Tabelog ratingVilla Afghan has been serving curry for close to 50 years from a villa in the woods near Kai-Oizumi, on the slopes of Yatsugatake. The signature is the bacon-egg curry: a slab of thick-cut shoulder bacon and two soft fried eggs over rice, with a dark, European-style curry brought in a separate pot for you to pour yourself. The upstairs dining room is full of antiques, stained glass and mounted deer heads. It has been selected for Tabelog's Curry EAST "Tabelog 100" in 2023, 2024 and 2026.
Almost every reviewer praises the bacon, crisp outside and juicy within. Many rate the beef curry, made with braised wagyu shin that falls apart under a spoon, even above the signature. The roux is described as rich and red-wine dark, and the lassi and mango lassi are repeatedly singled out, as is the lodge atmosphere.
On the downside, staff come across as brusque and sometimes curt; one family was served the wrong spice level and received only a perfunctory apology. A few find the bacon too salty, two longtime regulars feel the food has slipped (one noted smaller cuts of pork), and one visitor found the room musty and the tables sticky.
Reviewers in 2024–2026 paid around ¥2,300 for the bacon-egg curry (up from ¥1,980 in 2024), ¥2,600 for the beef curry, ¥2,700 for bacon-egg with roast pork and about ¥1,800 for the mushroom curry. Extras ran to ¥680 for a mango lassi, ¥300 for naan and ¥350 for a sausage topping; large rice now costs extra. Lunch typically comes to ¥2,000–3,000 per person; no separate dinner figure is documented.
Value is fair rather than cheap. Portions are large, and even the small rice fills most diners. Most reviewers felt the meat justified the price, though a few called it a tourist-spot premium once the wait is counted.
- Booking: no reservations; walk-in only. Reviewers take a numbered ticket and write their name on the list when the ground floor opens around 11:00 for lunch. Weekend waits run 1–2 hours; if you are absent when called, you lose your place, and mobile signal is poor.
- Age restriction: children under 6 are not admitted.
- Getting there: 24-minute walk (1.9 km, uphill) from Kai-Oizumi Station on the JR Koumi Line, or the Kiyosato Picnic Bus (Oizumi Loop Route) from Kiyosato Station to Yatsugatake Club, then 2 minutes on foot. A car is the practical option.
- Parking: available, split across several lots with limited spaces.
- Payment: cards (VISA, Master, JCB, AMEX, Diners), electronic money (Suica and other transport IC cards, Rakuten Edy, nanaco, WAON, iD, QUICPay) and QR payments (PayPay, d Barai, Rakuten Pay, au PAY). No service charge.
- Seating: tables, with a terrace in good weather; no private rooms. Steep stairs lead to the dining room. Non-smoking.
- House rules: no interior photos (food photos allowed); strong perfume or fabric softener can mean refused entry.
- Spice: there is no mild curry; level A is the gentlest.
- Timing: popular curries sell out by early afternoon; dinner from 17:00 is much quieter.
