2016 09 19 16.17.22

Belly Good Cafe & Crepes Adzuki, Srawberry, and Green Tea Crepe: On my most recent trip to San Francisco, I found myself in Japantown hungry for a mid-day snack. A quick search revealed that the highest reviewed spot was a crepe stand by the name of Belly Good, located in the food court on the upper level of the shopping complex. While I have a healthy skepticism when it comes to Yelp reviews, it is impossible not to notice a place that has 4.5 stars and over 1,000 reviews, especially given its unassuming storefront and questionable photo menu. I also recently had a very good crepe at T-Swirl Crepe in NYC (also an Asian establishment), which made me more open to the idea of trying a local favorite. At Belly Good, you can order your crepe on a plate, but everyone I saw opted for a decorative paper cone. I ordered the most Asian option on the menu: a red bean crepe filled with whipped cream, fresh-cut strawberries, and a large scoop of green tea ice cream. A small face was shaped with the help of Fruit Loops, Reese's pieces, and pretzels (these items were not part of the menu description). While it was hard not to smile at the presentation, my smile quickly faded upon tasting. The soggy crepe could not provide the structural support needed for the too-sweet filling, and the thin paper wrapping needed to be awkwardly ripped to avoid eating paper as you toil away at this snack (I still ended up digesting some of the paper – it's unavoidable). The one redeeming element was the green tea ice cream, which was not bad but was likely just store-bought anyway. I ate this dessert alone on a bench adjacent to the trash bins, watching as the other patrons took selfies with their cones and lamenting my empty calories. Over 1,000 people were utterly wrong. 0.5/5.0

sanfrancisco dessert matcha bellygoodcafecrepes adzuki srawberry green tea crepe 0.5 avoid
9/25/2016