The Place Originally from Osaka, Japan, Gram Cafe & Pancakes is finally opening in Singapore at VivoCity on 16 June 2019. The famous Japanese souffle pancake specialist is located at level two of the mall, with a 40-seater capacity.

The Food The menu in Singapore is a mix of sweet and savoury dishes, with its signature and most popular dish being the Premium Pancakes (S$17.90).

Available only at 3 time slots each day (11am, 3pm and 6pm), the Premium Pancakes is indeed premium simply from the fact that it is only available at a limited quantity of 30 servings per time slot. It is characterised by its towering stack of three 4cm thick fluffy souffle pancakes, served along with housemade whipped cream and gram’s original butter.

I first had the Premium Pancakes back in Yokohama, but admittedly it was a forgettable experience for me. Therefore, I was quite surprised by the version I had in Singapore. The souffle pancakes are of pillowy texture, somewhat cloud-like and dreamy. The pancake is buttery enough, even on its own without the butter. My recommendation is to go generous on the butter and whipped cream, and add a little of the sweet maple syrup to the pancakes for the best flavour. This is a must try item!

I also had the Rich Tiramisu Pancakes (S$15.90), an espresso soaked pancake which has layers of mascarpone tiramisu cream and dusted with cocoa powder. The classic thin pancake texture here is inspired by the traditional Japanese dorayaki pancake. Personally, it is not as impressive as the Premium Pancakes but I do like the tingle of coffee taste and the Tiramisu element.

Sweets aside, the Chilli Bean Pancakes (S$18.90) is one savoury dish I tried. You get chilli bean sauce on the pancake, along with sausage, potatoes and salad. The overall texture here is rather dry, and the flavour slightly spicy. It would be better if there is some sauce to go along with it.

For a non-pancake dish, there are also three French Toast flavours on the menu such as the classic Grams French Toast (S$12.90), French Toast of Chocolate Banana (S$15.90) and the Mixed Berry French Toast (S$15.80). I had the French Toast of Chocolate Banana (S$15.90), which is essentially Danish French Toast topped with fresh bananas, vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. The toast could have been more buttery for me though. Given that this is afterall a pancake specialty concept, I am not sure how well the French Toast will sell here.

Rants Not a huge space and it is inevitable that waiting time for the pancakes would be long.

Will I Return Again? Even with savoury options, it is still hard not to view Gram Cafe & Pancakes as more of a dessert dining option than a restaurant for your regular meal. That said, I enjoy the Premium Pancakes and wouldn’t mind returning just for it. The only gripe is that it is only available in limited servings each day.

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 3.5/5
Hole in the pocket: 3/5
Ambience: 3/5
Overall Experience: 3.5/5

Gram Cafe & Pancakes
1 Harbourfront Walk, VivoCity
#02-110
Singapore 098585
Tel: +65 8666 6277

Opening Hours
Daily: 11am to 10pm

Ranted by The Ranter