New eats: Le Crepe Cafe downtown

By Mari Taketa
Nonstop

Le sigh. Not quite a year and a half ago, deep in breezy Manoa, a tiny creperie came to the valley, and with it a love story. You see, Marysol Ruiz had left California to study in Paris, where she fell in love with Soufiane Bouharkat, who worked at a creperie. Sadly, their time ended and the two parted ways, but wait! Fast-forward a few years, Bouharkat arrives on these shores to visit a friend, and guess who he runs into? Ruiz has settled on these same shores. The two reignite and out of their love for crepes and each other, Le Crepe Cafe is born.

Fast-forward again to last week, Tuesday to be exact, and voila! Ruiz and Bouharkat have opened a second creperie downtown. And quoi? They opened seven weeks after their first baby is born? Ooh la la!

I like this story, and I like that tiny creperie in Manoa, but that’s not why I’m braving downtown parking and lunch crowds. Word is the new Crepe Cafe has more than double the crepes of the first, plus waffles, paninis and salads.

This one’s a double-dip: I’ve reviewed these crepes before. For these visits I bring friends to go in and order, while I lurk at a distance with my fork and knife. Ici, crepes! Bring it!

Le Crepe Cafe
1160 Fort Street Mall
www.lecrepecafe.com