Restaurant review: Pan de Pain, Tsim Sha Tsui – wonderful Japanese pancakes, savoury or sweet
The new restaurant offers a variety of Japanese desserts and snacks, crafted by a chef with a love for Japanese culture
Hongkongers have long had a love affair with all kinds of Japanese food, such as matcha desserts, ramen and sushi. Now there’s a place that specialises in Japanese pancakes too.
Located in the Tsim Sha Tsui mall K11, Pan de Pain Pancake and Sweets is headed by chef Muse Leung, who also runs a cooking school in Sai Kung.
A big fan of Japanese sweets, Leung draws inspiration from specialist pancake shops that can be found in Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka.
Its multi-layered pancakes are made with Japanese flour, Hokkaido milk and eggs, and topped with ingredients such as Movenpick ice cream, French butter and cream, or Canadian maple syrup. All are made to order in the open kitchen.
On our visit, we particularly liked the three-layered tiramisu pancake (HK$88), which melts in the mouth, and the super “kawaii” strawberry pancake (HK$88), a stack topped with fruit and pink cream.
There’s also the soufflé pancake (HK$68), which is rarely seen in Hong Kong but is popular in Japan. It’s like a regular soufflé, only pan-fried instead of baked, and it has a rich, eggy taste that goes well with maple syrup. For savoury offerings, we like the all-day breakfast pancake (HK$78) with plentiful ingredients that include bacon, vegetables and sausage.
Wash everything down with the shop’s house-made detox water (HK$68). It’s infused with fresh fruit such as berries, pineapple and orange for 12 hours, which makes it very refreshing with a fruity aroma.
Pan de Pain Pancake and Sweets, Shop B111B, B1/F, K11 Art Mall, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2576 1968. Open: 11am-10pm
