As much as I may enjoy sushi or steak dinners, breakfast (or brunch) remains my favorite meal of the day. I like it so much that I can enjoy it at pretty much any hour of the day. This is why places to get fancy waffles late at night exist, right? One of the newer trends in this space is the Japanese souffle pancake, courtesy of Fufu Pancake Cafe. Located on West Broadway between Oak and Granville in Vancouver, Fufu Pancake Cafe only opened a few months ago. And we had to see what it was all about.
Now, it goes without saying that these fluffy little wonders are quite different from the hearty German breakfast at Fraser Park, for example. While there is a “savory” menu where they use the Japanese souffle pancake as the base for an eggs Benedict, for instance, I imagine most patrons would gravitate toward the “sweet” menu. I know we did.
Rise and Shine (and Wait)
Seating is relatively limited. I’d say there’s only enough space for about 20 or 30 customers at a time. You can probably expect longer waits on the weekends; when we got there around 11:30 a.m. or so on a Sunday, we had to wait about half an hour. You add yourself to the wait list via an iPad by the counter and they text you when your table is ready. By the time we were seated, the wait list had grown to a little over an hour.
The other thing you should know is that, due to the very nature of the souffle pancake, your order will take about 30 minutes to arrive too. That’s just how souffles work, because they have to make them to order. But, is it worth the wait?
For Chocolate Lovers
Dark Chocolate Name Souffle Pancake
Souffle pancakes (3), classic whipped cream, house-made nama chocolates, dark chocolate crispy flakes, chocolate sauce, double chocolate raspberry ice cream, cocoa powder
We missed out on the Lemon Creme Brulee Souffle Pancakes, which we really wanted to try, by only a few days. Fufu replaced it with this special, which is much more of a chocolate lover’s dream. The house-made nama chocolates are very similar to the ones from Coconama Chocolate, which you may have seen at trade shows and farmers markets. It’s just chocolate on top of chocolate on top of chocolate here.
While this dish is certainly decadent in all that chocolate, it wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet. There’s more of a dark chocolate lean here, with just a bit of tart brightness coming from the raspberries in the chocolate raspberry ice cream. It’s mostly one note, which is great if you really like chocolate.
The pancakes themselves are definitely much more souffle-like than pancake-like. Fluffy and wobbly and jiggly, kind of like Japanese cheesecake (have you tried Uncle Tetsu?) without the “cheesecake” flavor.
No Match for Matcha
Matcha Souffle Pancake
Souffle pancakes (3), shiratamako mochi, house-made matcha sauce, matcha whipped cream, matcha powder, red bean, matcha ice cream (from Rocky Point Ice Cream)
Between the two dishes that we ordered at Fufu Pancake Cafe, I prefer the Matcha Souffle Pancake. Whereas the chocolate option is more of a single note, the matcha variant is subtler, more nuanced, and more complex, especially with the textural contrast of the (sweetened) red bean and the chewy mochi. And, if we’re being perfectly honest, I generally prefer matcha green tea over chocolate anyhow.
If you’re expecting something quite sweet, you may be disappointed. If you really like the taste of matcha, including the noticeable tinge of bitterness, you’ll likely enjoy this option. I also found that because the flavors are more subtle, I could enjoy the subtler flavors of the souffle pancakes themselves.
Just as the chocolate souffle pancakes are served with chocolate sauce, the matcha souffle pancakes are served with matcha sauce. As far as I can tell, it’s the same sauce that they use to garnish the dish itself. So, I didn’t really need to use it. But, I did anyway. I couldn’t let that go to waste, right?
Treat Yourself to Fufu Pancake Cafe?
For my part, Fufu Pancake Cafe does feel more like a dessert spot than it does a breakfast or brunch restaurant. Like I said, we could have gone with a savory option. But, I don’t think we would’ve been able to appreciate the souffle pancakes the same way if we had. I can’t say for sure whether this will be a passing fad. What I can say is that, while good, souffle pancakes aren’t going to be a part of my regular rotation. This is more of a “special treat” territory for me.
Brunch for two — including the two dishes above, an Earl Grey latte (not pictured, $5), taxes and gratuity — came to just over $41. It ain’t cheap, but it’s certainly worth a try if you’re looking for something a little different. Follow Fufu Pancake Cafe on Instagram for the weekly special.
Yum! Souffle pancakes has also been taking over the food scene these days!