These are Crepe House Uni reviews from 2008. For current reviews, visit the entry.
2008
The comments for this entry overwhelmingly reflect a single or small minority of individuals. They are repeatedly posting comments that make similar points or are adding long essays that overwhelm the voice of others. Keep this in mind when reading the comments. |
2008-09-20 20:15:07 I've also been looking forward to this place opening up for a few months now, so my two of my friends and I dropped by at 5:15 PM on opening day. There was a large crowd of customers (both already served and waiting to order) and there were at least eight personnel behind the counter working the crepe stand, the cooling rack, the hot-plate assembly station, the gelato/ice cream bar, the fountain drink stand, and the cash register. We placed our order at 5:24 PM (time on the receipt) and chose a table near the back/ inner area. However, because of the overwhelming noise from the customers, we were unable to hear our number being called, so we moved to table that was almost right in front of the register. I ordered a hot savory crepe with an Italian soda and my companions had a cold dessert crepe. Although my drink arrived within 3 minutes of placing my order, our crepes didn't arrive until 18 minutes later. Understandable, as this was opening day and both servers and patrons were a bit confused as to what to do first. Because of the ambient noise coupled with the lack of a microphone P/A system, there were many customers who didn't immediately claim their orders, so oftentimes the personnel would have to come out around the register and go from table to table, asking if a waiting patron had Order Number so-and-so.
1. DECOR/ APPEARANCE/ ATMOSPHERE/ MOOD: Very modern with curved-line architecture, clean lighting from the drop-down ceiling lamps, and the walls and ceiling are bright and bold pastel colors (EDITED 2008/09/22 MON: cream green for the booths and counters, strawberry red for the support columns, fluorescent white for the ceilings). This modern sense is also reflected in the tables (stainless steel, either round or square with no hard corners) and soft, pliable plastic chairs (pale, fluorescent white — like they were made from recycled iPod cases. My fried said that it reminded her of the character "Eve" from the Pixar movie "Wall-E"). There was a mix of J-Pop tunes pumped over the speakers (e.g., Sowelu's "I Will"), but it could barely be heard over the chatter of customers at the tables and booths.
2. PERSONNEL/ STAFF: All the working staff were (1) female; (2) Asian; (3) appeared to be under the age of 20; and (4) dressed in black, iconoclastic "cafe maid" outfits from top to bottom (hair ties and headbands with frilly lace; black blouses with shoulder trim; knee-high skirts; and black stockings). The overall appearance very much resembled a Japanese maid cafe (my female companion later confessed that it freaked her out a bit).
3. FOOD PREPARATION: Their food stations are arranged in a long curved "L"-shaped booth that allows standing customers to watch their order being made. Although I did not watch my order being made, my companions did note the following stations: (Going from left to right when you first walk in the door):
- There is what I will call a "crepe-making" station: a server has to clean the griddle, pour on the batter, spread it around, wait for it to cook on one side, then gingerly flip it over to finish cooking on the other side, then finally transfer it to a cooling rack.
- The cooled crepe shell is taken to what I will call a "hot-grill station" (with what appears to be a clamshell hood that can close) where the crepe is filled with either savory or sweet fillings. Once completed, it appears that the same server folds up the completed crepe and slips it into one of two packaging sheathes (either transparent plastic for cold crepes or a wax-lined paper cone for hot crepes). They then match up the crepe with their copy of the receipt and call out the order number (see SERVICE below).
- There is an frozen Gelato station with at least two rows of five flavors each. Here, customers can interact directly with the servers to ask for samples (which, on opening day, can cause a bit of confusion and congestion as a server who is trying to finish up a crepe is flagged down by a customer who wants to try a sample of Green Tea Gelato).
- There is a display case that is filled with at least 3 levels of racks that (I assume) might be filled with pre-made products that customers are welcome to buy. When we were there, the case was empty and was being used as a temporary storage space for stacks of empty packing cones.
- There is the cash register, where customers can place and pay for their orders (see SERVICE below), menus are stacked, and napkins are dispensed from a tall self-dispensing unit (similar to the kind found in the movie theaters on F and G Street).
4. SERVICE: The ordering process is very much like that used at "Old Teahouse".
- 1. Because there are no menus posted up above the cash registers, customers can grab a double-sided, plastic laminated menu from the stack at the cashier's register.
- 2. They place their order (Cash, Visa and Mastercard accepted) and are handed a receipt with an order number on it.
- 3. They wait (either at their tables, or stand along the curved ice-cream/crepe assembly-line display) for their number to be called.
4. FOOD:
- SAVORY CREPE: My hot Cajun Sausage crepe was filled with two halves of a spice sausage, cabbage/lettuce, onions, and tomato sauce/ ketchup. I also added bacon for an additional $0.50, so I had a full meal there ($5.99 crepe + $0.50 bacon = $6.49).
- DESSERT CREPE: My companions shared a cold strawberry banana crepe that was filled with (I think) banana slices, strawberry slices and whipped cream. They seemed to enjoy it ($4.29).
- BEVERAGE: My 20 oz. Italian Soda (black-berry flavored) really hit the spot. It came with a small amount of crushed ice, which was fine with me because I don't like paying for a lot of ice in my drinks ($2.49 for a 20.0 oz. drink).
- GELATO: Because the drink couldn't kill the peppery heat of my crepe, I ordered a small Mango Gelato. I was glad that the fruity coldness really killed the heat — and tasted good, too. One of the perks of the Gelato orders (large or small) is that it comes in a cute plastic, pastel-colored multi-faceted bowl (baby blue for small, light pink for large). Call me cheap, but I decided to take keep mine (it is washable and reusable) and save it for future ice-cream/ parfait uses at home (about $2.50 for a 2.0 oz small size).
5. OVERALL: I like this kind of quirky atmosphere, so I will definitely be coming back for a dessert crepe and a drink. Although noise can be much, the place is large enough for me to have a table all to myself as I enjoy my latest volume of manga from Borders. I did observe some larger parties having to wait for up to 20 minutes for their orders, and in that instance, the cashier came around to the table and sincerely apologized for the long wait time, which I felt was a Nice Thing To Do (TM).
SUGGESTIONS/ RECOMMENDATIONS:
TO THE VENDOR: In order to maintain a steady and smooth workflow that will optimize your ability to turn around orders within a short wait time, I would recommend that staff be trained on specialized duties tied to a specific workstation.This is possible even if you only have 5x-6x staff per shift:
- Have 1-2 people be responsible for making crepes, and nothing else. They will clean the griddle, pour and spread the batter, flip the crepe, and remove it to a cooling rack. And instead of transporting the crepe shell to the next station, they can get started on cleaning the griddle for the next crepe shell.
- Have 1-2 two people work on the hot griddle. They will clean the griddle, cook the fillings, take the cooled crepe shells when the fillings are done, assemble and fold, and package accordingly. Then will hand the completed order to the cashier to announce, and can get back to the griddle without further interruption.
- Have 1 person responsible for gelato duty and mixed drinks (Italian sodas). Unlike making crepe shells or cooking up fillings, both gelato duty and mixed drinks are relatively simple in that: (1) they not require much clean-up and preparation; (2) can be done by one person from start to finish. Gelato: scoop out the desired size, serve it in the bowl, drop the scooper into the water bin for the next serving. Mixed drinks: grab the desired cup size, add crush ice, pump in the syrup, add the carbonated water, pop on a lid and stick in a straw. In both cases, they will can be handed either directly to a waiting customer or given to the cashier to announce. This person will also be responsible for handling the numerous requests for Gelato samples.
- Have the cashier's primary functions be (1) taking orders and (2) calling out completed orders. Her back-up functions will be to support the gelato and mixed drinks stations.
Aside from that, it would be helpful to have a microphone P.A. system to call out order numbers. If this not feasible, then I'm assuming that customers will eventually figure out that they are ultimately responsible for claiming their own orders.
TO THE CUSTOMER: In order to minimize delays in receiving orders and to reduce the amount of extra steps that the staff have to go through, I would recommend that you be more attentive in listening for your order number, so that the staff do not have to go around from table to table to find out who has order Such-And-Such. Even if you have a large party, go ahead and place your orders and get your party seated, then have one person stand at the counter to wait for the table's cumulative orders. I say this because this is more of a fast-food restaurant than a sit-down restaurant, so there is no expectation for the staff to bring your order to your table. I think that this is also why there is no tip/gratuity line on the receipt (although the kind-hearted staff will go the extra distance to make sure you get your order).
EDITED 2008/09/22 MON: They now have a tip jar, so you can show your appreciation when they deliver your order in the record-time of four minutes.
*the longest quick overview I have ever seen.
2008-09-20 21:31:53 We tried chocolate & banana crepes, and they were so TASTY. They are completely similar to what we can eat in Japan. Amazingly, the staff is wearing cute maid costumes. Is it a hybrid of a crepe shop and a maid cafe ? I recommend this place if you would like to eat Japanese style crepes and see pretty girls in maid costumes.
2008-09-21 03:35:13 Thank you very much for your comments. I am Sagat, the CEO of Crepe House Uni Corporation, USA, and I apologize for any imperfections of our very first day or our soft opening at our Davis location.
We import our secret crepe mix directly from Japan, thus we can offer our customers the taste of athentic Japanese-crepes.
To T. Zukumori: We have assigned specific staff to handle different tasks as you have suggested. However, it was our very first day of opening. We needed more time to get used to how people react to our new business and we are still testing the U.S. market. I shall make sure that our staff will be more efficient in the future.
We shall have a menu board up in a 2-4 weeks (as it is being made). I apologize for any incoveniences and appreciate your patience.
I appreciate that our customers enjoy our gelato, and also our containers (We had quite a few of customers asking if they were suppose to return the gelato cups). The gelato cups are reusable and you can request for a lid if you'd like. We shall offer new gelato flavors every week.
