What is Tabehoudai?

Tabehoudai is a Japanese expression which means ‘all-you-can-eat’. While there are all-you-can-eat buffets in England, such restaurants are very common in Japan. If you are unaware, the premise is that each guest pays a set amount, which is usually fairly low, and are then able to eat as much as they want, often within an allotted amount of time. Both separately, and featured within tabehoudai restaurants, is a drinking equivalent, known as ‘nomihoudai’.

The word tabehoudai is made up of the verb ‘taberu’, which means ‘to eat’, and ‘houdai’, which means ‘as much as one likes’. These ‘houdai’ experiences are also becoming increasingly common in Japan outside of the food and drink world. Bowling alleys, for example, offer ‘nagehoudai’, or throw as much as you want, and similarly golf driving ranges have uchihoudai offers allowing you to hit as much as you want. There are some more unusual deals out there too, such as a zoo selling a fureaihoudai event, allowing you to stroke a capybara as much as you want within a given time frame!

Food is by far the most common type of houdai experience though, with almost 100 books available dedicated to reviewing the food and deals available in each restaurant that offers them, as well as working out which are the most financially beneficial. Websites have also popped up with posts from consumers who have visited tabehoudai spots, warning when the restaurants in question become too busy to make the deal worthwhile!

Tabehoudai is often served as a buffet, although in Japan this can also be referred to as a ‘viking’, after the ‘Imperial Viking’ restaurant which was the first to serve buffet-style meals in Japan. Many of these restaurants actually serve Western foods like pizza, but others remain true to their Japanese origins, dishing up sushi. Speciality versions also exist for the sweeter treats, such as the ‘Cake Viking’, where you can eat as much cake as you want.

While the all-you-can-eat format applies, there are still some unspoken rules in place that all Japanese people follow when visiting such a restaurant. For one, it is considered disrespectful to use this as a binge-eating opportunity. The general etiquette also deems leaving food behind rude and wasteful, encouraging you to only take what you know you can eat. To discourage this, some restaurants may even implement a surcharge for people who leave too many leftovers.

While there may be less places for you to practice tabehoudai in the UK, you can still experience the tastiness of oriental fresh food by checking out Oriental Mart!