Offering cheap, filling staples like curry rice and bowls of noodles, the company shokudo (canteen) in Japan is not generally a place that has foodies waxing lyrical. But ever since Marunouchi Tanita Shokudo opened for business in January and started attracting press for its healthy nutritious meals, there’s been an increasing interest taken in what’s on offer at the company shokudo.

Offering the same dishes as served at Tanita’s cafeteria, Marunouchi Tanita Shokudo serves a low-calorie but tasty menu. The restaurant was opened in response to the success of a recipe book of company canteen dishes published last year. Tanita manufactures bathroom scales and other health devices and is able to use the restaurant as a showroom for its products to health-conscious customers. Visitors to the restaurant can get free dietary advice from nutritionists.

The success of Marunouchi Tanita Shokudo has sparked media interest in the humble company shokudo and a recent set of tours offered by LUXA, a website that sells luxury experience coupons, has allowed a select few members of the public and press to take a sneak peek inside some rather upscale company cafeterias. Recent tours of the canteens of Microsoft and cosmetics manufacturer Pola have shown that these companies are putting on a spread beyond the usual cheap and filling fare.