PICS: MARCO POLO

Outside the white table cloths of any great gustatory capital are portable kitchens, sidewalk hawkers and hole-in-the-walls, at which loyal locals and the occasional tourist queue for a quick fix. These junctures of brief transactions not only afford conveniences that seam the urban patchwork but also intimate a city's romantic allure of anonymity and seemingly endless possibilities. To this end Kathmandu is no exception, where open-air finger food (mostly fried) is such a common fixture, often taken for granted.

Around the corner from Tip Top's famed samosas and croquets in New Road, the four-month-old Japanese Crepe House Station caught my eye with its hand-painted, clean typography befitting of an artless lemonade stand. But in lieu of lemons, street side fare is consecrated in the unlikely marriage of the land of the rising sun and the quintessential French flapjack. A mock display of plated cr�pes in variation, which could either tempt or creep, is typical of manicured models found in the vitrines of Tokyo sweet shops and ice cream parlours. All smiles, orange bonnets and matching aprons complete the outfits of the station's coquettish cr�pi�res who dub the cookie-cutter charm of Orange Juleps and Western fast food chains.

Fitted with a flattop cr�pe pan, wooden trowels (batter spreader) and a long steel spatula, the station is ostensibly authentic. Cr�pes are made to order and customized to one's preference. The batter is reliable and uniform, but cooking time can be extended a tad for that perfect golden edge.

Fillings are limited to sweet combinations of seasonal fruit�namely strawberry, pineapple, banana, mango, and apple�standard ice cream flavours, chocolate sauce and cinnamon.

Uniquely Nepali, the Khuwa cr�pe, stuffed with khuwa (that sapid milk solid somewhere between fresh cheese and curd) and enveloped with whipped cream, is a local favourite.

Missing are classic cr�pe ingredients like lemon, powdered sugar, or Nutella (or a pseudo-brand of the hazelnut chocolate spread), as well as savoury cr�pes or galettes, easily prepared with a hunk of local cheese and a sprinkling of garden herbs.

It's do or die for alfresco food stalls like the Japanese Crepe House, where common comforts and irresistible price tags make the grade. It may be too early to gauge if cr�pes will catch on or kick to the curb, but already, the warm handheld snack is popular with teenie boppers and could only compliment ubiquitous juice stands and mithais. With a second stand in Sundhara already, the Japanese Crepe House is an eager venture, which if tweaked, could make a blissful blintz.

From Bishal Bazar walk towards Darbar Square and stop before crossing Freak Street