Believe it or not, crepes actually taste the best 20-30 minutes after they are made. That will give the crepes a chewy, flavorful texture. However, if you'd like, you can request for a crispy, warm crepe.
Please continue to post your comments and suggestions! —Sagat
2008-09-21 11:29:44 To Sagat: Thanks for responding. I like gelato, so I think having new flavors every week is awesome. I also think it's great that the gelato containers are reusable and that lids can be requested. And thanks for telling me about the crepe texture - I had a crispy crepe for my savory order, so I'll try a soft, chewy crepe for dessert next time.
I look forward to coming back. —T.Zukumori
2008-09-21 20:03:06 Me and group of friends tried the Tuna crepe, Sausage crepe and Chicken crepe; and they were amazingly good to the point where its impossible to understand unless you have tried one yourself. Tuna crepe: Fresh, and very tasty with the celery. I personally hate the taste of celery, but it was a perfect blend with the tuna that they served. I will definitely be having another one, and another one, and another one~ Sausage crepe: Very filling and has a spicy taste to it. Similar to a Hot link, yet, better to serve with a crepe than a bun (b/c you can get to the dog immediately, rather going through a few empty bites in a bun) Chicken crepe: chicken were very tender considered the fact that it is breast meat. The Teriyaki sauce is also very good because its not salty like you would find in many restaurant that serves Teriyaki. We also decided to order the dessert crepe with the longest name, which is Strawberry-Banana-Choco-Fresh. The cream sorta came out of the crepe when I was trying to eat it, but it was too good to regard with the eating manner. I prefer more on the Savory crepe than the dessert crepe overall b/c they are not as messy to eat as the dessert crepe would. (or maybe that's only me). The line and the waiting time did get a little bit long during lunch hours, but it was worth the wait nonetheless. But I think it is mainly b/c I couldn't hear my number being called, since the restaurant was crowed with people and chatters. The environment was very nicely done. As there are good food, nice/relaxing sittings and pretty girls in maid costumes to look at. I will definitely be coming back for more crepes. I recommend this restaurant to anybody who is reading this comment. P.S. it seems like all the girls are working non-stop, I wonder if they have a break, since I saw all of them in the kitchen during lunch time and dinner time. —crepelover
2008-09-22 03:02:59 The fact that the CEO of this place is named Sagat is badass enough for me to eat here. —SeatonTsai
2008-09-23 07:48:12 Walking around downtown after dinner with my lady friend and as we passed this place we both were surprised how it just seemed to appear without much fanfare. Beach house Deli and Uncle Vito's seem to have been under construction all summer and yet still are not opened but Crepe House Uni just opens it's doors without the long drawn out coming soon signs. Since we had already eaten dinner we decided to try something sweet and opted for a butter and melted sugar crepe. Very light, tasty and yummy. Not a lot going on with this choice but we were pleased and will certainly come back.
As we were enjoying our crepe the place filled up again with about 20 people coming in through the door. Watching the girls try to deliver the orders made it fairly clear they should get a LED number board to signal to guests that their order is ready. They would call out the numbers so softly that is was very hard to hear even when there were just a few customers. Additionally the thought of them walking around with an order and almost handing it to another customer is not pleasant.
Totally enjoyed the music, decor and the gelato looked very yummy. Nice addition. —loneshark
2008-09-23 22:30:29 My first visit was rather disappointing. The shop has no wall decorations, giving it an eerily empty feel. And though I ordered a crepe that shouldn't have had any whipped cream (Almond Choco), there was practically nothing in it BUT whipped cream (yuck). However, I expect these are just bugs of a new shop opening. There are many items on the menu that look appetizing and I will definitely give the Crepe House Uni a couple more tries. If you order a dessert crepe and don't want whipped cream I suggest you specifically say so. —Kristy
2008-09-24 02:09:49 Thank you very much for the comments.
loneshark: We have considered to annouce our order numbers through our speaker system. However, that will interupt the music and will become extremely during rush hours. So we kindly ask our customers to be more attentive when the shop is filled with other customers. When we are not as busy, we try to remember which customer ordered which items and are more than happy to deliver them to the table. I am currently looking for the best solution in solving this problem.
Kristy: I apologize for your unpleasant experience. We shall soon have decorations on the wall and also a menu board. A friend of mine, a designer in Japan, is finalizing my wall covering design. I appreciate that you are willing to give us more tries. We shall try our very, very best to make it right for you in the future.
Please bear in mind that we are still experiencing the U.S. market with our first store. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and thank you very much for your comments and support. —Sagat
once again, thank you for taking wiki feedback into account, that is personally a plus and something that has guaranteed that I will experience uni —StevenDaubert
2008-09-25 12:48:15 I was super excited to finally go to crepe house! I had certain expectations because I'd had crepes in Japan and generally order crepes wherever/whenever I see them. I love the stuff. Unfortunately, my experience with crepe house was...kind of disappointing. Not because of the service or anything, but I found the actual crepes slightly lacking. I ordered a crepe with Bananas, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream in it. But only half of a medium/small sized banana was used and when you wrap it in like...a 14-inch crepe skin, it all but disappears. I might as well have just ordered a crepe skin and eaten that. Sure, I eventually got to the banana, but that was after chewing my way through 4 inches of 4 folds of crepe skin. My mouth was dry and I was bummed. I really wanted to like this place and hope they get a little more generous with the crepe fillings. Not sure if the savory crepes or even any of the other crepes are like that, but bananas are lovely fruits, don't skimp on them! —metal.lace
2008-09-25 23:33:40 Hello metal.lace. Thank you for your comment. I am sorry about not meeting your expectations.
We have actually increased all our crepes' fillings for the US market, most of them doubled, or even tripled. In Japan, in a "Banana Fresh" Crepe (banana and whipped cream), the potion is 40 grams of banana, which is less than 2 ounces (1 oz. = approximately 28.5 g). We have increased it to 3 oz. For what you have ordered, the "Banana Choco Fresh" crepe, in Japan there are 30g of banana, 15g of whipped cream, and 5g of chocolate syrup. We have increased that to 2 oz. (about 57g) of banana, 1 oz. (about 28.5g) of whipped cream, and 1/2 oz. (about 14g) of chocolate syrup.
If you have been to Japan, you might know that there are other crepe franchises which use corn flakes or whipped cream to hold the crepe fillings up to give customers an illusion of a fully filled crepe (Whipped cream used in Japan is usually made of vegetable oil, thus the shape of the cream will hold after a long period of time). Their packagings are also smaller comparing to our patented packagings.
We are more than willing to put more crepe fillings into our crepes. However, if we put too much filling into the crepes, they will be very hard to assemble (thus falling apart while our customers are enjoying them), and the fillings will overcome the taste of the crepe. —Sagat
2008-09-25 22:08:54 I tried the teriyaki chicken and it was awesome!! I also ordered a banana choco fresh and I thought the size of the dessert crepe is just right for me. I have had tons of crepes in Japan and the size is about the same as here. Besides, after looking at the price, I wouldn't complain much lol. Will definitely go back! —Saru
- Note: Saru is an employee of Crepe House Uni.
2008-09-28 14:46:41 All you need to do is take one step into the place, and the fragrant smell of their crepes hits you. I've tried their Cajun sausage crepe, tropical fruit crepe, mango gelato, and iced caramel coffee drink (on separate visits). All of them hit the spot. The Cajun sausage was very spicy for me, but I will definitely order it again. Their crepes are unlike any that I've had before. They smell sweet, and taste so good that I would even eat them alone. I love the contemporary decor, fun ambiance, and friendly staff of Crepe House Uni. I see this place becoming a great hang out spot, or students studying in the corner. I would recommend this place to everyone. There's a variety of food for whatever you may be craving. If you didn't have a good first experience, I would suggest giving them another try. New businesses take some time to work out kinks, and I can only see this place getting better. Plus, the fact that the CEO, Sagat, is taking time to respond to comments and taking them into consideration, just shows how much Sagat and the rest of the employees care about providing good food and great customer service. —ReRa
2008-10-01 09:05:43 This place has seriously good crepes. Really. The experience was a bit like eating an ice cream cone filled with your choice of filling. In fact the crepes are held in a flattened paper cone that resembles something you might find an ice cream cone or burrito wrapped in.
The crepes seem more dessert oriented than meal oriented, so you could get yourself a crepe as a meal at Crepeville, and then if you want dessert, come here for a totally different crepe experience. :-) Everyone was very friendly. The crepes are seriously addictive, so fair warning, you may want more than one. Did I mention how good they were? Sagat (the owner) was very nice, and seems to be doing a great job with this place.
I am heartened to see that they have green tea gelato. Yum.
I will definitely be back. —IDoNotExist
2008-10-02 02:17:10 Thank you very much for all your valuable comments, either here on DavisWiki, or in person at the store. My employees and I will continue to provide high quality food and customer service with our best effort. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you.
Regarding to the nature of our crepes; They can also be meals, such as our popular Cajun Sausage, German Potato Cheese, and Teriyaki Chicken crepe. I have been eating crepes since the shop opened and I always have a savory then a gelato crepe every meal. —Sagat
2008-10-02 05:24:23 I visited for lunch yesterday and had a decent savory crepe. I wanted some veggies with my lunch, so I ordered the teriyaki jumbo. This was a good amount of food, but it had much more chicken than veggies. Still, pretty tasty. I did have some difficulty with the form of the crepe. It really does come like an ice cream cone and there are no plates, only napkins. Even the consistency of the crepe wrapper itself is slightly reminiscent of a waffle cone, being a bit sweeter, thinner, and crisper than other crepes I have tried. The paper wrapper is apparently meant to be ripped apart as you dig deeper into your meal. I happened to unwrap a bit too much while on the bottom half of my crepe, and spilled tasty goodies as well as copious amounts of juice. Get lots of napkins.
