We Eat It So You Don't Have To: Al's Pancake Challenge

By Bridget O'Donnell, May 24, 2016

1 0

'We Eat It' is a regular series where we try the latest off-beat eats.

Fancy yourself as a competitive eater? In case you hadn't heard, Al's Diner is giving breakfast food aficionados an offer of five pancakes and a classic milkshake for RMB120 for FREE if you can eat the lot in 10 minutes. Those who complete the challenge get their name written on a board for all to see. Eternal glory is at stake here, people. 

But these aren’t your average pancakes — they’re massive. Like, make your iPhone 6 Plus look miniscule in comparison massive. 

We Eat It So You Don't Have To: Al's Pancake Challenge
Tim Cook, eat your heart out.

Al's recently invited That's and fellow expat rags local media to partake in the challenge. We knew what we were in for, but that didn't stop us from being overwhelmed when the plate of flapjacks arrived at our table.

Al's Diner Shanghai Pancake Challenge
Don't be fooled by the smiles: It's all nervous laughter here.

We realized, perhaps too late, that a knife and fork weren’t going to cut it, as we watched other challengers grab the pancakes with their hands and eat them like burgers. 

Al's Diner Shanghai Pancake Challenge
Al's Pancake Challenge taught us new, horrifying ways to eat the breakfast classic.

One savage diner even went full-on Kobayashi-style, dipping his pancakes in water to soften them.

Al's Diner Shanghai Pancake Challenge
We won't say which challenger dipped their pancakes in water, but their name rhymes with 'Nope.'

Needless to say, we failed. In fact, only Kobayashi's protegé was just about able to complete it, with seconds to spare. 

Al’s Diner might have gotten the better of us with this carby challenge, but we’ll still lay waste to their excellent kimchi fried rice and Korean-style chicken wings on our next visit. 

Up for the challenge? We've got more details in our event listing here.


For more 'We Eat It,' click here.

more news

51 Restaurants Receive Stars in the 2024 Michelin Guide Shanghai

See which restaurants fared the best and earned stars in the 2024 Shanghai Michelin Guide.

Narisawa – Tokyo’s Finest of Dining Destinations Hits Shanghai

Innovative 'satoyama' cuisine that connects diners to nature.

50 Restaurants Receive Stars in the 2023 Shanghai Michelin Guide

See which restaurants fared the best and earned stars in the 2023 Shanghai Michelin Guide.

47 Restaurants Receive Stars in the 2022 Shanghai Michelin Guide

See which restaurants fared the best and earned stars in the 2022 Shanghai Michelin Guide.

Ultimate Guide to Shanghai Al Fresco Restaurants & Terraces

It's that time of year, when food and drinks taste better in the open air.

43 Restaurants Receive Stars in the 2021 Shanghai Michelin Guide

The day of reckoning for Shanghai's chefs and restaurateurs is upon us. See which restaurants earned stars in the 2021 Shanghai Michelin Guide.

New Shanghai Bars and Restaurants: February 2020

Here are all the new restaurant and bar openings we featured in our February 2020 magazine issue.

New Shanghai Bars and Restaurants: January 2020

Here are all the new restaurant and bar openings we featured in our January 2020 magazine issue.

0 User Comments

In Case You Missed It…

We're on WeChat!

Scan our QR Code at right or follow us at Thats_Shanghai for events, guides, giveaways and much more!

7 Days in Shanghai With thatsmags.com

Weekly updates to your email inbox every Wednesday

Download previous issues

Never miss an issue of That's Shanghai!

Visit the archives