KATHMANDU, Dec 7: The co-founders of Cream and Crackles, Puspa Gurung Dwa, Saubhagya Joshi, and Binita Gurung had been discussing plans of opening up a coffee shop for quite a while before they launched the eatery at Kupondole in Lalitpur. At the last moment, they decided to make it more of a coffee and waffle station after seeing how well other newly opened waffle hubs around Kathmandu had been doing.

Cream and Crackles officially opened in late July this year and the Cream and Crackles team has been coming up with new themes, schemes, and creative food items since its inception to lure in new customers. The three founding friends have been involved in every aspect of the operation and have discussed every minute facet in great detail, sometimes even spending hours brainstorming and bickering over a seemingly trivial issue. Because in business you have to iron out the tiniest of wrinkles, they say. 

Gurung Dwa mentions that the menu and every single one of the recipes they use at the cafe was finalized by the three of them. “We thoroughly researched about the food items and tried creating the perfect recipe for them,” says Gurung Dwa. She further reveals that the three of them had to go through several trial-and-error recipes for these items before settling on the perfect one. Apparently, they have to follow every step and measurement listed in their recipe book, without even a slight deviation, to get perfect results. Gurung Dwa insists that even though most of the items in their menu is pretty basic, they add an authentic twist to all of these food items to make it unique and that is what their customers love about their food.

However, Gurung reveals that although their business had been doing exceptionally well during the first few months, the sales have decreased considerably since the holiday season. Joshi suspects that it might be because they had initially branded themselves as a summer dessert hub during their inception. “Now that the winter is here, we are upgrading our menu to include what people consume during colder weather,” he adds. The most significant of these new additions to their menus are the savory taco waffles and the marshmallow infused hot chocolate.

Most of the machines used at Cream and Crackles to make their food items – including the waffle maker – were shipped to Nepal by Gurung’s brother who lives in the US. Other than that, everything else – including the ingredients needed to make the food – is locally purchased.

The eatery is located beside an outlet of Big Mart in Kupondole and Gurung reveals that they are essentially a part of that Big Mart. But the three of them have some complaints on how Big Mart is handling the operation of Cream and Crackles. “They aren’t really supporting or promoting us properly. We wish they would work with us like we are also a part of the mart – which we actually are,” says Gurung.

Currently, Cream and Crackles are promoting themselves as a brand and their products through their social media pages. Their Instagram and Facebook pages are constantly updated with any new food item they introduce to their menu or daily offers and customer diaries. Gurung Dwa also mentions that people who come to their cafe once keep on coming back and spread the word about their food. “This has proved to be a boon for the business,” she says. 

If you haven’t visited Cream and Crackles, we recommend you do because this is one delightful little place that you will come to love, irrespective of whether or not you are a dessert person. They have something to suit all kinds of taste palate. 

Chili Air Fries
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This item is a combination of classic western style fries with an authentic Nepali savory taste. What gives these fries their savory taste is the homemade sauce the Cream and Crackles team marinates it with just before serving it. The fries are actually made in an air fryer making it healthier than its deep-fried version. The sauce has a prominent garlic taste that complements the fries well. However, the dish would have tasted even better had the sauce been a little on the spicier side.

Affogato
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If you don’t know what Affogato is, it’s an Italian dessert that has a coffee base. The one served at Cream and Crackles had a cold coffee base, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and caramel syrup. There are even sprinkles on top. This might not be best suited for colder weather but, once you get a taste of it, you will want to lick the cup clean.

Bubble Taco Waffle
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Bubble waffles are a part of the trending waffle craze in Nepal. But no other place in the country actually sells a salted or savory bubble waffle. The Cream and Crackles team came up with the recipe for this masterpiece themselves. It incorporates everything from capsicum, scallion, sausages, cheese, coriander, salt, and pepper. And the portion served is actually pretty filling for a single person.

 
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