Daruma Umhlanga — Restaurant in KwaZulu-Natal

I do not enjoy writing bad reviews, as I understand that things can sometimes go wrong. In this case I felt I have to make an exception because I was mislead to going there due to many good reviews. We went there on Sunday evening for the first time with a party of 5 and had the worst experience after initially high hopes due to the many good reviews and the promising menu. Firstly we waited for over an hour for the starters to arrive. Not that the restauirant was busy, it was maybe 25% occupied. The food was extremely tasteless, none of us finished their plate, most of the food went back. Our waitress had dissapeared after taking the order. In some instances the dish delivered was inconsistent with the menu, like my noodle dish was advertised with 2 eggs, but only one was on the plate. The waitress at first tried to convince me that I was wrong. After I asked her to bring me a menu so that I can point it out to her, she went and looked at a menu with a colleague, then didn't bring it to me like I asked, but instead went to the kitchen and brought on a plate what can be described as almost one egg, see attached picture. After I complained the manageress was apologetic and tried to make good with a plate of four very nice eggs and chili. That was the only good dish of the evening and I ate it because I was hungry. It almost seems like we had the luck of beeing assigned to a trainee waitress and a trainee chef. Being charged full price I can only close with the remark that it is over priced, also for the...

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Daruma Umhlanga – Superb Food, but Service Falls Short

I recently dined at Daruma Umhlanga and have mixed feelings about the experience. The food was undoubtedly superb—every bite felt carefully crafted. I especially enjoyed the sushi; although a bit above average in price, the quality justified the splurge. The fried egg rice was slightly oily but packed with flavour and paired perfectly with the crispy chicken panko.

However, the service left much to be desired. The staff seemed sluggish and lacked the warmth and attentiveness you’d expect at a restaurant of this calibre. Once our orders were placed, the menus were taken away, and it felt like we vanished off their radar. There was no follow-up, no chance to order anything further, and getting the bill was almost a mission in itself.

To top it off, the usual visit or check-in from a manager—something you’d expect during a sit-down meal—never happened.

All in all, if you’re going just for the food, it’s a win. But if you value a complete dining experience with attentive service, you might leave...

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...