First Look: Wow Crepes Brings Chinese Street Food Staple Jianbing to Flinders Street

Leon Liu has spent the past 10 years behind a hot griddle making jianbing at Wow Crepes, his shop in the food court of the Bourke Street Kmart Centre. When he started in 2016, his mission was “to bring traditional and affordable Chinese-style street food to Melbourne. Especially something warm, convenient and familiar for people looking for a quick meal.” Now, he’s furthering that pursuit, opening the shop’s first outpost on Flinders Street near the corner of Elizabeth Street. 

In China, jianbing is typically enjoyed for breakfast and served from dedicated street carts. In the east, the batter is usually made from a mix of wheat and mung bean flours. In the north, you’ll often find jianbing batter made from mung bean or black bean flours – some also incorporate egg. At Wow Crepes, the team uses a five-grain blend made from ground soybeans, millet, chickpea flour, ground corn, red bean flour and green bean flour. “This gives the jianbing a richer flavour and a more nutritious profile, while still keeping the texture that people love,” says Liu. A thin layer of batter is spread on a large round griddle to cook before it’s filled, folded and sliced in half.

While jianbing purists in China have tried to impose rules on everything from size to appropriate fillings, there has been no stopping people from adapting the dish both in its home country and abroad. “In China, some of the most traditional fillings are egg, crispy crackers, spring onion, coriander, sauce and sometimes sausage or other simple savoury additions depending on the region,” says Liu, who grew up in northeast China and moved to Melbourne in 2016. 

At Wow Crepes, the jianbing spans old and new, and is served with the traditional fillings as well as unconventional options like tiger prawns, smoked salmon and chorizo. “We always try to respect the original idea of jianbing while also adapting it to Melbourne tastes,” adds Liu. You can order off the menu or order a custom jianbing, choosing from more than 20 toppings including egg, cheese, pork floss and youtiao (Chinese doughnut).

Liu is passionate about sharing the food he grew up with and “introducing more authentic Chinese flavours to Melbourne”. At Wow Crepes, he also serves snacks such as tea eggs, egg drop chicken soup and pork congee with century egg. His shops are “about sharing a familiar taste of home, introducing Chinese street food culture to more people, and offering something that is delicious, affordable, and made with care”. 

Wow Crepes Flinders
276 Flinders Street, Melbourne
0411 111 610

Hours:
Daily 7am–7pm

@wow_crepes_flinders