Fast Food & Grill · Practical guide
Moyan Curry
2-Week Aged Gluten-Free Medicinal Curry & All-You-Can-Eat Lunch Buffet
Prices, ordering steps, payment details, and common mistakes — in one place.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Japanese name | もうやんカレー (Moyan Curry) |
| Category | Dining / Healthy Medicinal Herb (Yakuzen) Aged Curry with Gluten-Free Sauce & All-You-Can-Eat Buffet (Moyan Curry Official Website) |
| Store Count | Approximately 10 flagship locations situated in Tokyo's central dining corridors (Shinjuku Honten, Shinjuku Kabukicho, Shibuya, Shimbashi, Ikebukuro, Akihabara, Kyobashi), operated by Moyan Co., Ltd. (Store Locator) |
| Ordering Style | Lunch: All-you-can-eat self-service buffet (Viking): pay upfront at the register; receive a giant plate; freely ladle multiple curry varieties (Beef, Pork, Fiery Devil), tandoori chicken, steamed potatoes, and salads; Dinner: Table-service izakaya dining; order custom curries and tapas from menus; pay at register upon departure |
| Membership Required? | No reservation, membership, or ID required |
| Approximate Price Range | All-you-can-eat lunch buffet ~¥1,200–¥1,650; evening dinner curry bowls ~¥1,300–¥2,200; sharing tapas ~¥450–¥780; strictly zero cover charge (¥0 Otoshi); all tax-included (subject to revision) |
| Payment Methods | Cash, major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express), Japanese transit IC cards (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA), electronic money (iD, QUICPay), and smartphone QR code payments (PayPay) across all branches |
| Multilingual Support | Extensive English menus, gluten-free allergen explanations, and visual buffet signage; exceptionally popular with health-conscious international travelers |
What it is
Moyan Curry (もうやんカレー), founded in Shinjuku, Tokyo in 1997, is internationally celebrated as Tokyo's ultimate healthy medicinal curry (Yakuzen Curry), famous for its gluten-free sauce. Breaking every convention of fast-food curry, Moyan Curry uses strictly zero wheat flour, zero chemical additives, and zero heavy butter. Instead, each batch begins with an astronomical mountain of fresh vegetables and fruits—onions, carrots, celery, apples, bananas, fresh ginger, and garlic sautéed continuously for two full days until reduced to a dense, natural nutrient-rich purée. Infused with a blend of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and spices (including turmeric, cardamom, and clove) and aged in climate-controlled cellars for two weeks, it was designed by its founder to leave you feeling light and energised rather than heavy. By day, its legendary All-You-Can-Eat Lunch Buffet draws hungry lines for unlimited beef curry, melting pork belly curry, and juicy tandoori chicken!
How to order
Visiting Moyan Curry offers two distinct dining experiences:
Daytime Lunch Service (Tokyo's Best All-You-Can-Eat Curry Buffet):
- Enter and prepay at the entrance: Walk inside between 11:30 AM and 3:00 PM. Pay the cashier for the lunch buffet (~¥1,200–¥1,650).
- NO Otoshi cover charge: Enjoy honest dining—Moyan Curry charges strictly zero table fee and zero cover charge (¥0 Otoshi)!
- Receive your giant plate: The cashier hands you a large ceramic platter and points you to an open table in the fun, tropical tiki-style dining room.
- Raid the Central Buffet Cauldron Island: Grab your plate and explore:
- Moyan Beef Curry (ビーフカレー): Rich, thick, naturally sweet curry packed with tender beef chunks.
- Moyan Pork Curry (ポークカレー): Tender slow-simmered pork belly.
- Fiery 20x Devil Curry (激辛カレー): For extreme chili lovers!
- Tandoori Spiced Chicken (タンドリーチキン): Juicy roasted chicken steeped in yogurt and spices.
- Steamed Jacket Potatoes (茹でじゃが芋): Small whole steamed potatoes with butter—a classic Japanese curry companion!
- Health Salads & Pickles: Cabbage salad, spicy bean sprouts, and kimchi.
- Sit and feast with unlimited refills: You can return to the buffet cauldrons for UNLIMITED REFILLS during your meal!
- Return your plate: When finished, carry your empty plate to the return shelf (Henkyakuguchi).
Evening Dinner Service (Relaxed Table Service):
- Be seated at a booth: Settle into a tropical wooden booth.
