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CAMPUS
CUISINE

 

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By Joel MacKenzie

Does cafeteria food fail to cater to your
taste buds? Not digging the Dougout?
Then grab your finest bib and try to
avoid drooling on the person next

to you, because we're here to offer
salvation for you students looking to
humble your hunger, without having to
wear your shoes out getting there.

French-style crepe and a cool

atmosphere to go with it? Then
check out Crepe Des Amis in the
River Market at Westminster Quay,
a short walk downhill from the
Douglas College New Westminster
campus.

It always surprises me

how there aren’t more people,
particularly students, in the Quay
at any given time. Whenever I
go, including during my visit to
Crepe Des Amis, the whole area is
practically empty. But then again,
its appearance can be deceiving.
Perhaps many don’t notice the
overhead walkway sitting to the
left of the rustic Keg on Columbia
Street, which takes one straight into
the River Market. Or maybe it looks

14

[: the mood for a quality

like too far of a walk. During my
recent visit, a singer / guitar player
performed to only a scattered
handful of people.

But the atmosphere on the
first floor of the River Market is
very cool. There are many small,
interesting shops, including the
Tre Galli Gelato Café, which offers
fresh, delicious baked goods, the

Crepe Des Amis
Crepetacular vegan delights on the Quay

 

 

At 5:30 p.m., Crepe Des Amis was
still open, and the French owner
Alain instantly offered his services.
There were three separate menus:
one for takeout, and one each for
regular and vegan crepes and sides.
The menus are extensive, featuring
many savoury and sweet crepes,
and hot and cold drinks. After a
few minutes of contemplating the

“Altogether, Crepes Des Amis offers great food and a relaxed atmosphere.
It, along with the other awesome small businesses, and the nice scenery of
the River Market make for a great place to shop or eat.”

Tiny Finery, which sells homemade
jewellery, Donald’s Market, a
grocery story which features regular
items as well as many vegetarian,
organic, and natural foods, and,

of course, Crepe Des Amis, which
offers French-style savoury and
sweet crepes, and includes an entire
vegan menu.

Crepe Des Amis’ bright orange
interior, handwritten menu, stools,
and lingering scent of cooked wheat
and vegetables was welcoming (to
say the least) at the end of a day.

vegan menu, Alain offered that
I try their more popular vegan
crepe, the Orleans, which includes
spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes,
carrots, mushrooms, and Daiya
tapioca “cheese” (which, as I have
stressed in the past, stretches and
tastes like cheese, and is mighty
delicious). I ordered the Orleans
with walnuts, and a mango float
made with Tofutti tofu ice “cream”
(also delicious).

I was admittedly skeptical that
a vegan crepe would taste good at

all, since the primary ingredient in
crepes, as I had thought, was eggs.
But these were mostly wheat, which
gives them a pancake-like flavour
that goes nicely with the savoury
ingredients. It was served in a
cone, which, according to Alain, is
the way to eat them in France when
you’re walking about. The warm
Daiya cheese and crunchy crepe
went great with the vegetables, and
the cone would make it easy to take
back to the school or wherever you
might be headed.

Alain was very friendly,
creating the relaxed atmosphere
that everything about Crepes Des
Amis emits. I actually got so caught
up with talking that I forgot to
pay—which he was nice enough to
gently remind me of.

All of the crepes cost between
$4.00 and $8.00 dollars, drink prices
range from $1.50 to $3.00, and add-
ons are a dollar and under; my
crepe was $7.95, the walnuts were
an additional 50 cents, and the
mango float cost $3.00.

Altogether, Crepes Des Amis
offers great food and a relaxed
atmosphere. It, along with the
other awesome small businesses,
and the nice scenery of the River
Market make for a great place to
shop or eat. And it’s convenient:
only a short walk from the New
Westminster SkyTrain station and
Douglas College campus. Check it
out sometime!