There are many gifts that France has given China over the years.... Carrefour, a target to attack during the pre-Olympics, guys in sanlitun who know that the only appropriate summer-wear to get drunk in is a button-down shirt tucked into women's jeans, the opportunity for Chinese nouveaux-riches to show their colleagues poorly photographed pictures of the Eiffel Tower and all the Chinese food they ate while in Paris, and so forth. But I think I can safely say that the greatest gift to date from France is Crepanini.
I'm just going to go straight to the point: Crepanini serves crepes that taste like crepes. These aren't just glorified jianbing's. They're authentic, the ingredients are fresh and it's not too pricy, which in itself is a winning formula (quite frankly one I wish more places would try... and for that reason I can't justify detracting any stars from this review).
Tucked next to Nali Patio (along the tourist sanlitun beijie bar street), Crepanini is basically a window and some outdoor tables. The menu is simple: half a dozen different crepes (that you can also make paninis, though I wouldn't recommend it), half a dozen dessert crepes and some drinks. The staff wear those black-and-white-striped-shirts that you'd expect to see in an SNL sketch about Sarkozy, but for reasons I can't comprehend it doesn't come across as tacky. The owners - two young and friendly guys from Brittany, the crepe capital of France - are usually hanging around, making sure everything's in order, stepping in to cook crepes themselves or just standing in the doorway chatting idly to each other about the FC Lorient - Paris Saint-Germain match.
The crepes are pretty straightforward: filled with the usual ingredients of ham, tomatoes, mushrooms and, of course, cheese (real cheese, mind you), among others. For those who know their way around crepes, note that these are not actually galettes (what you might refer to as a salty or dinner crepe). One of the owners explained to me that they couldn't find a good supply of buckwheat flour, so all their crepes are made with wheat flour (what dessert crepes are usually made from). This is pretty disappointing and does detract from the satisfyingness of the whole experience, especially because it means they can't put eggs into the crepe, but all things considered, it's something I'll learn to cope with over time, since the crepes do taste good. Not quite so good as a galette you'd get in France, but still good, and certainly the best you can find in Beijing.
Crepes range from 25 to 30 kuai - not too shabby - and come with a small salad dressed in a full-flavored dijonnaise, which is a fantastic treat for me though Chinese people seem to hate it (perhaps they'd be better off serving Thousand Islands...). I personally like the most basic crepe (ham and emmenthal), but if you want the full flavor crepe experience go for the Bretonne. One crepe is not really big enough to fill you up (unless you're, well... a Chinese girl), but I guess that's why the dessert crepes are there. Sugar or Nutella crepes are sure to please. Finally, while it's relatively expensive, I would definitely recommend getting a bowl of cider (25kuai), which goes fantastic with the dinner crepes.
I can't help but say kudos to the owners (note: I don't know them personally). While the crepe is not perfect, it's close enough, and I appreciate the fact that they're trying to make real international food without extortionate prices. It's clear that these guys feel strongly about crepes.
Expect a dinner for two to set you back 80-100rmb. (As far as authentic French meals in Beijing go, that's hard to beat.) It's quaint, not romantic; great for a relaxed and leisurely meal, especially those who miss the flavors of a real French crepe. Certainly a great addition to sanlitun.
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