Already famous amongst Japanese residents in Singapore, Kyushu Pancake Cafe recently opened its doors in Singapore on 11th May 2016. Originally from Japan, Kyushu Pancake Cafe was founded by Mr Koji Muraoka. A trained sushi chef and coffee barista who enjoys hotcakes himself.
Kyushu Pancake Cafe has also expanded to Taiwan where a reservation needs to be put in place three months ahead! Since Kyushu Pancake Cafe opened in Singapore, it has been flooded with reservations too.
Kyushu Pancake Cafe is famous for its flour. Used in not only in its pancakes but to make Kyushu waffles and french toasts too, the Kyushu Pancake Mix (with and without buttermilk) is made from seven different finely selected grains. 100% homegrown in Kyushu Japan, no additives, artificial fragrance, emulsifiers or processed starch are used.
Mr Koji Muraoka also worked very closely with the Singapore branch to ensure that the best natural ingredients are being sourced and that is is being done in a sustainable manner.
At Kyushu Pancake Cafe Singapore, you can purchase the Kyushu Pancake Mix too. The experience at home may be very different from eating at Kyushu Pancake Cafe but it is simple to do and could come handy when making a quick breakfast.
Each packet comes in 200g and all you need to do is add 200ml, whip the batter and lightly pan-fry the batter until they turn into pancakes. The colour of the pancakes might differ but that is only because the temperature of the average home equipment is very different from the ones used in the Kyushu Pancake Cafe itself.
Kyushu Pancake Cafe is really bright on the inside. The glass windows allow daylight to penetrate through. There are individual round tables in front of the windows and small rectangle tables for smaller groups and a large communal one too.
Kyushu Pancake Cafe is decorated with pictures and information about their grain flour too, priding itself on its natural ingredients. The cafe upholds its mission in serving the freshest ingredients not only with its pancakes, waffles, and french toasts but also in its drinks. Especially its specialty teas.
The Seasonal Fruit Tea ($7.90) can be served hot or cold. It is made with a fruit syrup that is made fresh daily. The fruit syrup is made of fresh fruits. Perhaps the most unique thing about the Seasonal Fruit Tea is that it’s only available in Singapore!
The Seasonal Fruit Tea tasted a lot like iced lemon tea. It is a good drink to have on a hot day. However, had I not known that the syrup was made daily, it wouldn’t have stood out as much to me.
The Doriyaki Milkshake ($8.00) on the other hand blew me away. I don’t know about you but I used to eat Doriyakis really often as a kid even though I hated and still hate red bean. This milkshake was nostalgic of those days because it really tasted like a Doriyaki even though it was a drink! Other drinks on offer include smoothies ($6.50 – 7.00), the Special Milk Tea ($5.50), Matcha & Matcha Tea Lattes ($6.50) and Ethiopian Coffee ($3.90 – 5.50) made from coffee beans from Dutch Colony.
As for the food, there are savoury and sweet pancakes, waffles and french toasts. Egg benedicts, finger food [truffle fries ($8), sweet potato fries ($6), spam fries ($6)…] and salads are also served. Some pancakes are seasonal too. About 20% of the menu in Singapore is different from the ones in Taiwan and Japan. However, they are all approved by Mr Koji Muraoka. So what can you find only at Singapore’s Kyushu Pancake Cafe?
One of the two dish options that can only be found in Singapore is the Karage Chicken Waffle ($19.00). The Karage Chicken Waffle is served with white wine honey and Kyushu’s special sauce. The white wine honey, made from Taiwanese wildflower, has gone through an alcohol evaporation process however, so it is rather sweet and doesn’t have a hint of alcohol. The Kyushu special sauce is a special egg dressing.
The Karage Chicken Waffle was really delicious. All waffles are made using buttermilk pancake mix which gives the waffles extra fluff. The waffles at Kyushu Pancake Cafe was really soft and sweet enough to balance out the savoury the chicken. The chicken was deep-fried until it was crispy at the edges. The chicken was very juicy. The sprinkled lemon made it less jelak.
Another dish only served in Singapore is the American Big Breakfast ($22.00) but having lived in Canada, I find this dish all too common so I opted to try the pancakes instead. After all, that’s what we came for right?
The Kyushu Good Ol’ Classic ($7.90) is served with white wine honey and fruit syrup. The pancakes are made with Kyushu Pancake Mix without the buttermilk. The pancakes went really well with the white wine honey, fruit syrup and butter. What made the pancakes even better was the whipped cream. Otherwise it would have been really plain but that made it easier to judge the pancakes solely.
Nonetheless, these basic pancakes topped our list for one of the best pancakes in Singapore. The pancake had a really consistent texture and looked really beautiful. Golden brown and dusted with sugar icing, the pancakes are really worth a try. Other pancakes available include the Buttermilk Pancake ($8.50), Berry-Licious Pancake ($16.90), Matcha & Azuki Pancake ($16.90) and for kids, there’s the Kyushu Happy Meal ($7.50)!
Then it was time to give a seasonal pancake a try.
The Matcha MontBlanc ($18.00) is served with matcha montblanc sauce, matcha mousse, fresh cream and vanilla ice-cream. Other than the ice-cream melting real quick, the matcha montblanc was one of our favorites. The matcha flavours were really strong and the mousse was a one-of-a-kind twist to ordinary pancakes. The presentation of the dish also made it very memorable.
Another seasonal pancake available is the Matcha Tiramisu ($16.00) so if you’re looking for something more bitter & Italian, go for that instead. Still haven’t fulfilled your sweet tooth desires? We have you covered.
Kyushu french toasts are made with the Kyushu pancake mix without the buttermilk. The Kyushu pancake mix is mixed and baked until it rises. Once it is in a bread-like structure, it is cut up and put into the chiller. The next day, it is baked again but with honey. This is how the soft and moist interior is achieved.
Dessert wise, the Salted Caramel French Toast ($14.90) is highly recommended. Even though I was really full, I still managed to nibble all of it down. The salted caramel was sweet but not too sweet and the french toast was not as oily as other places in Singapore. Baked until gold brown, it was slightly crispy too – a must-try! Other french toasts up on the menu include the Banana Chocolate French Toast ($16.90) and the Classic French Toast ($10.90).
Overall Kyushu Pancake Cafe is definitely somewhere I would go again or bring a couple of friends to simply indulge. I would make the effort to make a reservation. With its seven-grains flour, Kyushu Pancake Cafe is the place for healthier yummy pancakes.
It is safe to say that you could try anything on the menu and nothing would go very wrong. However, if I were to go by myself, I’d get a french toast and a doriyaki milkshake. If I’m with friends, I’d throw in the montblanc. These dishes definitely stood out and made Kyushu Pancake Cafe different from other places that serve pancakes too.
A cafe definitely worth making a reservation at, I’m definitely re-visiting even though it burns a tiny hole in my wallet. Expect to wait if you haven’t reserved or go between 2pm and 6pm if you are simply walking in, you’ve been warned!
Expected Damage: $25 – $35 per pax
