Almost a Fenyang Lu institution, La Crêperie has made itself international in the last couple years and recently returned closer to home with a second location in the new Réel Mall. Now that the new-car smell is wearing off, we took a stroll over to see if their menu of galettes and crêpes are the order of the day.
There has been something of a pancakes invasion in Shanghai of late, and La Crêperie has dialed up the nautical theme to full-chintz-ahead. It’s almost Disney grade, with a glass walkway over a sandy beach, booths in the shape of boat-hulls and fishing tackle all over. We didn’t know which would come first, our oysters or a six-foot pancake mascot.
The oysters in question are imported from Brittany and served by the half dozen (RMB180). But alongside a plate of toasted rye bread, they’re a suitable warm-up to the main event, the galettes—buckwheat pancakes with a variety of savory fillings. We deviated from our go-to, the Complet (ham, cheese and tomato, RMB58) and opened our wallets all the way for the Marin (RMB108), featuring scallops, bacon, mushrooms, cream and white wine, and another of ground beef, potatoes and egg (RMB78). They are both exactly as rich and heavy as they sound, if not a little salty and greasy.
With barely enough room for dessert, we found some space in the reserve tank for the signature Defi Crêpe (RMB60). It is just as good as ever, with caramel ice cream, banana and caramel wrestling between the soft pancake sheets.
It’s good to see that the menu’s been successfully transplanted and that it’s business here as usual here at Réel; we’ll have to wait and see if the original location’s lively spark will be missed.