What are Fluffy Japanese Soufflé Pancakes?
Imagine waking up to the smell of fluffy, airy, and delicate pancakes that look too fancy for a weekday breakfast but are irresistible to make on the weekend. These pillowy, soft soufflé pancakes are a must-try. As you cut into them, you'll hear a delightful fizzy, bubbly sound from the air bubbles inside!
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| Credit: Justonecookbook.com |
The result? Pancakes are so airy, that they almost float! Each slice releases a soft hiss as the trapped air bubbles escape.
A Brief History of The Japanese Souffle Pancake
The Japanese soufflé pancake is a culinary sensation that started in a small Hawaiian restaurant and expanded to become a beloved treat across North America. Here we will give you the latest info on the origins, unique preparation methods, and the key figures behind this delightful dish.
The Japanese soufflé pancake, now a popular treat thanks to the U.S. expansion of a Canadian dessert café, can trace its origins back to a Hawaiian restaurant and its pancake-skeptical chef.
Nathan Tran, the owner and general manager of the Cream Pot, has created a breakfast and brunch haven in Honolulu’s Waikiki neighborhood, beloved by Japanese tourists and Hawaiian locals alike.
At the Cream Pot, Chef Tran serves the renowned dish that has catapulted him to internet fame and turned his restaurant into a must-visit spot. However, this success story had a humble beginning, as Tran shared with Fox News Digital during a Zoom interview.
When Tran first opened the Cream Pot in 2008, his menu focused on brunch dishes like crêpes and "pain perdu" (French toast), with no pancakes in sight. Tran admitted, "We never had pancakes on the menu because we didn't want to make anything that we didn't like eating ourselves. I wasn't too fond of typical pancakes… They were just not for me." However, the demand for pancakes, especially from Japanese customers, became evident within the first six months of business. Noticing that the lack of pancakes led to customer dissatisfaction, Tran decided to innovate rather than conform.
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| Nathan Tran during the Interview by FoxNews |
Instead of serving traditional pancakes, Tran, who is of Japanese descent, fused his passion for soufflés with his love for sweets to create a dish that would satisfy both his taste and his customers' cravings. "I thought a great idea would be to do a freestanding soufflé with a twist so it kind of resembles the looks of a pancake," Tran said. Thus, the soufflé pancake was born.
Tran explained the making of his soufflé pancake: "There's no flour in ours. It gets its rise from meringue and some custards and creams and cheeses." Despite being gluten-free, Tran mentioned, "We don't advertise it that way." The process involves mixing custards with cheeses, folding in meringue, searing the mixture on a skillet, and then baking it until the inside is cooked yet remains custardy like a true soufflé.
Tran’s creation initially gained traction through simple chalkboard advertising at the restaurant. The soufflé pancake soon caught the eye of a Japanese magazine covering Hawaiian breakfast spots. This exposure led to broader media attention, making Tran’s dish a sensation. Despite offers from Japanese companies to franchise his concept, Tran chose to maintain the boutique nature of his business, prioritizing quality over expansion.
Meanwhile, the soufflé pancake trend crossed the ocean to Canada, where Benson Lau opened Fluffy Fluffy (internationally known as Fuwa Fuwa) in 2018 after studying pastry in Tokyo. Lau, self-taught in crafting the soufflé pancake, perfected his recipe through extensive testing. Fluffy, now North America's largest dessert soufflé café, has expanded across Canada and the U.S., with locations in states like Florida, California, Texas, and Georgia. Lau’s version of the soufflé pancake balances the textures of a pancake and a soufflé, made with egg whites and minimal sugar.
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| Benson Lau Fuwa Fuwa [Taste of Manchester] |
Back in Hawaii, Tran continues to focus on his work at the Cream Pot, content with his creation’s success but not driven by it. "I make enough money," he stated. "I'm not trying to become some tycoon or something like that. It's not my thing."
Tags:
Souffle Pancake, Souffle Pancakes, Nathan Tran, Benson Lau, Dessert souffle cafe
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