Couple’s Crepes Take On New Life In Kailua Shop

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Rosario Tarvyd of Crepes No Ka ‘Oi dices some banana into her creation. Photo by Byron Lee, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

When Rosario Tarvyd met her husband in the Philippines, they would dine at a crepe restaurant. When the couple attended festivals here in Hawaii, they noticed long lines where crepes were on the menu. Hmmm.

Could crepes be in their future, as a little side business, perhaps?

“Two years ago, we thought, why don’t we do crepes at the Windward Ho’olaulea?” said Tarvyd,“to just try it as a little side business. Well, it was an unexpected hit. We had lines 20 to 30 deep from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with no breaks. We were very, very excited.” They got the same results at Discover Kailua, she said, and friends kept urging them to take the next step.

Now, with the opening of Crepes No Ka ‘Oi last week in Kailua, they are still excited, though husband Christopher is keeping his civilian day job at Pearl Harbor for their “security.”

The new shop is located at 131 Hekili St., Suite 106, in the former home of Princess Chop Suey. But you’d never recognize it, Tarvyd said.“We did a lot of cleaning and cosmetic changes to the place. Our customers really love how open and bright it is now. With better light, it seems bigger, too.”

Back to the crepes. There are breakfast crepes, savory crepes and sweet crepes, ranging in price from $5.50 to $8.50.

The savory offerings include The Godfather (cheese, tomatoes, basil) and Popeye’s Power (spinach, cheese, turkey or ham); dessert crepes include Temptation in Paradise (“cinnamon apples and brown sugar baked to perfection topped with whipped cream and powdered cinnamon”) and Banane au Nutella (“thin slices of sweet bananas with chocolate hazelnut spread topped with whipped cream and a little drizzle of chocolate syrup”).

They also offer a selection of 16 gourmet loose-leaf teas for $1.85 per serving. “Lavender is my favorite,” admitted Tarvyd, a Kailua resident born and raised in the Philippines.“It really gives me a good night’s sleep, and it smells relaxing, too.”

Crepes No Ka ‘Oi is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday; 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. It is closed on Tuesdays. For more information, call 263-4088.

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