As far as the store, this place is extremely colorful inside. It's an interesting look, with lots of curves and funny angles and very well-lit. Adding something to the walls will make it a bit more comfortable.
Bottom line, I enjoyed the teriyaki jumbo but would return to try a gelato crepe instead as I expect it will taste great inside one of these sweet wrappers. —EdHenn
2008-10-04 21:01:05 Lacks decent vegetarian options on the savory side of the menu, a couple of potato crepes and cold salad crepes. Looks like a better place for desert, although I didn't go back after moving on for dinner. —AlexMandel
2008-10-04 21:32:16 I swung by here the other day with my son... but it was a little too busy and we were in a hurry. The place has a nice soft, yet edgy look and feel to it. But the lack of wall hangings and such make the interior a little sterile. I would love to hang a few of my colorful fixed gear bikes on the wall. We'll stop in again soon to try a desert crepe. —Aaron.Curtin
2008-10-11 14:47:34 Got the pizza crepe and it was terrific. The wrap-holder has a little blurb about the secret recipe, make sure to check that out. —zachadelic
2008-10-12 16:44:57 I was wondering what the deal is with the uniforms the servers have to wear...they struck me as somewhat odd. Borderline sexist. Also, everytime I have walked by there have only been women working. Just struck me as a bit weird. —AndrewPeake
2008-10-12 19:41:13 I got the impression that that is the same thing worn by the staff in the Japanese versions of the store - but I agree, the uniforms are definitely not a positive trait of the store, and are probably something that they should do without... —IDoNotExist
2008-10-13 16:41:06 I wonder if other cosplay themed cafes will open in Davis. We do not yet have a robot cafe. :-) —IDoNotExist
2008-10-13 17:34:36 We do not offer "services" that maid cafes offer in Japan. The only "maid cafe" element we have is the uniform, which is another form of Japanese street culture. So, I do not consider Crepe House Uni as a real "maid cafe".
Staff at other Crepe House Uni locations throughout the word don't wear the same uniform. It is an element we decided to add for the US market under the permissions of Uni Public Relations Corporation in Japan.
Regarding to the sexist comment: We have been interviewing male candidates since a month ago. —Sagat
Thanks for explaining that. —WilliamLewis
2008-10-13 23:16:58 Another thing that I would like to add; For those of you who have made negative comments about our employees, especially in regards to their uniforms: They are all smart, hard-working, responsible, respecting, and self-motivated individuals who qualified to be part of our team under our high standards and expectations.
Please be considerate and not judge a book by its cover. I apologize for not seeing how our uniform can be a "not positive" trait, while my employees are not wearing something revealing, or has done/will do anything in hope of getting more tips, especially from male customers. There are McDonald's locations in Japan where employees wear maid uniforms, just a less fancy version (in dark and light brown).
Uniforms of fast food restaurants are usually very standard. My intention was to add something new and fun, and also something my employees will have fun wearing. The uniform was shown to each and everyone of them right before their interview sessions.
2008-10-13 23:35:14 I don't think that anyone said anything negative about the employees. And I'd definitely agree that they are great (see my previous comments about my great experience here!) I think what people are referring to is the cultural connotation associated with the maid uniforms, particularly for those people who are not familiar with Japanese street culture or cosplay. —IDoNotExist
Sagat, Thanks for clearing some of that up, I am not familiar with Japanese pop culture. I have no negative comment to make about the employees, the service was fine and they were friendly. I (and the people I was with) didn't understand the french maid costume. It just seemed odd. Best of luck with your business. —AndrewPeake
2008-10-14 13:53:03 I am sorry, but I didn't mean to accuse anyone on DavisWiki in regards of making negative comments about my employees. I was actually referring to those who insulted our employees on online forums or in person at the store. I have decided to clarify things here on DavisWiki, because it is impossible for me to respond to every single forum.
My employees were very mature when they handled those comments. However, I did not think they deserved to be accuse of things that are untrue. To me, customer service is not just about business to customers. It is also about employer to employees. I do the best I can to protect my employees and our working enviorment, because I believe that is the only way for us to provide the best service possible to our customers.
I do understand it can be hard to accept something new. I remember myself going to Hooter's for the very first time, and found it very interesting. Soon enough I fell in love with their "hot-naked" wings and stopped paying attention to anything else.
The uniform is only for getting your attention. Our main focus has always been food quality and customer service.
Thank you very much for your continuous support and being open minded. —Sagat
2008-10-14 14:39:36 Wasn't me (us?) I've never said anything negative about your employees, and as I've noted on here, I thought they were very good and I like your store very much. The people who were being negative in your store or in other fora were different people (or at least different from me). —IDoNotExist
2008-10-14 17:11:33 I'm sorry for the confusion. Please do not misunderstand. As I said, I was referring to other online forums or in person. —Sagat
2008-10-16 17:15:50 I was there the other night, and for some reason I got a *really* good moobilenet wifi signal. It was better than the signal from the Crepe House wifi. No idea why. —twblalock
2008-10-16 23:57:40 I've seen the same thing there. Is there an extension of moobilenet there? Or is someone faking a moobilenet access point? If it is moobilenet and you don't have to authenticate to it, it isn't really moobilenet.
Crepe House has its own access point - a very nice feature. —IDoNotExist
2008-10-17 03:06:22 Moobilenet would have a stronger signal here because it is an invasive species of network, pushing out other weaker networks on channels 1, 6 and 11. —NickSchmalenberger
2008-10-17 18:25:35 I decided to go here today. After glimpsing the menu, I ordered the mocha drink and the pizza crepe. Both were quite tasty though not filling (I was perfectly satisfied). However, this totaled to a bit under $10. It's definitely a nice place to go to and quite a treat, but I can't imagine frequenting here too much with these prices. —SunjeetBaadkar
2008-10-19 02:22:18 It is definitely the authentic moobilenet, it has the authentication page and so on. I think it might be coming from a building on 1st street, the UC seems to have a few buildings on 1st which are between A and B street. There might be an access point in one of those. —twblalock
I'm pretty sure its this building. This is nowhere near A or B street, there is no way a signal could come from there. -NickSchmalenberger
2008-10-19 22:51:02 Finally had some gelato here, it was pretty delicious. We tried Dark Chocolate Raspberry (our favorite), Espresso Bean (extremely yummy, strong coffee flavor), and the italian-named one that's kinda like cookies and cream (it was good). —EdHenn
2008-10-20 10:43:44 UNI is the bomb for sure! I was kinda miffed that only 2/5 were in maid uniform, but that is okay... Uni isn't a maid cafe cause it doesn't offer the services that one would, it's just crepes with flair! The food was tasty and great (we got pizza crepe) the crepe was super thin and very uniform. I liked how it had just the right amount of crisp. Sadly I'm a fat American, and I could easily eat two of the things, I know the portions were damn near doubled (or tripled) for the American market, To me this delegates uni to the realm of awesome tasty treat. The atmosphere is so quirky and modern with the lines and the colors. The crepe wrappers are hand glued in Japan, and I enjoyed reading about the secret recipe. All in all it had a great time, and the food won over my skeptical buddy! I will be back for sure. —StevenDaubert
2008-10-20 13:05:39 Ordered a Pizza Crepe and an Italian Soda - decent but maybe a tad over-priced for a college town and the fact that for about the same price one can get tons of potatoes with their crepe from Crepeville. But for me I sort of like the run and eat style of crepes. Just wished it had the more traditional crepes that I am used to - the ones with egg included, lots of spinach and a thin slice of ham or salmon. Also if the crepe was about 50 cents less or had more substance than I would be a regular visitor. I like the fact that it does have free wifi and is much more quiet than crepeville. Here's hoping that Crepe House sticks around for a bit.
P.S. Where's the boba? —DerrickUm
2008-10-20 21:00:52 Thank you again to all of you for your comments.
We have relocated our wifi gateway from the back office to the store front for better signal.
Regarding to pricing:
First of all, our crepe mix is imported from Japan. It is a secret recipe consist of more than 50 ingredients. We could settle for something not as good and create our own crepe mix to lower food cost. However, we would like to keep the authenticity of Japanese-style crepes. The texture, flavor, and aroma are very different from traditional French or American crepes.
Secondly, we are very selective with our ingredients. From meat to veggies/fruits, from sauces, dressings, to coffee and each gelato flavor, we sample everything before they are offered to our customers. Our goal is to offer superior quality products without high-end restaurant prices.
Regarding to menu items:
We shall soon introduce more new menu items. We have actually added 2 new items since we opened (Momo Fresh and Californian). We have a lot of ideas, but we need more time to test them before putting them on the menu. Your patience is appreciated. —Sagat
2008-10-20 22:38:59 I love this place: I've been back about ten times and have tried to make it a weekly habit since. Although I agree with the previous posters SunjeetBaadkar and DerrickUm that the daily costs of dining here would exceed an average college student's budget, I still look forward to each weekly visit as a special treat. I also enjoy introducing new people to this place — recent alumni get a kick out of stopping by. And every time we've visited, be it lunch or dinner, we've always received excellent and attentive service, so I thank all the workers very much for that.
I've only had three dessert crepes (banana-strawberry-chocolate, cheesecake and Mandarin orange), but I think I've tried almost every hot savory crepe (except the fish — will probably try that tomorrow night). I also like that I can create my own savory crepes by adding items a la carte (e.g., butter potato + egg & sausage = my version of the English classic: bangers, egg and mash).
And the creamy gelato rounds out a good, light meal. I appreciate the new flavors every week — never had mango, rice pudding and Blackberry Cabernet until a few weeks ago. And I can definitely attest that the healthy ingredients are of a substantial quality, because I actually feel good after having a few crepes — not weighed-down or sluggish (like when I eat at other fast food places such as McDonalds, Burger King, Jack n' the Box or Wendy's).
