ガトーフレーズ : Gateau Fraise Yamagata Minamihara Ten

This restaurant is located a 25-minute walk from Yamagata Station on the Ou Main Line of JR East. Every month, they hold a cake buffet that runs from 16:00 to 20:30 (last order) on an irregular schedule, requiring a reservation, and is limited to 70 minutes for JPY 2,100, tax included. During my visit in September 2022, the event was held on select days from September 11 (Sunday) to 29 (Thursday), excluding Fridays and Saturdays. Even though they hold it irregularly, there are quite a few days each month where you can attend, making it an accessible place as long as your schedule aligns. The building had a quite aged impression, but I thought the first impression could improve if the entrance's peeling stone pavement and traces of the outdoor terrace seating were cleaned up. I arrived slightly early, but the staff kindly allowed me to start early. You can order up to two cakes at a time from the display. Pasta, which is refillable, is served as a chef's choice, ordered at the table. Hot drinks are also ordered at the table. The salad bar and cold drinks are self-service from the buffet station. The cakes included Sachertorte and a berry tart that appeared later, but the Gateau Fraise, which was empty at the start, was not replenished during my stay. Given my stomach capacity, I did not try the chocolate mint tart or the blueberry tart, which is quite similar to the berry tart. I had ordered a regular-sized cheese tart, but looking back, I saw that there was a mini cheese tart available, which might have been a better choice. I have not been there before, so I cannot say for sure, but it seems that the cakes are sourced from Italian Tomato, and there were signs of this within the restaurant, suggesting some relation to Italian Tomato. As for the pasta, they first asked if I had any dislikes and served it as a chef's choice. When I requested refills, they provided me with different dishes each time, so I believe they would likely accommodate special requests. The salad bar started with leftovers from lunch but was replenished during my visit. With reasonably priced options and an all-you-can-eat pasta and salad bar, I think the cost performance is quite good.