Portsmouth Food: I tried North End’s purple pancakes for Pancake Day at Justasia - and it did not disappoint

Seeking to uncover a twist on the traditional pancake, our search led us to a Filipino cafe a short distance from the office, which has been met with rave reviews for its pan-Asian delights - notably its Ube-based pancake stack.

Justasia at Kingston Crescent, North End, boasts a score of 4.7 stars on Tripadvisor and we were not surprised when we indulged in its selection of buttermilk, golden goodness, one of which is flavoured with purple yam - a root vegetable used in Asian cooking.

First up on the menu was the Ube Crema pancakes, flavoured and generously drizzled in sweet ube sauce, priced at £9.99 – This one is made using the purple yam giving it its vivid colouring. The pancakes seem to be based on American pancakes except they had a much thicker, cakey texture with just the right balance of sweetness. Not to mention they are stylish enough to grace an influencer’s Instagram in a heartbeat. Dolloped on top was a generous amount of fresh cream - which unravelled itself when we cut into the middle of the stack. The warmth and comfort of the ube stack complemented the fresh cream.

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My companion ordered the Sweet Pandan pancakes which cost £8.99. We were surprised to see they were bright green when they arrived at our table. Our server said they are flavoured with vanilla and the Pandan plant. His verdict? “Really sweet, like a tropical taste of paradise. It was a generous portion size.” The green colour is all natural - we were told. It is from the Pandan leaf found in Southeast Asia. This eatery also offers many savoury Asian favourites like bao buns, chicken hotsilog (chicken sausages served with egg, garlic, fried rice and salad), Filipino-style all-day breakfasts and lunch bowls which include street fried rice, seafood, bang bang chicken and katsu curry.

To finish, we decided we would cleanse the palette by sharing the Mango Biscoff pancakes (£8.99) - also the buttermilk style. They were smothered in a smooth mango puree which was enough to make my mouth water. The portion was huge, like the others we tried and we both confirmed it resembled a mango smoothie. The texture was different, and slightly more sour than the other varieties but this one was the richest in flavour.

However, we concluded the Filipino Ube variety was by far our favourite from this family-run gem in the heart of the city. Our experience was the ideal alternative to the traditional English pancake.

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Justasia can be found at 83 Kingston Crescent, Portsmouth PO2 8AA on 023 9400 8333 and is open Monday to Saturday. For full opening times and more details about its menu visit its website. Click here for more information.