Pancakes and Friends - Jiggly Soufflé Pancakes With a Twist

There’s a quiet corner of Far East Plaza that most people walk past without a second glance — and that’s exactly how the regulars like it. Pancakes and Friends occupies a cosy first-floor unit tucked behind the plaza’s labyrinth of retro shopfronts, identifiable only by a signage reading “PANCAKES BAGEL & COFFEE.”

The draw isn’t just the jiggly, cloud-like soufflé pancakes it does particularly well, but a batter that sets it apart from every other version in the city: slightly acidified, producing a gentle tang that cuts through the sweetness and lingers long after the last bite. In a genre dominated by saccharine, one-note offerings, this subtle sourness is a quiet act of defiance — and a very good reason to seek this place out.

Hokkaido Milk ($12)

The gateway order and the one most first-timers reach for. A stack of soufflé pancakes arrives under a generous cloud of house-made milk cream, finished with muesli for a faint nuttiness and textural contrast. The pancake itself is where the technique shows: baked low and slow inside a ring mould, it rises with the kind of wobble that signals serious air retention — closer in spirit to a Japanese cotton cheesecake than anything that comes off a flat griddle. The tangy undertone in the batter is most apparent here, playing off the cream’s milky sweetness in a way that keeps the dish from tipping into cloying territory.

Choco Banana ($12)

A crowd favourite, and arguably the most complete version on the menu. Beneath a billowing layer of homemade chocolate mousse — light-bodied and deliberately restrained in sweetness — sit caramelised banana slices and a scattering of toasted almonds. The mousse’s airy texture is a deliberate echo of the pancake beneath it, so the whole thing reads as one cohesive unit rather than toppings thrown onto a base. Diners have noted how the batter’s acidic character gives the chocolate something to work against, sharpening flavours rather than muddying them.

Tiramisu ($12)

The most dessert-forward option on the sweet roster. Mascarpone cream is layered atop the pancake stack alongside a homemade coffee sauce that delivers a proper espresso hit without being bitter. For those who find conventional tiramisu overly rich, this interpretation wears it lighter — the soufflé base absorbs just enough of the coffee sauce to perfume each mouthful without becoming soggy. A quietly impressive plate.

Big Breakfast ($15)

Proof that the soufflé batter holds its own in savoury territory. The same jiggly pancake base arrives topped with a sunny-side up egg, chicken ham, and melted cheese, served with maple syrup on the side. The combination sounds counterintuitive, but the batter’s tang bridges sweet and savoury with surprising ease. One regular described it as reminiscent of a McGriddles — but significantly better executed. At $15, it’s a full meal that doesn’t ask much of the wallet.

Bagels (from $6)

The soufflé pancakes draw the headlines, but the bagelwiches have quietly built their own following. Fillings span Smoked Salmon Cheese ($8), Egg Mayo ($7), Mediterranean Hummus ($7), and Nutella Banana ($6 closed, $8 open-faced) — the latter arriving with caramelised banana, chocolate hazelnut spread, and a dusting of icing sugar and cocoa powder. Portions are generous for the price, and the option to go open-faced for a modest premium doubles the toppings without doubling the bill.

Rosti ($9)

A supporting act that regularly surprises. The plain rosti arrives with sour cream or with eggs as add-on, seasoned with black pepper and crisped to a decent char. It’s straightforward and honest — good on its own, better alongside a pancake order as a savoury anchor to the meal.

Drinks

The coffee programme punches above its weight for a café of this size. Vietnamese drip coffee is a house speciality, with the V-Milk (from $4.50) — aromatic black Vietnamese brew cut with milk — among the most ordered. The egg coffee (from $5.50) is a harder find outside of Vietnamese establishments, delivering a frothy, dessert-like cup that holds its own as a standalone treat. For something more conventional, the iced mocha latte with oat milk ($6) is a clean, well-balanced option. Hot drinks include a Mint Latte ($5) and Honey Americano (from $3.50), both part of a menu that clearly takes its beverage list as seriously as its food.

Pancakes and Friends doesn’t traffic in spectacle. There are no elaborate plating theatrics, no marquee collaborations, no queue management systems with waitlists stretching around the block. What it offers instead is a well-considered product at prices that feel almost anachronistic for a café at this address — most dishes landing comfortably under $15 nett, with no additional service charge or GST. The open-concept kitchen means orders are made from scratch in plain view, and the soufflé pancakes arrive piping hot with that signature wobble intact. For a genre that often charges a premium for novelty alone, Pancakes and Friends makes a quiet, confident case that the best version of the thing doesn’t have to be the most expensive one.

📍 14 Scotts Road, #01-34 Far East Plaza, Singapore 228213
📞 +65 9759 5322
🕒 Monday to Sunday, 10am – 9.30pm
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