Angels & Hearts is a new dessert place that serves Harajuku-style crepes, a popular item in Japan. I noticed Angels & Hearts when I first visited Raki Raki because the two stores are actually connected, but the neon pink sign didn’t really appeal to me. Also, I don’t particularly care for dessert crepes. But after learning that these were Harajuku-style crepes, I was much more interested in trying it out.
Harajuku-style dessert crepes are wrapped up in a cone and filled with fresh fruit, ice cream and other sweets. There are also savory versions as well.
At Angels & Hearts, you start with a base crepe ($3), then you can choose from various fruits, ice cream, and sauces, with each topping being an additional cost. The final total is around $5.
We chose strawberries, vanilla ice cream and mango sauce.
It was pretty fun to watch the crepes being made. Despite the crowd, we didn’t have to wait too long.
Even though we watched the crepe come off hot from the grill, I was surprised that the crepe wasn’t even warm when it was handed to us. As the ice cream melted, it made the crepe even colder. The very thin parts of the outside of the crepe were a little crispy, the rest was slightly chewy. The crepe also automatically comes with whipped cream (kind of wish there was less of that and more ice cream) and a crunchy chocolate cookie stick which I really enjoyed and when eaten with the crepe, it gives the feeling that the crepe is crunchier than it is.
The creperie only has a few small tables, so most people grab theirs and go. We opted to do the same. While we walked to our car (no space in the parking lot from hell), I kept hearing DH making chewing noises but when I glanced over he would look back at me innocently. Finally on the third attempt, I caught him mid-act trying to eat all the ice cream in the middle. Gah! He hadn’t wanted his own crepe, but then ended up eating most of our shared one.
This was my first experience with Harajuku crepes, but I don’t think it was a great rendition of it. When I looked online, the photos I found showed crepes full of toppings, whereas ours barely had any inside. I saw a lot more variety in crepe flavors as well as toppings which weren’t offered on this menu. I also came across some sites which state that the batter is made with mochi flour. I don’t know if this is always the case or if it is just one variation, but I didn’t taste glutinous rice flour in this crepe.
Overall, I was disappointed with the crepe and found it to be a little pricey for what we were given. DH enjoyed it more than me but also felt it was just “okay” and not worth the price.
Angels & Hearts
4646 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
Looks tasty. Next time you’re in SF, there is a solid Harajuku style crepe place in Japantown called Sophie’s (upstairs near Kinokuniya).
Oh darn, I was just in Japantown in SF a few weeks ago! wish I had known. Thanks for the rec, I’ll remember to try next time I’m there.
Thanks so much for the recommendation Kirbie! We ended up crushed on time so we had Phillipe’s (known for the original French Dip sandwich). It was so much fun and fast. We are going back to LA soon and going to try Fogo, I am excited it looks great. Thanks again for your quick response!! I so appreciate it.
I hope you had fun at Phillipe’s and I hope you get to go to Fogo soon!
Hi Kirbie,
I’ve been wondering about this place, thanks for the review I’m not a huge crepe person but I get occasional cravings…I’ll make sure to steer clear of this place next time a hankering comes up.
I have a question, I’m not sure if you could advise. I read so many blogs, but I trust your opinion most. I’m heading to Los Angeles for the day tomorrow (from SD) and I’m going with a friend. He is a huge meat eater (exotic/game meats preferred, but not required), if we visit one restaurant, what would you recommend? I saw your review on Animal, we might go there but I just wanted another recommendation that is more moderately priced. Thanks so much! Hope to hear from you 🙂
Hi Connie. Aw, I’m glad you trust my opinion. Animal immediately came to my mind when you mentioned meat eater though I realize it is a bit pricey. I haven’t indulged in that many meat centric restaurants in LA so far though there are a bunch on my list. Another place that popped in my mind is Fogo de chao, which is a Brazilian steakhouse place. AYCE with a lot of meat. I haven’t actually been, but good friends of mine have enjoyed it and I usually trust their opinions. If you’ve even been to Rei de Gado in SD, it’s a similar style but Fogo is supposed to be a lot better.
Next time you should check out Harajuku Crepe in Beverly Hills. They have different crepe flavors – buckwheat, green tea, earl grey, and the original. Even though the topping selection isn’t huge, it’s pretty good. And I don’t think they skimp on the toppings as much as this place. They also offer savory crepes so you should definitely check it out! It’s my favorite crepe place in LA 😀 Especially love the black sesame ice cream, green tea ice cream, and strawberry combo 🙂
I really really want to try out Harajuku Crepe! I read about it recently and was actually just in that area, but forgot about it. I’m totally kicking myself.
Haha DH sounds just like S 😛 The fillings do look disappointing… I still prefer soft crepes like at Cafe Hue. Still need to check out Up 2 You cafe, too!
It’s fun to see so many new dessert places popping up, but the fillings were definitely disappointing.
Too bad about the meager fillings. Interesting concept of the crepe cone. Maybe they’re just banking on people coming in because ‘Harajuku’ is in the title and thinking, ‘oh how cute, let’s eat here’ kind of thing.
A few of these places recently popped up in LA so I guess they are bringing the trend to SD. But like many things, it seems when it’s in SD, the quality isn’t as good. I don’t know if it’s because they think SD people don’t care/know about food or what. But yeah, if I’m paying for toppings, I expect more toppings. It was more whipped cream than anything else. And you can even see from the pic that the toppings are low in the cone whereas the pictures I saw of ones from Japan, they are filled to the top. And the ones from LA, you can see a lot of toppings in the folds.
Sneaky, sneaky DH! I like how the crepe looks all rolled up like that, but too bad it didn’t come with more stuff in it. Looks like a fun concept in any case.
It is a fun concept and I like being able to carry it around and eat it like an ice cream, but I definitely feel like they need to give more toppings, especially since you’re paying $2-3 more for the toppings.