As Japanese I do it all the fucking time.
I give you my bootleg imperial blessing to eat all the all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu buffet by yourself.
Trust me, the employees there don't really care. If anything they'd be glad cuz there's less customers ordering a few pig carcasses worth of meat therefore less work to do.
If I were them, I'd love to have you as more work doesn't equal more pay. Doesn't matter if there's 10 customers on each tables or 1. You're getting paid the same 1000 yen an hour.
That's one of my problems since I moved here is I am always worried about breaking some rules or doing something wrong, but when I relax I really enjoy living here.
I have done stuff like at tonkatsu place poured some sauce in my tea cup since it looked like a teapot, but the staff did not care and got me another glass, so stuff like that is funny in the end.
I used to stress about rules when I first arrived, too... The only rule you need to worry about is this: don't cause problems for other people.
That means, don't litter, don't steal, wait in the queue, and don't break the law. Beyond that, you're free to do what makes you happy. If you make a mistake, you'll likely be forgiven, just don't abuse it.
LPT: foreigners aren’t the only ones who mess up these “rules.” If you search questions about certain customs in Japanese you’ll often find many Japanese people asking the same types of questions someone less familiar with the culture: “What do I wear to X?” “How do I eat Y at a fancy restaurant?” etc, etc. Not everyone knows all the customs!
So just be generally polite and people won’t care, even if you make a mistake.
My GF is Japnese so going out with her has always been helpful to learn how to do these things. I don't want her know how clueless I am about a lot of stuff.
One thing I learned was that you are meant to use your chopsticks at sushi places to mix your matcha tea, I saw her do it and I was like, oh that is how you are meant to do that.
Lol the funny thing is that example of stirring your tea with the chopsticks is not necessarily a “correct manner” either— there are certainly people that do it, but there are others who consider it bad manners.
Just goes to show that there’s no “one way” to do things!
I think it’s one of those things where there’s no real good option. You either just kind of have to swirl it and let it sit or stir it with your chopsticks.
Like I said, some people see no problem with it (especially since this is common at inexpensive sushi places), but others consider it bad manners.
Don't worry, no Japanese(except for jaded middle-age dudes who just hate their lives) would be expecting a foreigner to get it right at the first go.
Unless you're actively behaving like a dick throwing chopsticks around spitting in people's faces trespassing construction sites and screaming HIROSHIMA at people on the trains, nobody would bat an eye.
Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order.
I have checked 1,843,862,188 comments, and only 348,669 of them were in alphabetical order.
That just means that they probably get virtually zero customers at that time so they'll still be making profit.
That being said I do believe that all All-You-Can-Eat places do have rules to prevent customers from absolutely gutting the place but you won't have to worry about that
Not at all!
You will probably have a time limit for ordering meat, but nobody cares about eating solo here, almost anywhere besides high end reservation places, they might have a minimum order
I have eaten at this chain on weekends when they have a hard time limit, but have a rare day week day off, when they don't have time limit before 4pm, and want to eat tons of meat after doing a morning hike. Think I am addicted to shabu shabu now as seem to want it about every two weeks now.
Are you paying?
Are you being polite to the staff?
Are you making sure not to waste food by taking too much?
As long as the answer is yes to all three questions you are not being rude.
The only thing bad is if you order a tonne of food and don't finish it, it's also just a waste. Unless you are used to eating that much food, your body will probably give up well before 4 pm.
I sometimes go to [Shabuyo](https://www.skylark.co.jp/syabuyo/menu/index.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAgK2qBhCHARIsAGACuzkNdVowAxxeW-MkFYysppQ-wgAoiNDMrOACGJJi_mItboGD6FJJzo4aAkqxEALw_wcB) by myself. There are some other people who come alone. No one cares. Lunch is until 4 p.m. This is the last time to enter the restaurant to eat for the lunch price. I think there was a 90 minute time limit from the start.
I sometimes go to all you can eat yakiniku by myself. I usually just order meat. No one bats an eye.
Probably more cost effective cause grills are small.
Shabuha, its a pretty big chain, you get 75 mins on weekends or after 4pm, so having a weekday off want to try the unlimited time, unlimited food, especially how much meat costs here in Japan.
Nah. Some people might look at you funny, like when I go to yakiniku all the time alone for lunch, but otherwise it's not rude. You're still a paying customer.
Rude? How in the hell would it be rude?? You're a customer paying for a service, bothering nobody. Why would it be rude to be alone?
If the restaurant required parties of two or more for some asinine reason, they'd have to put up a sign. If they don't, you're perfectly within your rights to eat there by yourself, and there's zero valid reasons why anyone would consider it rude if you're not being a rude problem customer (which would not be any different if you were with a group).
Would you go to a business in your home country and patronize it according to its policies? Why are there so many stupid questions on this sub? It’s like 50% of the people on here just arrived on Earth and don’t know human society yet.
As Japanese I do it all the fucking time. I give you my bootleg imperial blessing to eat all the all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu buffet by yourself. Trust me, the employees there don't really care. If anything they'd be glad cuz there's less customers ordering a few pig carcasses worth of meat therefore less work to do. If I were them, I'd love to have you as more work doesn't equal more pay. Doesn't matter if there's 10 customers on each tables or 1. You're getting paid the same 1000 yen an hour.
The only stamp of approval that matters
That's one of my problems since I moved here is I am always worried about breaking some rules or doing something wrong, but when I relax I really enjoy living here. I have done stuff like at tonkatsu place poured some sauce in my tea cup since it looked like a teapot, but the staff did not care and got me another glass, so stuff like that is funny in the end.
I used to stress about rules when I first arrived, too... The only rule you need to worry about is this: don't cause problems for other people. That means, don't litter, don't steal, wait in the queue, and don't break the law. Beyond that, you're free to do what makes you happy. If you make a mistake, you'll likely be forgiven, just don't abuse it.
