is not necessarily a true representation’. While reading thru the items, in quite a few instances I was zapped & felt as helpless as I wud feel in Hongkong in a traditional restaurant. Though everything is written in English, somewhere some things are not very clear. However, the staff is very quick to help & explain & answer patiently to all questions.

The service is great & what makes a difference is that the elderly Japanese Gentleman who owns the place personally comes to meet the guests , does a Namaste, a traditional Japanese bow & does a little conversation in English. His warmth makes one feel like revisiting.

Few things that we usually try in a Japanese place is sushi, sashimi, ramen (Japanese Noodle soup) & of course teppanyaki (where available). This time around we missed out the ramen at Daikichi coz its just too big & almost a meal in itself. Will revisit & keep u all updated.