Best Pancakes of Your Life

Close your eyes and picture the best pancakes of your life. What do you see?

Some would say thick, fluffy pancakes with blueberries on top and a moat of maple syrup protecting the precious cakes from the surrounding atmosphere. Others might say thin, greasy, crispy cakes filled with dripping, melting chocolate that paints a masterpiece all over their face.

Well I would have said that, too, if I hadn't ever tried the pancakes from Tani Modi in Edinburgh, Scotland.

My friends and I went on holiday to Scotland for the week, starting in Glencoe and then Isle of Skye. We headed down to Edinburgh for the weekend without knowing what to expect, food-wise. In Germany, we don't see many places offering pancakes as a breakfast option, and if they do, they're generally microwaved or just half-assed. We didn't expect Scotland's food to be much different. Heck, we thought America was the only place to hold pancakes as Holy as we ourselves do.

Boy, were we wrong.

I woke up early Saturday morning, made some coffee at our hostel, and began searching through Yelp to find the best breakfast spots in Edinburgh. The day before, we had been to a small cafe in the back of a hardware store up north in the Isle of Skye. We had pancakes there that made us so happy. They were certainly just average pancakes, but were topped with Scottish bacon that blew our minds. This prompted me to not only search for best breakfast spots in Edinburgh, but best pancake spots. A few came up with decent reviews, so we decided to go with one that looked relatively cheap and had good reviews - Tani Modi. In truth, we meant to go to a more high class, brunchy-type place, but since the wait was so long, we meandered over to Tani Modi next door.

Looking through the menu, it was tough to decide between the melty paninis, Scottish breakfast options, or the different kinds of pancakes. I finally settled on the pancakes with maple syrup and bacon.

Now you guys should know that a few months ago, I discovered that spreading peanut butter on pancakes vastly overshadowed smothering them with maple syrup. Peanut flavor anything is my jam (no pun intended, but I kind of like it), so trying it on pancakes was just another Wednesday for me. I was blown away. Since then, I have been asking servers for sides of peanut butter to go with my pancakes, despite their sideways looks.

Cut to this day at Tani Modi.

After ordering the pancakes, I asked if they had a side of peanut butter to go with it. I was quickly saddened when she said "no", but intrigued when she responded with a counter offer - she said they blend their peanut butter with a whisky sauce, and that's the only way it comes. I decided to just go for it! I am not a huge whisky person so was expecting it to taste a little like alcoholic peanut butter. Expectations just above sea level.

When these cakes were placed in front of me at our table, I was ready to judge. I poured some maple on the cakes and dipped my fork in the PB whisky sauce. Wow. Imagine peanut butter but a little sweeter. What could be better? I spread it all over my two pancakes. I didn't spare a single drop.

Pancakes with maple syrup and bacon, with extra peanut butter whisky sauce.

Digging into my cakes, they were soft and fluffy, but not dry or grainy. Usually when I get big pancakes, they are dry and flavorless. Not these. These were warm and fresh off the griddle. But I haven't even shared the best part.

Topped on these angel cakes were two large strips of Scottish bacon. ForGET American bacon. Compared to this, American bacon is scraps from the trash. Thin and brittle. Lacking any sustenance. Scottish bacon is thick and boasts worldly flavor, like it's more than just some meat you cook up for breakfast.

Pair these soft and succulent pancakes with thick and full bacon and get heaven. This was the kind of meal where afterwards you can't stop smiling with content. You smile at everyone that looks your way. You smile in the distance remembering every bite. And you smile because food feeds the soul.

We went back the next day and waited almost an hour just to get a seat and experience these pancakes once more.

Until next time, Tani Modi...