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Dated: September 28, 2007

What the tortilla is to the people of Mexico, the crepe is to the French—the perfect medium for wrapping whatever’s handy into a compact meal. Whereas tortillas are made of corn and pretty rugged, crepes are more delicate, but the idea is the same, and creperies seem to be making a comeback in Denver.

So, this week, following a tip from a listener, I left the suit in the closet and dropped by Boba & Crepes on South Colorado Boulevard. The combination of bubble tea and French crepes seemed a bit bizarre, but also intriguing enough to merit a look.

Boba & Crepes is a simple storefront, brightly decorated, with a walk up counter where you place your order, and a smattering of tables where you anxiously wait the few minutes for your food to appear from the small kitchen at the rear. It’s run by a young couple from Taiwan who brought the concept from there, and have ambitious plans to franchise that very possibly could happen.

Boba is a cold tea drink that begins with ordinary black or green tea to which they add fructose as a sweetener, along with a choice of flavoring from watermelon to mango to your choice of about 28 flavors in total. Then the whole thing is placed in a machine that looks and works like one of those paint shakers you see in the hardware store. A minute of shaking and you have a frothy, incredibly refreshing, delicious cold boba. It gets a bit confusing here, because the name “boba” also refers to the marble-sized balls of tapioca you can optionally add to your drink, making it practically a meal in itself. Not being a fan of the tapioca, I went with a straight and wonderful peach-flavored boba.

But, as the name Boba & Crepes implies, this shop also serves crepes, and here’s where things got really interesting. The nice thing about crepes is that if you wrap protein in them, they become a meal. Wrap fruit or ice cream or jam in them and they become dessert or a mid-afternoon or late-evening snack. Since it was lunchtime, I looked over the list of fillings, ranging from ham to bacon, roast beef, tuna, etc., and settled on the turkey. The paper-thin crepe, which has to measure well over a foot in diameter, is freshly prepared in the kitchen, topped with the turkey, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, slices of cucumber, corn, and probably a few things I missed. Then it’s folded in half, and in half again, so it’s a quarter circle. Then the sandwich, because I can’t think of what else to call it, is dropped point-first into a flat cardboard envelope of the same shape, and you pick it up and eat it from the top. If none of this makes sense, you’ll just have to go by and see for yourself, but take my word for it, this is one of the most fun experiences you’ll have in a long time. I can see this having particular appeal for youngsters because all kids like to eat with their hands.

Near as I could tell, there was nothing in my meal that I would shy away from as being unhealthy. Now, if you get one as a dessert with ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream, it may not be quite as healthy, but we all have to indulge every now and then.

What it all comes down to is that Boba & Crepes represents a nice alternative to other quick-service and fast-food offerings around town. It’s fun, affordable, good for you, and you’ll feel good after a visit. What more can you ask?

Boba & Crepes, 1154 S. Colorado Blvd. (SE corner of Colorado and Mississippi), 303-759-2737