Soft Stacks

Keeping some of @fuelplussg’s bestsellers, their newest outlet at Tai Thong Crescent, @fuelxsg carries a pretty extensive menu - serving all-day brunch, coffee, mains, burgers, and dessert. 

For sweets, we got their Pump It Up Hotcake ($18) to share which reminded me a little of the fluffy fragrant pancakes at the good old golden arches. Despite looking thick and chunky, the banana hotcake was surprisingly moist and not too dense. Smothered with syrup (in a good way), the warm hotcake was also served with strawberries, nuts, and a scoop of ice cream. The berries offering a sweet-tartness while the bits of nuts added a nice crunch. As for the scoop of ice cream, we chose earl grey ice which really complemented the elements with a light uplifting scent of bergamot. Overall, it didn’t feel cloying but the flavour of the banana was certainly lacking.

Nutty and sufficiently savoury, Fluff Stack’s Salted Caramel ($14.50) Souffle Pancakes was a classic flavour done right. With homemade salted syrup drizzled all over the fuwa fuwa pillows; the airy cheese foam, mascarpone creme, and crushed hazelnuts added to the whole textural experience. The caramel offered a good dose of saltiness to counter the natural egginess of the stack and was able to balance the sweeter components as well.

Enriched with the tropical flavours, the Mango-Passionfruit Soufflé Pancakes ($14.80) was all sweet, tangy, and tart. The vibrant tasting passionfruit coulis delivering a refreshing element to the eggy pancakes while the seasonal mango was fragrant and juicy. Topped with homemade coconut sago, chantilly cream, and snow icing powder, the soft stacks was overall light on the palette with the gentle sourness of the fruits used to counter the sweetness of the dessert.

Understandably one of their best-selling dessert, Walking on Sunshine Cafe's Signature Souffle Pancake ($20.50) looked like a mini garden on a plate. Not just a pretty face, the thick stack was none too eggy, sufficiently fluffy with more of a spongy texture and had a pleasant almost airy quality. The dollops of vanilla whipped cream were light, and gently sweet. The fresh fruits, berries and granola strewn all over the pillowy pancake adding a nice crunch as well. With an approximate 25 minutes wait required, the portion was also good for 2 to 3 to share.

Thanks @burpple for this #burppleeatup and @walkingonsunshine.sg for hosting us!

Probably not the most photogenic of choice but Fluff Stack’s Strawberry Cheese Soufflé Pancakes ($12.80) was very much like a deconstructed strawberry cheesecake in my opinion. Layered on with fresh sliced strawberries, vibrant strawberry coulis and an airy cap of cream cheese; the double stack was sufficiently soft, slightly spongy and pillowy. Fairly eggy on its own but the tang from the coulis and the savouriness of the light, almost melt-in-your-mouth cheese foam did manage to balance the flavours - not one element overpowering another when you have them together. Thus, overall, a decent dessert spot with a reasonable waiting time of approximately 15 minutes when we dined on a late Thursday afternoon.

Ordering these highly-coveted pancakes were a breeze at Gram Cafe & Pancakes in Bangkok (CentralWorld) as all it took for me was a 20-minutes wait. Gloriously fluffy and pillowy soft, the Premium Pancakes (295 baht) certainly lived up to my expectations. Though a little too eggy in my opinion, the jiggly tower of three was lightly sweetened and amazingly fragrant. Prepared a la minute, the delicate confection may be good on its own but became a true stunner when paired with Gram original butter, home-made whipped cream and maple syrup. The smooth, airy and just melt-in-your-mouth cream was simple bliss as it presented a cool contrast to the warm spongy pancakes. And of course, drizzling the luscious syrup over the discs was icing on the cake.

Smothered in gula melaka and crowned with a sizable scoop of ice cream, Tolido's Espresso Nook's Pandan Pancakes were right up my alley. An awesome stack of pandan-y, fluffy goodness, they were no subtle flavours here as each forkful was filled with the distinct fragrance. The dish didn’t get cloying or sickeningly sweet either; as is often the case with pancakes. Furthermore with a choice of vanilla or coconut ice cream, I would strongly recommend the latter as the creamy nutty treat complemented the other elements on the plate perfectly.

Though the stacks set you back by a steep $18 and could use more matcha, Riz Labo Kitchen Singapore pop-up does conjure up one of the better souffle pancakes made available here. The soft gluten-free pancakes served with a dollop of Hokkaido fresh cream, azuki beans and maple syrup, were also substantial without being overly cloying.

Available till 20 October.

With an out-of-this-world level of fluffiness and pillowy softness, うめぞの Umezono Café & Gallery Kyoto's Matcha Hotcakes were utterly uhhh-mazing! So excuse me as I take a moment to gush about it AHHHH!

To be eaten with a pair of chopsticks, the delicate yet firm mouthfeel of those tantalising pale green cushions proved to be the best hotcakes I have ever eaten and easily my favourite dessert during my most recent to Japan! Just by looking at the photo brings me back to the delicious moment as I sank my teeth into the cottony stack. Though the matcha flavor is evident, it was not overpowering and worked superbly well with the fragrant batter. Served warm, the accompanying azuki paste and brown sugar butter melts ever so slowly too - lending the moist hotcakes their distinct sweetness.

Oh and don't forget to order a side of their signature mitarashi dango! An awesome add-on, the slightly sticky, chewy and ever so soft dangos were of the perfect texture. But the star was truly the savoury-sweet mitarashi glaze blanketing the warm skewers. So good that I had to use the hotcakes to mop up all that roasty goodness! めっちゃ美味しい~

*Prepared upon order, a short waiting time is expected

📌うめぞの Cafe & Gallery
180 Fudocho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture 604-8215, Japan

Sundays are made for sweet, fluffy buttermilk pancakes and juicy layers of pulled pork.
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Though not the best around, the stacks were impressively soft and light. The pulled pork however lacks oomph and would be better with more bbq flavour.

Missing the textures and flavours of the classic pancakes, the offerings at Kyushu Pancake might be more suited for the health-conscious. An wholesome alternative, the blend of finely selected grains used in the mix is free of emulsifier, artificial fragrance, additives and processed starch. So expect less sweet and more guilt-free treats. Topped with matcha mousse and light fresh cream, their signature Matcha MontBlanc ($18.00) was a little denser, doughy and grainy to the usual buttery fluffy pancakes that we are more accustomed to. Perhaps for an acquired taste, the matcha montblanc sauce served together was also relatively bland.

One more day to TGIF and the last day to enjoy Clinton Street Baking’s Blackberries & Lemon Curd Pancakes ($21)! The first of the four flavours they are pushing out for the month, this fluffy creation studded with fresh blackberries wasn’t cloy at all though certainly filling. Warm, thick and soft, the stacks were the perfect texture - substantial yet airy. A whiff of buttery fragrance amped up with a touch of zing from the lemon curd just brought me to pancake heaven. Nicely balanced, the pool of blackberry syrup also provided a subtle sweetness that came through after the initial tartness and sourness. Definitely will be back to try the Strawberry Shortcake with Vanilla Crumb available on the last week!