- Order from the English Menu: Choose your curry flavor, your desired spice level (from Mild 0 to Extreme 20), and toppings (like avocado, cheese, or grilled beef).
- Settle your bill: Bring your table slip to the register upon departure.
What to order first
Dishes below reflect core brand staples officially featured on the Moyan Curry Official Website:
- All-You-Can-Eat Lunch Buffet (ランチ食べ放題ビュッフェ): Unlimited access to Beef Curry, Pork Curry, Devil Curry, Tandoori chicken, rice, and salads (~¥1,200–¥1,650 tax-included).
- Moyan Pork Belly Curry (名物 ポークカレー): 2-week aged vegetable curry packed with succulent chunks of braised pork belly (~¥1,350–¥1,550 dinner).
- Moyan Beef Brisket Curry (牛ホホ肉煮込みカレー): Rich, unctuous beef cheek simmered until it collapses into the thick vegetable purée (~¥1,500–¥1,850).
- Juicy Tandoori Chicken (タンドリーチキン): Roasted chicken thigh steeped in ginger, garlic, and 25 spices (~¥680 side / included in lunch buffet).
- Steamed Mini Jacket Potatoes (丸ごとふかし芋): Whole steamed potatoes eaten with salt and butter (~¥0 free on lunch buffet).
Payment & practical info
Prices and details checked: October 2026.
- Pricing & Value: Phenomenal all-you-can-eat lunch value; eating unlimited beef and pork curry in the gluten-free house sauce, with chicken, costs under ¥1,500 ($10 USD).
- Cover Charges: Strictly zero cover charge and zero seating fees (¥0 Otoshi).
- Payment Methods: Accepts Japanese Yen cash, major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex), Japanese transit IC cards (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA), electronic money (iD, QUICPay), and mobile QR codes (PayPay).
- Atmosphere: Unique, eccentric, and joyful. Polynesian tiki-bar decor, wooden surfboards, reggae background music, retro anime posters, and friendly energetic staff.
- Health & Dietary Notes: The curry sauce is gluten-free (小麦粉不使用) — no wheat flour, no synthetic additives, and no chemical thickeners in the roux. The buffet kitchen is not certified gluten-free, however, so travelers with celiac disease should be aware that cross-contact cannot be ruled out.
Good to know / Common mistakes
- The Gluten-Free Sauce: Unlike most Japanese curry restaurants that use wheat flour roux to thicken their sauces, Moyan's velvety thickness comes from vegetable and fruit fibers (apples, onions, bananas, garlic) — the sauce itself contains no wheat flour.
- Beware the Devil Curry (激辛): On the lunch buffet line, one cauldron is labeled "激辛" (Gekikara - Devil Curry). Take only a tiny spoonful first—it packs genuine habanero and ghost pepper heat that will set your mouth on fire!
- Eat the steamed potatoes with butter: You will see a basket of small steamed potatoes on the buffet. Peel the skin slightly, add a dab of butter and salt, and take bites between spoonfuls of curry—it is an authentic Japanese curry tradition that soothes the spices.
- No food waste etiquette: Like all Japanese buffets, take what you can eat. You can refill your plate multiple times, so start with small tastings!
- No tipping: Tipping is never accepted. Pay at the register.
FAQ
Q1: Is Moyan Curry really healthy? Yes! The founder spent years studying athletic nutrition and Chinese herbal medicine. Each serving contains the concentrated nutrients of several whole onions, carrots, and apples, combined with a blend of medicinal herbs and spices (Yakuzen) — the founder's idea is a curry that leaves you feeling energized rather than bloated.
Q2: Is Moyan Curry suitable for vegans? While the lunch buffet features beef and pork broths, dinner menus at flagship stores often feature vegetable-only and avocado curries prepared without animal broths. Check with staff for the vegan-friendly base options.
Q3: Where is the original store? The original flagship is Moyan Curry Shinjuku Honten (Nishi-Shinjuku), a legendary culinary landmark just a 7-minute walk from JR Shinjuku Station West Exit.
Sources
- Moyan Curry Official Website: https://www.moyan.jp/ (Verified: 2026-10-03)
- Moyan Co., Ltd. Corporate Portal: https://www.moyan.jp/company/ (Verified: 2026-10-03)