CLOSED! dessert/french: i strongly recommend SUZETTE (CREPES & GAUFRES)

CLOSED- a/o summer 2010

SUZETTE (CREPES & GAUFRES)
at NY NY Building (near to McDonald's)
No. 12, Song Shou Road
(02)2722-5352

MRT: Taipei City Hall

website: tw.suzette-asia.com Chinese only

hours: 11 AM- late

$

Kid friendliness: roomy patio seating; salty and sweet options available

Visit reviewed: 6/2/09 & 12/25/09



PREFACE: I'm bit annoyed that they weren't selling crepes during the afternoon on 12/31 so that I could buy a few crepes to take some more pictures for this post and nosh on before the New Year's Eve madness- but they were essentially waiting for the night crowds. Why bother even being open and having two people standing around if you aren't selling to paying customers? Anyways- isolated event. So here are the pics I have. End rant. Happy New Year! END PREFACE.

Perfect place for picking up a post-movie snack or catching up with someone in 101's shadow, Suzette is place for those who want a real crepe. If you're like me, then you were in shock at the taste of your first "Taiwan crepe" which was crispy, papery dry and not at all like the velvety crepes back home in the states.

So when I saw the signage for Suzette opening(I thought the name was Crepes Suzette, but I think it's just Suzette), I was beyond excited. Occupying a small outside corner of NYNY (just right around McDonald's), they have quite a few umbrella covered tables for customers to lounge. The location is so perfect for people watching near 101, that they even had VIP reservations available for New Year's Eve for the midnight fireworks.

Crepes are made to order on one of their two crepe hot plates, and there are over 20 kinds available- both sweet (Crepes sucrees and roulees) and savory (Crepes Salees and bechamel) available on their English/Chinese menu. Butter, butter & sugar, nutella, nutella & bananas, apple & cinnamon- all the standards. It's fun to watch them at work while you are waiting for your order. I noticed that the savory crepe I wanted to order didn't have cheese and when I requested to have some added, they agreed without questions.



I was happy that the crepes were a fraction of the price of my former crepe favorite, Mamm Goz, which unfortunately closed down.





I was a bit surprised to see the final result to be rolled up like a burrito, but I am not sure if that's only when it's to-go. The Mushroom, Pork and Egg crepe (NT$150) was good, but nutella crepes were worth coming back for again and again.

That was over six months ago.

When I walked by Suzette after a Christmas day screening of Sherlock Holmes, jonesing for a nutella and banana crepe, I was surprised to see it so crowded at 10pm. After all, every visit I had for a few months over the summer, I was barely their only customer. Tonight it was a 20-30 minute wait after ordering and they were out of Apple Cinnamon crepes (NT$130). I didn't know if it was the holiday crowds in the area, the cold weather, the word of mouth had finally spread, the revamped counter menu with more pictures or the non-Chinese owner/crepe maker making the crepes- or maybe a combination of all the above. Then again, that night was some of the longest lines I'd seen at Burger King, Coldstones and Starbucks.

My banana nutella crepe (NT$80) was warm, gooey and soft- a perfect late night bite while walking home amongst the Christmas lights and cool winter night.