バイキング

A Japanese-English word (wasei-eigo) derived from "Viking." The term originated from the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, which in 1958 named its buffet-style restaurant "Viking" after being inspired by Scandinavian smorgasbord. The name stuck and became the standard Japanese word for buffet-style dining.

Usage

• Used specifically for self-service, all-you-can-eat style meals
• Very common in hotel and restaurant contexts
• The loanword ビュッフェ (buffet) is also used, especially in upscale or international settings

Common collocations

• 朝食(ちょうしょく)バイキング: breakfast buffet
• ランチバイキング: lunch buffet
• バイキング形式(けいしき): buffet style
• 食(た)べ放題(ほうだい)バイキング: all-you-can-eat buffet
• デザートバイキング: dessert buffet

Similar words

• ビュッフェ: buffet — the French/English loanword; used in more formal or international contexts
• 食(た)べ放題(ほうだい): all-you-can-eat — focuses on the unlimited eating aspect rather than the self-service format
• ブッフェ: buffet — variant pronunciation of ビュッフェ