Customer: I'm just expecting it to melt in my mouth.
That's all I'm here for, and absolutely worth the wait.
Medha Imam: What's better than pancakes for breakfast?
How about an airy, jiggly soufflé pancake?
For the first time, New Yorkers are able to try
Japan's most famous Miracle Pancake
without leaving the States.
And people are lining up to try it.
Customer: Really cool that I can travel here
and be able to have a Japanese pancake
and not have to travel all the way to Japan.
Medha: We're outside of Flipper's, an extremely popular
Japanese pancake chain that just opened its first store
right here in the United States
and in the middle of Manhattan.
I mean, look at that line.
It's so long, it's incredible.
They're known for their soufflé pancakes
that are extremely fluffy and jiggly,
and I'm super, super excited to see how they're made.
So let's go check it out.
Taiyaki NYC, a Japanese-inspired ice cream shop,
started selling its own version of soufflé pancakes in 2019,
but this marks the first time a Japanese chain
has brought the treat to New York.
Customer: So yeah, I've been here for like 45, 50 minutes,
and I think the first time I heard about this
was, like, over a year ago.
Customer: We're here for Flipper's because
there's one in Shimokitazawa in Tokyo,
and we had an experience there.
We just wanna, like, recreate that in our hometown.
Medha: Flipper's stands out
from some other soufflé pancakes
because of its lack of a mold,
giving the pancake a little less structure.
But without the cooked sides, it's a lot fluffier
than other soufflé pancakes I've had.
Medha: Flipper's Kiseki Pancakes,
or Miracle Pancakes,
begin with more than half a dozen egg whites whipped up
and folded into a mixture of egg yolks,
milk, flour, and sugar.
Each pancake is scooped onto the grill
in an exact measurement and cooks for about 10 minutes
before it's topped with more batter
and left to cook some more.
With each pancake cooked to order,
you can expect to wait 20 minutes
for this miracle in your mouth.
This is their classic soufflé pancake,
and it's called Kiseki,
which means miracle, and I'm about to eat a miracle.
The restaurant recommends we use two forks
instead of a fork and a knife
because it's so delicate and light.
And we're gonna have to treat it
with the respect that it deserves.
[gasps] Oh, my God, it's incredibly fluffy, so fluffy.
With the cream, here I go.
That was so, so fluffy.
One bite isn't enough; you just wanna keep eating it,
like, constantly, because one bite just melts in your mouth,
and then you're like, it's time for another.
That's amazing; it melts in your mouth.
I didn't even need to use my teeth.
Before I fill up on these pancakes,
I'm gonna try out their strawberry pancakes.
These are the strawberry pancakes by Flipper's,
and they have a strawberry cream inside
and a strawberry cream on the top.
So let's just dig in.
Here I go.
This looks amazing!
That's really strawberry.
That's a strawberry cream.
With the original, classic Flipper's pancake,
we got a really sweet flavor with the cream,
and then this is definitely a little more tangy.
But the strawberry adds, like, another layer to it.
Definitely makes you feel like you're having
a very healthy meal, and it feels so good.
Customer: We both got the fruit ones.
They're the best pancakes I've ever had.
Medha: What does it taste like?
Customer: Sweet clouds. [laughing]
Medha: I am so happy that I had
these Japanese soufflé pancakes today
because I didn't even have to travel to Japan
to try these out again.
I'm so stoked.
I'm gonna finish this and take this home.
Sorry, guys, this one's for me.