Where to eat the best fluffy Soufflés Pancakes in Tokyo, Japan

Feb 5
3 min read

Fluffy Japanese pancake topped with strawberry and mochi blanket at japanese tokyo Cafe with camera setup in cafe interior — me filming the solo cafe date

A café with a stack of fluffy pancakes that stayed with me long after I left Tokyo.

During my time studying abroad, I made it a point to visit a new bakery or café every week. I did this despite Japan’s hot, humid summers. The trip took me about an hour and twenty minutes, just for these pancakes.

The only reason I discovered Iriya Plus Cafe was that I saw a video while scrolling on social media (thanks to the Japanese algorithm I curated). This converted me to pancakes as well (say what you want). I was into waffles for years. Now, here’s why these pancakes converted a waffle lover, and why I went back for more.

Soufflé and fluffy pancake stack at Cafe in Tokyo topped with mochi and served with vanilla ice cream and brown sugar syrup and strawberry. — Unreal pancakes with vanilla ice cream i would love to know how they made.

The taste

These fluffy pancakes had a texture softer than most cakes, which made me come back for more. The first time, I remember feeling shocked at how well each part of the pancake stack came together.

The warm soufflé pancakes are fluffy and light, with a noticeable whipped-egg richness like chiffon cake, but softer. The cream daifuku mochi pancake was so good. Vanilla ice cream with brown sugar syrup and a strawberry on top made me feel like I almost levitated.

My drink of choice: an iced roasted green tea latte that wasn’t too sweet and paired really well with the dessert.

Cake slice: I’m truly unsure how the purple cake was. I didn’t love it, nor did I dislike it; I was quite indifferent. I can’t put my finger on it. Not too sweet, but I was unsure of the flavor. My impression was sweet potato.

To be quite honest, I forgot the exact taste. When I try to recall it, all that comes to mind is that it tasted like a sweet potato. But it could not have been, and I didn’t care to get it again.

Presentation of Fluffy Pancakes

Take a good look at this stack of soufflé pancakes. It nearly looks jiggly through the screen, perhaps. Now let’s look toward the flour-dusted mochi blanket, quite cozy-looking in my opinion. Better to eat than to sleep with, of course.

Drizzled around the plate was a light syrup, not maple, from what I remember taste-profile-wise (perhaps brown sugar syrup). A delicate, modest scoop of vanilla ice cream was plated next to the gorgeous strawberry daifuku (or ichigo daifuku) pancake stack.

Delicately sitting on top of the softly draped mochi blanket was a strawberry. Truly, this strawberry caught my eye for how vibrant it was.

Another time, it was a plain mochi blanket with red bean mixed into a generous amount of whipped cream tucked underneath.

Atmosphere and Location for Fluffy Pancakes in Japan

Cafe in Tokyo showing warm wood seating, customers dining, and cozy atmosphere.

The café is tucked in a charming area near a huge park with museums and a zoo (a perfect place to wander after brunch).

Customer service in Japan is a given. If you’ve been, you may have picked up on the polite nature of consumer-to-buyer interactions. Even at convenience stores, you typically receive kind customer service.

This place was no different. I was welcomed and told it would be at least a 30-minute wait for the pancakes, which was good to know in case I was on a time crunch or had other plans.

strawberry fluffy japanese Soufflé pancakes with mochi and iced roasted green tea latte at japanese cafe in Tokyo and journal, — This was taken when I was journaling in the cafe about the food and my thoughts about the Japanese fluffy pancakes.

Additionally, the wait can be about 10 to 20 minutes just to be seated, as indoor seating is limited. I wouldn’t let that discourage you from visiting. The space is cute, and the quality is real. Most of the people eating inside were locals, which, most of the time, tells me I’m in the right place.