900 Visitors, 800 Ramen Bowls: DIA Park’s Shakunetsu Mela Ends on a High Note

New Delhi/Gurugram: DIA Park Premier Hotel, long regarded as one of the most familiar Japanese hospitality addresses for expatriates and Japan lovers in Delhi-NCR, added a new flavour to its community calendar by hosting its first ramen-focused festival, “Shakunetsu Mela,” on June 13 and 14.

The two-day Japan Ramen Festival was organised at Café Honey and the Banquet Hall of DIA Park Premier Hotel in Sector 29, Gurugram, from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm on both days. The event brought together Japanese Chef Shoichi Sakashita, Japan’s food brand SOMI, and Raifu, DIA Park’s Japanese dining brand, in a special culinary collaboration.

Positioned around the punchy theme “Can You Handle the Heat?”, the event turned the Japanese comfort dish of ramen into a lively summer food experience for the Japanese community, Indian guests, families, food enthusiasts and followers of Japanese cuisine in the National Capital Region.

The festival offered 10 varieties of ramen, including six vegetarian ramen options, making the event accessible not only to Japanese food regulars but also to Indian visitors who preferred vegetarian choices. Mini tasting bowls were available from ₹300, allowing guests to compare different flavours and styles rather than limiting themselves to a single serving. Drinks were also served during the event.

The Shakunetsu Mela offered a wide spread of ramen varieties, giving visitors a chance to taste different styles of Japan’s beloved noodle dish under one roof. The non-vegetarian selection included soy sauce ramen, miso ramen, Hokkaido miso ramen, paitan, butter corn ramen, roast pork ramen, dandan noodles, tonkotsu red, tonkotsu white, sanrantan, salt ramen and cold ramen. Keeping Indian food preferences in mind, the festival also featured a strong vegetarian line-up, including veg soy sauce ramen, veg miso ramen, veg paitan, veg butter and corn ramen, veg tantan and veg champon. The range reflected both traditional Japanese flavours and India-friendly adaptations, allowing guests to compare broths, toppings, spice levels and noodle styles in a relaxed festival setting.

According to the organisers, this was DIA Park’s first ramen event, and the noodles had been developed specially for the occasion, adding a more authentic and craft-driven element to the festival.

The collaboration with SOMI brought Japanese-style flavouring and seasoning depth to the ramen menu, while Raifu’s association connected the mela with DIA Park’s existing Japanese dining ecosystem.

The response from visitors was encouraging. The festival attracted approximately 600 visitors on Saturday and around 300 visitors on Sunday, taking the total footfall to about 900 over two days. Around 800 ramen bowls were sold during the weekend, reflecting strong interest in Japanese ramen among both Japanese and Indian guests.

Japanese visitors appreciated the opportunity to compare and taste different varieties of ramen under one roof. Several Japanese guests said they would like to see similar events being held about three times a year. Some also suggested that selected ramen varieties from the event menu should be added to the hotel’s regular dining menu.

Indian visitors also responded positively, with many guests commenting that the noodles were superior to those served at other ramen restaurants in Delhi and Gurugram. Their feedback indicated that the festival did not merely attract Japan-linked communities but also appealed strongly to Indian food lovers seeking more authentic Japanese flavours in NCR.

Beyond food, the Ramen Mela was designed as a family-oriented community outing. The hotel organised a screen golf driving contest, mini-putt golf and shaved ice sales, ensuring that children and families had enough to enjoy along with the ramen counters.

The format reflected DIA Park’s wider tradition of using its premises not merely as a hotel venue but as a community meeting point for Japanese residents, business visitors and Indian admirers of Japanese culture.

The organisers had also advised visitors to remain careful about the expected high temperature on the event days. Though the mela was held inside the hotel premises, guests were urged to take precautions against heat exposure while travelling to the venue, keep themselves hydrated and take care during the summer conditions.

For DIA Park, the Ramen Mela was more than a food event. It continued the hotel’s effort to serve as a cultural and social bridge for the Japanese community in India. Over the years, the hotel has hosted a series of Japanese-themed events, food festivals, community gatherings and leisure activities that have made it a regular venue for Japan-linked social engagement in Gurugram.

Chef Shoichi Sakashita thanked ACN for covering the event and indicated that more such culinary experiences were being planned.

“Thank you very much for writing the feature article about our event. We are currently planning a dessert-themed event for September or October. We look forward to working with you again,” Chef Sakashita said.

Seen against this background, Shakunetsu Mela became another successful addition to DIA Park’s growing calendar of Japanese food, culture and community experiences in Gurugram. With 10 ramen varieties, six vegetarian options, family activities, Japanese culinary collaboration and enthusiastic visitor feedback, the June 13–14 festival showed how a bowl of ramen could become a warm cultural bridge between Japan and India in NCR.