Thai Chemistry Lecturer Uses Science Know-How To Engineer Crepes At Her New Dessert Kiosk
A new eatery called The Crispy Crepes has recently opened at Marina Bay Link Mall, and it specialises in a pretty unusual-in-Singapore dessert: Thai-style crepes, alongside a variety of savoury breakfast sandwiches, Thai snacks and drinks.
Unlike the typical soft-textured Western crepes, the ones sold here are cooked in a thin layer on griddles till they turn golden-brown and crisp, then loaded with sweet or savoury fillings.
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The takeaway joint is opened by Natthaya Gerasymenko, 33, an ex-chemistry lecturer from Thailand who moved to town to marry her Singapore-based husband in 2020.
She tells 8days.sg that “crispy crepes have always been [her] all-time favourite snack since young”, and are a popular snack in Thailand that’s rarely found in Singapore. So far, her crepes have been quite a hit amongst customers, and sold out at 4pm on launch day.
University lecturer turned F&B entrepreneur
Natthaya spent eight years studying chemistry in Thailand and the UK before she became a chemistry lecturer for almost two years at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang in Bangkok.
She later met her Ukrainian husband, who runs a software company in Singapore, and moved here to marry him four years ago. While neither are Singapore PRs yet, they plan to settle down here.
In the few years that she’s lived here, Natthaya chose to be a stay-at-home mum to take care of her babies before deciding to pursue her longtime dream of starting a biz. “It was a daunting decision to step away from the job that defined much of my professional life,” she says, adding that she “started with zero knowledge on how to run an F&B business in Singapore”.
15 flavours
Crispy Crepes currently offers 15 sweet and savoury flavours. The sweet crepes are loaded with various combinations of fruits, peanut butter and chocolate sauce, with options like her signature Husband’s Favourite ($6.50), packed with Nutella and strawberries, Choco Banana ($5.50) with banana slices and chocolate sauce, and the more unique Matcha Munchies ($7.50), slathered with a green tea spread, almonds, and Koko Krunch cereal.
Matcha Munchies, $7.50
Golden Floss, $6.50
There are also two special ‘Thai taste’ crepes - the spicy Red Floss ($7.50) with Thai chilli paste, pork floss, crabsticks and mayo, and sweet Golden Floss ($6.50) stuffed with Nutella, bananas and Thai sweet egg floss.
Crepes aside, Natthaya also sells affordable brekkie sandwiches from 8am to 11am, ranging from the quintessential Ham & Cheese ($4.50) to a Thai-style Chilli Paste & Pork Floss Sandwich ($4).
From 11am onwards, she also whips up popular Thai snacks fresh daily, like Mango Sticky Rice ($6.50), Coconut Rice Mini Pancakes ($5.50), and Thai Mini Crispy Crepes ($5). This isn’t to be confused with her regular crepes though. The mini crepes are a street food known as khanom buang in Thailand, with a more taco-like shape instead of being folded into a triangle.
A selection of Thai beverages are also sold here to go with the snacks, including Thai Iced Milk Tea ($4.50) and Thai Milk Coffee ($4.50).
Crispy Crepes is at #B2-35 Marina Bay Link Mall, 8A Marina Boulevard, S018984. Open Mon - Fri 8am - 7pm, Sat 9am - 7pm (Closed on Sun). Tel: 8453 4588. More info via their website and Instagram.
Photos: Crispy Crepes
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