Souffle Pancakes @ A Happy Pancake, Omotesando, Tokyo

Getting the morning starting off right should be vital for everyone. And a good breakfast can make alot of people very happy. And if you like pancakes, this place will make you very happy too. Well, the name of this pancake establishment is after all "A Happy Pancake" cafe. Yup, thats the name.

Down into another underground lair. 

Located in the more upmarket precinct of Omotesando,   Shiawase no pankēki (幸せのパンケーキ), or translated to "A Happy Pancake", is a cafe that specialises in well, you guessed it, pancakes. However, do note that the official name of this place is the Japanese name or "Magia di Farina", which is the "magic of flour" in Italian. As review articles and magazines refer it to "A Happy Pancake", I thought of using that name instead as it is much more recognisable. 

Being a very popular place for breakfast and brunch, the place gets crowded at about 9 or 10 am. And like all places in Japan, if you really want to try something, you would need to queue. Luckily the queue for me was quite quick and was not like the horror of Ichi Ni San (click here to know more). Still in a basement though. But the impression changed when I entered. 

Surprisingly bright and comforting. Note the large screen.

The establishment was quite spacious and brightly lit. The furniture have a natural and woody look to it and there is even a screen that show scenes of underwater diving and forest trekking. Very calming indeed. It did not give away that basement vibe, that was for sure. There is also a window where you can see the chefs working on their next batch of pancakes. 

So magical

And the pancakes wereas fitting as the decor and atmosphere. Simple, yet delicate and complex. With are texture similar to toasted marshmallow, the pancake goes in very easily. The aroma of fresh eggs gives it some savoury after tones and the slightly charred parts gave a more nutty edge. 

Here is another angle, which really highlights the butter and caramel sauce. 

The condiments that came with this plate were also note worthy. The caramel sauce is a different take to maple syrup and the classic honey. Yet, it does give the pancakes that special twist, which the pancakes themselves are very good to begin with. The slightly roasted kickback of caramel is present, giving the overall experience a deeper flavour. It is not smoky like a barbeque, but it was rather a half way house heading there. And that is a compliment. 

Such texture!

The star condiment was the scoop of whipped butter that was infused with manuka honey. It looked like a scoop of ice cream but further inspection proved otherwise. And the butter and honey was a great marriage, like chocolate and coffee. The milk that was used to create the butter was from Hokkaido. So it is no wonder it tasted that good as Hokkaido is the diary hub of Japan. Floral flavours were steeped into the butter and once it melted onto the pancakes, a combination of elements came down crashing. This was an exceptional breakfast.

Strong.

Although there are other stuff in the menu, I opted for just the pancakes so other bits and pieces do not influence the raw deal. And what came in the end was a sweet finish. And being breakfast, it would not be complete with a cup of coffee. The espresso was thick and rich, just the way I like it. 

Chef at work...

Definitely more on the pricey side, but this was sure an amazing breakfast to have and worth every yen popped. The pancakes were ¥1100 and the espresso was ¥300. For that quality, it was sure worth it. If you are up for a delectable delight in the high streets of Tokyo, the address is as follows:

4-9-3 Jingumae, Kiyohara Bldg 1F, Shibuya 150-0001, Tokyo