Anime Foods IRL|Eating Crepes in Harajuku

Why hello there BAYOG Fam!~ I’m BAYOG’s resident Hella Basic Asian Chick and Fatty. So I’m back with another Anime Foods IRL post! We’ve done [Nama Choco/Valentine’s Day Chocolate], [Ramen] and [Fluffy Japanese Pancakes]. Let’s talk crepes today!

Crepes often appear in manga and anime. Especially with high school characters. Usually it’s a scenario of a some teenagers (mostly high school girls) going out shopping. Often times it’s like somewhere in Harajuku. It’s a typical trope in alot of shoujo series.

Crepes are a type of very thin French pancake. There are sweet and savory crepes. Although, I think people typically think of the sweet ones. However, it’s really popular in Japan. Particularly with the younger crowd. I feel like the Japanese versions are more on the extra side compared to your traditional crepe. Japanese crepes are really popular, and the popularity has spread to other Asian countries too. Each country tends to also have flavors that are catered to locals too. For example, you can find a “seafood” version in Thailand. It typically has the imitation crab and other things.

Harajuku and Shibuya in Tokyo are popular hangout spots for the younger crowd. Takeshita Street is in the heart of Harajuku and Shibuya. It is super famous, and saturated with tourists and all those younger kids. So you can find several crepe joints. One of the most famous ones is Santa Monica Crepes. This is the one my friends and I decided to go to.

There are so, so, so, sooooo many varieties of crepes. Like I said before, you have sweet and savory options. However, the sweet ones tend to be the most popular. Santa Monica Crepes have a display to show you your options. I’ll show you what goes in each crepe too. They’re all fake models, but they look super real and tasty.

Seriously. There are so many options that it’s a bit overwhelming. My friends and I took forever to choose. Also, it is super popular. It’s a go to tourist spot. So expect a line.

My friends and I all chose different ones though. One friend got a more classic combination of vanilla ice cream, strawberries, bananas, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce. My bestie loves matcha. So she and our other friend split the one that had matcha ice cream, oreos, a mini cheese cake slice, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce.

Now, I go to Thailand alot. So Asian crepes are nothing new to me. I love them though. However, I’m also an otaku. So one of my bucket list items was to have a crepe in Harajuku. I wanted something a bit different though. So I went with their creme brulee crepe! This was March 2017, so creme brulee crepes were still kinda new and trending. Anyways, mine had bananas, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce. It also had a custard at the top which was then sprinkled with sugar and bruleed. For all you non foodie/chefs, it just means torched to caramelize the sugar. It then creates this hard/crispy sweet sugar crust.

Now the real question…Was it good and everything I hoped it would be? Some people will tell you the crepes are aiight, or a disappointment. However, I personally found it hella delicious. I enjoyed it, and it was a fun experience with friends. So yes, it was everything I hoped it would be. Although, it was a tad bit messier than I expected. Basically the fillings and toppings are more towards the top. The bottom doesn’t really have much. So other than melting, be careful of things toppling or spilling over. Have y’all had a Japanese crepe before? Have you had ones in Japan, or actually in Harajuku/Shibuya? Which was your favorite?~