Beware, though — you really can have too much of a good thing.

Japan has loads of fantastic all-you-can-eat deals catering to all sorts of palates, but for doughnut lovers, heaven resides at the Mister Donut buffet.

It’s not an easy find, though, as the buffet is only available at select branches. In fact, when our reporter Seiji Nakazawa stopped by the Takadanobaba branch, where we usually gorge on doughnuts, he found that they’d stopped the service on 26 September, with no plans to reinstate it.

▼ “End of Doughnut Buffet Notice”

It’d been eight years since we first reported on the all-you-can-eat deal at Mister Donut, and a year since our last report, so Seiji figured this would be the perfect opportunity to seek out another branch to find out if anything had changed.　Thankfully, he found six participating stores in Tokyo, which we’ve listed for you at the end of the article, so he headed out to his nearest branch, in Nakano.

After arriving at the store, we could see the buffet being advertised on a poster in the window, showing the prices as 1,900 yen (US$12.24) for adults and 800 yen for elementary-aged children and under, with all-you-can-drink beverages included in the deal for both. Eight years ago, the buffet cost 1,000 yen, or 1,200 yen with the all-you-can-drink option, so this was quite a price rise, but in line with the overall state of the economy.

Previously, reservations were required, but now it appears they’re no longer necessary. So if you’d like to take part in the buffet, simply take a seat first so you know where your table is, then head over to the display area, where you can pick up a paper plate specially reserved for buffet plan users. Select the doughnuts you like, place them on your plate, and take them to the register, where staff will hand you a little “all-you-can-eat” sign to place on your table. Payment is made at the end of your one-hour gorge fest.

You can head back and forth from your table to the display as many times as you like, but one thing to be aware of is customers must pay for whatever they don’t eat, so you’ll want to make sure you only pick up what you can consume to avoid any fees for leftovers.

▼ Another rule to make note of is last orders need to be made ten minutes before the end of the buffet.

Our reporter Seiji Nakazawa was the lucky one checking out the deal for us, and he felt like a kid in a candy store, or should we say a doughnut store, with all the tantalising sweets in front of him.

The first doughnuts he grabbed were a Golden Chocolate, an Angel French, and the limited-edition Pon de Diglett. For his drink, he opted for an apple juice.

Though he’d tried the Pon de Diglett before, it’s one of Mister Donut’s priciest doughnuts so he figured this would be a good way to get his money’s worth.

However, there was one thing he forgot about until he bit into it — the Pon de Diglett is heavier than it looks.

Diglett is filled with cream like a cream puff, and custard cream is used to keep the character in place in the centre, so every mouthful is flooded with cream. Though it’s delicious, it’s also rich and heavy, which doesn’t make it the best choice for an all-you-can-eat deal, especially when there are so many other doughnuts you’ll want to make room for in your belly.

With so much sweetness, Seiji wondered if he might be able to nab a savoury item like a hot dog to break up the monotony, but staff told him the deal was strictly for drinks and doughnuts. So, with his belly aching from cream and sugar, he had no choice but to continue, hoping an Old Fashion doughnut and a coffee might be easier on the stomach.

At this point, he could sense a cry from deep within his chest that pleaded, “No more“. Being a doughnut lover, Seiji was surprised to find his body reacting this way, but it really is true that you can have too much of a good thing.

▼ His beloved doughnuts were quickly becoming inedible to him.

With his love for the chain now being tested, he decided to order two drinks to finish, in an attempt to get his money’s worth. So in the end, did he make back his money?

After doing some calculations, this was Seiji’s result:

Golden Chocolate (176 yen)
Angel French (176 yen)
Pon de Diglett (319 yen)
Old Fashion (165 yen)
Coffee (330 yen)
Apple juice (319 yen)

Total: 1,485 yen

As you can see, Seiji failed miserably at the all-you-can-eat doughnut buffet, essentially giving 415 yen to Mister Donut with nothing in return. It quickly became clear to him that a half-hearted attitude doesn’t pay off at these types of buffets, and when you’re dealing with cream and sweets, you really have to be on your game to come out ahead.

Seiji did see a group of young women who seemed to be getting their money’s worth at the buffet when he was there, though, so it can be a good deal for those with the stomach, and excitement, for it. As for Seiji, he felt like he’d eaten at a “Test of Love Doughnut Buffet“, where his love for the chain was tested, but ultimately it came through unscathed in the end.

▼ These doughnuts are just too good to fall out of love with.

If you’d like to put your own love for doughnuts to the test, Seiji has diligently provided a full list of the 71 stores around Japan that currently offer the all-you-can-eat deal.

The list is as follows:

Aomori Prefecture
– Hirosaki Station

Miyagi Prefecture
– Sendai Castle
– Aeon Sendai Nakayama
– Aeon Mall Ishinomaki
– Aeon Town Shiogama
– Aeon Tagajo

Akita Prefecture
– Odate

Yamagata Prefecture
– Yamagata station
– Aeon Yonezawa
– Aeon Mall Tendo

Fukushima Prefecture
– Aeon Fukushima
– Fukushima Station
– Fukushima Minami Bypass
– MEGA Don Quijote UNY Aizuwakamatsu
– Aeon Minamisoma

Saitama Prefecture
– Hokukoshigaya

Chiba Prefecture
– Keisei Okubo Station

Tokyo
– Nakano
– Oyama
– Ario Nishiarai
– Hachioji Narahara Copio
– Aeon Mall Musashi Murayama
– Tama Center

Kanagawa Prefecture
– Aeon Tennocho
– Tsurugamine station
– Futamatagawa
– Itoyokado Stand
– Centre Minami
– Ito-Yokado Kawasaki
– Kawasaki Station
– Miyazakidai
– Shin-Yurigaoka South Exit
– Hashimoto Station
– Aeon Yokosuka Kurihama
– Course Kabayside
– Yokosuka Mores City
– Shibusawa Station
– LaLaport Ebina

Yamanashi Prefecture
– Raza Walk Kai Futaba
– Ogino River City
– Aeon Mall Kofu Showa
– Ito-Yokado Kofu Showa

Aichi Prefecture
– Imaike
– Seto Route 363
– Kozoji Station
– Aeon Mall Toyokawa
– Nishio
– Obu Station
– Apita Nagakute

Mie Prefecture
– Hinaga Kayo
– Matsusaka

Shiga Prefecture
– Higashiomi Yokaichi

Kyoto Prefecture
– Demachi
– Fushimi Otesuji
– Al Plaza Kyotanabe
– Matsui Yamate

Osaka Prefecture
– Aeon Style Ebie
– Ibaraki Minami
– Seven Park Tenmi

Hyogo Prefecture
– Tsukashin

Fukuoka Prefecture
– Aeon Tobata
– Sunnyside Mall Kokura
– Sunliv City Kokura
– Sunliv Moritsune
– Aeon Mall Fukuoka Ito
– Kurie and Munakata

Nagasaki Prefecture
– Arie

Miyazaki Prefecture
– Aeon Nobeoka

Okinawa Prefecture
– Aeon Naha
– San-A Shiozaki City
– Aeon Gushikawa

Participating stores may change from time to time so click here for the latest list of buffet branches.

Related: Mister Donut
Photos©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]