Date Destination: You & Your Bae Needs To Chill At The Japanese Restaurant & Garden This Weekend

The Japanese Restaurant and Garden is a part of the Eco Tourism Park of Rajarhat. It's a place where you can spend several hours, amidst serene beauty, away from the noise of the rest of the city, and food that offers fresh flavours.

The Japanese Forest, also referred to as the Japanese Garden, is a place so pristine, it will immediately calm the nerves and take away all thoughts of stress and anxiety. Overlooking the water body around which the entire Eco Park is built, this little Japan has a monastery where the slow rhythmic gonging and the prayer wheels will make you feel like you're in some hill station. The rich greenery, the architecture, the wind-chime made of full-sized bamboo sticks - it's all just so exotic. You can choose outside dining, beneath the sky, enjoying the watery breeze.

The pretty restaurant is an outlet of Sarat Bose Road's Fuji, one of the best Japanese places in the city; the Eco Park outlet offers the same quality and flavours. While you can choose Chinese options, it is a good idea to opt for Japanese items, especially the sushi platters. Don't be scared - Sushi is not all about raw meat or fish. The Maki platters available at Fuji have various fillings, one of the most popular being the Tempura fried prawns. You can also try their Soba noodles, with a side of chicken or fish. There are plenty of options.

I would personally like to see some cocktails on the menu.

You can plan an entire day at the Eco Park, and spend part of it inside the Japanese Garden. Just remember that the garden opens late, like around 2.30pm. So plan your day accordingly. You can have a long, lazy lunch at Fuji, take a stroll around the garden, and go out before sunset for a boat ride, or just to sit around.

Don't forget that there's a separate entry charge to visit the Japanese Garden.