Holy Crepe! What’s Up with the Line at Sophie’s Crepes?

Awhile back I was walking around San Francisco’s Japantown when I noticed a big crowd outside Sophie’s Crepes, located on the second floor of the indoor mall (on the side closest to the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas). I’d seen the tiny crepe shop in the past, but never with this crowd. So you know what that meant? That’s right. Taste test.

I got in line and looked over the menu. Sophie’s sells both savory and sweet crepes, but of course the sweet crepes are the most popular (think Nutella and Strawberries vs. Turkey and Cheese). I ordered one of the Japanese specials, which looking over my notes I’ve realized I forgot what they called it. They should have named it “Sophie’s Choice” and I totally would have remembered that, but instead it was called something else.

Anywho, it had green tea gelato and red bean paste (azuki beans) and a special matcha (green tea) sauce. This sold for $4.70.

While I waited for my crepe, I would have taken pictures of the workers making the paper-thin crepes in the front, except Sophie’s had a very big “no cameras” sign posted outside. So all you get is this photo of my Japanese-special-I-forgot-what-it-was-called crepe.

The tiny shop doesn’t have many seats so most people get their crepe to go. It’s delivered to you like a cone. I didn’t know how I was supposed to eat it, so I got a spoon and started to scoop the gelato. Oh. My. Gaawd. It was like spooning cement. I couldn’t cut through the thick green tea gelato, and my plastic spoon literally bent to the point I was worried it’d flick into two and go flying into the crowd like some ninja star.

So I gave up and instead flattened my cone and started to bite into the crepe like an ice cream sandwich. Mmmm, this method worked out great because I got to taste the slightly crunchy crepe and the thick gelato acted like glue to keep all the ingredients in place instead of oozing off the sides. I don’t know if it was designed to be eaten this way, but it was the only way I could finish this.

Overall, I thought the crepe was just OK and I really liked the red bean paste. But I didn’t like the green tea gelato. I have a feeling the lines at Sophie’s may be an indication that there are so few sweet options in Japantown when you’re looking for something cold like ice cream or gelato. Time to mosey on along. Nothing to see here.

Sophie’s Crepes, 1581 Webster St. (at Post on second floor of the indoor mall in Japantown), San Francisco. PH: 415.929.7732

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