Home › Archives › Food & Health Archives › Savoury. Pancakes. Lunch – Doesn’t Quite Tie In?
When you think about pancakes or crepes, what comes to mind? I am guessing maple syrup (mmm…), whipped cream (mmm…), berries and simple sweet indulgence. Whoever would think of whole wheat, meat, vegetables, lunch or dinner?
Well, someone did! Paddington House of Pancakes (PHOP) at City Square Mall, takes the simple pancake and crepe beyond breakfast and dessert, and put forth a menu offering innovative and exotic dishes that can be had at any time of the day.
PHOP is a contemporary style café, boldly done up in blacks, whites and reds. The ambience is homely, and the restaurant is brightly lit with comfortable, spacious seating. Moreover, an entire wall mounted with mirrors from end to end gives the impression of a much bigger space than there really is.
Settling into our comfortable booth, we undertook the task of mastering the heavy manuscript of a menu, which we took our own ‘sweet’ time to leaf through.
lettuce,onions, peppers, mozzarella, spicy tomato salsa and sour cream. The pannekoek was thin and crispy, with succulent and flavourful chicken chunks. However, to have it in its most appetizing state, it should be consumed as soon as it is prepared. So caught up were we in taking its pictures that by the time we knifed into it, it had gone a little soggy.
grilled mushrooms, and added a sharp zing to the dish with its smoked aroma and flavour.Served with maple syrup on the side, these American Flapjacks come in other options too – California, Alaska, Minnesota – each with variations of egg, meat and toppings. A must-try, do be generous with that drizzle of maple syrup on your pancakes!
together by a tiny PHOP flag. What a sight these burgers are! Our vegetarian option incorporated three types of cheeses (cream, cheddar, and mozzarella), a fried egg, pineapple, gherkins, olives, tomatoes, onions, peppers, grilled zucchini, chilli flakes, and walnuts. The freshness of the vegetables was clear in their crunch and juiciness. The puffins were soft, filling and fibrous in a whole-wheaty sort of way. Served with a side of fries, this sure is one wholesome healthy burger! We immediately made a to-do note to return to PHOP to try the non-vegetarian burgers.
We happened to be in a grilled-zucchini-ish mood, and yet another of our mains ended up vegetarian. These savory French crepes were skinny and crisp. With eggplant, grilled zucchini, olives, peppers, mixed mushrooms and mozzarella stuffed in the crepes, and a side of homemade tomato sauce, this dish looked more like a Mexican taco! It didn’t taste anything like one, thankfully. Rather it was an authentic and pleasant experience to have crepes this way.
It was amazing how we could taste the hearty fillings separately in each mouthful.The tomato sauce was delicious, somewhat like a pasta sauce, only more creamy. These crepes at PHOP are unique in that they combine both savoury and sweet in this predominantly savoury main course. Named after French cities, the other available options are Nice, Paris, Provence etc., and come wrapped around chicken or seafood along with mix of other toppings.
It’s a bowl of warm, soft, fluffy, dollar-coin-sized pancakes, garnished with strawberries, bananas, peaches, lychees, raisins, desiccated coconut and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Gosh – literally a mouthful. Scrumptious both to look at and indulge in, this dessert got a sure thumbs-up. The fruit was fresh, juicy and generous.
A huge serving meant to be shared, this must be tried. Do ask for additional ice cream, and practice some forward-planning and pacing. Having gorged away from the top of the bowl, we were left with dry topping-less pancakes at the bottom.
The second dessert was well, what I would call, a classic – the way we have known our pancakes all along – original, with grilled banana, walnuts, ice cream, caramel sauce and chocolate honeycomb butter. What would a visit to a house of pancakes be without this traditional sweet course?
The pancakes were perfectly done – thick, light and fluffy, and these mouth-watering pancakes couldn’t have been any better . A pancake lover, I could have two of those and called it my lunch, and may be two more to have it for dinner!
The Paddington House of Pancakes experience is truly unique, with pancakes in forms and versions you would never expect -American flapjacks to French crepes, Russian blinis, Dutch pannekoeken, and so much more. Not only is the thought and creativity evident, each dish is fresh and delicious, and served in large, generous portions. With friendly and attentive staff, food was served within 15 to 20 minutes of ordering, and even after serving, staff was readily available with a smile for additional queries and requests.
4 years old, PHOP is exploring a second outlet in 2016. Packed on weekends, we suggest you venture that way on a weekday. Have brunch at PHOP before you head next door to restock on desi groceries from Mustafa. With so much to offer, one does end up feeling like there is much left to try. I am already planning my next visit with my kids to try the remaining dishes!