A crepe crawl makes an ideal Japanese jaunt. If you have spent time along the alleyway course of Harajuku’s Takeshita-dori, you will have doubtless tasted aromas sweet and bright-colored as the local bubblegum pop and fashions. That sweet air is a dose of sugar by crepe. Eating at a Takeshita crepe stand sometimes feels like gluttony; the taste is whisked up into a whip with the spread of Harajuku sensations. In Kamakura, a crepe from the Marion Crepes cafe is that single earthly delight Kotoku-in’s Daibutsu dreams about down the lane.
The cafe, two minutes south of Kotoku-in Daibutsu, lies between the hulking Buddha and the sands of Kamakura Bay. It’s a great way to fill up, if the Buddha has inspired you so. These rolled treats are also a replenishing finish after the Daibutsu hiking course’s tortuous wind. If the day has just began, order take-out and wander off into a cerebral sweets paradise while you shift your gaze towards the storefronts before Kotoku-in’s gateway.
Marion Crepes cafe’s design is a motley mix. The storefront focuses on the take-out window’s bright blue-white. Menus stand against the absence of the regular waiter’s concerned gesture of spontaneously producing menus for visitors. The colors and the signboard’s lackadaisical slouch are both reminiscent of the easygoing United States boardwalk experience. That can’t devalue their offerings – Marion Crepes cafe crafts pastries, after all.
There is a spot of French presentation dotting Marion Crepes cafe. The colors of the store flag match the French flag’s. The signboard also designates the eatery as a “Patisserie.” Waiting in the unexpected Wednesday mid-afternoon line, I also heard French spoken between other customers. It was a curious cultural mixing, seeing these decoratively dolloped crepes sold alongside hot dogs and umpteen ice cream flavors.
The cafe’s crepe selection had many to chew from. The variety was sweet-to-savory and light-to-lumpy. That doesn’t mean you should suspect questionable confectionery consistencies, unless a slice of cheesecake with whipped cream sandwiched into a crepe is unacceptable for you. Fresh from the forest, I chose a warm apple-custard crepe. Still savoring the clear air’s scent, spiced by fallen leaves, the crepe reminded me of heading home to apple pie during autumn.
The pacing of the crepe making, from the cream piping to the deft folding, was brisk. Even though it was midweek, the Wednesday half-price special drew a crowd. It was a delight seeing the staff’s faces set sweet as the crepe batter, despite the customer rush.
My crepe presented within a paper funnel, I started down the lane. Hase street has many specialty products that match its quirky cafes. Eating the crepe, you will doubtless be drawn towards the food and drink. You might uncap a local Kamakura beer or buy some fresh-brewed coffee to wash down your crepe before washing your worries away by the Kamakura tides. I was content in the nibbling nirvana of my sweet crepe.
Access: Two minutes south of Kotoku-in Daibutsu; 10 minutes north of Enoshima Railway’s Hase line.