As for the earlier comments and discussion by AndrewPeake and IDoNotExist regarding the French-styled maid uniforms: I gotta say that I like 'em. Combined with the friendly attitudes of the workers, it's part of the charm that keeps me coming back. I'll be the first to admit that I'd be sad if the uniforms were discontinued.
As a follow-up to Sagat's earlier comment about interviewing and hiring male employees, it would be very interesting if they'd also have suitable uniforms. Possibly something along the lines of a maitre d': button-down, long-sleeved white shirt, black tie (nothing wrong with clip-ons), black vest, and black trousers, similar to the character designs in Yoshinaga Fumi's manga and subsequent anime "Antique Bakery".
To Sagat: On the theme of uniforms, are you planning any special changes for Halloween and Christmas? That'd be a hoot.
Keep up the good work, —T.Zukumori
2008-10-20 23:56:37 Can one become a new crepe flavor beta tester? :-) —IDoNotExist
2008-10-21 01:03:04 To T. Zukumori:
Thank you very much!
If you have seen my "manager" uniform (I am sure you have since you came on our opening day), that was suppose to be our male uniform. We decided that it is too much and males will only have to wear black shirt, black pants, and a dark pink tie to match our shop.
Yes, we will have changes for Halloween and other occasions/festivals. We planned to start our Halloween theme this Friday.
To IDoNotExist:
We'll be offering samples for our future new menu items. So every customer can become one of our beta testers. —Sagat
2008-10-27 01:01:04 The vegetarian selection is disappointing. Its like pita-pit, except its way easier to decide because there is only one vege-option. But at least pita-pit, which is certainly not my favorite Davis restaurant (unless the hour forces it to be) has flavor. Can a brother get some spice in this crepe! Heck, I'd settle for salt and pepper. My vege-crepe was like lettuce in thin tortilla. Disappointing... I guess I'll stick to crepes that come with potatoes. —RobRoy
2008-10-27 15:13:28 To RobRoy:
I am sorry that you were not satisfy with our crepes.
We have had a lot of vegetarian customers who requested to not have meat in the crepes (Ex. Pizza with no pepperoni and bacon and we gave them extra veggies and cheese, California with no crab meat and extra avocado, etc.). Although our menu seems lack in vegetarian options, you can always request as all items on the menu are customizable. We are also going to add tofu and mushrooms this Wednesday.
As for the flavor of the crepes, please do not compare us to other creperies currently open in Davis, as our crepes are very different. We do not use a lot of sodium and sugar in our crepes to intensify flavors, but we hope that our customers can enjoy the natural flavors in our 50+ ingredients, including 20+ kinds of flours in our special crepe mix. Our food are more healthy compared to other fast food places.
I kindly ask you to give us another try. We have a lot other vegetarian-friendly crepes other than the Salad ones, and we always try our best to serve our customers what they want. —Sagat
2008-10-27 15:25:59 The atmosphere, people, and food at Crepehouse Uni are really something special in Davis. You won't find a better place to grab a snack, dessert, or meal! The people are absolutely amazing; the employees always put customer service first and never cease to smile, no matter how busy they may be. Furthermore, the uniforms that the employees wear are extremely chic and unique to Crepehouse Uni. Sure, there are other places to find crepes in Davis, but the crepes served here are the very best, with ingredients internationally shipped to the restaurant and made Japanese-style: light, eaten by hand, and with the option of being served with gelato. —Mingming
2008-10-27 15:40:23 I'm generally skeptical of ordering menu items sans meat because I feel like i am getting ripped off. I don't like secret menus - which is one of the plethora of reasons I don't like In and Out. I would suggest an option that every crepe can be substituted with tofu. Vegetarians already have to deal with meat eaters destroying the planet, the least that can be done for us is to provide more options because we flock to those that do provide for us. —RobRoy
2008-10-27 16:17:09 Is Uni hiring right now Sagat? —StevenDaubert
2008-10-27 18:09:03 To Mingming:
Thank you very much for your compliments.
To RobRoy:
I was a vegetarian myself due to animal cruelty issues on this planet, and I totally understand your point. (I had to start eating meat again because I needed to test all products before putting them on the menu.)However, people have different preferences and it is simply impossible to please every single one.
Nothing is secret on our menu. We do have a couple items that are not on the menu yet and we offer to some customers for beta-testing purposes. But no, we don't have a secret menu. We list out every ingredient we put in each and every one of our crepes and customers can choose what to have or not have.
Regarding to destroying the planet, I don't agree that SOLELY meat eaters are doing it. If you put it that way, we can also say that vegetarians are destroying the planet by killing the plants. Every single person on this planet is doing the damage and we are all responsible. Why not spend more time on making a difference than blaming others for what WE ALL have done?
Thank you for your suggestion with tofu. As I mentioned earlier, we will have tofu starting from Wednesday/Thursday this week.
To Stephen:
We are not currently hiring, but we are still accepting resumes and we review all of them as we need more help. —Sagat
2008-10-28 01:40:42 I had another set of amazing experiences at Crepe House Uni (starting last Tuesday evening, then Friday night, over the weekend until tonight) and this place has become my favorite place at which to hang out. As a follow-up to my previous post, I did get to try crepes and gelato flavors that I hadn't had before:
- Tuna Crepe (hot, savory): Actually tried this one Tuesday night after work. I was initially reluctant to try this recipe because my experience with most tuna/ tuna-salad type recipes is that of overwhelming cream-like /mayonnaise-based consistency combined with either soggy toast or almost stale bread that turns to powder in my mouth. I'm glad to report that this was not the case with this savory crepe: the tuna filling was light and flaky in both texture and taste (not drenched in heavy mayo, over-salted or overpowered with capers). This was complimented by the delicate texture of the crepe, which was not as chewy or soft as with other recipes (see the Pizza crepe below). It is my personal thought that, as proof of the careful attention to detail that is applied when making these little treats, this recipe was purposefully served in a crepe that had not rested too long (in order to achieve that toasty, flaky texture). In any case, I was pleasantly surprised.
- Spiced Rum Raisin Gelato (served in a cup, 4.0 oz): For dessert, I popped over to gelato counter and was very delighted to see a Rum Raisin-based flavor (my history with Haagen-Dazs Rum Raisin goes back to my early childhood — my father would only purchase it once a month as a special treat for the family). I must have been grinning or drooling visibly at the sight because the server wasted no time in offering me a sample, and I wasted no time in getting a large serving. I savored every very bit of it and hope they keep this flavor around for a while.
- German Potato Crepe (hot, savory, added Cajun sausage for $1.00 extra): I stopped by on Friday night with hopes of checking out the new Halloween-themed uniforms that Sagat had hinted at in her last reply to me, but was a bit disappointed to learn that, because they had a really busy crowd the night before, they hadn't had the chance to implement the new uniforms or the decorations. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that that huge flat screen TV suspended above the inner area (1) isn't just for show, actually turns on and can get Japanese broadcasting; (2) has both a Nintendo Wii and a PS3 hooked up to it (I see that Sagat has recently updated the restaurant profile to include these amenities). While one of the regular customers tried his hand at the new "Silent Hill 5: Homecoming" game, I noticed that one of the savory crepe orders being prepared looked familiar, but was not the Potato and Butter I thought it to be. Turns out that I was the German Potato w/ cheese (one of the few remaining savory crepes that I had not yet tried). I rectified that error in a jiffy, chose Swiss cheese, added sausage, and let me tell you: the combination of melty cheese, spicy sausage and creamy mashed potatoes was GOOD. All I needed was a cold beer to complete the meal (I hear that management is looking into a liquor license, so a hearty kudos to them).
- I can't recall if I had any gelato after my meal that night, but I did get to test-taste their "crepe crisps", which are basically delicate and brittle wedges of plain crepes that have been toasted to a golden brown. They have a pleasant nutty aroma of vanilla and can be eaten out-of-hand or (as they are now serving it) inserted as garnishes onto full scoops of rich gelato. This is similar to what is done at the other gelato/ sorbet/ sorbetto vendor Icecrimski, which provides a complimentary crisp with each order, and additional crisps for either $0.25 or $0.50 each.
- Pumpkin Gelato (served in a cup, 4.0 oz): Having already had dinner earlier, I stopped by Saturday evening just for a bit of dessert and to say hello to my new gaming buddy from the night before (we ended up playing the new "Silent Hill" game together, which was thrillingly freaky as all heck for me). While making more new acquaintances during a few rounds of card games, I decided on a whim to try the new Pumpkin flavor (I thought that I was the first person to try this particular flavor because the gelato tray/bin looked unblemished by the ice cream scooper, but later learned that this was the second tray, and that the first had run out due to overwhelming popularity). Garnished with "crepe crisps" rabbit ears, this flavor (thankfully) did NOT taste of frozen pumpkin pie concentrate; rather, the pumpkin flavor was mildly spiced with slight hints of vanilla and brown sugar that were not at all overbearing.
- Ginza Pariparikko crepe (frozen dessert): On Sunday night, I stopped by around 10:30 PM but was informed that they were closing early due to a really slow night. However, the manager did offer some pre-made, frozen dessert crepes with a chocolate-based filling inside. As I'd been trying new things all weekend, I purchased it to-go. It kinda melted on the way home, so I popped it into the freezer for a few minutes to re-solidify. But I accidentally forgot about it for 30 minutes, so the crepe became rock solid (too hard for teeth). Using a chef's knife, I was able to cut it up into bite-size wafers to munch on while watching TV. At about $3.00, it's a surprisingly good value for what initially appears to be a sparse combination. For my next dinner party, in lieu of shortbread or gingersnaps, I'll get a few more of these crepes, chuck them into the freezer as well, and carve them up to serve alongside bowls of vanilla ice cream. Yum.
