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Nibbles: Unicorn Crepes

by A.V. Crofts

The corner of Sixth Avenue South and King Street in the International District just got a little sweeter. Unicorn Crepes, the brainchild of Yumu Steinman, 28, his sister, Lia Steinman, 26, and friend Jino Yoon, 27, opened four days before Christmas 2007. As only the sixth Japanese crepe eatery in the United States and the only one in Washington state, Unicorn’s sweet and savory Japanese crepe menu provides customers 30 delicious reasons to be merry.

“Japanese crepes are different than French crepes,� explains Jino. “The batter is a bit sweeter and you eat it like an ice-cream cone.� Lia chimes in, “It’s all portable!� At Unicorn, each crepe is rolled into a conical paper holder that allows you to bite and peel your way through your meal, whether you choose to sit at one of the four tables or the bar, or if you are eating on the move. The crepes are designed to be fast food.

“Traditionally, customers don’t want to wait, they want to just grab and go,� Jino says. “In Japan, crepes are street food.�

A visit to Unicorn Crepes feels like stepping into the frame of a Hayao Miyazaki film with bouncy “J-Pop� (the term used for Japanese pop music) as the soundtrack. Jino, Lia and Yumu greet everyone in a chorus of English or Japanese, line up as they take orders, pour batter or apply artistic flourishes to their creations. You half expect fruit held in small hammocks to come to life and start singing duets with the ceramic unicorn heads that act as watchful mascots atop the display case, gazing over their playground in wonder.

Yumu and Lia grew up in Japan, where street-side crepe stands are ubiquitous. When they relocated to the U.S. as teenagers (they hold dual citizenship with an American father and Japanese mother), they missed the handheld treat. “It’s my favorite food and I couldn’t find it here,� says Yumu.  Ten years later, the trio, who met in school in Seattle (Joon is originally from Korea), decided to introduce the Japanese crepe tradition to Washington.

“We tried hard to find a good location,� explains Jino. “We thought the I.D. would be a good place because a long time ago it was Japantown, so we wanted to bring some Japanese culture back to the heart of the International District.� Their corner location –– a former barbershop –– required 10 months of renovation before opening. Now the high-ceiling space appeals to foot traffic and the doors facing both east and south encourage a steady stream of hungry customers.  “We can sell 400 to 500 crepes on a busy day,� says Jino.
In classic Japanese tradition, each variation of Unicorn’s crepes is displayed in shockingly lifelike plastic representations that allow customers to see exactly what they can expect before they make a selection. “It’s a part of Japanese culture,� says Jino, “They like to first get a sense of the food before they place their order.�

The sweet crepes at Unicorn range from $3.65 to $3.99 and include combinations of homemade custard (it’s organic and made daily, according to Lia) and whipped cream, bananas, strawberries, sliced almonds, chocolate sauce and even corn flakes for an added crunch.  The crepes are remarkably thin and tasty, and served in a size that fits perfectly in a paper cone for easy noshing. As the seasons turn from spring to summer, Unicorn will be introducing an expanded sweet crepe selection which will include a special batch made with frozen yogurt. “We’re going to expand from 12 sweet crepes to over 25,� says Jino.

The hint of sweetness in the crepes makes for wonderful contrast in Unicorn’s smaller savory menu, and while I’ve yet to try to Pizza Crepe ($4.99), the Tuna Cheese Lettuce ($4.99) with extra raw onions ($.25) was light and delicious. Other flavors include Potato Salad ($4.99) and Teriyaki Chicken Salad ($4.99) for those not ready for dessert.

When I asked how they settled on the name, Jino and Lia explained that they took the combination of “uni� and “cone� and meshed it for a play on words by naming their enterprise “unicorn.� Given that this fabled horned creature is of the fantastic realm, it seems fitting that Unicorn Crepes consistently produces tastes that earn that term as well.

ColorsNW June 2008