On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Japanese, Desserts, Coffee & Tea [Edit]
1380 Fullerton RdMon-Thu. 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
"4.75 stars. i looked at the prices and it was $12.99 for a regular plate of meat. its actually cheaper than average, and most importantly,…" read more »
This is indeed the only crepe cafe that is actually in the vicinity of my area. I use to eat the banana, nutella, and whip creme crepe here at least once a week until I gained a few pounds and gotten sick of it. Just to verify, the crepe is crunchy, not soft so it's a little different than what most people are use to.
One complaint: I kid you not they put a layer of nutella that's probably thinner than a sheet of paper, I'm not exaggerating. What's a crepe if it doesn't have enough nutella to give you a heart attack?
I also ordered the house club crepe. Basically it's a sandwich in a crepe). It has ham, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, corn, and some yummy sauce that tastes like salad dressing.
People thought this was:
I really want to like Genki Living because it's so darn cute, but I just can't say that I'm a fan. Cuteness will only get you so far.
The drinks that I've tried were mediocre; you can get the same or better at Tapioca Express or any other boba place. The crepes are pretty good, but are way too complicated. I like the kind of crepes you find at crepe stands in France - a simple shmear of creme de marron or nutella, 3 folds, and you're good to go. I don't like my crepes filled with a dozen fruits and a scoop of ice cream (you can even get it with a slice of cheesecake!), nor do I like it with tuna and corn. Of course, you can order a plain Nutella crepe, but you might want to bring your own tub of Nutella because they're pretty sheisty. I've wanted to try those red bean or custard-filled fish pastries, but every single time I go, they just so happen to be out of them. Hmph.
I was about to say, "All in all, this is a nice place to chill at..." but then I remembered that it's tiny and seating is limited/awkward. Nevermind.
People thought this was:
The service was patient and very helpful with my absence of knowledge on the topic of fruity crepe. Space and seating is kinda weird but the decor is adorable.
Crepes were tasty but the idea of a tuna sandwich crepe mildly perturbs me.
I've been here a few times but I just finished eating dinner at the newly opened Chipotle with the bf and remembered how much my old roommate from Berkeley loved Genki Living's crepes. When she first found out that I lived in Rowland, her first questions were, "Don't you just love Banana Bay? Isn't Genki Living the best?" She would literally drive from Irvine every weekend to get her hands on one of those "awesome" crepes.
Sure, the place is cute... with it's Japanese theater theme decorations but that's about the only perk. I mean, if you like car magazines, I guess that's a plus too but the crepes are just mediocre. My uncle is French so he knows crepes and I've tried his homemade ones and Genki Living doesn't compare.
First of all, I like my crepes laid out flat on a plate to be eaten with a knife and fork. These crepes are cooked to a crisp to resemble more a waffle cone than a good old fashioned crepe. We ordered the banana, nutella, custard, and vanilla ice cream crepe with whipped cream on the side. It was WAY too many topping stuffed in a crepe. My biggest gripe about these crepes are that 1) they BARELY give you any nutella -- I couldn't even taste it, 2) custard is apparently tasteless? we couldn't find it at all in the crepe and the staff said it was in there but that we just couldn't see it or taste it due to the ice cream, 3) TOOOOOO much ice cream and 4) overpriced at $7.50/crepe.
These crepes are nothing special and I don't know if I'll be back. Sure it's cute but other than that, don't bother going out of your way to eat these "awesome" crepes.
I've come here numerous times and the service is just not too stellar.
Crepes, even the simplest ones (I always order just whipped cream and Nutella) can take FOREVER.
The attitudes of some of the girls who work the register don't really add to the service aspect. They must not live very genki, I can tell you that...
Anyways, the crepes themselves ARE good, but I mean...I could taste the exact same thing elsewhere. Only thing that keeps Genki Living alive is the fact that it's located inside Diamond Plaza, a sprawling hotspot of Rowland Heights, Hacienda Heights, and Diamond Bar, and also the fact that it's probably the only crepe place in the area? (Correct me if I'm wrong). I know Puente Hills Mall has a crepe place, but that "mall" is a dump - who'd wanna be seen there?