- Pizza Crepe (hot, savory): I seriously needed to unwind from a long day at work, so I stopped by around 10:00 PM tonight (Monday). I was introduced to a new server that I hadn't met over the weekend (seriously, the people here are SO friendly. How could anyone feel not welcome?) and ordered the Pizza Crepe (it was one of the few remaining savory combinations that I hadn't yet tried, and had heard good things about it). This crepe comes straight off the grill with creamy, melting cheese and piping hot sauce, so give it a few minutes before you take your first bite. The first thing that struck me was the vibrant acidity of the tomato slices. The melty goodness of the mozzarella cheese-blend, combined with the tangy red sauce, grilled onions and green bellpeppers, creates a delectable base for the ham and pepperoni slices. Nicely done, very savory.
- New Crepe (hot, savory, non-vegetarian — beta testing): As if the Pizza crepe wasn't enough, Sagat graciously offered me the opportunity to test-taste one of their newest creations. I don't know if I'm supposed to share the secret, but let me just say this to the omnivorous readers: (in the words of the "Men's Warehouse" president) You're gonna like this; I guarantee it.
So... obviously, I wasn't able to keep to my "once a week patronage" limit. What can I say — this place is way too much fun. Exciting developments are happening with the menu, the management and staff are friendly, and the laid-back and relaxing atmosphere allows you to comfortably enjoy your time — be it with a book and a cup of gelato, playing video games on the big screen, or watching Japanese variety shows. I wasn't able to limit my reviews to just the culinary aspects of my experiences because I'm a firm believer that atmosphere and attitude are both integral components of the overall gastronomic experience. In short: good food + good company = good times.
To RobRoy: Nice screen name (not actually a pseudonym, but his real name, I've learned); one of my co-workers is an avid Scotch drinker who is fond of ordering "Rob Roy (Dry)" cocktails when we go out for drinks at Bistro 33. In response to your comment about having more vegetarian offerings and your disdain for a "hidden" menu: Because the management and staff will do their utmost to ensure that you are satisfied (within reason) with your dining experience, they have no qualms about modifying a particular order (within reason) to meet a customer's request. Meat components can easily be removed from or added to a particular savory recipe (as my vegetarian friends have ordered the Pizza crepe without meat). So in essence, all the savory items can be made vegetarian. There is no hidden menu or secret offering that you are missing out on; all you have to do is ask politely. I understand that Sagat, in addition to adding tofu-based recipes, will also begin expanding the current repertoire of vegetables (I personally look forward to red and gold bellpeppers, as well as mushrooms — yum!). —T.Zukumori
- You and Sagat seem to have missed Rob's point. Sure, you can order an item that was priced to include meat, and ask for it without meat, but then it seems as though you're getting ripped off, eh? Whereas if there are items that are specifically vegetarian, you can see what the price is and decide if it is worth the price. —CovertProfessor
- Ah, yes, I did miss the point that the pricing was an issue. Sagat: will you consider adding a blurb on the menu to the effect that ordering a savory crepe without the meat might incur a $0.25 ~ $1.00 discount in the overall price, in the same way that adding meat will increase the price accordingly. Or, because you are test-tasting and will be ultimately expanding your vegetarian options, it might just be easier overall to add a separate section for vegetarian options (5-6 offerings) with fixed pricing, as Rob Roy has suggested. Just a thought. —T.Zukumori
- As I have mentioned, we have always given extra veggies and other ingredients when customers requested to not have meat in their crepes. I am also a customer when I go to other restaurants and I know what customers would want, and I apply that to my own business. We have been working in the past two weeks into adding more vegetarian items. Please understand that it takes time for us to test before adding it to the menu.—Sagat
2008-10-28 10:21:11 Ugh. I wondered what all the controversy over the uniforms was. Now that I have seen the picture, I won't be dining here. They're not as bad as the Hooters uniforms, but they're not exactly respectful to women, either. —CovertProfessor
- I think it's more of a cultural bias, Japanese pop-culture vs. whatever cultural standard you're using. Businesses have uniforms; theirs happen to be maid-type uniforms. And I don't think that these maid-type uniforms can be fairly compared to the "Hooters" uniforms because the latter uses explicit sex-appeal to sell their product: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooters. I don't find the uniforms used in Crepe House Uni to be disrespectful to the workers (or the customers); rather, I think they lend that unique "Japanese" flavor to the vibrant and youthful trendiness found in any of the numerous "cosplay" restaurants in Japan. But hey, I'm totally biased towards Japanese culture, so whatever works for you, I guess. —T.Zukumori
- I can believe that you might not see any problem with the uniforms. However, I reject your premise that respect for women is culturally relative. The fact that it is part of Japanese culture doesn't give it an exemption; if they were French maid uniforms I'd have the same problem. But this is a much longer discussion. My main goal was to let the owner know that some of us find these kinds of uniforms offensive and thus will not be frequenting the restaurant. The owner can then take that information into account, and decide whether the benefits of the uniforms outweigh the costs. —CovertProfessor
- Please allow me to explain that cosplay ia a form of Japanese street culture. It has nothing to do whatsoever with disrespecting anyone, male or female. Japanese teenagers and young adults (male and females) would dress up in costume as a hobby and they enjoy it (You can always find groups of people walking around in costumes in Japan). Some of them even make their own. The most common cosplay costumes are maid and sailor costumes. They easily seen on a lot of comic books and anime, and they are read and seen by people of all ages (Ex: Sailormoon). I can understand that we are introducing something very new to the US and it might be hard to be accepted by some. Our food quality and customers service are always our main focus. Please at least give us a try before making any sort of judgement. —Sagat
- As a woman I have no problems whatsoever with the uniforms. As Sagat has repeatedly mentioned, it is part of Japanese pop culture and therefore part of the experience of the restaurant! As for the comment that they are sexist, I think the uniforms are really cute, and obviously if any of the female employees had problems with them, they would seek work elsewhere. I haven't been into the restaurant yet, but I am really excited to! I have been to a few cos-play cafes in my time and personally think they're great! I am so happy a restaurant like this has opened in Davis!! —arianemetz
- We'll let time and customers to decide if the uniforms will affect business. —SimonFung
- Indeed —ArianeMetz
2008-10-28 15:05:39 I work at Crepe House Uni and the uniform was shown to me before I was hired. I personally think the uniform is really cute and there's NOTHING disrespectful to me as a woman. I feel better wearing them than a ugly polo shirt with a cap or a colorful clown looking uniform. I wouldn't even want to look at people directly if I am in one of those standardized uniforms! What I find disrespectful is when people have no clue about the fun of cosplay and are not respectful to a supposedly very fun factor of the Japanese culture. I find it disrespectful when people start to sexually harass us on the internet, judge our working performance, and judge the food of the restaurant without even giving us a try! I can't expect everyone to accept and love the uniform, but saying hurtful things like this on the internet isn't going to make me feel better or bring me justice. But I do have to admit that because of working here, I have to experience a lot of extra work stress that I usually don't have to experience when I was working at other fast-food restaurants (such as being judged or harassed), but I find myself getting stronger in handling stress like this and I learn to NOT be like them and judge a book by its cover. Working at Uni opens up my eyes to people, I have to put down my barrier, jump out of my comfort zone and talk, smile, and have really personal interactions with all types of customers in all shapes. It is so heart-warming when I receive a warm smile, a sincere "Thank you", or even a fun chit-chat from the people I usually dont talk to. You have no idea, some of the nicest people that I have met at work are not the ones who wear branded sunglasses or suits with tie. Why judge a book by its cover? Maid uniforms can be fun instead of disrespectful to woman!
I have to admit that I, as an employee, would be sad that if the uniform has to be taken away! I think if we didn't have stereotype about French maid uniform being "slutty" or "low-class", none of these discussions was going to happen. People need to open up their minds and try new things! Jump out of our comfort zone already! It's halloween soon and I think I am going to see 10 French maids and 20 Hooter girls on the street, that doesn't keep me from going out and have fun with my friends! Just because you don't see something everyday, doesn't mean it is bad.
The uniform is only disrespectful to woman if you choose to think it is. I see the good sides of things and I think it is fun to wear, not to mention that it is extremely cute! —Saru
2008-10-28 18:06:44 I still think the UNIforms are fine, if anything they add some flair / enhance the experience. It's a little disconcerting at first but once you get to the food it just becomes part of the atmosphere —StevenDaubert
2008-10-28 19:55:21 While the uniforms are certainly not your traditional American corporate food server attire I do not find them objectionable at all. Personally I'm glad they are not dressed in the colored polo and ball cap. It is not a risque maid uniform and they are well covered and appropriate for the food serving industry. Everyone certainly will have their opinion on these matters but this is no way even close to Hooters outfits and not even in the same realm. Employment is a willful decision and as the employee's have commented they saw the uniforms before being offered the position. Thank you Sagat and Crepe Uni for bringing something different and tasty to Davis.
2008-10-28 21:24:18 To Saru and Sagat (the latter who edits Saru's comments??): I'm going to keep this short because this is not the place to have this conversation. I just want to point out that this is by now an old conversation. For example, the 1997 tv show Ally McBeal sparked a very similar conversation, when the protagonist of the show, a professional woman who portrayed a lawyer, wore very short skirts to work. Many people defended her as a "new feminist," and many women said they were happy to be sexy and professional at the same time. Other people were unconvinced by this and felt that even though women would happily and freely choose to wear sexy clothes in the workplace, that they were deceiving themselves if they thought they were being perceived as serious professionals. Add to this the view of women as "servants," and it does not project a positive picture of women. But look, I know I'm not going to change any minds here, and I'm not trying to. I'm just trying to explain why it is that I take the view I do, and to point out that this is not about Japanese culture. I have no problem with Japanese culture; I have a problem with things that disrespect women (even things chosen by women themselves), regardless of what culture they appear in. So, I don't appreciate the insinuation that I am culturally insensitive (there is an irony here, but I'll leave that for the irony-sensitive to detect). Sagat: as an owner, I would think you would be appreciative of the feedback — I am surely not the only one in the town who thinks this way, even if I end up being the only one who speaks up on the wiki, and owners generally pay a lot of money for this sort of information. Do with it as you wish, but please understand I am not so desperate for a meal at a restaurant that I would overturn a principle I believe in to get one.
