Japanese Restaurants in India: A City-by-City Guide from Delhi to Chennai

If you are posted to India, there will inevitably come a day when you crave Japanese food. Delhi and Gurugram has a good lineup of authentic Japanese restaurants, but the situation varies completely from city to city.

This article organizes Japanese restaurants in the four cities with large Japanese expatriate communities, checked against the local Japanese association’s listings and each restaurant’s official information. If you’d rather buy ingredients and cook yourself, see Where to Buy Japanese Ingredients in India.

When You’ll Need a Japanese Restaurant During Your Posting

There are, in practice, two different reasons to look for a Japanese restaurant: wanting to eat there yourself or with your family, and wanting to entertain a business contact. The two call for completely different things.

• For yourself and your family— Price and how convenient it is to visit: whether it serves set meals or noodles, and whether it's close to home or the office
• For business dinners and entertaining clients— Whether it has private rooms or tatami seating, vegetarian options, and the distance from the other party's office

Right after you arrive, it helps to have a few of the first type on hand, and to have tried one of the second type in advance so you're not caught off guard when a business dinner comes up.

Japanese Restaurants by City

The number of restaurants and the range of styles roughly tracks the size of the Japanese expatriate community. Getting a sense of the overall picture first makes it easier to set your expectations for wherever you're posted.

One thing to watch for is that Japanese-language blog posts are often out of date. It's not uncommon to search for a renamed restaurant under its old name, or to head to one that has already closed. This article lists the current names and locations that could be confirmed.

Japanese Restaurants in Delhi and Gurugram

Greater Delhi, where the largest number of Japanese companies are concentrated, also has the widest range of Japanese restaurants — everything from restaurants with private rooms suitable for entertaining clients to places you can walk into alone on a weeknight.

KOFUKU

This restaurant is inside Ansal Plaza in South Delhi. Its original, flagship location is in Bandra West, Mumbai, and Delhi is one of its expansions. The interior feels clean, and on weeknights it fills up with expatriates and business travelers finishing work for the day.

• Location — Ansal Plaza Mall, Khel Gaon Marg (South Delhi)
• Mumbai location — Suburbia Mall, Linking Road (Bandra West)

Mount Fuji (formerly FUJI)

A long-established restaurant in Connaught Place. Japanese-language sources often still refer to it as “FUJI,” but the restaurant's current name is Mount Fuji. Searching a map under the old name won't turn it up, so search for “Mount Fuji” instead. It's located in Speedbird House, facing the Middle Circle.

• Location — Speedbird House, Middle Circle (Connaught Place)
• When searching — look up “Mount Fuji” in your map app
• To confirm when booking — a rough budget, since prices differ between lunch and dinner

EBISU

With Japanese-modern interiors, tatami seating, and private rooms, this restaurant is easy to use for entertaining clients. It's often associated with Golf Course Road in Gurugram, but it actually has locations in three cities. Some people based in Bengaluru assume EBISU is a Delhi restaurant, but there is also a location on Brigade Road.

Choosing by Purpose

Traveling between central Delhi and Gurugram by car can take around an hour. It's easier not to worry about travel time on the day if you choose the restaurant based on which side the other party's office is on.

Japanese Restaurants in Bengaluru

Bengaluru has a large number of expatriates working for IT companies, and its Japanese restaurant scene is correspondingly rich. The Bengaluru Japanese association publishes a list of Japanese restaurants, with a dozen or so options ranging from independent restaurants to restaurants inside hotels.

HARIMA

A long-established restaurant in Bengaluru. Just inside the entrance is a bar counter, and further in are table seats facing large windows as well as sunken kotatsu-style seating. Since the official website publishes the menu, you can check it before a business dinner.

• Location — 4th floor, Devatha Plaza (131 Residency Road)
• Seating — table seats and sunken kotatsu-style seating; there is a bar counter
• Convenience for business dinners — the menu can be shared in advance from the official website

Choosing by Purpose

In Bengaluru, restaurants tend to fall into clearly distinct types. Narrowing down by purpose makes it easier to choose.