I know Genki Living is likely understaffed (I usually see one girl doing all the crepe making and one or two girls working the register and food that's made on the other side), but...yeah. Gotta find a way to step it up.
I can't say I wouldn't recommend this place since it's in a hotspot and you likely won't find crepes anywhere else, but be prepared to wait quite a while for your order(s).
People thought this was:
I'm only giving it two stars because of the decor. It's so cute! However, the crepes don't meet my expectation. They take forever to make the crepe and make it so crunchy that the crepe is no longer a crepe, but a waffle cone. I only come here for the nutella, strawberry with ice cream crepe. Until I can find a better place, this place will do.
People thought this was:
I have come here countless times and each time, the crepe has taken forever to make.
The only things I find worth coming here is the fish shaped bread which you can add your own choice of red bean, ham and cheese/corn, peanut butter, chocolate chips and etc. The other is the squid balls. I tried it for the first time and it isn't that bad. Those are the only two things I find worth my money. Everything is BAH or overpriced.
However,t he decor of the place isn't that bad. The only part that sucks is when it's packed and a full house, meaning you'd have to wait for some place to sit, stand up eating or walk around the meaningless plaza and eat. But you can't walk into some of the stores and eat. You have to eat outside.
Overall, It's a okay place. I've had much better crepe and didn't take as long. The crepe circled out is huge and sometimes when you finish everything, there's just the egg-made crepe left and I usually just throw it away. Who wants to eat just the crepe without the fillings?
Plus, crepes aren't that hard to make. I make at home sometimes.
I only come in here to get my gnutella and strawberry crepe with ice cream. Compliment that with watermelon juice after having an oily meal at restaurants nearby, and you have a nice dessert! There are 10 seats inside, so I typically sit outside Life Plaza and enjoy my crepe. There's magazines at the front for a reason, so I hope you like asian articles or cars! I like both so no problem :)
Taiyaki, takoyaki and crepes are all good! Pricing ain't my fave, though.
Crepes are somewhat empty when you get them but delicious, nonetheless. Sadly, there's a ridiculously long wait period because at most, there's 3 workers available.
The takoyakis are very aromatic and pretty. I could stare at those shavings of whatever move for forever but they stop swaying after they cool down.
It's cute inside but apparently, no photography is allowed.
NO.
Well, for the crepes anyway. They're stingy with the fillings. I wanted a simple crepe with nutella and nothing else, but someone convinced me to get whip cream also. So the crepe comes out and there is almost no nutella... or whip cream. Wth, haha. Genki sucks hard for crepes.
If you're craving taiyaki tho, it's not bad here! My favorite is the custard one. I haven't been here in about a year tho, so I don't know if the taiyaki is still as good as it used to be. :)
People thought this was:
One of the few businesses that stuck around since Diamond Plaza was opened, Genki Living has always been 'the spot' if you wanted crêpes. Despite knowing this I came here because I never knew they sold Taiyaki here so I stopped by one night.
-Interior
The interior is decorated like what you would find on a street I suppose. The front counter and crêpe counter are seperate and they look like booths, a few tables and a bench indoors, seating holds no more than 15 people I think, They also had a table set up out front that seats four to five. Either way it's very small so you'll wind up just getting your order and walking about the rest of the plaza.
-Service
Not sure if every Genki Living is like this but this one takes a while, everything is made to order so it does take a while longer. I think the space is also an issue because they can't fit more equipment or hire more people because it wouldn't be efficient. So whatever you order it'll take a while, I think three Taiyaki's took about 15 minutes?
-Food
Only speaking for the Taiyaki and it's scrumptious though sweet. I got a red bean, custard, and red bean + mochi. The red bean ones were the sweetest, I would recommend the custard one though. Price? $3 or $4.
