Ah, crêpes. And galettes. These sweet and savoury French-style pancakes are some of the ultimate comfort foods, don’t you think? Growing up in Canada, I was mostly surrounded by thick, fluffy breakfast pancakes. I think my first crêpe experience was in either Taipei or Tokyo. In both cities, there are a number of crêpe and galette places in various guises, from street stands to food courts. They’re all pretty delicious, but more fusion than authentic perhaps.
Now, while I’ve had since had crêpes in Paris too, I’ve never had them from Brittany, a gorgeous seaside town in the north-west of France, which is the birthplace of the crêpe and galette. Luckily for me, I recently made a lovely friend whose mother is from Brittany, and she invited me to check out an authentic crêperie in the heart of Sheung Wan.
La Crêperie was founded in 2007 in Shanghai. Since then, it’s expanded to Hong Kong (Sheung Wan, Wanchai and Causeway Bay) and also to Ho Chih Minh City. The vibe at the Sheung Wan branch is casual-chic, with cute nautical-inspired elements, blue-and-white striped banquettes and wooden tables and chairs. We went for a casual dinner, though I hear the restaurant is very popular with the lunch crowd too.
Our evening started with some appetisers. I really enjoyed the Brittany rolls ($85 for 4), best described as mini stuffed galettes on sticks. The spicy chicken filling was my favourite.
The restaurant offers a whopping 22 different types of galettes including two vegetarian options. I opted for the classic Les Poulains ($168) because a) it sounded delicious, with melted raclette cheese, two types of ham, potatoes, cream sauce and pickles, and b) because it was one of the heaviest-sounding options. I was starving and worried that a thin pancake dish wouldn’t be filling, but was I wrong.
This galette looks skinny, but it was packed with ingredients. I couldn’t even finish it… And it was as delicious as it sounded and paired perfectly with a glass of Kerné craft cider ($55/glass, $185/bottle).
Our group of six then shared four different types of crêpes, because why not? There are two dozen options on the menu, from the classic La Demoiselle with berries, whipped cream and maple syrup to two options that come flambéed.
I loved the classic La Sinagot ($50+) – it’s not on the menu, but do ask for it – with chocolate sauce and salted butter caramel. Both sauces are made in-houses, and it was great to taste their full flavours against the simple crêpe.
I’m a sucker for lemon desserts, so La Sexy Suzette ($118) was another nice crêpe, made with homemade lemon cream, mango ice cream and flambéed Grand Marnier. Personally, I could have done without the mango ice cream as I felt the lemon and Grand Marnier provided enough flavour. Next time, I’ll ask for the ice cream on the side.
Verdict
La Crêperie is a great pick for an affordable, casual-chic bite to eat. There are a number of vegetarian options on the menu, and all dishes are suitable for those on a gluten-free diet (the galette batter is already gluten free, and the crêpes can be made with this batter too). Each of the three locations is located in a busy part of town, but the restaurants feel chill, welcoming and an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s nice to find a little slice of Brittany in Hong Kong.
Causeway Bay: 8/F, the L. square, 459–461 Lockhart Road, 2898 7123, click here to book now
Sheung Wan: 69 Jervois Street, 2679 4666, click here to book now
Wanchai: 1/F, 100 Queen’s East Road, 2529 9280, click here to book now
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