Cafe Yoka review: This Floreat spot is dishing out some of most visually pleasing desserts in the city

As the kind of person who will always choose savoury over sweet, Cafe Yoka is really not the type of joint I’d usually find myself drawn to. Isn’t the whole theatre of dessert supposing to pretend you don’t know it exists until the end of the main meal? And making some poor joke usually with, “go on then”, thrown in there? A dessert cafe means you’re definitely going to have dessert! Outrageous. Alas, the visual allure of some cartoonishly bouncy-looking souffle pancakes — yes, clocked on Instagram — really piqued my interest. I hadn’t seen or tried anything like them in Perth since visiting Japan for the first time some years ago. Job done on their end in pulling the punters in. Connoisseurs of Perth’s sweet haunts would no doubt already be well aware of Yoka’s bigger and older sister cafe, Kumo, in Northbridge. This new iteration — in a gorgeous neighbourhood at the Floreat end of Cambridge Street — is only wee, but was really buzzy on a garden-variety Saturday with couples and a few families with younger children. It’s a simple shop and the service is slick, but very friendly. Very little fuss in terms of the decor; a few indoor plants, an open and well-lit space with some heavyset mid-century inspired tables and chairs. On the menu is a tightly curated selection of pancakes, and an enticing selection of coffees, teas, matcha and delightful fruity lemonades. I opt for an iced Uji ($8), or ceremonial grade matcha, with oat milk. It’s deeply earthy in flavour; savoury and satiating. The drink is smooth with a very delicate foam. It’s fleetingly bitter, but by no means lingering. For those who feel the deep gusto on the Uji may be an abrupt introduction to the unique Japanese green tea, I’m told the Kyoto version is a little more easygoing. The Kali hot chocolate ($7) is enjoyable too, warm and rich. I am not a prolific food pic poster, but as an assurance for those that might be, I can tell you these pancakes and drinks are not like a fitting room mirror. What you see on the screen is actually what they’re going to look like in real life. Heck, it’s nearly impossible to take a bad pic of the food in this place. The pancakes are well presented, made fresh each time and it’s clear a lot of care goes into crafting their pristine and consistent aesthetic. The Dubai chocolate pancake topping is bang on the social media nose. Of course you’ve gotta try it. Yoka also runs a seasonal option which is a great little touch. Today it’s an orange cloud flambe. As for the taste of the pancake (I shouldn’t be so cynical as to suggest it’s maybe not the main point of this place), I’m really quite surprised by how non-sweet they are. There’s perhaps just a fraction too much of an egg taste going on in one of the pancakes, but it’s not overwhelming. If there’s been any additional raising agent it’s not readily apparent to taste. They really do deliver on the texture profile; the egg whites must have been whipped up to the hilt and are as fluffy as you like, overall well-deserving of any cloud, cotton or pillow comparison one could conjure up, with the faintest crisp on the underside. Considerably less dense than a classic pancake, they almost disappear within a few bites. In between that, it’s fun to prod with a fork and marvel at their pretty comical scale. The Dubai chocolate ($22) comes with a huge dollop of ultra-sweet Pistachio Papi spread, and atop that is a generous fistful of crispy kataifi pastry that’s a lot like an oily shredded wheat. There’s been some gooey chocolate injected into the middle of the pancake and a single scoop of choccy ice-cream placed on the side. Texturally it’s great eating, and the pancake holds up well underneath all of the ingredients. No mush or disintegrating. The ice-cream is good, but could be put to better use combating the crazy sweetness of the pistachio spread by being a little richer or more bitter in flavour. About five minutes later the orange cloud flambe arrives, and it’s quite a shift in gear from the chocolate. There’s thoughtful preparation gone into the cook of what I think are slices of navel and blood orange on top. A reduced orange sauce on the side is zesty and super bright, bumping up the citrus flavour profile of the dish even further. I do think this one could benefit from a more generous dusting of icing sugar, but the vanilla ice-cream — which is pleasant enough but not especially rich in flavour — does a good job of rounding things out and taking some bite out of the fruit. The verdict: 13/20 Surely in the running for the most visually pleasing desserts in Perth. A very cute and easy spot to marvel over cartoonishly fluffy pancakes and social media-friendly fun drinks. Cafe Yoka 2/447 Cambridge St, Floreat Open: Wednesday to Thursday, 4pm—9pm; Friday 4pm—10pm; Saturday noon—10pm and Sunday noon—9pm Contact: cafe.yoka on Instagram Bookings: No