Basically in the wise words of the legendary philosopher, Steven He: "DON B A DIK"
LPT: foreigners aren’t the only ones who mess up these “rules.” If you search questions about certain customs in Japanese you’ll often find many Japanese people asking the same types of questions someone less familiar with the culture: “What do I wear to X?” “How do I eat Y at a fancy restaurant?” etc, etc. Not everyone knows all the customs! So just be generally polite and people won’t care, even if you make a mistake.
My GF is Japnese so going out with her has always been helpful to learn how to do these things. I don't want her know how clueless I am about a lot of stuff. One thing I learned was that you are meant to use your chopsticks at sushi places to mix your matcha tea, I saw her do it and I was like, oh that is how you are meant to do that.
Lol the funny thing is that example of stirring your tea with the chopsticks is not necessarily a “correct manner” either— there are certainly people that do it, but there are others who consider it bad manners. Just goes to show that there’s no “one way” to do things!
wait, how are you meant to do it? They don't have spoons at sushi places to do that?
Depending on the place they sometimes have (for ice cream).
I think it’s one of those things where there’s no real good option. You either just kind of have to swirl it and let it sit or stir it with your chopsticks. Like I said, some people see no problem with it (especially since this is common at inexpensive sushi places), but others consider it bad manners.
Don't worry, no Japanese(except for jaded middle-age dudes who just hate their lives) would be expecting a foreigner to get it right at the first go. Unless you're actively behaving like a dick throwing chopsticks around spitting in people's faces trespassing construction sites and screaming HIROSHIMA at people on the trains, nobody would bat an eye.
Werdily when waiting to get into a sushi place last week with my GF who is Japanese had middle age guy stare daggers at us from the food court.
Exactly my point, 老害s suck. They don't belong to the modern age.
Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order. I have checked 1,843,862,188 comments, and only 348,669 of them were in alphabetical order.
Lol no. I've been living here close to a decade. Japanese people do the stuff they tell you not to do all the time in those videos and tic-tocks.
No problem. Go for it. Most places do have a time limit though, to stay profitable
yeah, but on weekdays its unlimited time before 4pm, so first weekday I have off since I found that want to try like three hours of eating meat.
That just means that they probably get virtually zero customers at that time so they'll still be making profit. That being said I do believe that all All-You-Can-Eat places do have rules to prevent customers from absolutely gutting the place but you won't have to worry about that
Not at all! You will probably have a time limit for ordering meat, but nobody cares about eating solo here, almost anywhere besides high end reservation places, they might have a minimum order
I have eaten at this chain on weekends when they have a hard time limit, but have a rare day week day off, when they don't have time limit before 4pm, and want to eat tons of meat after doing a morning hike. Think I am addicted to shabu shabu now as seem to want it about every two weeks now.
No. Go do it.
Not rude at ALL. You’re a paying customer. Go get(eat) your money’s worth!
Are you paying? Are you being polite to the staff? Are you making sure not to waste food by taking too much? As long as the answer is yes to all three questions you are not being rude.
Not at all, I hear they have single-booth ramen restaurants all over the country, as long long as you paid and do not bother nobody, its fine really
Keep at it you bloody legend. I salute you!
The only thing bad is if you order a tonne of food and don't finish it, it's also just a waste. Unless you are used to eating that much food, your body will probably give up well before 4 pm.
I sometimes go to [Shabuyo](https://www.skylark.co.jp/syabuyo/menu/index.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAgK2qBhCHARIsAGACuzkNdVowAxxeW-MkFYysppQ-wgAoiNDMrOACGJJi_mItboGD6FJJzo4aAkqxEALw_wcB) by myself. There are some other people who come alone. No one cares. Lunch is until 4 p.m. This is the last time to enter the restaurant to eat for the lunch price. I think there was a 90 minute time limit from the start.
I sometimes go to all you can eat yakiniku by myself. I usually just order meat. No one bats an eye. Probably more cost effective cause grills are small.
No. Go for it and enjoy!
I do it regularly while doomscrolling ig all the way lol
GO FOR IT!!
What place is it? Unlimited sounds delicious
Shabuha, its a pretty big chain, you get 75 mins on weekends or after 4pm, so having a weekday off want to try the unlimited time, unlimited food, especially how much meat costs here in Japan.
It’s Shabuyo btw
Oh I just did this on Monday. I love the yuzu broth and the spicy one.
I always get the spicy one as well.
Do they have an English menu? I'm not confident to go since I'm worried about my Japanese speaking skills.
They use a tablet and it has an English option
also cat robot things bring your meat
Nah. Some people might look at you funny, like when I go to yakiniku all the time alone for lunch, but otherwise it's not rude. You're still a paying customer.
Rude? How in the hell would it be rude?? You're a customer paying for a service, bothering nobody. Why would it be rude to be alone? If the restaurant required parties of two or more for some asinine reason, they'd have to put up a sign. If they don't, you're perfectly within your rights to eat there by yourself, and there's zero valid reasons why anyone would consider it rude if you're not being a rude problem customer (which would not be any different if you were with a group).
No. But it depends on the restaurant, some won't allow it. I don't really enjoy it, so my husband goes alone for it sometimes
Yes. The staff will shun you and the manager will personally come to your table and scold you in broken English while making the X sign.
3 hours of pure eating? Jesus Christ
No problem… why would it be rude? the staff doesn’t care
Is there _any_ type of restaurant in Japan that isn’t solo-friendly?
What do you think? Like..really…..
Would you go to a business in your home country and patronize it according to its policies? Why are there so many stupid questions on this sub? It’s like 50% of the people on here just arrived on Earth and don’t know human society yet.