Rating the Taiyaki I'd give it a 4, maybe a 4.5, but the service is slow so I'm docking a star off for that. If you don't mind a wait for your desserts then look for the neon sign that reads Genki Living. If you still can't find it then look for the giant Cue (originally had one floor, now they have four!!) then look at the level below it.
This is a cute place to hang out with friends and enjoy a nice crepe. I've only tried their dessert crepes. I like the crepes here compare to other places because they're crisp and stands upright. I like mines with either chocolate or nutela with vanilla ice cream, whip cream, and strawberries. It's so good! I do have to say that they do take a long time making it.
Here's the deal. I have no hatred for this joint. I don't. But I do have a bit of "pissedoffedness" (copyright Brad W.).
Lets put things in perspective. And please--this does not apply for the majority of the dingbats who love this place--they SHOULD love it--typically young kids, people who don't expect much, or teenie boppers who speak languages other than English and want to meet with their friends and just blow some of mom and dad's money and have a good time doing so. All of the above--keep loving it--I think Genki is made for YOU.
BUT......if you really want to see $4.50 go toward a really great finish to your evening--looking to having a tasty treat you might remember and crave--buy a little canister of Cool Whip and lick the lid in a crowded parking lot filled with people who do thirty (30) point turns to get into a parking spot with a compact car.
Ordered the nutella/almond chip/cream crepe to share with my fiancee. Wow. Well...five almond chips. A tiny light spread of Nutella--and a thick glob of cheap cream on an average fold of edible, warm thin cardboard. YUM. If you are a termite.
People thought this was:
Crepes are one of my favorite desserts to get !
I used to always have to stop by here whenever in the area:]
They have salty (ham/cheese) and sweet crepes, but I mostly get the sweet ones!
I love the red bean and ice cream crepes & anything with nutella & fruit is a must! They also have the cheesecake option in a crepe which is a delight!
When it gets crowded though, there are few seating inside, but you can always hang out outside within the plaza~ good to walk around and see the other shops.
You can also watch them as they make the crepes; this process is not very fast but the shop is cute so you can sit and watch or chat while you wait. Servers are usually pretty okay, not super friendly but never rude either~
The crepes are wrapped cone style so you can carry it around and eat- but be careful of cream leaking from below !!!
i remember this place being really good in high school. Coming back now, what happened? was this place always so expensive? the crepes are not well put together. the red bean fish is kind of soggy. the drinks are nothing special and the service sucks. the decor is still pretty cool though.
When I need a dessert crepe fix I like to come here.
Some Pros: My fav crepe is whip cream, nutella and strawberries. But most of their dessert crepes are good. It's reasonably priced but only accepts cash.
Some Cons: I never come here when it's packed the service is awful they don't manage a crowd well. I've been there when it was practically empty and we still had to wait the 2 people there were busy but no greeting or letting us know it may take a while we just stood there waiting. =/
People thought this was:
I remember visiting this place once before the Irvine location opened up. After the Irvine location closed, my bff took me here to cheer me up after a long day of blah.
I really appreciate his efforts in driving 35mins. to Rowland Heights just to feed me some crepes, but the quality of the crepes tasted as if the crepes were premade and reheated in the oven.
2 dessert crepes for $11. Everything that was supposed to come in the crepe was at the minimal-- a couple pieces of strawberry, thin spread of nutella, small glob of icecream and a teaspoon of whipped cream. The crepe skin was soggy soft, yet it was super dry-- I don't know how that is, you'd have to taste it yourself.
The girl who rang our order us had her lips permanently glues along with her cheeks. No smiles or a thank you-- she barely muttered our total and when I asked for her to repeat herself, she forcefully did so... still slurring her words but just louder.
People thought this was:
EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT I THINK ABOUT THIS PLACE, I GET REALLY MADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD. ugh!!!!!!
