Cheers Pancake by Gram, operated by the same team renowned for Gram Café & Pancakes and their Japanese-style ultra-fluffy pancake stacks, opened its first store in Miranda Westfield in August 2023.

Given its location on the other side of Sydney, we patiently awaited the opening of their second store in Castle Towers. Coincidentally, we visited on the first day of their opening just before Christmas in 2023 before returning in March 2024.

Benedict Premium Pancakes ($26.90), ‘two premium pancakes with two fried eggs, bacon, spinach and hollandaise sauce’.

The inch-high pancakes retained their characteristic ultra-light and fluffy texture, with a surprising harmony between their subtle sweetness and the savoury dominance of the hollandaise sauce and bacon. The addition of tomato and beetroot provided a satisfying crunch, while the spinach contributed a refreshing element. The interplay of flavours and textures in this dish made for a delightful brunch option, avoiding the need for a sweet dessert pancake.

It’s worth noting that despite the description on the physical in-store menu and online ordering system indicating two fried eggs, the dish was served with only one. We brought this to the attention of the staff, and they promptly addressed the discrepancy. On our next visit, though, they’d revised the menu to include only one fried egg.

Strawberry Mochi Premium Pancakes ($25.90), ‘two premium pancakes with mochi sheet, fresh cream, strawberry and strawberry sauce’.

The strawberry sauce offered fruity sweetness, which was nicely balanced by the fresh acidity of the strawberries, though a bit more of the sauce would have been appreciated. The unexpected addition of red bean atop and beneath the cream and mochi sheet was a pleasant surprise, imparting a subtle savory note that countered the sweetness of the jam and cream. The pancakes themselves were delightfully fluffy with a restrained sweetness, maintaining their pancake flavor while allowing the toppings to shine, while mochi sheet added a subtle stretchy chewy. Overall, it was a highly enjoyable stack of pancakes, thanks to the exceptional quality of the soufflé pancakes.

Hot Planet ($6.90).

Intrigued by the visual appeal and enticed by the flavour combination of red bean and matcha, we decided to try this novel drink. The presentation featured a layer of red bean at the bottom resembling soil, a thin layer of condensed milk, and a top layer of regular milk tinted with butterfly pea to simulate the sky. The milk foam formed the clouds. To complete the scene, sweetened matcha was served on the side for the customer to add, creating a green layer to represent trees and grass.

Sipping a bit of the milk was necessary to accommodate the matcha without overflowing. The blue-coloured milk tasted of sweet milk, while combined with the matcha and red bean, it became a matcha latte with the red bean adding a delightfully sweet, nutty, earthy flavor that complemented the sweet, grassy notes of the matcha.

Hot Hōjicha Latte ($6.50).

Despite the adorable bear presentation, the hōjicha latte was sprinkled with nutmeg and rose petals, which, unfortunately, didn’t enhance the desired deep roasted notes of the tea. Instead, the clove-like essence of nutmeg and floral hints of rose dominated the flavour profile. While the hōjicha flavor was detectable, it was rather subdued. Overall, this hōjicha latte was mediocre and not something we would seek out again.

We enjoyed the service and the food quality at Cheers Pancake by Gram on the first day of their soft opening, despite the minor issue with the egg, which they promptly addressed. We would not hesitate to return when in need of a fluffy pancake fix.

Cheers Pancake by Gram is located at Shop 1202, Castle Towers Shopping Centre, 6-14 Castle St, Castle Hill NSW 2154.