All-you-can-eat Bulgarian buffet at Restaurant SOFIA

There are not many Bulgarian restaurants in Tokyo. In fact, I know only this one – “Sofia” in Tokyo Station.

Opened in 2006, it became quite a popular lunch spot for the salarymen working nearby. As the buffet is very extensive and on weekdays costs 1000 yen (tax included), you might want to arrive early and secure a spot.Dessert is not included within the buffet price, but believe me, you will be so full that you will forget about it anyway.

In case you still crave for something sweet, you can throw in 300 yen and get yourself a cup of coffee and a dessert plate. I wasn’t in the mood for a dessert but next time I will definitely try Bulgarian banitsa, a savory pastry with filling.

The holiday lunch will set you back 1300 yen.

As you enter the restaurant, you will be greeted by Kaloyan Mahlyanov, the famous Bulgarian sumo wrestler. Of course, not the real one, but this die-cut figure. By the way, his pseudonym is Kotooshu, which means “European harp”.

Enjoy the traditional Bulgarian interior as you are savoring your meal.

Drinks are included in the buffet price: Ayran (a diluted yogurt with salt), whey jelly, and rose water.

President of Meiji Dairies Corporation Hisashi Nakayama, a Bulgaria’s honorary consul to Japan, initiated the opening of ‘Sofia’.

Meiji Dairies Corporation has been producing Bulgarian yogurt in Japan since 1973.

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