LA CREPERIE KER BREIZH
Neighbourhood: West Broadway
Address: 110 – 267 Sherbrook Street
Phone: 204-221-4141
Entrees: $13 – $20
At La Creperie Ker Breizh, expat partners, Yvonnick Le Lorec and Ketty Pichaud combine classic Breton cooking with familial Manitoba warmth serving this French favourite, and it is clear they know their stuff. The pair are building on the momentum and popularity they’ve gained serving crepes from a kiosk on Esplanade Riel and St. Norbert Farmer’s Market for the past few summers.
The French word crepe, pronounced crep, comes from the Latin word, crispus, meaning curled. Crepes originate in Brittany in the Northwest region of France where they were traditionally made using locally grown buckwheat. Eventually, at the turn of the twentieth century, when white flour became less expensive, Bretons began replacing the buckwheat for a preferred lighter look.
A sidewalk facing space furnished as one may imagine a French house on a Breton countryside welcomes diners with the sounds of espresso grinding and gently playing folk tunes. Stylish black and white mugs sit atop bistro tables throughout the open room. Framed farm scenes and regional books line the walls, capturing a slice of Brittany – declaring amore for the homeland.
The simple room allows you to focus on the plate, most likely a classic from Breton like a crepe complete; ham and cheese topped with a runny sunny side egg is the go-to. The menu has plenty of savoury mixtures to choose from, all favouring Brittany’s original, naturally gluten-free, buckwheat.
Crepe fillings cover the basic and the more involved, incorporating ingredients from nearby producers (and farmer’s market friends). This farm freshness, attributed to Nature’s Farm’s eggs, Wild Fire Farms’ pork sausage and locally grown vegetables is what rouses the taste buds
Pork sausage is featured in two crepes; La Fermiere by day and in Rennes by night. Lean peppery meat mingles with chunky potato, cheese and caramelized onions (Rennes) in a hearty roll, topping a creamy grainy mustard sauce.
A delicate crepe adds splendid novelty to familiar mixtures equally well. Grass-fed ground beef, cheese, pepper, onions and tomato sauce, is hefty, out of the park hit.
Simple variations on classics draw a dinner crowd too. Leeks and goat cheese, dressed in honey-imbued curry sauce, delivers a layered flavour bomb in every bite.
Dessert crepes offer a light twist on sweet as the kitchen opts for all purpose wheat flour. Choose a classic Crepe Suzette and you will be treated to a table side flambé before digging into the Grand Marnier spiked ending.
Of the many concepts that have appeared in our diverse city, La Creperie Ker Breizh is cream of the crop. It introduces crepes and ciders in charming surroundings, promising something a little different with the way it rolls.
