Home Away From Home: Japanese Services In Gurgaon

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As we’ve come to see, the Japanese minority makes for more than half of Gurgaon’s expatriate community. The migration started with companies like Suzuki setting up shop. Slowly, as big-wigs such as Toshiba, Honda and Toyota entered Manesar through Gurgaon, so did their skilled work-force who—although happy to be here—found their own little ways to make this home.

We looked at some of the ways that Japanese businesses and services have helped build a home away from home within this dusty Haryana town.

GROCERIES

Yamato-Ya

Yamato-Ya stocks daily groceries including specialty spices and meats, like octopus, squid and yakiniku karubi pork.

Wakaba

Wakaba is a gourmet grocery store offering authentic Japanese products, from food to homeware, and meats from Japan and parts of Europe. There’s a Japanese-style cafe and a bakery to boot. They also do custom imports on confirmed orders.

Find out more here.

FOOD & DRINKS

Daikichi

With an extensive a la carte menu of meats and tofu, over 10 set meal options and even more rice bowls, it seems utterly unfamiliar to the untrained eye, but can be quite an adventure.

Kyoto

Perhaps the best place to forgo sushi and try some soupy ramen-y goodness. Good ambience, bento boxes {which we love!}, simple bowl meals and a variety of soups. What more could one ask for?

Raifu Tei Dia Park

We’ve heard this is home away from home for many longing souls. It offers exotic {or, well, we think so} dishes of seafood, pork, chicken and, of course, sushi and nigiri.

IZU

With easily the best sushi platter this side of town, we’re going for seconds. With sushi this good, it is hard to mention anything else, but they do also offer a solid a la carte menu and fun bento boxes.

Mangaful Café

Mangaful Café on MG Road is a hidden getaway for those who seek a bit of mid-week anime fun. Offers delectable sandwiches and bowls.

Iroha Bakery

Vyapar Kendra plays surprising host to Iroha Bakery, a place that firmly reinforces our notion that good things like gourmet profiteroles come in neat and pretty packages. Known for its delicious baked goods, with crepes and tea cakes to die for.

Threesixtyone at The Oberoi, Gurgaon

An elaborate recruitment procedure brought Michelin-starred chef Sato to our side of the world, where he welcomes direct calls on his personal number. His famous Omasake menu comprises as few as seven and as many as 30 courses of small dishes, accompanied by fresh wasabi root scraped out at the table.

Kuuraku

Kuuraku, which operates in three other countries as well, brings its specialty, grilled chicken, and authentic-but-approachable Japanese food to Golf Course Road. The specialty yakitori chain is known for its delicious grills and set lunches.

SERVICES

Zero Plus Dry Cleaning Services

Dry-cleaning done the Japanese way, Zero Plus will help restore your white shirt to its former glory, if you happened to spill some Teriyaki sauce at lunch.

Aju Japanese Hotels

With locations in Neemrana and Haryana {plus Manesar}, Aju Hotel offers the complete experience for Japanese guests in India. Luxurious interiors and international facilities will immerse you in a complete Japanese experience.

Asahi Shimbun Newspaper

Bringing locally relevant news to Japanese expatriates is the print run of the newspaper Asahi Shimbun, which is a Japanese language daily filled with our city’s shenanigans and world events.

Check out the online version here.

Hair Styling- Tokumi Hair Salon

Enjoy the services of Tokumi Hair Salon, where the stylist only speaks Japanese, but others at the salon can help you communicate. They even have an academy with two courses to learn how to become a hair stylist.

Japanese School New Delhi

Since instruction in English may not always be the best way to learn, there is the Japanese School New Delhi in Vasant Vihar.

Find out more here.