The Place
If you've been in Shanghai for a minute, you'll have noticed that all things Francophile are big business here. Upmarket French restaurants command the highest bills, French wine sells better than any other, French fashion is regarded as the epitome of luxury – there's even a concession-era part of town still affectionately referred to as being 'formerly French.' Franck Pécol is an expat restaurateur who has achieved extraordinary success opening dining concepts in Shanghai that are undeniably French, but without beating customers over the head with it.
Take Franck Bistrot, Pécol's eponymous flagship restaurant with menus exclusively in French that consistently enjoys a dining room full of locals and expats every night. Or Farine, his explosively popular bakery that commands a line of 30 people on weekends. Same with his ice cream window WIYF (What Is Your Flavor), which has gotten Chinese people to eat frozen things in the cold spring months – an astonishing feat for a populace that even prefers drinking water hot.
The latest in this all-star line up is Far-West, a new eatery that trains its focus exclusively on crêpes and gallettes, thin and crispy French-style pancakes that can be plied with toppings both sweet and savory. And we're pretty sure Pécol's onto another sure-fire winner.
The Food
Savory offerings (galettes made with buckwheat flour) start from RMB30 for a simple beurre salé (salted butter) and incline up to RMB75 for the complète classique (Parisian ham, egg, cheese and spinach, pictured below), or RMB95 for the Nantaise or Suzette.
You might be inclined to grumble that RMB95 is a lot of money for one pancake, but they are substantial and come generously topped with ingredients. The aforementioned Nantaise (Nantes-style, hailing from the Northwestern French city) is triangular and crowned with salad, walnuts and rosettes of smoked ham. Inside is a layer of goat cheese and subtly sweet braised apple slices, which balances the saltiness of the cheese and ham. It is delicious and definitely repeatable.
Then again, we'd be hard pushed not to get the Suzette. Square and filled with smoked pork lardons, mushrooms, cheese and cream and an egg, this one is a perfectly contained brunch on a plate. Note also that the thin buckwheat texture of the is crispy on the outside, yet soft on the inside. Stodgy and heavy they are not.
Savory gallettes are reason enough to visit Far-West, but I urge you to save space for the sweet crêpes afterwards, for this is where such luxuries as Nutella, salted caramel, ice cream and chantilly cream come into play.
Constructed with wheat flour rather than buckwheat, the crêpes are a good deal softer and more delicate. Prices start from RMB38 for salted butter, seasonal jam or white and brown sugar, RMB45 for Nutella, lemon and cream or caramelized apple, or RMB95 for flambéed numbers with Grand Marnier and candied orange or Calvados and caramelized apple (pictured below).
We didn't expect the simple salted caramel to stand up to its more complex brothers and sisters, but the flavor is exquisitely rich and works irrefutably well with the delicate texture of the crêpes. Pleasingly, you can add cream for RMB8 if you so wish.
Lastly, there is also the option of ice cream on your crêpe. Adorned with proper chantilly cream, dark chocolate, toasted almonds, and a frosty ball of dark chocolate ice cream, the 'tout chocolat' (RMB85) is as good as it sounds (and looks). Needless to say, we need to go eat this again ASAP.
Food Verdict: 2.5/3
The Vibe
Tucked away round the back of Grains café (another Pécol concept), Far-West overlooks a pretty decked courtyard, with seating for around 20 inside. Flooded with natural light and blonde wood, the atmosphere is calm and serene. Breton-stripe wearing servers are English-speaking and pleasant, and are happy to make recommendations.
Vibe verdict: 1/1
Value for Money
Far-West might not be 'cheap' per se, in fact our meal for two came in at RMB393 (including a glass of cider and lemon juice, both RMB40). That said, these are an authentic offerings with high quality ingredients, and one was enough to fill us up. As to whether you can limit yourself to just that is entirely up to you.
Value for Money: 1/1
TOTAL VERDICT: 4.5/5
Price: RMB30-95 per crêpe
Who’s going: locals and expats
Good for: breakfast, brunch, lunch, families
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