In 2009, I came to Paris to continue my education, where I spent more than two weeks in the area of St. Michel, Quartier de Arts and Odeon, highly saturated with students. I discovered it all, its restaurants, cafes and especially their crepe eateries – I love crepes by the way…
Crêpe, in Paris, can be enjoyed in a fine restaurant with a complete set of cutlery or rolled up in a napkin paper and devoured from the local Crêpe kiosk down the road.
Door-to-door to McDonald’s is a little 1sqm kiosk that sells just crepes, hotdogs and paninis. After touring almost all crepe kiosks in a kilometer radius, Crêperie Genia in Metro Cluny-La Sorbone, is my favorite. Going to it is always on top of my to do list, every time I visit the French capital and that is more than four times a year.
A small kiosk, with only one man inside working as fast as a Ferrari engine, caters to the hungry clientele. Expect to wait around 15 minutes for your crepe at Crêperie Genia, only because there is always a crowd waiting for their turn to get their hands on the yummiest crepe in Paris.
What I love about this place is simple:
- Crêperie Genia’s crepes are baked fresh upon each customers’ request
- The ingredients used are fresh and renewed by the hour
- The price is reasonable
- The contents are so generous; a crepe is filled more than how you would fill it at home
- Professional crepe-man working
- The taste: Just awesome
The wide yet simple menu of different combinations:
I always order at least two crepes every time I pass by; one savory and the other sweet. My recommendation would be:
- Savory: Eggs, ham, cheese 4,20€
- Sweet: Nutella, banana, coconut, Grand Marnier 4,80€
Ordering my favorite crepe, the chef starts his preparation with love. Taking just the right quantity of mixture, he pours it on the round grill creating perfect round and thin dough like the Lebanese markouk bread. Few moments afterwards, he moves it to the side grill, turns it in half and starts covering it with ingredients; breaking an egg on it then mixing it, he lets a bit out to crunch around the crepe.
A huge quantity of ground Emmentale cheese, four slices of ham followed by salt and pepper seasoning is placed on the crepe. He closes it in a cone shape, puts it in a paper bag than wraps it with kitchen napkin and voila. A simple and tasty piece of heaven.
Just take a minute and imagine that during each and every second of preparation, you are standing in front of a cocktail of colors and aromas that activate all your five senses. You should have seen my eyes opening wide, my mouth drooling and my nostrils fluttering like butterflies – body language of someone who dying to grab a bite of this wonderful creation.
