Chef creates detailed artwork using only pancake mixture

Chef Keisuke Inagaki has been inspiring people on Pancake Day with his realistic edible paintings made of batter.

Inagaki, who works at La Ricetta restaurant in Kanagawa, Japan, has been cooking for 30 years, and has wowed social media users with his detailed creations depicting animals, cartoons, and Anime characters.

Inagaki shares the pancake artwork on his Twitter and YouTube channels, but says the pancakes are served to friends and customers of his restaurant when they are finished.

Inagaki said: “As you know, we had a nuclear disaster in 2011. There is a camp programme for Fukushima kids to take care of their health in safe area. I have been volunteering that programme and I wanted some activity to share with.

“I saw a TV show that was showing breathtaking pancake art by Nathan Shield (now we are friends through this pancake art). Then I had a pancake art class with their mothers and we made pancakes while kids were playing around outside to make them surprise.

“That was my start point.”

Simple pancake designs take around five minutes to draw the outline and a further five minutes to fill in, however complicated Anime characters can take up to 30 minutes to fully finish.

The pancakes are made with ordinary batter mix with no colouring materials; Inagaki draws the outline on the pan before filling in with a squeeze bottle to finish.

The key ingredient: soy milk instead of dairy milk.

Inagaki said: “My pancake art is a premium option for the customers who have lunch or dinner at our restaurant. Our pancake art is only available by making a reservation at least three weeks in advance now. I make only two pancakes in a day.”

The only problems with the pancakes, Inagaki explained, are if they fail to flip, or if the customers hesitate for so long taking pictures that the pancakes go cold.

He said: “It took a year to develop as satisfying pancake art, and it still in progress.”