Kuuraku is a chain that also has a location in Chennai, with multiple restaurants across India. Azuki, located in Richmond Town, also serves sake and has an official website.

Japanese Restaurants in Chennai

Chennai is a city with a large number of expatriates working in manufacturing. The local Japanese association publishes a list of grocery stores and restaurants, currently featuring six restaurants. Restaurants serving set meals and hot pot are the main option, with prices suited to everyday visits.

Ginza, formerly located in Teynampet, has closed and no longer appears on the Japanese association's current list. Be careful, as its name still lingers in older Japanese-language articles.

Japanese Restaurants in Mumbai

Mumbai is a city where Japanese expatriates live split between Bandra and Powai. Japanese restaurants tend to cluster around Bandra and Lower Parel, so how convenient one is depends on which area you live in.

Restaurants That Could Be Confirmed

Many restaurants in Mumbai don't have an official website, and much of the Japanese-language information available has clearly stopped being updated. Here we list only restaurants whose location could be confirmed through official information. If you're looking for other restaurants, call ahead when booking to check that they're still open.

What to Know Before You Order

Ordering at a Japanese restaurant in India the same way you would in Japan can sometimes catch you off guard. Here's a summary of things worth knowing in advance so you don't get it wrong.

Check Whether Vegetarian Options Are Available

• Restaurants in India draw a clear line between vegetarian and non-vegetarian, and Japanese restaurants are divided the same way
• When entertaining an Indian guest, checking their dietary habits beforehand helps you avoid choosing the wrong restaurant
• Beef imports are banned, so wagyu items are basically not to be expected on the menu

What to Confirm Before a Business Dinner

• Whether the other party is vegetarian, and whether they eat eggs or fish (this varies by individual in India)
• Whether you can secure a private room or a partitioned table
• Whether the restaurant serves alcohol — how alcohol is handled differs by state
• Travel time from the other party's office — Delhi and Gurugram are far apart

Seasoning varies from restaurant to restaurant

Even among Japanese restaurants, the taste differs between those where a Japanese chef cooks and those staffed mainly by local cooks. Some restaurants adjust the seasoning to Indian palates, and opinions on this are divided. It's reassuring to try a restaurant yourself once before using it for a business dinner.

• The taste differs between restaurants with a Japanese chef and those staffed mainly by local cooks
• Fresh fish for sashimi requires facility registration and health certification to import, and only a limited number of ports can clear it through customs
• Trying a restaurant yourself once before using it for a business dinner helps you avoid a mistake on the day

The Option of Entering the Food Service Business in India

We've looked at this from the perspective of someone searching for a restaurant, but the flip side is that the supply of Japanese food is still limited. Even in a city with as many expatriates as Chennai, the Japanese association is aware of only six restaurants.

Opening a restaurant in India requires an FSSAI license. In addition, fire safety and alcohol licensing are required on a state-by-state basis, and the time it takes to obtain them also varies by state. You also need to plan your ingredient sourcing at the same time, and for items you rely on importing, the terms of tariffs and customs clearance are an essential part of your cost calculations.

Frequently asked questions

Conclusion

For Japanese restaurants in India, greater Delhi and Bengaluru offer the most options, including restaurants suitable for entertaining clients. Chennai has fewer restaurants, but the local Japanese association publishes a current list, so you can be confident about what's there. In Mumbai, how convenient a restaurant is depends on which area you live in.

One thing to watch for when searching for a restaurant is that Japanese-language information is often out of date. FUJI in Delhi has been renamed Mount Fuji, and Ginza in Chennai has closed. Check the current name and whether a restaurant is still operating before you visit. For how to source ingredients yourself, see Where to Buy Japanese Ingredients in India.

Sources

• Chennai's current restaurant list: Chennai Japanese Association, “Grocery Store and Restaurant Information”
• List of Japanese restaurants in Bengaluru: Bengaluru Japanese Association, “Living Guide”
• Restaurant locations: KOFUKU／EBISU／HARIMA／Azuki
• Beef import ban and conditions for importing seafood: JETRO, "India: Trade Control System"／JETRO, “Guide to Exporting Seafood to India”