Hanabusa Cafe - Japanese Souffle Pancakes in the Loop

The previous topic about Japanese souffle pancakes intrigued me. It mentioned Hanabusa Cafe as a place that offers them. When I looked at the menu on their website, I noticed that they offer taro pancakes, and I love love love desserts made with taro. So I went there today for lunch.

I arrived just after 1 pm and about half the tables were empty; by the time I left, it had mostly emptied out. I placed my order at the counter, and noticed the sign saying that the pancakes were made to order and took twenty minutes to prepare. I settled in and hooked into the free wifi (password posted at the counter).

I was able to make the pancakes jiggle as promised in the previous topic (see video here). The pancakes themselves were light and tasty. The creamy, thick taro sauce was a bit weak with not much taro flavor. The website menu also has some non-pancake food items on it, but the taro pancakes were the only thing I tried.

I enjoyed the pancakes and would go back, but would probably order a different kind next time. Also note that due to the preparation time, this is not a place to go if you're in a hurry.

Hanabusa Cafe
29 E Madison St
Chicago, IL 60602
P: 312-584-0455
Mon-Fri 11:00 am - 6:30 pm, Sat-Sun 10:00 am - 6:30 pm
hanabusacafechicago.com

Exterior:

Interior:

Taro pancakes: