The Magnet 094: A Saturday in Los Angeles
Souffle Pancakes, Curated Curiosities, and Crystal Wonders
Hello reader! I sometimes write about my visits to Tokyo or Portugal here in The Magnet, but this time I thought it'd be fun to highlight some spots in Los Angeles that are worth checking out, whether you live here or you're just visiting. Here's how my wife, daughter, and I spent last Saturday in LA.
Flipper's Pancakes: Tokyo-style Fluff in WeHo
Our first stop was Flipper's Pancakes in West Hollywood at 11am. If you haven't heard of souffle pancakes, they are extra fluffy pancakes that are popular in Japan.
The first souffle pancake restaurant started in Honolulu at a place called Cream Pot in 2009 and then spread to Japan, where they perfected the art. Carla and I tried the Cream Pot souffle pancakes. They were fluffy and delicate, but the ones in Tokyo are next level. Japan has a bunch of fluffy pancake chains, like Graham and Happy Pancakes, but Flipper's is the most famous, and for good reason — they're just the best!
Flipper's opened their first LA location in 2023 on Fairfax Boulevard in West Hollywood. We'd been wanting to try it for ages and finally got the chance. Parking was a bit of a pain. They share a lot with a coffee shop and there aren't many spaces. We ended up creating our own spot and I kept an eye out for tow trucks.
The outdoor seating is nice — they've got umbrellas out front and a covered area on the side that feels kind of garden-like. There are a few indoor tables too, but it was a nice day so we sat outside.
I went with my usual — plain souffle pancakes with whipped cream. You get three for $17, which is probably twice what you'd pay in Tokyo with the current exchange rate, but it's worth it. These pancakes are magical.
The service was a bit slow at first. I had to flag down a server, which was annoying, but once we got his attention he was super friendly and everything went smoothly from there.
My daughter ordered the strawberry pancakes ($19), and Carla and I split a side of scrambled eggs ($6). The pancakes were just as good as the ones in Japan, which was a relief. We tried the Flipper's in New York City a few years back, and it was a letdown — raw in the middle, dingy restaurant, apathetic staff. The total opposite of Tokyo. So we were happy that the LA Flipper's nailed it.
Pygmy Hippo: A Wee Wonderland
After pancakes, we headed to one of our favorite LA stores: Pygmy Hippo Shoppe. This tiny store on the corner of Stanley and Beverly Blvd store sells a mix of vintage books, glassware, old magazines, and ephemera, plus a bunch of new stuff like jewelry, clothes, and artwork. The curation is exquisite.
The owner, Emi, told me she got the idea for Pygmy Hippo Shoppe after a trip to Japan in 2009. She was inspired by these tiny, super-niche stores that sell one kind of things. When she got back to LA, she rented a space and opened her first store in just 79 square feet. (Here’s a good interview with Emi from a website called More Than Stores)
My wife and daughter regularly shopped there when it was that small and kept telling me I had to check it out. By the time I finally got around to it, Emi had expanded. It's still small, but now you can actually walk around inside.
I love Emi’s eye for weird, obscure things: books and magazines about UFOs, psychedelics, the occult, and technology. Every time I go in, I find something I didn't even know I wanted.
Crystalarium: A Gem of a Place
Our final stop of the day was Crystalarium, on La Cienega Blvd in West Hollywood. If you're into crystals and minerals, or just enjoy looking at shiny things, this place is a must-visit.
The moment you walk in, it's like entering some kind of magical cave. They've got an incredible collection of crystals, including a bunch I'd never even heard of before. But it's not just loose crystals — they have all sorts of items carved from minerals: bowls, skulls, and even huge pieces of furniture carved out of crystal. The staff told me I was free to sit on the crystal couch. It wasn’t soft, but they told me it’s cool on a hot day.
What really made the visit special, though, was the staff. They are super friendly. We got into this great conversation about House of the Dragon and other TV shows, which was fun. And when it came to the crystals, they were like walking encyclopedias.
I especially enjoyed learning about Moldavite, a very rare mineral which, according to the sign in the store, “is the product of a meteor collision with Earth nearly 15 million years ago.”
They also do events like sound baths, which sounds cool. We couldn't make it this time because of other plans, but I'd be curious to check that out in the future.
As we left, one of the staff members thanked us for the enjoyable conversation!
So that was our Saturday — fluffy pancakes, curated curiosities, and crystal wonders. Just another Saturday in LA, but one that reminds me why I love this city.
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I’ll check them out next time in L.A.
On an a related note I’m in Seattle for 10days in the summer. Don’t know if you’ve ever been there but if you have I’d be grateful for any recommendations (or anyone else on this stack) for anything outside the normal Pikes Place/Space Needle tourist trail. Thanks!!!!