A plate of soufflé pancake drizzled with appealing toppings. — VNS Photo Việt Dũng

by Nguyễn Việt Dũng

As a lover of sweets, I have never heard of a more wonderful combination of words than "soufflé pancakes".

In this great age of global integration, I am no stranger to pancakes, soufflé and other Western desserts, but marrying the two remained a foreign concept to me. That is why when my wife and I heard about a café that sells this strange dish, we knew that we had to pay a visit.

NuAge Café is located in An Khánh Ward, formerly part of District 2 in HCM City, home to many expats and subsequently many interesting restaurants and dishes from around the world.

When visiting this café, we immediately noticed how small the establishment was. Indeed the seating areas, both outdoor and inside, were not all that spacious.

With that said, we did enjoy the interior décor, adorned with cute hanging fluffy decorations and stuffed animals. An adorable pancake plushie sitting on top of the café’s menu near the cash register said a lot about the intended vibe of this place.

After ordering two dishes, we passed the time with a few games of Connect 4, one of the many types of board games that the café has for its diners. A very endearing addition to its business model – and perhaps a necessary one too, as we had to wait quite a while for our dishes to be prepared.

On the menu there was a line saying that the pancakes take around 20 minutes to prepare, though I have seen online reviews claiming they had to wait longer.

Still, we did not mind the wait. I myself was content with looking at all the cute decorations, watching expats and tourists chatting among themselves, and occasionally glancing at the baking process behind the counter.

With the pancakes nearly done and a sweet aroma filling the room, both of us were hungry with anticipation.

Eventually, the pancakes were brought out to us, and immediately we were enticed by their impressive thickness and appetising golden-brown surface, as well as their soft, spongy edges, drizzled with our toppings of choice.

I ordered mine with Oreo bits, chocolate sauce and a dollop of cream, which I greatly enjoyed. The pancake’s outer layer was springy, almost like that of a typical pancake, but the inside was delightfully soft and melted quickly in my mouth, carrying a gentle sweetness.

The chocolate sauce and milky cream paired rather well with the soft cake, while the crunchy Oreo bits added a pleasant contrast, making the dish a joy to eat.

My wife’s pancakes were served with tiramisu and coffee, and while she liked it well enough, I found it a tad too bitter for my taste.

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Soufflé pancakes being prepared; the wait can take a while.

​Other soufflé pancake toppings include strawberry, mango, caramel and matcha. Personally, I think a fruitier flavour would pair beautifully with the dish’s light sweetness, and I would definitely choose one next time.

However, I do find the prices a bit steep. A soufflé pancake dish here costs VNĐ99,000 (US$3.8) or VNĐ109,000, which is quite high compared to other desserts I have had in Vietnamese restaurants.

That said, my wife seemed unfazed by the prices, remarking that such costs are fairly normal for these types of fancy desserts.

Nevertheless, my experience with NuAge Café was a pleasant one, and I would happily return for more sweet indulgences. — VNS

NuAge Cafe

Address: 28 Nguyễn Bá Huân Street, An Khánh Ward, HCM City

Tel: 0909 952 136

Opening hours: 9:30 am to 10:00 pm

Comment: A charming café serving fluffy soufflé pancakes in HCM City’s expat neighbourhood.