This is my last comment on this page; I will make no further comment. —CovertProfessor
2008-10-28 22:28:12 Well, the way I see it is we have a cafe that has chosen to hire an all female, all Asian staff and have them wear maid outfits. Men have not been hired and the will not be asked to wear a servent style costume. As I said my knowledge of Japanese pop culture is limited, but to me to be at best exploitative, at worst sexist. Since I mentioned this, the only defense is that it is part of some street or anime culture. That could be true, I don't buy that as an excuse, and I am glad that I am not alone. —AndrewPeake
2008-10-29 00:00:07 To CovertProfessor:
Saru borrowed my computer to edit her post while she was here at the shop and she forgot to log on to her own account.
I am sorry but I don't see how the TV show you mentioned is related to our uniform. Our girls don't wear extremely short skirts or even reveal much. There is nothing sexy about a Japanese maid uniform. I am a female and there is NO REASON whatsoever for me to disrespect women. In fact, I don't disrespect anyone. It is not that I don't appreciate your comments. I truly appreciate every single one who spent their precious time on giving me suggestions and what they really think. I only wanted to clarify some misunderstanding about this form of Japanese culture and I have to protect my employees. We are a great team, our morale is very high and I hope it will stay that way. I would like to give it some more time to see how the general public respond to our new business. If needed, the uniform will be changed. Once again, I appreciate your time and expressing your point of view here.
To Andrew:
As I have mentioned a long time ago, we have been interviewing male candidates. We don't choose our employees based on race or gender, but good attitude, multi-tasking efficiency and the ability to work in a team. If you ask anyone who works here or trained here before, working at Uni is not as easy as it seems. Everyone have to pass our 2-week training program in order to be officially employed. It just happened that we got more applications from females and most of them were Asians. We have an average of 10 applications per day since one month before we opened and we only got 5 applications in total from males so far. Also, we have non-Asian employees and trainees.
I truly hope that our customers can focus more on our customer service and food quality. Thank you very much again for your time. —Sagat
2008-10-29 02:03:13 Am I blind or covertprofessor never explained why he/she feels the maid uniform is disrespectful? Comparing unicrepe with ally mcbeal and hooters O_o? I'm not making the connections. The unicrepe here in Davis is actually a "milder" version compared to the plethora of maid cafes in japan. Look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSSqJZmn3AE and you'll know what I mean. Those with strong negative feelings are more prone to post (just something to think about when browsing around message boards/daviswiki). I thought this place was pretty awesome but didn't bother to leave comments. What sparked me to actually post something are the narrow-minded comments thrown out. Just have to balance things a little. It is good to see hints of japanese pop culture are popping up in this small town. Keep in mind college students/young adults are well exposed to Japanese culture and their affinity for anything japanese are continuing to expand. http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/businessideas/article193244.html —defrew
- You are correct in that CovertProfessor did not explain how or why s/he felt that the maid uniform is disrespectful. I had drafted a response to that earlier comment, but refrained from posting it when I realized (with the help of some friends) that continuing this argument would not necessarily help the image of the restaurant in question. Also, because CovertProfessor stated that this was to be their last comment on this page, it wouldn't have resolved or helped things in the long run, just possibly create more fuel for inflammatory comments. —T.Zukumori
- Please don't use "jap" as an abbreviation for Japanese. It's really offensive. —JennSuzuki
2008-10-29 12:29:05 Stopped by about half an hour ago today to introduce a co-worker to this place. We ordered a strawberry-banana-choco-fresh dessert crepe and a Cajun Sausage savory crepe to-go. The crepe batter is considerably darker because a touch of food coloring has been added as part of their ongoing Halloween celebration (should be more goodies this Friday). —T.Zukumori
2008-10-29 17:02:38 Also, what does the Uni refer to? University? Universal? An acronym for Unknown Neptunian Intelligence? —IDoNotExist
2008-10-29 22:36:05 I believe it means "unique". I shall confirm that when I visit the headquarters in Japan in December. —Sagat
2008-10-29 23:26:40 Thanks, Sagat! —IDoNotExist
2008-10-30 11:07:27 This place sucks. I went there with a buddy to get some food and we paid about $6 for a tiny little pizza crepe. The crepe is too thin and the service sucked. I do not recommend this place at all. They have 2 oz of gelato for like $3. It is a ripoff and they aren't going to last long. Stick to Crepeville! —UcDvbl8
2008-10-30 11:31:22 Sheesh, can we get back to the important stuff here...like the food! I went here with two co-workers yesterday for lunch. We were the only ones there at Noon. I was a bit surprised and expected more diners. We all loved our crepes. If you are expecting crepes like crepeville you will be disappointed. They are much smaller, but I would say a perfect portion. We were all pleasantly full and satisfied. I took one of the suggestions for the german mashed potato crepe with the sausage added. It was great. The other two diners had a pizza crepe and a green salad crepe. Both were enjoyed. Out of the three the pizza crepe was the least popular.
We enjoyed the crepe and will be back. I do have to agree that the price of the gelato seemed high for the serving and it was just ok gelato. —LokiAbbi
2008-10-30 13:31:41 Addressing the comments about gelato and pricing: (1) Gelato is more expensive than ice cream because it is denser than (most) ice cream. With the exception of some premier ice creams, most ice creams have additional air whipped in (in addition to the amount that is naturally incorporated during the churning process) in order to increase volume. Gelato does not have "additional air" added, which is why it it is denser (more substance, less air). If you were to compare equal volume measurements of ice cream and gelato, you would find more gelato than ice cream. (2) While I agree that the price spent on gelato can easily be used to purchase something more substantial, like a combo meal at a fast-food restaurant, I don't agree that the prices for gelato at Crepe House Uni are unreasonably expensive. I called to do a price check at the three other restaurants in Davis that serve gelato; here's the comparison:
*Crepe House Uni:
- 2.0 oz = $2.29
- 4.0 oz = $3.69
*Icekrimski Cafe (server was not sure as to the exact volumetric dimensions of each serving):
- Small = $3.15
- Medium = $4.15
- Large = $5.15
- Pint (by volume) = $7.50
*Konditorei (BTW, they have stopped serving gelato during the winter season, and will start again in Spring 2009, about May 2009)
- Small (single scoop) = $3.50
- Large (double scoop) = $5.50
*Zia's Delicatessen (server who helped me guessed that a "small" = 2.0 oz)
- Small = $2.50
- Medium = $3.50
- Large = $4.50
I think Crepe House Uni's gelato prices are very reasonable. I'm just glad that we have more places in Davis serving gelato (have not yet found it for sale in bulk at a supermarket). —T.Zukumori
2008-10-30 15:01:24 What is the difference between gelato and ice cream? —IDoNotExist
2008-10-30 15:15:45 To UcDvbl8:
I am sorry that we did not meet your expectations. Please understand that Japanese-style crepes are very different from American or French-style crepes. Our crepes are thinner and more delicate. They are more suitable for lunch or snacks instead of a stuffing full meal.
Would you please specify how our service was bad? Please let us know so we can make improvements.
Our gelato is $2.29 for 2oz. (or $1.50 to add in a crepe) and $3.69 for 4oz. Gelato has less than 20% air content and most of the gelato flavors we offer has 0% air content. Ice-cream has 70-100% air content and that's why they appear to have more volume.
Other differences between gelato and ice-cream is the butter fat content and ingredients used. Ice-cream contains 10-20% butter fat while gelato contains 3-8%. Most of the ingredients used to made the gelato we currently offer are imported from Italy.
I have done a lot of researches in gelato pricing and I am confident to say that our prices are extremely reasonable for the quality we offer.
To LokiAbbi:
Thank you very much and I am glad that you enjoyed our crepes!
We carefully evaluate each and every gelato to make sure only the best is offered to the customers. May I ask which flavor(s) that you tried was/were not up to your standards?
To T.Zukumori: Thank you again for your support and clarification on things.
To IDoNotExist:
The main differences between ice-cream and gelato:
- Less air content
Gelato - 0-20% air content Ice-cream - 70-100% air content
- Less butter fat
Gelato - 3-8% butter fat Ice-cream - 10-20% butter fat
I'm not taking a side here, but I'd like to point out that it is not possible for ice cream (or anything else besides air, for that matter) to be 100% air. If you had ice cream that was 100% air, you'd have air, not ice cream. I'm not disagreeing with your general comment, Sagat, but you might want to clarify. —JonathanLawton
- 100% air content (1:1 liquid and air) = 50% air. Hope that clarify things. Sorry for the confusion. —Sagat
- Ah, got it. I suspected that was the case, but wasn't sure. Thanks for explaining! —JonathanLawton
- Actually, a good chunk of ice cream is closer to 15% to 20% overrun (i.e., the percentage toward being a 1:1 ratio of air, which is what Sagat is talking about when using percents of air content). You pretty much only see 70% to 100% overrun in the ultra cheap ice cream novelties with pictures of cartoon whales sold in gas stations and out of ice cream trucks. And experimental or extreme ice creams, but that's an entirely different thing (mmmm... microbeaded ginger ice cream foam). In reality, there's no actual difference in kind between gelato and ice cream, as gelato is just the Italian word for ice cream, so it is used to describe the more traditionally Italian recipes (well, relatively traditional — the Romans would bring down snow and flavor it with fruits and cream). They are just words to describe various spots on a spectrum of ingredient ratios (mostly butterfat and size of ice crystals), unlike... say... sorbet, which lacks any dairy whatsoever. Of course, different ratios give different tastes, so it is handy to know what you're ordering (or making). Oh, and by the way, part of the reason that these numbers are cited like they are is because there are FDA categories for various ice cream products. In reality, they are quite useless, as very little of the "ice cream" sold nowadays is actually categorized as "ice cream". The majority of ice cream currently sold in the United States is under the FDA classifications of Premium or Superpremium. —Evan 'JabberWokky' Edwards
- Traditional gelato has some differences, eggs for instance, and no ice cream can have less than eight percent butter-fat if I recall, just on the basis that to be cream would require more than 12 (even light whipping I think). I could do more research, but there 'ought' be difference between the two. ~Dp
2008-10-31 12:43:42 To T.Zukumori, who wondered about "bulk gelato at grocery stores": Pints of Gelato are available at the Nugget grocery stores and the Davis Food Co-Op. The Gelato Classico and Sorbetto Classico brands are the same as what Icekrimski serves.
