[CRAZY CREPES]Crazy Crepes clean,but not much else
One large shop opened recently in the Hongdae area, while Crazy Crepes, a chain based in Japan, opened last month near Gangnam Station.
I passed Crazy Crepes a couple of times last month and decided to give it a try since I had fond memories of when I had them in Tokyo.
The “blah” name was not promising and neither were the other customers when I entered the place at noon.
This hip new spot should have been buzzing with trendy urban kids, but during my 15-minute lunch, I sat alone with three employees staring at the ceiling.
Sad to say, I didn’t expect much of a gourmet experience in the first place.
The area near Gangnam Station has never been known as a food street.
Much like its fashion stores, the restaurants in this area are without personality, overpriced and highly commercial. Every two or three months, a handful of restaurants is converted into something new, fronting a new specialty that fits the fickle taste of the public.
Back in the late 1990s, the majority served pasta and pizza. In the early 2000s, it was wine bars and spicy grilled chicken cooked Korean-style.
Today the area offers menus that are so confusing you need three or four lines to describe dishes, like chicken teriyaki spaghetti with a side of clam chowder and Thai noodle salad ― huh?
The bottom line: Crazy Crepes was a disaster.
I ordered one roast beef crepe and one double ice strawberry crepe (all crepes range from 4,500 won to 5,500 won).
The roast beef turned out to be very similar in taste to the Pulmuwon brand sliced ham that I’m used to at home.
Instead of the rich, eggy flavor and ultra thin, chewy dough, I was left with a bland wrap with fillings I can find in any old grocery store. The ice strawberry turned out to be a scoop of extra sugary strawberry ice cream.
As a Gangnam resident living five minutes from the area, I really wanted to give the area a chance with the new store.
My “maybe,” however, turned out to be “as expected.”
I don’t know how many more maybes I can give to Gangnam. Well, at least the store was clean.
Crazy Crepes is located near Gangnam Station, line No. 2, exit 6. For more information, visit www.crazycrepes.com.
By Cho Jae-eun Staff Writer [jainnie@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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