There’s a lot of specialty restaurants around town. Burger joints, hot dog havens, cupcake corners – the list goes on and on. But when we heard a Japanese café which serves up Western fare and specialises in American-style pancakes was opening, we were attracted to the concept like moths to maple syrup.
The wood-panelled interior of Cosmos certainly is pretty and the menu is illustrated with watercolour impressions of the dishes. There’s a continental flavour in the food, starring beef stews and steaks – but, interestingly, only the desserts feature pancakes centre stage. The savoury items just come with a side of a single pancake.
Unfortunately the food doesn’t live up to the pictures. The beef Hamburg cutlet ($75) is sloppy inside, with the meat falling loosely away from the lacklustre schnitzel shell upon contact. The sirloin steak ($168) sits too long in the pan before reaching our table and comes merely lukewarm. The pasta side is mixed with a far-too-generic sauce that has no character except for an all-too-dominant tomato tang. But, the most disappointing element is meant to be the signature: the pancake. Though fluffy and sweet, it arrives so cold that the strawberry butter on top doesn’t even melt.
Doing something new in our dining scene needs to be championed. But you’ve got to do it right – particularly when your specialty is anything but special. Lisa Cam
Cosmos House Pancake Café Shop 2, G/F, Skylight Twr, 64 Bonham Rd, Mid-Levels, 2517 7122. Dinner for two: $300.