Tokyo's love affair with pancakes appears to be waning and lines outside trendy stores for the decadent dessert have thinned significantly in 2017. Enter Bear's Sugar Shack in Shinjuku, which looks to buck this trend with one simple change: Instead of a offering a couple of regular-sized pancakes on a plate, Bear's Sugar Shack offers a box of miniature ones.
It's a tactic that appears to be working, as a recent trip had me waiting around 25 minutes to get an order. The store's location probably helps. Bear's Sugar Shack is more like a food truck parked outside Flags department store, a spot that is almost always crowded. Those who do decide to line up can get 12 mini pancakes made from Hokkaido butter and drizzled with Canadian maple syrup (¥380). A variety of toppings are also on offer, from fruit to candy to ice cream (an addditional ¥50 each).
Your choice of topping ultimately dictates how these will taste, but the base pancakes themselves are fantastic on their own. Despite their size, they boast a rich buttery flavor that works well in combination with the syrup and are much better than many of the bigger servings on offer in the city in recent years.