There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination. Except, perhaps, a life of eating bizarre movie tie-in food — because that encompasses both pure imagination and cutting-edge culinary advancements. Show me anyone else in the world literally inventing new foods the way these chains do when they’ve got a movie to cross-promote.
Take, for example, the brand new menu of items at IHOP tied to Wonka, Warner Bros.’ prequel to Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The latest adaptation of the Wonka character stars Timothee Chalamet in the title role, playing a young version of the chocolatier at the very start of his career.
The Wonka of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the previous movies is known for his outrageously delicious and slightly bonkers confections: Drinks that make you fly, wallpaper that tastes like whatever it looks like. It would be difficult to create actual, mass produced food that measured up to Willy Wonka’s demented ideas. But kudos to the madmen of the International House of Pancakes for putting their all into the effort.
If you go to the IHOP website you can see that they have created a whole “Wonka Menu” filled with curious sweet and savory dishes connected to the movie — including, yes, purple pancakes.
READ MORE: I Ate Everything on IHOP’s Addams Family Menu
The full menu is as follows:
- Wonka’s Perfectly Purple Pancakes: Fluffy purple buttermilk pancakes layered with creamy cheesecake mousse and topped with purple cream cheese icing, whipped topping and a sprinkling of gold glitter sugar.
- Hoverchoc Pancake Tacos: Three silver dollar chocolate pancakes folded and filled with chocolate chips, creamy cheesecake mousse, fresh sliced strawberries and a drizzle of chocolate. Served with extra strawberries on the side.
- Fantastical Wonka Burger: A 100 percent USDA Choice Black Angus beef steakburger patty topped with four-cheese blend, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, avocado, two strips of bacon, fried hash browns, IHOP sauce, and a ranch drizzle on a brioche bun. Served with a choice of side.
- Daydream Berry Biscuit: Warm and flaky buttermilk biscuit split and filled with creamy cheesecake mousse, a mixed berry topping, topped with purple cream cheese icing and powdered sugar.
- Jr. Magical Breakfast Medley: One Wonka’s Perfectly Purple Pancake, one scrambled egg, one bacon strip and one pork sausage link.
- Willy’s Jr. French Toast Dippers: Sliced French toast served with a side of fresh strawberries, banana and chocolate sauce for dipping.
- Dreamy Lemonade: Prickly pear-flavored lemonade served with a cream cheese icing rainbow sprinkle rim and topped with a cloud of cotton candy. IHOP is encouraging fans to create their own magic by stirring in the cotton candy.
- Scrumdiddlyumptious Strawberry Hot Chocolate: Hot chocolate blended with strawberry syrup and topped with whipped topping, a drizzle of chocolate sauce and gold glitter sugar.
That’s a lot of sugar and calories and frosting … but then again, that’s probably what Willy Wonka would want. So, good job, IHOP?
Wonka opens in theaters on December 15. The IHOP Wonka menu is available now. Pray you it is scrumdiddlyumptious.
Movie Theater Horror Stories Involving Smelly Food
You’re not supposed to sneak food into the movie theater, but sometimes satisfying your hunger is more important than following the rules. Here are some real-life theater food horror stories from social media. (The names have been removed to protect the guilty.)
