Among Harajuku’s many popular dessert an pancake shops, Rainbow Pancake continues to be a top stop for TV, magazine, and online attention. It’s not uncommon for a long queue to form outside well before the shop opens. The most ordered item on the menu is Rainbow’s signature Macadamia Nuts Sauce Pancake. Consisting of two thick, fluffy pancakes covered in a slightly salty milk sauce and sprinkled with macadamia nuts, this Instagram superstar is well worth the one-hour wait.

Located in the lively Shibuya shopping district, Royal Garden Cafe mainly offers Western-style meals, coffee, and afternoon tea. But the store's Ricotta Cheese Pancake with Banana, only available after 3 p.m. Served with hot bananas and cool berries, these moist pancakes are soaked in 100% pure Canadian maple syrup, and offer a rich multi-layered flavor experience with every bite.

Micasadeco & Café, originating in Osaka, opened its Harajuku shop in 2016. The top seller is their Soft Cheese Pancakes – three layers of thick, spongy pancakes with Ricotta cheese baked until their surface has just a touch of golden yellow. Add just a bit of cream, powdered sugar, whipped cream and maple syrup and these tasty treats are sure to have you under their spell in no time!

Near Shinsen Station on the Keio Inokashira Line you’ll find a stylish café that doubles as a small bar. Microcosmos is the place to have a coffee or a drink in a music-filled artistic atmosphere. They offer three kinds of pancake: Blueberry & Cream, Maple Syrup Butter & Cream, and Banana & Cream. These eye-catchingly thick pancakes can also be made to order with white or whole-wheat flour. Served with fresh fruit and maple syrup, Microcosmos’ pancakes will wow you with their crisp, savory taste.

Iki ESPRESSO TOKYO started in Kamakura before moving to Tokyo’s Kiyosumi-shirakawa coffee district in January 2016 and gaining further attention online. The owners are dedicated to promoting the coffee and brunch culture of New Zealand and Macao. Not only do they personally select and roast their coffee beans, but also prepare professional-grade meals like their Ricotta Hotcakes. These delicate soufflé-style cakes take about twenty minutes to prepare, and are worth the wait. With a tempting aroma of egg and milk, and an impressive thickness, you’ll be eager to sample their mouth-watering goodness. Simply topped with maple syrup and season fruits, be sure to try iki ESPRESSO TOKYO’s refreshing pancakes!

Riz Labo Kitchen was started by rice flour experts and is located in a renovated old house in the quiet neighborhood of Omotesando. The interior of the store is full of Japanese tradition and style. Anything but traditional, their pancakes are also true Japanese specialties featuring matcha powder from Uji, Kyoto, and red bean paste from Hokkaido. Made with rice flour instead of wheat flour, these gluten free pancakes also use organic milk, domestic organic eggs, and organic sugars to present a refreshing alternative for health-conscious pancake fans.

A mere three-minute walk from Daikanyama’s north exit you’ll find Pancake Cafe Clover's. The manager and chef, who has more than 25 years of experience in French cuisine, insists on using natural ingredients to make pancakes, so customers can enjoy the healthy and delicious dishes. Among them is the signature Sweet Pancake Muffin, which has retained its throne as the shop’s most popular pancake for over a decade. Using a blend of Japanese wheat flour and rice flour, no water, and 40% yogurt, these low calorie pancakes are refreshing. Strawberries and smooth, savory cream combine with maple syrup to give Clover’s pancakes a delicious sweetness to the very last bite!

Cafe restaurant accueil is located in the fashion district between Ebisu and Daikanyama. While also serving light meals and pasta, one of the major highlights of accueil’s menu is their generous variety of pancakes. They’re on the American style and then various ingredients are added to create about twenty kinds of seasonal and year-round pancakes. Not only that, but the "cafe restaurant accueil" pancakes also won first place in the 2015 Japanese national pancake popularity list. How could you miss the opportunity to sample an award-winning treat? These delightful pancakes are certainly social network-worthy, but be prepared for a steady stream of interested replies!

Tokyo has become a pancake paradise, and each menu you open will bring fresh new flavors. No matter how sweet or salty, no matter how thick or thin, you’ll find unbelievably delicious pancakes throughout Tokyo. Where do you want to go next?

Written by Yu. English by Gabriel Wilkinson.