J.S. Pancake is a trendy chain cafe. The J.S. stands for Journal Standard, the name of the clothes shop behind the cafe. Each year for Valentines and White Day they have a special seasonal pancake. In 2023, they are using Nagasaki’s famous Koi Minori strawberries for their premium menu.
J.S Pancake Lalaport Fujimi
The J.S Pancake branch in Lalaport Fujimi shopping mall is quite small and very popular. Particularly during the Valentines and White Day season when they have their limited edition pancakes. Supposedly, the pancakes aren’t actually for the “love” season, but a way to welcome spring. Thankfully, Pancake Tuesday normally falls within the period of their exclusive pancakes. Including in 2023 when Pancake Tuesday will be on February 21st.
In 2023, they have two different ‘premium’ pancakes. The first, the one in the featured photo at the top of the post, is a Premium Strawberry Ricotta Pancake. They also have a Premium Chocolate Banana Pancake, pictured above. In 2023, the limited edition pancakes will be available from Wednesday February 8th to Saturday March 18th. (Both the premium pancake photos are from PR Times.) They also have seasonal drinks, including a Sakura Soy Tea Latte.
Menu
**Please note the prices in the photo below are from 2019.**
The menu, as the name of the restaurant suggests, is mainly pancakes. It is a decent sized menu for the type of cafe it is. However, it isn’t particularly extensive and it doesn’t cater to special dietary needs. But it does have a small kids menu, which my (then) four year old was happy with.
Food & Drink
I got the lasagna and pancake set. Lasagna is not something you see very often on a menu here, and it was very similar to lasagna we get in Ireland so I really enjoyed it. It had zucchini in it, which is also something you don’t see very often in Japan either. The pancakes are fluffy on the inside and soft on the outside.
My daughter got the kid’s meal with a sausage and burger. There was a choice of orange or apple juice with the meal, or for an additional charge cocoa. You can get cold or “hot”. She ordered the latter which was served in a child’s size mug and thankfully it wasn’t hot per se. It was served at lukewarm temperature, just right for a child. She received a child’s plate and cutlery to eat her meal with.
You can get take out drinks. They have seasonal drinks. At the moment, lemon is the flavor of the month. They have a green tea lemonade you can have in store or take away.
Vibe
The cafe is done in white and wood, sort of like a modern country kitchen design. Tables and chairs are set up mainly in groups of four, some in twos. They can be moved together, but the cafe isn’t ideal for a large group. It is best suited to a small group, a family, a couple or an individual.
Value for money
While I wouldn’t call it cheap, I thought it was good value for money. Especially for the size of the dish you get and how filling it is. The average lunch costs 1,200 yen (in 2019). The kids meal is also reasonable at 600 yen. The 2023 Premium Strawberry Ricotta Pancake costs 1600 yen and the Chocolate Banana one costs 1500 yen.
Service
Service is fair. Nothing spectacular and nothing overly untoward. They were slow to seat us even though there were empty tables when we came in. That didn’t bother us, but if you are in a rush you might want to shout out “sumimasen”. The set up of the cafe is such that they can’t see whose at the door when they are in or near the kitchen or the tables leading up to it.
Other
- They have books, colouring, high chairs and kid friendly cutlery for children.
- According to Tabelog they have an English menu although I didn’t see one myself.
Impressions
I thought the food was great, but I am no super taster. The consistency of the pancake was very good, too often they are very rubbery in Japan. The lasagna and pancake lunch meal is very filling. My meal would have been enough for my youngest daughter and I to share. Like me, she couldn’t finish her meal, although we tried our very best!
We were able to relax over our meal and although the cafe became quite busy while we were there, it didn’t get noisy. We had to head off anyway, but I got the impression we could have sat there for hours without being disturbed. It wouldn’t be one of my favorites in term of vibe and decor, and it lacks a je ne sais quoi, but I would visit it again to try a seasonal pancake.
J.S Pancake Information
Address: 〒354-8560 Saitama-ken, Fujimi-shi, Yamamuro, 1-chōme−１−1313, 2nd floor of Lalaport
Phone: 049-275-1360
Hours: 10 am to 9 pm
Budget: upwards of 1,000 yen for food, from 1,200 yen for lunch
Access
By car: off route 254. Free parking for 4,000 cars.
By public transport: Six minute bus ride to Lalaport Fujimi from Tobu Tojo Line Tsuruse Station.
I like the design of the place. But who on earth is called JS Pancake???? Methinks not a real name. and if so, boy they must have got teased at school! They would have had a crepe time!
see what I did there?
Looks like a neat place to me. Interesting how a pancake shop serves lasagna in Japan. I think of IHOP in the US serving spaghetti and meatballs. But this is a little common in Asia. I recall Paddington’s pancake restaurant in Penang, Malaysia serving up fabulous savories too.
And the funny thing is – lasagna is actually really hard to come by in Japan. In Ireland they serve lasagna in almost every Italian restaurant, but in Japan its rarely on the menu in an Italian restaurant. So weird that its a pancake shop that sells it! But thank God they do – I love lasagna!! Thanks a million for commenting Ryan.