Raijin Cafe turns out Japan’s famous souffle pancakes

I’ve tried the Japanese souffle pancakes that sent social media into a meltdown. But the interpretation offered at this local eatery are better, writes Anooska Tucker-Evans.

When I was in Japan a few years ago, souffle pancakes were blowing up social media like a dog cuddling a baby video.

Made to resemble a French souffle by incorporating egg whites into a pancake mixture, the ethereally light, inch-thick pucks came stacked three-high and wobbled like Santa’s belly when poked with a fork.

Slow-motion videos of the towers swaying went viral and the Osaka cafe that made them famous attracted long lines out the door. The version I tried at renowned Gram Cafe & Pancakes in Shinsaibashi were good. The interpretation at Palm Beach eatery Raijin on the Gold Coast are better.

The original souffle pancakes at Raijin Cafe, Palm Beach. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Owned by Taketo Fujimori, Raijin launched in July this year after starting as a food stall at festivals in 2019, rolling into the likes of Woodford Folk Festival, Splendour in the Grass and Earth Frequency Festival.

After falling in love with the pancakes in Japan, Fuji (as he is better known) decided to bring the concept Down Under and set about perfecting them – trialling about 200 different recipes and eventually settling on a version using mochi rice flour and brown rice powder, which makes the cakes gluten-free.

The fitout inside Raijin Cafe. Picture: Nigel Hallett

There are four incarnations to choose from at Raijin: original with whipped cream, maple syrup and berries; tiramisu; the super feed with avocado, beetroot paste, salad and whipped cream, and our carbonara version. The menu states that the pancakes can take up to 30 minutes to make through a “very delicate process” that Fuji says is subject to everything from atmospheric conditions to the heat of the pan and the quality of the eggs.

Our stack of three ($23) hits that table after 29 minutes, the trio sitting like icebergs protruding from an ocean of pepper-flecked cream with slices of mushroom and bacon crowning their pan-tanned surface.

The carbonara souffle pancakes. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Best carefully split apart with two forks to protect their structural integrity, the jiggly cakes are as fluffy as a freshly groomed Pomeranian, almost melting in the mouth like fairy floss. While the carbonara’s cream could be reduced down further to thicken it and enhance the flavour, it is really merely a supporting act.

Alongside the hero pancakes, Raijin offers a fusion-style menu loaded with mochi flour crepes filled with everything from kransky and scrambled eggs to smoked salmon and salad; plus rice dishes and karaage. The om-rice ($20) stars an upturned bowl of fried rice blanketed with a silky omelette in a tomato sauce that has me reminiscing of tinned spaghetti as a kid.

The Om-rice. Picture: Nigel Hallett

It’s solid, but the pancakes are undoubtedly the star. Coffee is the slightly fruity Wilde blend from Seven Miles; while Proud Mary and Ghost Rider brews are also available for an extra 50c. There’s a huge selection of tea, specialty lattes, milkshakes in flavours like black sesame and matcha, freshly squeezed juice, and the top pick on a hot day – the signature Palm Beach mocktail with orange, pineapple and lemon.

Also on a hot day diners will want to sit inside. Easily a few degrees cooler than the footpath dining, it feels like a natural oasis with potted plants and hanging greenery brightening up the white and timber space. Raijin is applying for a liquor licence to trade evenings but it’s the souffle pancakes that are the real drawcard.

RAIJIN CAFE

2 Fifth Ave, Palm Beach

Open Mon-Fri 9am-4pm, Sat-Sun 8am-4pm

VERDICT - Scores out of 5

Food 3.5

Ambience 3.5

Servce 3

Value 3.5

Overall 3.5

For more reviews, visit delicious.com.au/eatout