I must mention my experience here. I came here one time, a while back, to get a strawberry and banana crepe. The wait was sooooo long!!! This is not the end, oh no it isn't. Get this: when I got my crepe, I found that there was only nutella in there with bananas and a whole bunch of whipped cream on top. When I asked where my strawberries were, the girl in the booth told me: "Oh we ran out." I was like, WTF?! You weren't planning to tell me this?! I don't want a banana crepe!! It turned out that they did it to several people!! The problem was that it was for strawberry, the most popular fruit that people get on crepes!! WTH?! I distinctly remember the girl say: "So, what? Do you want your money back?!" HOW RUDE!!! omg............................anyway, I got my money back and left. A whole bunch of other people did the same too.
GENKI LIVING = SHADY LIVING (argh)
People thought this was:
This place looks really cute. They have a pretty wide range of crepes combos to select from. My friend and I decided to share one since it is our first time there. We ordered crepe with nutella and strawberry. The girl asked what flavor ice-cream I wanted, so I just said green tea. I found out that the ice cream was something extra that added almost $2 to my order. The crepe is not bad. I especially love the crunchy skin and nutella. But then again, anything with nutella is great. Almost $7 for a crepe is a little over my budget.
Yummy dessert crepes and fish shaped pancakes.
Cute but cramped sitting area.
Extremely slow service.
I might've given this place a "three-star", only that I think the description of a "two-star", aka "Meh. I've experienced better" sounds more appropriate. Long story short, I think the crepe that I got was too expensive, nearly 7 dollars? I could've gotten it for 4 at this other place nearby my house. I mean, don't get mad wrong..I would probably come here again but only if I was around, I definitely wouldn't drive 15 miles to come here just to eat their crepes.. just like I did this time. Eh.
Genki Living is good for those who: (1) carry cash - they do not have any credit card machines, (2) are craving crepes - Nutella, various fruits, and ice cream are a few of their filling choices, (3) can manage to wait - okonomiyaki will take a good 20 minutes to make and even the simplest of crepes will take awhile if it's a particularly busy night, and (4) don't care too much about the quality of service - you order, you pay, and you eventually get your food.
Overall, their food is good but it falls short of being outstanding. I would've also given it a better rating if their service was better.
People thought this was:
1. Brought cash
2. Went when it wasn't busy
3. Kept it simple - banana + nutella + whip cream + ice cream
4. Got it fast & left
I was satisfied. I'd give them 4stars if the crepe was softer.
This place is so cute...i love how it's decorated and the crepes are filling and delicious not to mention a good size. You can also watch them make everything fresh for you =]
Seating is limited so it's not an ideal place for groups to sit
People thought this was:
Very nice crepes.
But, I always make a mess when I eat because the crepe holders disintegrate.
I love crepes. I seriously do.
This place just never satisfies me for some reason.
Maybe because its chinese owned?
They never give you enough ingredients, feels like all I am eating is just the outside crepe skin.
The service is extremely rude too, its not like the workers behind the counters are 50 year old chinese ladies. They are even nicer than the young snobby ones!
I haven't been inside this store since 2002 due to the fact I do not feel like paying a pack of cigarette money to waste it on non-fulfilling crepes.
GENKI LIVING: YOU ARE BANNED!!!
People thought this was:
I remember when they (the owners of Genki Living) were just a food stand outside of Life Plaza restaurant in the same commercial plaza complex. This was waaaaay back in 2002! They used to cook the crepes and takoyaki while playing the music CD of the taiwanese singer named Landy. Old times.... I'm glad to see them thriving. They still make excellent crepes and offer the same warm service all around.
-Cedric
People thought this was:
I really want to give them a good review! I love the genki living in Irvine and Arcadia...Sadly I have to be honest.
