They call it the “best Japanese crepe in NYC.” However, it is not clear if they originally came from Japan. The owner is not Japanese, so I believe they took the concept of Japanese crepe, and brought it to NYC. It seems that Japanese crepes have become a bit popular in NYC, there are few Japanese crepe shops popping up in the city here and there. I always loved crepes in Japan, I mean, really LOVED them. So, even though I had a horrible experience with another Japanese crepe shop called “Eight Turn Crepe” (I will never go back there, even if they pay me), I decided to give this place a try. They had their crepes that are made out of wax on the window display, which is very common thing to do in Japan with many restaurants. I always appreciate these things so you can see what your food is going to look like, instead of just reading the descriptions on the menu.
The inside was covered with wood, bringing that warm, cozy feel to it. They only had a couple of tables, but also had a long bench and counter seating by the wax crepes. There was 1 female staff on the floor, and as soon as we walked in, she greeted with us big smile and handed us the menu. She was eager to help but at the same time, gave us our time and space, not being pushy at all. So we were able to look at the menu and decide without any pressure… There were so many tasty crepes on there, it was not easy.
T-swirl crêpe makes their crepes with 100% gluten free rice flour batter, which is very unique. The rice flower gives a bit of chewy-ness but without being too chewly. The edges gets a little crispy, so you get to have 2 different texture from the crepe. They make each crepe to order, so they are fresh, never soggy. I heard they use only the best ingredients, for example, they import matcha from Japan, and gelato from Italy.
We finally decided on Matcha Chocolate Truffle ($7.50). It comes with strawberries, matcha custard cream, chocolate truffles, whipped yogurt, chocolate sauce, and pistachio. How can you say no to that? You could also add other fruits or chocolates or gelato at added cost ($1 or $2 each). We wanted to try the crepe as is, so we didn’t have anything else added on the crepe. As soon as our order was handed in, a make staff started to make our crepe.
He did so quickly enough, not super fast, but when you are creating this “art,” it can take more than a couple of minutes. He was pretty efficient, and seemed like everything was placed on the crepe perfectly before he rolled it. I think it took maybe 5 minutes to make our crepe from the order. (We were forced to wait over 45 min at Eight Turn Crepe with no place to sit… yeah, save your self, don’t go there!)
And there it was, our perfect bundle of joy. Perfectly constructed crepe, with creme, fruits and chocolates in each bite. He made the crepe very evenly, so it had nice consistency. The crepe did not get saggy even at the very end. Matha creme was very rich, had great real matcha flavor, and the chocolate was really great also. The combination of all the ingredients went perfectly, and each providing different texture. You had your creamy-ness, soft truffle, crunchy pistachio, and fresh berries. And the hint of that yogurt flavor was really great too. Nothing was fighting over any other ingredients, it was really nice.
We also ordered an iced coffee, which turned out to be a great surprise. It was really, really good coffee! We asked about the coffee, and the female staff told us that they get their coffee beans from Italy. If you had an Italian coffee, or if you have Italian friend who loves coffee, you know Italian coffee is pretty great. Having that with their awesome crepe just took it to another level.
So, next time when you are in the need of something sweet, or just have cravings for crepes, sweet or savory, hop over to T-swirl and give them a try! And don’t forget their coffee too… With friendly staff, relaxing atmosphere, and delicious crepes. You will be happy with your choice of artful creation!
T-swirl crêpe – New York, NY