Blossom Cafe, with Asian-Fusion Brunch Items, Opens in Simsbury

Chances are you’ve seen Japanese souffle pancakes on Instagram or TikTok – tall, thick and fluffy confections that jiggle at the slightest movement, topped with maple syrup, powdered sugar and berries. These have been hard to find in Connecticut, but they’re on the menu at a Simsbury Asian-fusion cafe that opened earlier this year.

Blossom Cafe owners Amanda Liu and Albert Zhang traveled through Asia last summer and fell in love with the cafe cultures in the countries they visited, coming back home to Connecticut inspired by what they’d seen. 

“When we were in Seoul specifically, and in Korea, there were so many cafes. On every block, you’d see at least five cafes,” Liu said. “And they were all completely different, serving different foods with unique concepts.” 

The couple decided to launch their own cafe concept, creating a gathering space in the Farmington Valley they call a “brunch sanctuary” with a mix of traditional American breakfast and lunch fare and Asian dishes, pulling inspiration from Chinese, Japanese and Korean flavors. Blossom Cafe officially opened at the end of April in the Fiddler's Green shopping district, taking over the former McLadden’s space.

Liu and Zhang are first-time restaurateurs, but Liu has a family background in the industry, and her father and aunt operate the Sakura Garden restaurants in Glastonbury and South Windsor. They transformed the dark Irish pub into a bright and peaceful open concept flooded with natural light, with blonde wood and an abundance of plants to make the space feel “lived in,” Liu said. 

“People like to come in here and get work done, or meet up with friends,” she said. 

The restaurant welcomes a lot of regulars from the area during the week, she said, and guests travel further on weekends for the brunch experience.

Blossom’s “brekkie sandos” are popular on weekdays, Liu and Zhang said, with best-sellers like the Western (egg and bacon with chipotle aioli, roasted peppers, avocado, hash brown and parmesan) and a classic with egg, Monterey Jack, hash brown, garlic butter and choice of meat or avocado. The Korean Egg Drop sando features bulgogi, caramelized onion, egg, cheddar, kewpie mayo and gochujang sauce.

On weekends, guests choose more of the “brekkie plates,” the couple said, with ricotta hotcakes, French toast with brioche from nearby Le Banh Patisserie and a “Blossom Benny” with smoked salmon. Hong Kong toast features peanut butter on milkbread, which is fried until crispy and served with condensed milk. Another popular specialty is the kaarage and waffles, with marinated, cornstarch-battered Japanese fried chicken. 

Lighter lunch items include the best-selling protein bowl with grilled chicken, avocado, poached egg, squash, pickled onion, white rice, mixed greens and ahi verde, along with a Chinese chicken salad topped with puffed rice and spicy peanut sauce. A hearty katsu sando, with crispy chicken katsu, cucumber kimchi and cabbage salad, is served with crispy lotus root chips.

The souffle pancakes, listed as hottokeki on the menu, are available Thursday through Sunday. Liu said it took her about six months to perfect the recipe, which features beaten egg whites to achieve the signature airy and fluffy texture. Flavors rotate seasonally, with mainstays like strawberry cream, matcha and Biscoff, and a new winter addition of “hot cocoa” pancakes with a creamy chocolate topping and mini marshmallows.

Blossom Cafe also has a full coffee program with espresso drinks, along with matcha beverages, flavored limeades and lemonades and mocktails. Its brunch-ready cocktail list offers an espresso martini (with espresso from neighbor The Coffee Trade), mimosas, a Bloody Mary and other drinks with vodka, tequila and soju.

Blossom Cafe 6 Wilcox St., Simsbury, 860-413-2203, Blossom Café, @blossomcafect.