The art of crepes has come to Kuwait. The soft, buttery, large crepe, folded around ingredients both savory and toothache-ingly sweet is featured at Crepe Café, recently opened in the Avenues Phase II food court. 

    With three locations currently open, including one on the AUM campus in Fintas and another in the Arraya center downtown which caters to busy professionals, Crepe Café is quickly making its mark. The owners and managing partners, Abdul Aziz Al Anzi and Abdullah Al Kulaib, have brought this rapidly expanding franchise to expand your horizons and please your palette.   Building on the vision of the restaurant’s French founder, Jean Peirre-Couguet, this self-described “high-end café” brings the versatile and satisfying crepe, traditionally sold out of small kiosks on shopping streets in Europe, to the dining table, offering customers a relaxed dining experience. 

    The Avenues location is simple and open; its yellow and black décor and exposed food preparation area are inviting. From the upper-level tables you can watch the chefs drop creamy white crepe batter from a large stainless steel vat onto a large round cooking surface. Immediately the cook maneuvers a small wooden utensil to evenly distribute the batter over the skillet and create a perfectly even, paper-thin crepe. Once the batter has set, the filling is layered within the folds of the crepe, creating an uncomplicated, yet delectable meal. Mr. Rabin, the store manager, even gave me the opportunity to make my own crepe. Believe me; the technique is harder than it looks! 

    There is definitely something to satisfy every taste on Crepe Café’s extensive menu. My dining companion and I began with two savory selections: the Chicken Farmhouse Crepe and the Philly Cheese steak Crepe.  Our poultry selection was the winner for both of us, with its large slices of chicken, doused in cheese and béchamel sauce and then sprinkled with mushrooms for good measure. The Philly Cheese steak was gobbled down as well, and proved a fun twist on the classic crepe. For dessert, we sampled three, yes, er, three different crepes: the Aromas Cinnamon-sugar Crepe, the Crème Dessert Crepe, and the perennial favorite Nutella and Banana crepe. Each one was a delight in its own right and was accompanied by a scoop of ice cream.   The Crème Dessert Crepe was filled with vanilla custard and topped with fresh raspberries and blackberries. Yum! And as the macadamia nut ice cream melted around the edges of the Aromas Cinnamon-sugar crepe, a whole new dimension was added to the flavor which brought a smile to our faces. 

    There are several other menu offerings available at the café. If crepes are not up your alley, there is a good selection of breakfast items including pancakes, waffles, omelets and croissants available all day long. And for those with safe and simple on the brain, there are sandwiches, soups, and salads to be had. 

    Crepe Café is a wonderful place to try something that you may not be wholly familiar with. Its laid back, yet straightforward vibe will have you coming back and easing in for lunch or a lovely sweet treat after a long afternoon of shopping. So go ahead and take a chance. Aren’t you sick of that burger?