On Legal Definition of Ice Cream: Ice cream requires a minimum milkfat content and has a maximum air content. I have noticed a good deal of Dreyer's products, particularly the "Fun Flavors" line, are now "Frozen Dairy Dessert" not "ice cream." Check with faculty over at Food Science for a better set of definitions. —JudithTruman
2008-10-31 16:12:27 Went here for lunch with a couple of my co-workers today knowing nothing at all about it other than it being a new restaurant. We walked in, and it was eerily quiet. The atmosphere seemed like it would be a fun, trendy place to have lunch; but without any music, or anyone talking (even the patrons!), I felt like I was walking into the Twilight Zone. Two girls were working behind the counter - neither looked up or acknowledged us. I finally had to come up to the counter and ask where the menus are, how we order, etc. The five of us all ordered the Ham & Cheese crepe, which took about 10 minutes. Out of the five of us, only one person got lettuce in their crepe, though it's specified in the menu. The crepe itself was very, VERY sparse - one piece of cheese, one piece of ham, overly cooked crepe. I couldn't believe we paid $5.49 + tax to eat such a small portion of food. It literally was about 7 average bites of food, no more. I don't know if they were going for the eerie, spooky, twilight zone effect b/c it was Halloween, or if the atmosphere is always that strange and distant. In the end, we found the experience highly amusing b/c of how odd the whole lunch was, but I really wouldn't recommend Crepe House Uni to anyone. If you want to get the most out of your $5.49, I suggest Crepeville. At least they give you a side of potatoes! —HeidiDris
2008-11-01 04:48:12
First of all, (I have mentioned this for numerous of times) although Crepeville and Crepe House Uni both offer crepes, we are very different in many ways. Comparing us to them is like comparing Japanese food to American food. There are very little similarities.
I am sorry to say, but consistency is one of the most important things at Crepe House Uni, and all my employees know it extremely well. There is lettuce in most of our savory items and sometimes we even have employees put lettuce in crepes that aren't supposed to have it because it became a habit. Also, there's NEVER 1 piece of Canadian Bacon. It's always been three or four pieces (after we increased the size of Hawaiian and Ham and Cheese) depending on which crepe. The portion increase notice is still on the door of my office.
I am going to check the cameras to verify. I know which two employees were on shift during lunch time and if what you mentioned is true their employment will be TERMINATED IMMEDIATELY and we will issue you a full refund.
EDIT: I just checked the sales record, and there are four Ham and Cheese orders around the same time (2 orders, then a fruit crepe, then 2 more all within 4 mintues.) The next Ham and Cheese order afterwards was 28 minutes later.
It showed clearly on the camera that my employees put the right amount of all ingredients in all the Ham and Cheese crepes. Some of them did not have mayonnaise but it shown on the sales records that it was requested to be omitted.
May I ask why you did not bring your complains to my employees' attention right away if you felt like you did not get what was described on the menu? —Sagat
2008-11-01 08:37:27 I went here last night to get the cinnamon apple crepe and to check out the costumes since Sagat mentioned there'd be a Halloween theme. This was the third time I've been here and I really enjoy it! I love the decor and the funny shows that's always playing on the TV and the service has been great. It's sad to see that the place has been nearly empty every time I visit. I also have one suggestion: can you put a water dispenser by the coffee creamer? I always forget to ask for a cup of water when I order. When I do ask, the styrofoam cup I'm given is a little small, so I'd be nice to refill my cup on my own rather than keep asking the waitress for a refill. —EmmyMelton
2008-11-01 16:54:19 Thank you very much for your suggestion. It is a very good idea. We shall look into getting a water dispenser or bigger cups for water. —Sagat
2008-11-01 20:11:21 To HeidiDris If you don't know anything the restaurant, may I suggest you to look around the outside before even thinking of walk in? There are two big posters on the outside window to the right that tells you all about crepe and gelato. (hint: the purpose of the poster, duh!) and samples on the left side to tell you how the crepe looks like. As for the greetings, I don't know if you are even listening or too busy talking to your co-workers, the girls there are always so friendly and helpful. AND the food portion is always as accurate as it stated on the menu, and not as you said, one piece of ham and one piece of cheese + without lectuce. Here is one way you can get your money worth on your food, there is a McDonalds up on cowell, and you can order up to 5 cheeseburgers ($1.08 *5 = $5.40), and you still get 9 whole cents left in your pocket for your piggy bank. and you know what?? If you order 5 cheeseburgers, there will be 5 pieces of cheese total or 5 pieces of lectuce if you oder MC chicken. WOW!!! You can do this everyday, you can get the maximum worth out of your money. —crepelover
2008-11-02 14:25:37 I'd like to add my thoughts and review of CHU. I've been here quite a few times and the food, service, and atmosphere will keep me coming back. It's almost like walking into a little bit of Japan. If you're looking to stuff your face on a tight budget, look elsewhere. CHU crepes aren't as huge as a guad burrito, but still leave me satisfied. They focus on quality, and Sagat has talked to me a few times about the ingredients and subtle changes they have made to the crepes. I got the feeling that she is passionate about taste and quality, and it shows in their crepes.
The service in my experience has always been above par. As someone who has lived in Japan, the service is similar to what one would expect in a cafe there. The staff greet me as I enter (but rarely they miss the greet if they are swamped), bring the order to me when it is ready, and thank me when I leave. Little things like slightly bowing when they take payment complete the warp-zone-to-Japan experience. The staff is human, and mistakes happen. My order was mistaken once, and I talked to the staff who were accomodating and fixed it right away. I disagree with the comments saying that the costumes are sexy or demeaning. This isn't Hooters and we shouldn't confuse a sexy/demeaning uniform with an elaborate and frilly one, especially considering the cultural basis of the uniform. In my opinion, the uniform is a small but important part of the whole experience. I've seen more revealing clothing on waitresses at other "normal" restaurants and wouldn't even call that sexy/demeaning/pandering for tips etc.
The atmosphere is sweet and inviting, and complements the food and service. Sometimes they play Japanese TV shows like Bistro Smap, which is awesome. There's a Wii in the back and PS3 in the front. They play Japanese music through the store, sometimes switching to the sound for the game systems. There are outlets for laptops, and a strangely strong moobilenet wifi signal. I've migrated here for laptop work and the mochas/drinks are great for sipping while doing work.
I'd recommend CHU to those looking for a good Japanese style crepe in a fun, quirky environment. The staff is friendly, and it's a great place to work on the laptop or just hang out and play the wii after dessert. —CharlesWinkelmann
2008-11-02 23:53:47 I think by now Crepe House Uni has made it EXTREMELY CLEAR that they offer JAPANESE CREPES. If you want AMERICAN CREPES and stuff yourself with a bunch of cheap potatoes and too much cheese go to CREPEVILLE. If you expect a cheap meal go to McDonald's. Don't come here and complain. And wouldn't it make Sagat stupid as a business owner if she opened something similar to Crepeville in Davis anyways? Direct competition???
Oh and the maid uniform! I appreciate it as one of the Tokyo/Harajuku street culture. I have seen a lot of hotels that have maid uniforms for the housekeeping crews just not as fancy and cute. So CovertProfessor are you going to call them disrespectful to women too?
About pricing they are very reasonable. I used to drive all the way back to SF for some Japanese crepes, and they are actually more expensive. Been to Japan for 1 year as an exchange student I think Crepe House Uni is the MOST AUTHENTIC Japanese crepes you can get here.
Open your minds and stop criticizing for stupid things. I always respect people who can start a business and Sagat is probably the one I respect the most by far. There isn't one time I went to Uni without seeing her there and she ALWAYS tries her best to make things right for everyone. This is a SELF-SERVICE-FAST-FOOD RESTAURANT and the services is WAY BETTER than most of the restaurants I've been to. The workers ALWAYS greet me with a warm smile and told me the menus are right by the cash registers whenever I walked in and always thanked me when I left. I don't know what UcDvbl8 was talking about but the LAST THING I would complain about this place is the SERVICE. They are all very friendly and whenever I come here with my friends to study they would always offer to turn the music down and if we needed water/refills for our drinks, etc. Even though we stay for 6+ hours without ordering much.
To HeidiDris: They put their "over-cooked" crepe pieces on their gelato and so far everyone I know LOVE it. I don't know how big your mouth is or how bad your eating manner is, but I can't see how you can finish one in 7 normal bites even they are smaller than over-sized American portions. The menus are ALWAYS available at the counter. If you still had to ask where they are after you walked up to the counter you seriously need your eyes checked.
