Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday – it always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday and this year it is tomorrow.
Seen as the last chance to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast, pancakes were the perfect dish to cook, served thin with Golden Syrup, lemon juice or caster sugar. Here are five of our favourite venues to get your pancake fix:
Locally Loved Cafe
Everything is shiny in every way at Kingscliff's locally-loved café Shiny Brew on Cylinders Drive. Stroll up from the golden sands of Kingscliff Beach and take a load off at this warm and fuzzy eatery, where polished concrete floors, multi-coloured chairs and wall art, set the scene for catching up with friends over a coffee and brunch bite.
Stop in tomorrow for coconut and date pancakes, served with chocolate sorbet, fresh strawberries, coconut and date sauce and maple syrup; while those looking for a more savoury option devour roasted sweet potato, sautéed mushrooms, garden peas, feta whip, chilli oil and dukkah.
Japanese-infused Fare
Discover the only café on the Gold Coast that serves super fluffy soufflé pancakes and Japanese-infused fare at Café Bar DokiDoki on Fifth Avenue in Palm Beach. This eatery oozes rustic charm with polished concrete floors, recycled timber and potted greenery to set the scene for refuelling and recharging after a day at the beach, or meeting friends to indulge specialty caffeine urges.
It’s all about the pancakes – don’t go past signature sweet and savoury options like matcha cream, powdered matcha and yuzu raw chocolate sauce, or chow down on carbonara, with bacon, mushroom, fresh cream Parmesan, egg yolk sauce, dill, black pepper and house salad.
Fun and Funky Surrounds
Inspired by the streets of Seoul with an Aussie twist, Suzy BBQ on Gold Coast Highway in Burleigh Heads is everything you want from a Korean barbeque restaurant. Come cook your own food just how you like it, cheers your friend way too hard and clap to the music as you chill out in fun and funky surrounds of neon lighting, graffiti-style wall art and cold beer.
Kickstart your culinary adventure with kimchi pancakes, umami soy dipping sauce and spring onions before delving into sticky ginger yuzu pork ribs, mustard and onion salad and sides of steamed rice and wombok salad; for an indulgent finish to your meal, try cinnamon-dusted deep-fried choco pie.
All-day Brunching
Beldon locals seeking a cosy spot for all-day brunching head down Gwendoline Drive to find Paprika Café. Expect to find an all-day menu offering delicious morning delights to start your day with a satisfying breakfast feast at this family-owned and operated eatery from Middle Eastern shakshuka eggs to a Philly cheese steak sandwich.
Start your day the right way with a coffee crème brûlée pancake tower with honeycomb, fruit, icing sugar and ice cream, or take a savoury option like hickory smoked beef brisket eggs Benedict, with BBQ sauce, spinach, poached eggs, apple cider Hollandaise and toasted bread.
Chic, Modern Vibe
Injecting life into the Alexandra Hills café scene, head to The Mailman on Bluebell Street to appease serious hunger and caffeine addiction. Step into a chic, modern vibe of blond wood table settings indoors at this corner locale, while the alfresco space is great for balmy Brisbane days to people-watch with a cup of ONA coffee and peruse a menu offering elevated brunch and lunch eats from puffed pancakes to Philly cheesesteak.
Join the early risers for breakfast temptations such as pancakes with passionfruit cheesecake ice cream, crème patisseries, biscuit crumble, strawberries and maple; those with a savoury bent can add bacon or fried chicken to their order.
