Crave is a café and wine bar on Xinle Lu. It’s a cozy space with an enviable patio for al fresco eating and drinking. They’ve recently added a dinner menu, serving some crave-able small plates and simple yet comforting bistro fare.
Crave opened in April last year, a project conceived by power couple/co-owners chef Holly Lian and sommelier Yaniki De Brouwer.
During the day, it’s a bustling café with folks stopping in for quick bite or a coffee and pastries. In the evening, it’s warm and inviting with an excellent vibe set to the soundtrack of an upbeat indie playlist. Tables are intimately spaced and accommodate up to only four people. It’s small, but that’s a big part of its charm. And when the weather is right, you’ll be hard pressed to find a seat on the terrace.
Bistro Food at Crave
When Crave opened, the highlights were limited to fantastic pastries, sandwiches, and wines. (The mini Kouign Amanns are to die for.) For dinner, chef Holly has added some comforting bistro-esque dishes, including crave-able small plates like the roasted duck puff pastries and a satisfying bavette steak.
Here’s what to order for dinner:
Start with the Foie Gras Jam Toast with Nuts (¥78). Foie gras mousse with a touch of port is studded with nuts and raisins, served with house-baked toast. It’s tasty, but a petit portion.
Next, Beef Tartare (¥88). It’s an excellent rendition with capers, finely diced shallots and a hint of Asian flavors, served atop a fried potato cake. The spices are subtle, and it tastes closer to a traditional beef tartare to me, which I prefer.
Follow up with an Endive Salad (¥68), a refreshing salad with slices of apple and pear, walnuts, crispy bacon, croutons, and grated parmesan.
My favorite is the Roasted Duck Puff Pastries (¥68/four). Absolutely love these. Chef Holly’s pastry craft and French cooking background shines through with these dainty bites. The pastry is thin, crispy, and light, encasing a moreish roasted duck filling.
For something a little more on the creative side, there’s the Pan-Fried Squid (¥98), served with pea purée and plump shrimp croquettes. This was also excellent. The squid is perfectly tender with a slight char and lightly glazed in sweet Thai chili sauce.
Delivering comfort is the Spicy Tomato Cream Gnocchi (¥128). Pillowy gnocchi drenched in a spicy tomato cream sauce with onions, garlic, cherry tomatoes, and peas. The portion is substantial and it’s good for sharing.
Other carb dishes see a Seafood Pasta (¥168), farfalle with garlic oil, fried capers, olives, and cherry tomatoes finished in fish stock, topped with pan-fried prawns, clams, and squid.
For mains, the Pan-Fried Snapper (¥158) is a dish I’d totally order again. Snapper is pan-fried to a crispy finish, served with red pepper cream sauce, gigantic onion rings, lemon butter sauce, and a salad of watercress and radish.
But if it’s steak you want, look no further than the Roasted M9 Bavette 250g (¥328). One of my favorite cuts of steaks. Bavette, also known as the butcher’s cut, is a highly flavored cut of beef. Here, it’s cooked perfectly medium rare. It’s served with sautéed mushrooms, potato pavé, and kimchi. That last one might not be traditional, but it helps cut through the richness!
For dessert, they have Seasonal Tarts (¥68). Currently there’s a lemon tart and an apple tart. I love lemon tarts, and this one makes it onto my list. Zesty lemon curd topped with meringue and lime zest in crispy tart shell. Straightforward, classic.
There are also wine bar requisites of cheese and cold cuts, as well as fresh oysters.
When it comes to wine, it’s mostly a natural wine selection with a few conventional gems. Wines by the glass start from ¥60, bottles from ¥300.
As house somm, Yaniki also does a monthly wine “Craving Selection,” a house choice of wines with stories and a touch of education. It’s selection of about six wines, which are available as tasters (8cl), glass (12.5cl), or by the bottle, at a slightly reduced price than per usual. You can also get a flight of four from the Craving Selection for ¥220.
The dinnertime atmosphere at Crave is electric, intimate, and convivial. It’s also a place where you’re likely to run into someone you know, by which time you’d have gravitated towards the bar (or joined tabled) to share a bottle of wine.
Crave Cafe & Wine Bar
Click here for the listing.
