CLOSED! dessert/crepes: JOY'S CREPERIE

JOY'S CREPERIE 法式甜心薄餅專賣店
No. 157 Keelung Rd, Sec 1, 台北市基隆路一段157號
(02)3765-3866

MRT: Taipei City Hall

website:Joy's Creperie's FB page

hours:11:30 AM- 9:30PM

$$

Kid friendliness: no high chairs spotted; one drink minimum

Visit reviewed: 4/13/2012

Decked out in chandeliers, pink and even a carousel horse at the entrance, it would be hard not to notice Joy's Creperie passing by. 

The decor uses the Dazzling Cafe template- a sort of modern romantic living room for all your besties, for the young afternoon tea crowd armed with camera phones to capture every detail and miniature eiffel towers to pose with.

Because of the awkward location of Joy's Creperie, along Keelung Road, near the freeway entrance, some might miss it even though it's quite close to the Taipei City Hall MRT exit. On the day I was there, I was surprised a the number of office workers and guys that were there.

 

The English and Chinese menu offers about six savory galettes and a dozen dessert crepes, with pictures for most items. The teas, juices, coffees and drinks are around NT$130-160, which is a bit of blackmail since they are mandatory, and not more than a glass.

The french cheese, egg and ham galette (NT$240) was decent and a good size, though the ham tasted like Futong slices from Costco.

My fruit tea was a bit of a disappointment compared to the fresh fruit teas I've had at other places filled with chunks of fruit and flavor.

The ratatouille with smoked sausage (NT$260) had a sweet tomato sauce, but the sausages tasted more Taiwanese than French. It looked more bountiful piled atop the center of the galette, but made it harder to split- we had to scoop the sauce and sausages to each side to eat it.

Classic salad galette (NT$180) came with a honey mustard type dressing. 

The dessert crepes were also not what I was used to what I've eaten in the US and Toronto. The randomly named Merry Go Round Strawberry Lover crepe (NT$240) comes with fat strawberries top the crepe, lots of syrup and a scoop of ice cream. It seemed a bit disjointed and while it was pretty, I would have preferred the strawberries with nutella or caramel instead of strawberry syrup (which they said wasn't a choice).

The almond with salty caramel crepe (NT$180) didn't have strong accents of salt to play off the caramel- it tasted like it looks caramel sauce with crunchy bits. Having eaten at Creperie La Bretagne not too long before Joy's Creperie, I'd have to say Creperie La Bretagne's dessert crepes are more special and caramelized.

Joy's Creperie is very charming space and those who don't have other crepe experiences to compare it to might be satisfied with the experience, but the minimum drink charge might keep some from going again.