Ordered my 1 crepe and 1 okonomiyaki to go. Waited about 40 minutes for them to make it. (I was the only one there). Then finally my food was ready. The guy hands me 2 crepes. I'm like uh I ordered 1 okonomiyaki. He's like no you didn't. After some back and forth, he's like ok do you want your money back? UH WTF AM I GOING TO EAT THEN??? I JUST WASTED MY WHOLE LUNCH HOUR WAITING FOR YOU TO MAKE MY FOOD! You'd think he'd refund me for 1 crepe and let me keep both! But nope! So I paid for the crepes and gave one to my sister. And I had to eat something I didn't even order. UGH! That was over a year ago and I never went back...
People thought this was:
A quick fix for crepe and Japanese-American desserts.
Not really a place to sit down and eat and enjoy what you're eating, but it's good for a fly-by fix of cream taiyaki. :] Interesting interior designs too! Everyone should experience one of the Genki Living places at least once. I do recommend the one in Arcadia over this place though because they DO have a group seating area.
Whoohoo for Nutella! :D
It was my first time eating crepes and I absolutely love it! I see most places make it soggy so I thought all crepes were like that but this place make it crunchy! I found out that you can request for soft ones too but just stick to crunchy and you'll like it better!
The most basic crepe: nutella with 1 fruit is about $4 or so...not too bad right? Their most expensive must be the tiramisu...that thing is freaking $7! Jesus. I don't know is it just this place or what but they added slices of almond on it, which makes it even more tasty! This is not a place to kick it since they have limited chairs & tables so just save a spot first when you see one!
Reminder: CASH ONLY! Parking is a beetch but it's all worth it, just for crepes! Genki Living's crepes to be exact.
Genki Living is unique in its area - various Japanese snacks and desserts inside a cozy (that means small) and cute interior. They have crepes, which you can get almost anywhere nowadays, but what they do have that not many places have is takoyaki and different-flavored taiyaki. They're not made as good as from other places that I've had them, but they're good enough.
JONASAPPROVED!
People thought this was:
Good place to kick it and good atmosphere.
Can't go wrong with a crunchy crepe, ice cream, fruit, and whip cream.
Get a Japanese fish as well.
Go to TenRen after for milk tea.
Hella young people though... If you're into that.
Could have cuter/happier workers. =D
Located in a nice plaza as well.
People thought this was:
I've been to this about 3 times, my first time there was AWFUL. I didn't even get to order -__________-" it was kind of packed, but it doesn't mean you walk by take a glance at me and walk away? Who does that? So, I left.
My second time I went was to buy a drink since I was full and wasn't in the mood for any snacks. I ordered their strawberry mango drink which was WAY TOO SWEET for me, and the cashier was a b*tch. I came with my cousins, she saw us with no "Hi" or "Hello," but instead "Close the door when you walk in, the A/C is on." .... WTF. I guess you can say I was in some weird happy mood, because if my senses were totally there- I would of b*itch the living crap out of her. How do you expect business from anyone acting like that?!
My 3rd time was.... alright, I guess. The place WAS dead, completely dead. I ordered their fruits with ice cream crepe. It's kind of expensive for a simple crepe, but I was really craving for one since I was at Cue earlier. TEEHEE. The lady this time was pretty nice. The crepe was crispy which I like, the kiwi's were sour as f*ck. The strawberries were kind of hard to bite into so.. it wasn't as good as I thought it would be. I'm not sure if I want to come back again...
Havent been to another crepe place that beats Genki living.
Strawberry, banana, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream and nutella!
People thought this was:
(3.75 stars.)
The first time I went to Arcade Infinity, I went around with my friend to find some food options, and Genki Living had a pretty huge, visible menu of goodies...of which taiyaki (Japanese fish-shaped filled waffle snack things) took up the better part of a column.
See, I come from the San Fran Bay Area, which has two (as of recent) taiyaki places, and both of them, although tasty as hell (and addictive in the case of San Mateo's Sweet Breams due to the fact that they make theirs in snackable but oh-so-pricey batches), are further up the bay.
I had to have some. I went into the nicely decorated place (something I'd like to describe as "Japanese kitsch") and bought a three-pack, and savored them all.
