One of the current food trends in the city is Japanese soufflé pancakes, which has been quite popular overseas in Japan. Traditionally, these pancakes were served after weddings to symbolize good fortune. However, it has since become a staple item as an everyday treat, and I saw plenty of different chains in Japan serving them when I was there last month.
If you want some Japanese soufflé pancakes, then look no further as it's now available at Fuwa Fuwa Japanese Pancakes.
The
restaurant opened up in mid-May in the Annex neighborhood on Bloor
Street West at Brunswick Ave. They had a promotion where they gave away
300 free pancakes per day during their opening weekend. I didn't brave
the lines for their giveaway, but I did get a chance to attend a tasting
a week and a half later.
I ended up going on a Sunday at around 6:30 pm, which I thought was a
good idea at the time. Who eats sweet pancakes that late in the evening?
I was wrong! There was still a line-up of people waiting for both take-out and dine-in. Luckily, I had a reservation so I
avoided the line-up in the hot weather. Sorry to those who waited in
line, and probably thought that I had cut them in line.
Fuwa Fuwa Signature ($12.50)
Fuwa Fuwa Signature ($12.50)
The kitchen staff appeared overwhelmed that day, and it resulted in a
delay in getting the pancakes out in a timely manner. Not going to lie -
I was slightly hangry, but I spent the wait time editing some blog
photos. I think the process of cooking has gotten better since my visit, as my friend went a couple of days after I did, and she
said she only waited 20 minutes for her pancake. So hopefully, people
aren't waiting up to an hour for pancakes anymore. I do have plans to return to try the Tiramisu pancake next time, as it seems to be quite a popular choice.
I opted for the Crème Brûlée Pancake ($15.80), which consisted of
two fluffy pancakes topped with a caramelized coat, crème brûlée sauce, and a scoop of
vanilla ice-cream. The pancake from Fuwa Fuwa Japanese Pancakes was airy and had a nice fluffy consistency. It wasn't too overly sweet
and the tangy fruits added a nice balance. I liked it! They also serve other flavors
if creme brûlée isn't your thing like matcha cream and red bean,
signature, raspberry/caramelized banana and tiramisu.
Unlike the North American styled pancakes, the ones from Japan are
more of a cross between an egg souffle and a hot cake. The pancakes are
made fresh to order, so there is often a 20-30 minute wait time for your
order. Even in Japan, the wait time was around the same as I waited
about 25 minutes for the pancakes at both Flipper's (Osaka) and Light Cafe (Nagoya).
Add a little happiness into your life with fluffy pancakes. Be sure to go on the weekday though if you don't want to wait in line for long.
Address: 408 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON, M5S 2N5
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Disclaimer: The food provided in this post was complimentary. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are of my own.
