Last summer Tokyo’s first dessert-go-round restaurant opened in the spiritual home of all things sweet and cute, Harajuku. MAISON ABLE Cafe Ron Ron offers 40 minutes of all you can eat sweets, presented conveyor belt sushi style, allowing customers to simply grab what they want from the revolving belt of deliciousness.

A Sweet Tokyo Valentine's Day

The national chocolate holiday, Valentine’s Day is coming up (okay, I guess it’s the love holiday too, but chocolate is more important), and predictably, this dessert buffet wants to placate our sweet tooth this season.

Specifically, they aim to catch our attention with limited time only special Valentine-themed dishes that have been added to the menu.

Harajuku's Conveyor Belt Dessert Restaurant, Cafe Ron Ron

I’ve wanted to go to the cafe since it opened, and with the addition of the seasonal sweets, it seemed like the perfect time. As the only restaurant of its kind in Tokyo, Cafe Ron Ron has been uber popular since it opened, and as such, even on a weekday at 11.30, I was informed that there was an hour wait.

But it was easy enough to occupy myself around the nearby area, and soon I returned, aiming to put myself in a sugar-induced coma.

Upon entering I paid for the buffet via a ticket machine, and chose one of Cafe Ron Ron’s original fruity drinks (blueberry and grape) to accompany my sweets smorgasbord.

The first thing that will strike you is the impeccable, perfectly presented desserts. Every single one is an Instagrammer’s Harajuku dream. Actually no aspect of the restaurant breaks the theme whatsoever, and you will be feeling the kawaii fantasy for the entirety of the 40 minutes.

Going to eat Valentines desserts all alone may seem a bit depressing on the surface, but luckily the restaurant's demure-kawaii interior included some generic upbeat messages to keep me going.

And as if by chance, that song that goes ‘hey, I love myself so I don’t need anybody else’ came on. So, as I sat there shovelling sugary treats into my mouth, I could only call it an incredibly empowering experience.

Sadly, this didn’t last that long, the sweetness fatigue started to set in about 3 dishes in, and I actually felt a bit sick. The Valentine’s chocolate tart in particular was a killer.

Some teenage girls opposite me triumphantly piled more and more plates onto their towers, they must have totalled about ten each. I felt weak and defeated. The desserts were delicious but perhaps skipping lunch and diving straight into the sweet stuff was a mistake.

It was an enjoyable restaurant filled with novelty, sadly I couldn’t take the sugar rush. Forty minutes came fast, and I had only managed to put away six desserts. Pathetic.

The girly theme carried on into the restroom, which resembled a boudoir, with plenty of space to touch up hair and make-up. It’s what you come to expect of Harajuku, one of Tokyo’s fashion capitals.

Perhaps the pastel exterior fooled me, and I took the restaurant too lightly. Cafe Ron Ron sounds cute, but as it turns out, it’s for dessert heavyweights only. Although something tells me I will probably return for my revenge…

Where to Find MAISON ABLE Cafe Ron Ron, Harajuku

Address: Tokyo, Shibuya, Jingumae 6-7-15 MAISON ABLE Cafe Ron Ron

Cafe Ron Ron Website

The Valentine's Day desserts are available until 14th February.