‘A delightfully fun treat’ - Fluffy Fluffy, reviewed

So nice they named it twice, Fluffy Fluffy (originally known by its Japanese name ‘Fuwa Fuwa’ which means the same) sits in the Carding Building on the corner of Whitworth Street, welcoming passers by in with its enticingly bright yellow façade. 

Despite selling East Asian-style pancakes, the brand was actually born in North America and quickly grew in popularity, making it the largest soufflé pancake and dessert café across the pond or so they say. Now, it’s the UK’s turn to be wooed by Fluffy Fluffy and their delightfully jiggly and gigantic pancakes.

The thought of preserving the pancakes in an art gallery instead lasted all of a few seconds before my gluttonous side kicked in

I visited midweek with my colleague, just a few minutes after the café had opened for the day at around noon. We were the first customers to arrive, but that didn’t mean we were made to feel any less welcome. The three members of staff behind the pancake bar each greeted us with a smile, asked if we’d ever visited before and if we needed help with the menu. 

A well-lit sign sits behind the counter showcasing the variety of pancake toppings on offer, as well as a decent selection of hot and iced drinks and coolers with which to wash them down. The café itself is airy, light and well maintained with fun yellow neon lights dotted around.

Being huge fans of sickly-sweet desserts, we’d already browsed the menu online and swiftly placed our orders. I chose the tiramisu pancake (£8.50) and a blueberry lemonade (£3.90) while my colleague chose the Biscoff pancake (£8.50) and a raspberry lemonade (£3.90). We were told our orders would take around 20 minutes as each soufflé pancake is whipped and made fresh to order. 

We paid and took our seats in a booth near the counter and our drinks shortly followed. The lemonades were both equally refreshing and tart, made with real fruit, as all good lemonades should be. So refreshingly thirst-quenching in fact that I almost forgot to take a photo beforehand. Whoops, the perils of being a food and drink reporter.

We chatted and before long two towering stacks of jiggly pancakes were making their way over to our table. Both were beautifully presented and generously decorated in the topping of our choice.

The tiramisu pancake stack was topped with a dense whipped cream and generous coating of coffee-blended cocoa powder, bedazzled with fresh berries that jewelled the plate. A small pot of coffee and melted chocolate sauce sat on the edge, begging to be drizzled all over the light and spongy, golden-coloured pancakes. I carefully poured the sauce like paint on canvas and watched as the tiramisu cream began to reduce and drip down the soufflé stack.

It looked almost too gorgeous to eat. ‘Almost’ being the keyword as the thought of preserving the pancakes in an art gallery instead lasted all of a few seconds before my gluttonous side kicked in and I was gliding through the top soufflé pancake with the edge of my fork. 

Christ almighty…they weren’t wrong when they chose that name. I’ve never eaten such a rich dessert that felt as easy to eat as this one. The soufflé pancakes practically dissolve in your mouth after a few chews. There’s no fear of stodginess or that dense, sickly feeling you get with American-style pancakes and the likes. There’s strong enough flavour to remind you that you’re eating a take on tiramisu, but without the overpowering taste you can get with some desserts that try to replicate its flavour. The berries were a nice touch too and added playful zest, both in appearance and taste.

My colleagues' Biscoff pancake stack came laden in the signature sauce and crumbled Biscoff pieces, topped off with banana slices and a hearty dollop of thick cream. She thoroughly enjoyed it, although felt that without her raspberry lemonade she might have struggled to cut through the viscous, sugary sweetness that Biscoff sauce often creates - a dessert for those with the sweetest of teeth.

Overall, we both thoroughly enjoyed our experience of Fluffy Fluffy. We’d probably try the ‘Signature Fluffy Fluffy’ if we were to visit again, or the ‘Matcha Tiramisu’ for something a little more adventurous.  

Fluffy Fluffy, Carding Building, Whitworth Street, Manchester M1 3NR

Follow Harley Young on X (Twitter) @Harley__Young