This Soho spot sells Japan's famous soufflé pancakes and you've got to try them

What is a soufflé pancake, you ask? Let us enlighten you. The airy Japanese treats are made without a mold and are extremely soft, a quality achieved by their constant flipping on a pan. No, they don't taste like air, but they are certainly lighter than the pancakes we're used to devouring in the United States.

Although New York is no stranger to soufflé pancakes, there is probably nobody that does them better than Flipper's, in SoHo. That's to be expected: the popular Japanese chain opened its first store in Tokyo about three years ago and, since then, global citizens have been treated to branches in Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan, plus 12 other ones in Japan.

Full disclosure: the SoHo location, the first one of its kind in the United States, landed back in September of 2019 but, given the pandemic, its doors were shut for months until just a few weeks ago. 

The 2,500-square-foot, two-story destination includes an indoor seating area, an outdoor one and to-go options. 

Back to those soufflé pancakes: bite into them after a dip into one of three house-made creams (maple, matcha or strawberry) or, perhaps, opt for a more brunch-like meal, asking for some eggs on top of the fluffy offerings. 

A new to-go item may also strike your fancy: soufflé burgers pack a variety of fillings (strawberries, bananas, cream and more) in-between two pancakes. You'll want to wash those down with one of the many signature boba teas available, from a matcha latte to a milk tea and passion fruit green tea.

We should mention that the menu at Flipper's also features more traditional foods, like salads, fried fish and chicken platters, French toasts and "regular" sandwiches. Basically, if you're planning on going to Flipper's, make sure to enter the premises with a very empty stomach.

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