Bold Folds of Flavors

Thinking back more than five years ago to when Richard Monroe first opened Aloha Crepes at Waimalu Shopping Center , a humorous memory comes to mind.

“We had not even officially opened yet and were struggling with what to name our crepes,” says the owner. “After hanging up a picture of one of our dessert crepes, two girls walking yelled very loudly ‘Whoa!’ so that is exactly what we decided to name that one.”

To this day, Whoa Crepe ($9.25) is still one of the eatery’s most popular crepes, consisting of freshly cut strawberries, bananas, banana cream, strawberry sauce, Nutella, chocolate and whipped cream. With two additional locations in Kaimuki and Windward Mall, Aloha Crepes presents the popular French-style pancake with a local flair.

“Over the years, we have been able to progressively perfect our crepe recipe,” says Monroe. “We use a bit of mochiko in the batter, which makes the crepes a lot lighter both in color and texture.”

For the ultimate in savory comfort, Monroe recommends Alfredo Pizza Crepe ($9.50), which comes with black forest ham, melted mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, garlic, Alfredo sauce, tomatoes and fresh spinach, or the Teri-Chicken Crepe ($9.25), whose main component is freshly marinated teriyaki chicken on a bed of miso sauce-infused rice.

“Whenever possible, we love to incorporate local flavors into our dishes,” says Monroe. “We work with many local vendors across the island, so oftentimes we think about ingredients we love and create a crepe around that.”

In addition to sweet and savory crepes, Aloha Crepes also specializes in fresh poke, homemade li hing mui-powdered candy and a range of other local snacks. To cool off during the fast-approaching sweltering summer days, Monroe recommends a classic Acai Bowl ($8.75 for small, $10.50 for large). “We take a lot of pride in our acai bowl, because it’s highly concentrated in acai, as opposed to other places that water it down,” he explains.

Another treat not to be missed is the eatery’s line of Snow Flakes ($5.50 for small, $6.85 for large), a dairy-based dessert that is neither shave ice nor ice cream. “The texture is fluffy, almost like cotton candy, but the flavor is really spot-on and very refreshing.”

Dining Out readers may take advantage of a special Hot Deals offer redeemable for a $20 voucher at the Waimalu location for only $10. Vouchers are available for purchase via www.HotDealsHawaii.com now through Wednesday, June 11. The deal is not combinable with other offers and is valid for one year.

Aloha Crepes

Waimalu Shopping Center (with additional locations in Kaimuki and Windward Mall)
98-020 Kamehameha Hwy., Suite 104, Aiea
483-4448
Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Friday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.;
Saturday, 9 a.m.-11 p.m.
Sunday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.

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