I really appreciate Crepe House Uni for bringing something new to Davis. Now I don't have to fly all the way to Japan or drive back to SF just for some good Japanese crepes. —iloveizakaya
That is what I wanted to say, but in nicer overtones... people hear crepes and think la crepe and crepeville, which each have their own niche. Uni has a focus on quality food with top notch ingredients... The batter has over 50 ingredients and must be imported, same with the hand glued crepe wrappers that are presenting a challenge for American suppliers to replicate because of the uncompromising adherence to a quality standard that is high. Uni is a delectable treat, it's not a huge meal with a main dish of potatoes, and it's not a savory la crepe. The crepes (and the batter) are way thinner than la crepe, which in turn is way thinner than crepeville. La Crepe is basically the crepe bistro masquerading as a crepe cart, crepeville is an Americanization of crepes. We compare apples to oranges, but they are still fundamentally different. I was also against the concept of the UNIforms with my logic being similar to CP's, however when I went in I realize (in a nutshell) it just adds to the whole experience. UNI may be sorta slow, and the menu is changing but this is a SOFT opening here people, Sagat is just dipping a toe into the American market. Someone was telling me it's kinda creepy how Sagat is all over every comment here, I countered with if you go in and look at the bottom of the menu it explains that feedback and comments are welcome, this is just a nice cache of information isn't going anywhere. Another thing that was brought up in a discussion about UNI is the employment termination comment... When you work at a place where you have at will employment and you don't greet customers, or make food correctly the customers don't think negatively of the employees they think negatively of the business. I personally love the fact that sagat when back and checked the films and consulted the records to determine if experience was really all bad, it shows a commitment to customers, and that along with the delicious nature of the food insures that I will visit uni at least bi monthly when I want to splurge on something yummy... The people who I engaged in the discussion of uni all agreed that I should tell Sagat I would do PR for her UNI I was so enthusiastic about my defense of uni to them on numerous issues ranging from portions to UNIforms (both things of which uni has won me over on now that I have a better understanding of what UNI is about) —StevenDaubert
Post Script: I apologize wholeheartedly for what I am sure is a ton of grammatical errors, and a couple run on sentences... The ham and cheese crepe was awesome for my parents to split as a meal, and since they waited about 20 minutes while the crepe was transported home it only got tastier. Jasmine and her nameless coworker did wonderful, I noticed several instances of going above and beyond the call to try and make sure people have an enjoyable experience!
2008-11-04 00:44:20 I once again thank you to all who spare your precious time on giving us valuable comments and suggestions.
I truly appreciate those who support Crepe House Uni. I am glad we provided you with pleasant experiences to share with everyone here on DavisWiki. However, I agree that we should not personally attack others. I sincerely hope that our business is not one that promotes hatred.
To HeidiDris: I have double-checked the videos again and I believe there have been a lot of misunderstandings:
1. My employees looked up and said hello when your group walked in. Maybe they were not audible and I apologize for that. 2. My employees asked your group twice if you were ready to order while you were still looking at the menu. 3. You ordered 4 Ham and Cheese crepes and 1 fruit crepe instead of 5 Ham and Cheese crepes. 4. There were lettuce in all of the Ham and Cheese crepes. Some of them had 3 leaves because those lettuce leaves were smaller than the others. 5. There were more than 1 piece of cheese and 1 piece of ham in each of them, and the right amount in each of them. 6. The crepes were all cooked for about 40 - 55 seconds. The perfect cooking time would be 45 seconds. So they were not overcooked. 7. The other patrons were talking but they were closer to the front of the shop. Your group were sitting in the far back. 8. I am sorry that we did not turn the music on, but the entertainment system installer was here doing some work on the system. We turned the music on after your request.
I respect that you did not enjoy our crepes. As I have mentioned, a lot of people are not familiar with Japanese crepes and I totally understand that. It would be best if you could kindly let my employees know about your dissatisfactions and give us a chance to make things better for you on the spot. —Sagat
- It's worth noting that (customer POV) perception of a bad experience is just as bad as actually having one! —StevenDaubert
- While I respect your desire to respond to criticisms of your restaurant and offer explanations, I have to say that going back to check out video tape of a customer or group of customer's who complained is very extreme. No matter how fantastic your business is some people will end up having negative experiences at your restaurant, most of which will be out of your control, and while I know you want to defend your store to the best of your ability especially while it is new, checking out video tape footage of a customer who complained strikes me as excessive and borderline creepy. —JakeJames
- I totally understand that all businesses can make mistakes and we might not be able to satisfy every single one of our customers, but I can try my very best to make sure that the same mistake won't be made again. I just wanted to verify if my employees were doing their job, not checking out a complaining customer. Please understand. —Sagat
2008-11-06 20:39:16 I would like to thank JabberWokky for his clarification on overrun in Ice Cream. Ben & Jerry's' overrun is roughly 18 to 20 percent. The sign in the window of Crepe House Uni is entirely misleading. By simply stating that ice cream is "70-100 % air" it implies as if that is entire parameter of ice cream when it is in fact the bottom of the barrel quality of ice cream. I suggest that Crepe House Uni not compare itself to the bottom of the barrel and also not post misleading statistics in its window. —RobRoy
2008-11-06 21:17:55 I got the statistics from my gelato suppliers and had the posters made before doing further research. I deeply apologize for that.
Thank you very much for the information and the posters will be edited very soon. —Sagat
2008-11-20 13:09:25 UNI has an application for alcoholic beverages, are you gonna do flambe sagat?!?! —StevenDaubert
2008-12-02 22:33:37 Is it true you guys serve "geoffrey burger" or is that just a rumor? —RebekahLee
2008-12-02 23:00:59 I got a Cajun Sausage crêpe and I wasn't really impressed. It just tasted like vinegar and random spiciness.... little else in the way of flavor. I'm willing to withhold overall judgement, though, until I try one of their dessert crêpes, which is probably what they do best. I'm also willing to accept that they do a good job at making Japanese-style crêpes and I'm just not a fan of the style. —WilliamLewis
2008-12-04 17:40:34 Now that Uni-Crepe has been open for a couple months I gave it another shot and my complaint about the absence of savory vegetarian options has been rectified. The Portabella Mushroom crepe I had this afternoon dripped with sauce and the mushroom crammed into the crepe was the size of a softball. It is good that menu makers, like Sagat, are reaching out to vegetarians by expanding their meatless savoryness. —RobRoy
2008-12-09 18:23:04 I went to crepe house uni last weekend with a bunch of my friends. We arrived at 12pm, expecting to be able to eat but it WASN'T OPEN. in fact, it didn't end up opening until past 1pm, TWO HOURS after it should have opened. Service was extremely slow and it took an entire HOUR to get my pizza crepe while other patrons who came after us had already received their. :/ the food was good, but between the extremely late opening and the terribly slow service, I am very disappointed. it seems like they need to hire a few more people and tell them to arrive ON TIME to open. A woman who worked next door said that opening around 1 is a common occurrence. If so, maybe they should change the opening time to 1 pm or something?? —darthlindsaykins
*We are sorry about opening late that day, but my employee who was suppose to open that day had a little accident and she wasn't able to get in touch with me sooner. We apologize for any inconveniences caused.
2008-12-10 15:18:40 I have been wanting to try this restaurant for some time now. I went there for lunch today with two friends. I thought the crepes were good. But I did notice some minor problems. Even though we were the only ones in the restaurant, it took a long time to get our crepes (which then arrived one at a time about 2 minutes apart). Even though this was the height of lunch hour, they only had one person working (she was very nice though). If there had been any crowd for lunch, it would have taken forever to get our crepes as they are made to order, one at a time. The restaurant also not only serves unfiltered Davis tap water, but they seem to use it in their sodas which makes them taste pretty bad. It was also unusually hard to find the garbage can. We ultimately found it hidden behind a pillar by the front door. And yes, it is a pretty sterile place and taking the "menu" off the front window and putting it on the wall behind the counter would help. I would go back, but not if I was in any hurry or with a group of people who were expecting to eat together at the same time. —ToNils
IIRC restaurants have a commercial grade water filter on their inlet, so "tap" water has already been filtered... —StevenDaubert
*Our tap water is filtered, but I do notice a decrease in quality in our soda since we have replaced our CO2 tank. We are looking into the problem. Your patience is appreciated.
2008-12-18 00:26:57 I've been to a couple of these Japanese-style crepe places in SF. They're awesome when you need a quick snack. Unfortunately, my experience at Crepe House Uni was far from the typical fast, tasty, snack that I was accustomed to getting from similar style crepe places I’ve been to. First off, there was no menu behind the counter. Instead, I was given a paper menu to look over. I also was disappointed to find out that they didn’t have nutella, and that the crepe used to wrap the strawberries and chocolate I had chosen off the menu was not cooked fresh to order. Instead, it was peeled off a layer of pre-made crepe rounds kept moist under a towel. So instead of a warm and delicious made to order dessert crepe filled with melted chocolate and strawberries, I was given a limp and cold crepe-skin containing nothing more than chopped up strawberries and chocolate sauce. I would suggest visiting Genki on Clement St. or Sophies Crepes near Japantown to get a better idea of how awesome this food concept can actually be. —BrianBaliwas
1. We apologize for not having a menu behind the counter yet. We are having a digital menu board made, which is taking more that expected. 2. We started to offer Nutella since a month ago. 3. In Japan, Uni crepes are pre-made, covered with a damp towel, and sit for 20-30 minutes to reach 100% of the distinctive moist texture. That way, the fruits won't get warmed and the whipped cream and gelato won't melt as fast (Of course warm fruit crepes can be made upon customers' requests). We have been following the traditional Uni crepe making technique created 42 years ago. However, we have noticed that a lot of our customers in the US market enjoy their crepes made fresh, so we started to offer them made-to-order since over a month ago.
Please be patience as we are continuing to make improvements according to customers' comments and suggestions. Thank you very much.
Cool... thanks for the info. —BrianBaliwas