Sarah's Pancake (Upper Cross Street)

Got to learn that Sarah’s Pancake had recently opened a second outlet in town; for those whom have been following us for a while, the mention of Sarah’s Pancake might ring some bells — these are the very same folks whom we had visited some time back at Clementi within the FoodHub coffeeshop at Blk 449 Clementi Avenue 3. There has been an uprising of Min Jiang Kueh places around the island with Munchi Pancakes expanding its footprint to almost all neighbourhoods, while a new contender named Ottie Pancakes had also been aggressively opening around the island. Sarah’s Pancake’s new stall is situated within the S11 coffeeshop at the foot of Blk 34 Upper Cross Street — this is also the very same coffeeshop that houses Zhou Zhen Zhen Vermicelli & Noodles 周真真南昌粉面; Sarah’s Pancake replacing the operator that was also serving up Min Jiang Kueh. Sarah’s Pancake is probably best known for serving up modern-style Min Jiang Kueh pretty much like what one would find at other establishments like Munchi Pancakes and Ottie Pancakes, though they only do offer the classic style of Min Jiang Kueh with different batter and different fillings.

We are quite a sucker for Black Sesame pancakes and the black-on-black aesthetic of the Charcoal-infused batter and the black sesame filling of the Charcoal
Black Sesame is something that always catches our eyes when we visit Sarah’s Pancake. One thing to note about Sarah’s Pancake is how their pancakes are actually slightly thinner than that of what Munchi Pancakes and Ottie Pancakes would typically serve up — this does make Sarah’s Pancake’s Min Jiang Kueh items less filling as compared to the same from Munchi Pancakes and Ottie Pancakes where having one almost equates to having an entire meal. The pancake itself is soft and easy to chew apart; the slices coming with the edges coming with a slight crisp as one sinks their teeth into it. The black sesame filling that came with the Charcoal
Black Sesame does seem to also come with a mix of white sesame within; the entire filling being one that is more gritty / sandy with a focus on the earthy and roasty notes of black sesame rather than that of being a smooth spread with a hint of sweetness — something that we very much prefer as well.

Of course, we also could not give the Matcha Redbean Pancake a miss; this one does come with an obvious green hue in the batter though the surface does still come browned from coming off the pan. We liked how the Matcha pancake itself isn’t carrying only a visual impact to the pancake, but also does carry a hint of the bitter undertones of the Japanese tea at the back of the tongue. Considering the flavour that the batter of the pancake brings, it is needless to say that the red bean filling was a pretty complimenting choice to go with the Matcha pancake — the Matcha Redbean Pancake featuring a flavour combination that is pretty much a classic one to have. The red bean filling is suitably dense in a form that is pretty much like a paste with an evidently earthy note without being overly sweet. The consistency of the Matcha pancake is also similar to the likes of the Charcoal pancake that came with the Charcoal Black Sesame — soft and easy to chew through. Quite glad to see Sarah’s Pancake opening a new outlet that is slightly more accessible to most as compared to their Clementi location; perhaps a move that would provide more exposure to the brand’s existence at large. With this being said, perhaps those whom are used to the tenant whom have operated the previous stall might find the Min Jiang Kueh at Sarah’s Pancake to be a little bit pricey — the range of Min Jiang Kueh at Sarah’s Pancake ranges from $1.80 to $2.50. That being said, this would be yet another establishment to hit for those craving for some modern-style Min Jiang Kueh whilst in the Chinatown area.