As if you needed another reason to tuck into layers of warm and decadent pancakes, 25 February is Shrove Tuesday. This day is much better known as Pancake Day.
The celebratory day came about with the significance of consuming pancakes before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. But whether or not you want to put traditions into account, we can all agree that there’s already much to be celebrated about these yummy and fluffy stacks.
From Japanese to American-styled, and jiggly to crisp and caramelised, here are 10 places you can enjoy pancakes… with or without it being pancake day.
The OG of Japanese souffle pancakes hailing all the way from Osaka had queues snaking out the door when it landed on our shores in June of last year. Its souffle light-as-air premium pancakes are stacked in threes (each one measuring a quivering 4cm) and slathered in your choice of homemade butter, whipped cream or syrup.
It’s so good, and apparently requires such care to create, that they’ve limited it to just 30 servings 3 times a day – 11am, 3pm and 6pm.
Gram Cafe & Pancakes Singapore is at#02-110/111 VivoCity, 1 Harbourfront Walk, Singapore 098585, tel: 8666 6277.
In our opinion, it really shouldn’t get much more complicated than proper grade “A” maple syrup and fresh butter, and that’s exactly what you get with the famous Warm Maple Butter Pancakes here – twice voted “Best in the City” by New York Magazine. Topped with fresh blueberries, these pancakes are classic American buttermilk babies with just the right crispness around the edges, and a tiny hint of salt.
Clinton Street Baking Co. & Restaurant is at 31 Purvis St, Singapore 188608, tel: 6684 4845.
This one’s for you if you’re after a particularly dense, cake-like texture – lightness is not its main selling point. This fresh ricotta hotcake takes 20 minutes to create, and comes to your table piping hot with a crispy caramelised layer and a cakey middle – more dessert than breakfast. Choose from the tartness of fresh berries, mixed nuts and maple syrup, or drizzle on some sinfully gooey rum-soaked raisin sauce with ice cream.
Curious Palette is at 64 Prinsep Street, Singapore 188667, tel: 6238 1068.
This one might look familiar as it’s been “feeding the ‘gram” pretty reliably – and who can resist posting photos of that more-ish mountain of matcha cream to social media?
The pancakes here are famed for their worthiness – the pancake mix consists of several different types of grain from Japan, including millet from Nagasaki and sprouted brown rice from Miyazaki – and they’re subtly sweetened with raw sugar and topped with your choice of matcha cream or tangy berry compote.
Kyushu Pancake is at 275 Thomson Road, Novena Regency #01-08, Singapore 307645, tel: 6352 6265.
Named for its formidable stack, these mille feuille pancakes are melt-in-your-mouth meringue pillows made from Japanese wheat flour, fresh milk and Hokkaido cream, and they come in piles of two, four and eight.
They come with a variety of toppings to choose from – grilled apple and homemade caramel, chocolate and grilled bananas, matcha with rice ball and red bean pancake, and the ever popular strawberry and mixed berries.
Belle-Ville Pancake Cafe is at #01-01B Bugis Junction, Towers 230 Victoria Street, Singapore 188024, tel: 6255 5456.
The waft of freshly made pancakes greets you even before your dish — topped with fresh berries, berry compote and maple syrup — arrives at the table.
Too sweet? We know no such sensation.
Atlas Coffeehouse is at 6 Duke’s Rd, Singapore 268886, tel: 6314 2674.
These
prove there’s nothing the Japs don’t do well.Each thick pancake has a browned, light crisp crumb that gives way to a souffle-like interior.
Good enough to have simply with honey syrup, but who’s complaining about that extra dose of decadence atop?
Hoshino Coffee has multiple outlets.
The earl grey-infused pancakes at PUNCH well, pack a punch.
More on the denser side with a delicate hint of earl grey, this earthy dish is balanced by a light brown sugar syrup, and topped with chocolate-dipped poached pear.
PUNCH is at 32 North Canal Rd, Singapore 059288. To make a reservation, drop them a Facebook message.
Muffin? Pancake? Neither nor, but a happy marriage of the two — these fabulously fluffy, moist muffcakes ticks all the boxes in terms of taste and texture, and made even more perfect for cubes of vanilla ice cream, flower petals, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and of course fresh berries.
Paddy Hills is at 38 South Buona Vista Rd, Singapore 118164, tel: 6479 0800.
One for the kids (and kidults): it’s more than just brunch at Slappy Cakes, but a day out in itself.
DIY your own pancakes with your choice of pancake batter (buttermilk, whole grain, peanut butter, chocolate or zucchini), and decorate them with fixings and toppings, from sweets like berries and coconut peanut butter to savouries like crispy bacon and brie.
Slappy Cakes has outlets at The Grandstand, Resorts World Sentosa and Plaza Singapura.
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Text: Pinky Chng / The Finder and Pearlyn Quan
This post was first published in October 2017, and updated on February 25, 2020.