Fast-forward to January of this year. On New Year's, I headed down to meet that same friend for half a week's soiree. Out of the four days I went, I was at Diamond Plaza for three of them, and Genki Living for two.
Now, here's the reason I gave it four stars. The first day I went, Genki Living was packed; the line was long. It took about fifteen minutes to complete a transaction that I just ended up dropping the idea of getting sweet, sweet taiyaki, opting to go to Arcade Infinity.
I certainly don't think it should take that long for a single person's order. But other than that, I get giddy every time I order taiyaki from this place, because their actual foodstuffs have yet to disappoint me.
Next time, I'm down for okonomiyaki. I haven't had that in ages, either.
They make the best crepes that I have tasted.
Yeesh, this place is expensive..I got an order of octopus takoyaki, strawberry, cheesecake, nutella, and cream crepe and 2 slushes for 19.50?
First of all, I was really excited to try takoyaki as its been awhile since I've ate it and they were pretty big but a tad pricey. They totally screwed up my order too. The crepe was suposed to have cheesecake but instead there was just pound cake in it. They went damn skimpy on the filling as well!
The slushes were just horrible...nothing compared to all the usual places like lollicup, tapioca express, and ten ren's. Ordered the coffee toffee slush and they seriously musta screwed up because it ended up being an oreo slush. Gross! Can u imagine 2 oreo cookies and like a tray of ice blended together? You can? That's what I tried to drink. Same goes for the "mango" slush. All in all, very disappointed and expensive. I was going to give it two stars but rethinking about the whole experience made me realize I'm never going back.
People thought this was:
Everything is pretty delicious here. The place is really cute, like walking into a nice looking with a old school vibe.
The milk teas are great and the sweets are very yummy.
People thought this was:
They've decorated this place to look like two mini-shops with an 'outdoor' patio (all indoors) which is cute but makes this place feel claustrophobic.
The food is average. Ordered the Takoyaki and a crepe (green tea and red bean w/ whipped cream). Disappointed in both, actually, which surprised me. The takoyaki tasted like it was pre-manufactured and just not up to izakaya standards.
The crepe itself was definitely more on the crispy side (almost like a cracker on the edge). To me crepes are supposed to be all about the actual crepe and the toppings come secondary but that doesn't seem to be the case here. Before you start saying stuff like "but that's how Asian crepes are," I've had Asian crepes that were good in both areas, and this place doesn't deliver.
Waiting to Place your order is MIND-NUMBINGLY SLOW, and the food prep time takes at least as long. This plaza in general has a nostalgic feel that reminds me of the high school days. Thanks to Yelp I can find plenty of other places that make takoyaki and crepes with more TLC.
People thought this was:
I really have a love/ hate relationship with this place. I love japanese crepes, but I never leave completely satisfied when I come here. They don't put enough nutella and the batter they make the crepes out of is missing something (like the crepe is too thin or they don't put enough good ingredients in the batter mixture or something). Anyways, I can't put my finger on exactly what is missing to make this place spectacular. I just know it's missing something. But this is the closest crepe place to my house, and I must be a masochist cause I keep coming back! The location itself is good since it's in Diamond Plaza, and it's surrounded by numerous restaurants.
People thought this was:
Lunch Special
La Habra, CA
Chocolate Covered Oreo's!
Whittier, CA
Rowland Heights, CA
Category: Candy Stores
Arcadia, CA
Category: Desserts
Rowland Heights, CA
Category: Desserts
Garden Grove, CA
Category: Desserts
Rowland Heights, CA
Category: Coffee & Tea
Dessert places I've been to and continue to go to…
I got a fever. And the only thing that can cure it…
What's a few extra inches around the waist?…
I come here to satisfy my sweet tooth. I guess you…
ice cream, cupcakes, cookies and other yummy…
My quest for the perfect dessert, ice cream,…
It's had to stay away from things that taste soo…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Loading...
