If your idea of the perfect start to the day involves a stack of wonderful, fluffy pancakes, then you’re in for a treat. Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day happens every year right before the beginning of Lent. Traditionally, it was an opportunity to use up remaining eggs, butter, and milk before the beginning of the fast. Pancakes were a natural and tasty solution that could be enjoyed by the whole family. For Shrove Tuesday 2019, we decided to stay away from the more common buttermilk and blueberry varieties. Instead, we’ve picked out the eateries that are whipping up the best non-traditional pancakes to put a unique spin to your breakfast.
Chakra (pictured above)
If you’re after a dining experience that improves your sense of wellbeing and envelops you in the flavours and smells of timeless Indian recipes, Chakra in Kingston is for you. If the thought of onions, tomatoes, chillies, bell peppers, and crab warms your tastebuds, their rice flour crab uttapam pancake will give you the spicy kick you need to begin your day. Make sure you pair it with their avocado shake with bananas and vanilla milk.
Christopher’s
As London’s original American restaurant, Christopher’s never misses a chance to take part in one of the most indulgent days of the year. Their white chocolate & Oreo pancake stack is served with vanilla mascarpone and honeycomb ice cream. If you’re feeling creative, their signature build-your-own-pancake option allows your imagination to run wild with choices such as matcha green tea ice cream, Valrhona chocolate sauce, and buckwheat pancakes.
Fuwa Fuwa Café
Fuwa Fuwa Café’s fluffy, Japanese soufflé pancakes caused quite the storm when they first opened in the capital. Their melt-in-your-mouth soufflé pancakes come in a variety of flavours with special versions created for holidays like Valentine’s Day or Chinese New Year. The pièce de résistance, however, is the Japanese soufflé pancake stack topped with honeycomb butter, vanilla cream, and maple syrup.
The Breakfast Club
The iconic Breakfast Club has opened a new outpost at HereEast Canalside. They have a number of non-traditional options for this year’s Pancake Day: The Big Stack is a heaping stack of both pancakes and burger patties, The Ringer Stinger Tower is a spicy pancake behemoth with fried chicken, and their vegan option, The Jack Duckfruit, uses jackfruit to deliver a punch of flavour.
Mien Tay
Mien Tay is a family-run group of restaurants featuring the cuisine from Southwest Vietnam. Their authentic, home-style dishes reflect the fresh and fragrant food from the Mien Tay region. For Shrove Tuesday, they are serving a traditional Vietnamese crispy pancake with fish sauce, lettuce, and herbs. You can top yours off with either tofu, mixed mushrooms, chicken, or prawn and pork. Another option is their crispy aromatic duck pancake with cucumber, spring onions, and Hoisin sauce.
Corse Lawn House
Why settle for just one dish when you can have an entire Pancake Day afternoon tea? Corse Lawn House in Gloucestershire’s special afternoon tea celebration will be held from 3:30-4:30 pm at £25.50 per person. Though you can opt for a traditional hot pancake with fresh lemon juice and sugar, we highly recommend their classic French option: hot Crepe Suzette with caramelised orange, Grand Marnier, and cognac sauce. There will be a selection of sweets and pastries, sandwiches, hot drinks, and you can add a glass of Prosecco to add to the celebrations.
