Have you ever heard of Japanese soufflé pancakes? If your answer to this question is no, I’m sorry to let you know that you’ve been missing out… In Japan, they’re called “happiness pancakes”, which is rather self-explanatory. One bite and you’ll be on cloud 9.
Luckily, Vancouver also has its own Japanese soufflé pancake restaurants, including Fufu Café on Broadway. I was in a sweet mood so I tried the Nutella & Caramelized Banana Soufflé Pancake and the Matcha Mochi Soufflé Pancake. FuFu Café also serves savory pancakes and Japanese-style sandwiches so, even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, you’ll be covered!
Nutella & Caramelized Banana Soufflé Pancake ($16.5)
The picture says it all. The three pancakes were extremely fluffy and airy. The toppings consisted of Nutella whipped cream, caramelized banana and roasted hazelnuts dusted with icing sugar. Although less is often more, the Nutella sauce and double chocolate raspberry ice cream didn’t feel excessive. Frankly, the balance of this plate was perfect and the pancakes were not sickly-sweet.
Matcha Mochi Soufflé Pancake ($16.5)
For my second dish, I went with something more Japanese. If you like matcha and red beans, the Matcha Mochi Pancake is a no-brainer. The three jiggly pancakes were topped with matcha whipped cream and matcha powder. The plate also featured matcha ice cream, shiratama, house-made red bean paste and matcha sauce. The matcha was not too bitter and the red beans brought some natural sweetness to this dish. This was also a great option!
Overall
Fufu Café‘s pancakes were legit and delicious. But beware! Although they may feel light, you’ll need to be hungry to finish your plate!
What’s nice is that Fufu Café has a monthly feature to keep things exciting. They also serve bakery items, sweet and savory Japanese sandwiches, kakigori (Japanese shaved ice) and many seasonal and specialty drinks. I honestly think it’s a good spot for a treat or a pancake meal!
Fufu Café
Opening hours: open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 6pm, and until 9pm on Fridays.
Website: click here
Address: 1266 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6H 1G6
Telephone: (604) 734-2818
Note that prices and information featured in this article are subject to change.
