A Happy Pancake Kyoto

Restaurant Details

Arguably the most iconic pancake chain in Japan, and the most representative of the souffle-style pancake craze that still continues to sweep the nation, A Happy Pancake enjoys significant popularity among travelers both within and outside of Japan.

Each plate has three pancakes, made of fresh and natural ingredients — all-natural eggs from a directly-contracted chicken farm — and cooked slowly for around 20 minutes per pancake. It's a time-consuming process, but it's this attention given to each one that gives them their characteristic fluffy texture.

Season-limited pancakes, like chestnut mont blanc in the autumn and matcha with strawberries in the winter — ensuring visitors will want to come back multiple times to try them all.

Depending on the location, guests will also be able to order pancakes exclusive to that region. The Kyoto outlet has two exclusives: One of them is a roasted green tea tiramisu flavor with mascarpone cheese cream, while the other is an organic matcha pancake with red bean butter — both of which are best enjoyed with the additional brown sugar syrup.

In addition to sweet pancakes, savory are also available, using whole-wheat flour. These come with omelet options as well, including mushroom cheese omelet, bacon with scrambled eggs, or salmon with avocado and cream cheese.

It is technically possible to walk in, but the overwhelming popularity of A Happy Pancake typically means that reservations are basically mandatory. This is especially true of the Kyoto branch, which enjoys close proximity to Kawaramachi Station.