Review Daruma Japanese Restaurant - Umhlanga Rocks

Went there for my birthday. Sat at tepanyakki table. Benoi was our chef, he was great. I had tuna my husband had seafood selection and my friends had filet. Everything was delicious. They brought me vanilla ice cream with chocolate for my birthday. Had a lovely evening.

Some time ago in Elangeni, Daruma used to be really good and really authentic. This restaurant in Umhlanga after 2 tries is not as good as they used to be. The sushi rice is overcooked and under seasoned. The rice to fish ratio is much too high as well. The teppanyaki dishes, while cooked well, is too sweet as their tare is reduced far too much on the teppan and the same sweet sauce is added to the veg and the noodles too. The restaurant has a nice vibe and service is ok. The ambiance is great. I will need some convincing to try this again. Nb I was convinced and did try again 3 times more. Now a 5 star for the food. They’ve really improved a lot across all the dishes I’ve tried, sushi included. Much better balance of flavours now. This will definitely be a regular for me for Japanese food cravings in the umhlanga area.

What an experience with amazing food and service like no other. Will be coming back next weekend

Great dining experience! Exceptional service from the hostess, waitress, chef. Our waitress Minnie was friendly, efficient and on the ball. Drinks including cocktails were brought to us in just a few minutes. The sushi was fresh, delicious and also prepared super quick. We opted for the Tepanyaki which we thoroughly enjoyed. I will definitely visit again.

The teppanyaki is such fun to watch. My nephew loves it! Excellent food and a great experience

Wow! what an experience. Service was exceptional and food tasted delicious. The teppenyaki in front of us was something new and exciting. We made a reservation and got a great spot. The chef went the extra mile and made my friends birthday memorable! Definitely recommend this place for birthday dinners, get togethers etc.

Such an amazing evening out with an incredible chef and delicious food! Will definitely be back!

The place is really nice. The food is amazing, service is good, outside sitting area is a vibe so is the indoor sitting area.. Almost has a rustic aesthetic to it, I'd go there everyday if I could. I forgot to take a picture of the menu but the prices are pretty good too.. 100% would recommend. I don't recommend the sake though 😭😭Lol

Book in advance for a great teppanyaki experience. Unfortunately our noodles tasted like it was drenched in tomato sauce, that being the only downside. Our kingklip, beef fillet and veggies tasted just fine. The special sauce made with fresh chilli was great.

Daruma Umhlanga met all expectations. The atmosphere was amazing. However, please make a reservation as the restaurant is busy during peak hours. The food was delicious and the portions were very big. We started the evening with cocktails, followed by the Chicken Springroll starters which were absolutely divine. Proceeding this, we chose the Miso and Shoyu Chicken Ramen. The noodles ans broth were absolutely delicious. However, I would suggest sharing as my boyfriend and I did not finish our main courses. We were also tempted by the Teppan Yaki and ordered half portion of the egg fried rice which was also delicious. Once again, the portions were big and we did not finish our meal. My only criticism is that when being seated at the Teppan Yaki station, there is not a lot of leg space or space in general to sit comfortably especially if you are a tall person. It is also very hot when you sit there. I also think we would have made better choices if our waitress explained the menu to us as it can be a little overwhelming if you are not familiar with Japanese Cuisine. All in all, a great dining experience.

Wasn't at all happy that we had to pay an extra R85.00 for a portion of rice to be served with the fish Tepanyaki. That's not right, surely!! The three small pieces of fish just came with a lettuce leaf... huh??

I celebrated my birthday at Daruma Umhlanga last night and I will definitely be recommending the restaurant to every one I know. The ambience is lovely, the service from Anitha our waitress was commendable and the food was absolutely delicious!! N the special birthday treat was the cherry on top of a fantastic dining experience

Absolutely had a great time while the chef cooked out seafood platters, chatted to everyone aroud the table. Food was fantastic!!! Great service. Will be back!

Food was good but service was quite poor. Forgot to put through orders, brought some starters while other people were already having mains because service was so slow. Service must improve.

Delicious food! Tasty and BIG portions! Excellent service from friendly staff.

Fantastic experience. Food was out of this world. Great atmosphere. Awesome service. Most definitely will be back.

We had THE MOST amazing experience! Our waiter was awesome, Anitha. And so was our Chef, Siphiwe!!

The sushi was excellent and the staff very friendly

The best authentic Japanese cuisine this side of the equator!

Did not have a good meal at all after being recommended to go and left early

Perfect Dining, food well prepared...very neat...

Fantastic food, great service and lovely vibe

great service and delicious food