Despite what the internet believes, waffles are more than just pancakes with abs. The comforting saccharine smell of butter, vanilla, and maple syrup on this golden brown Belgian treat usually has an inadvertent aphrodisiacal effect on epicures.
This influence is regularly witnessed at WaffleBae, a 20-cover dessert bar located alongside the walkway on South Panampilly Nagar Road. Though it’s just a few weeks old, our Instagram feed is frequently graced with dishes from the 550 sq ft space, often recognised due to the signature teal-yellow walls, high ceiling, and wall-mounted tables in the background. So, we decided to stop by and try the specials ourselves.
Ironing it out
Fair warning—their banoffee variant may urge you to forgo the fork/knife and lick your plate clean. The waffle, crisp on the outside and fluffy within, features delicious banoffee cream (made in-house), caramelised nuts, freshly sliced bananas, and melty vanilla ice cream inside every checkered pattern. The affordable outlet (waffles from `69 onwards) also serves made-to-order miniature pancakes, and the ones slathered in tangy cream cheese are amongst our favourites.
While slurping down an amazing, apple-butterscotch thick shake, the man behind this initiative Riyas K M, comes by to greet us. An MBA graduate-turned-restaurateur, Riyas is well aware of the other waffle-only spot in town.
“Unlike some of the nationwide waffle chains, our store’s batter is homemade and 100 per cent vegetarian. We’ve experimented on it for months before finally nailing an egg-free mixture,” claims the 23-year-old, who urges us to try their best-selling Raffaello waffwich (think waffle sandwich). If, for some reason, you can sample only one ‘hot-off-the-iron’ dish here, make sure it’s this masterfully executed coconut-flavoured, white chocolate-filled waffwich.
Open from 1 pm to 11 pm.
anoop.p@newindianexpress.com
@godsonlymistake