The sizzling brownie sundae, the wildly popular dessert at the Chowpatty outpost of Cream Centre, has some serious competition in the waffle sandwiches that have been baking next door at The Belgian Waffle Co., since October. The unimaginatively named dessert chain, which was launched as a kiosk inside malls and cinemas in July, has occupied a strategic standalone spot. Cream Centre’s spillover crowd and diners in waiting bide their time noshing on waffles at this cosy shop, made up of an assembly kitchen and six chairs.
The owners have omitted eggs from their waffle batter across the chain, which explains why the many Gujarati and Jain families residing in and around Chowpatty have been flocking here. The waffles come with a wait. In the evenings, you would typically have to endure 20 minutes until you’re served. This is because The Belgian Waffle Co. is the best quick service waffle specialist in the city. They’ve pipped Khar’s The Wafflist’s pre-cooked liege waffles and the waffles on a stick popularised by The Waffle House. Their near-perfect Brussels classic is served in nine fairly-standard combinations such as cinnamon and apple; banoffee; Nutella; and Belgian chocolate. They’re liberal with the fillings but the show stealer is the batter. It emerges from the griddle fluffy inside but crisp outside, so that it holds the ample fillings and has bite.
You’ll need extra serviettes with their sweet waffle sandwiches. In a week they must be running through scores of tubs of Nutella, which is lavished on the Naked Nutella (Rs120), a universal favourite that you can order with or without sliced banana. Cream, bananas and caramel are smushed into the Banoffee Waffee (Rs100), the sweetest of the three we ate, and a pretty close rendition of the British pie. We rarely order the ubiquitous blueberry cheesecake owing to the usually cloying blueberry compote used in the dessert. The Belgian Waffle Co.’s blueberry cheesecake waffle (Rs120), stuffed with unsweetened cream cheese and not-too-sweet compote, is an exception. Their thick sandwiches can weather a short journey without turning sloppy or soggy. To enjoy the waffles uninterrupted by the impatient and noisy crowd that throngs here, it’s best you take them to go.
Get: Naked Nutella (Rs120), Banoffee Waffee (Rs100), blueberry cheesecake (Rs120).
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Open daily, from 9am to midnight. The Belgian Waffle Co., Fulchand Niwas, opposite Chowpatty Beach, Girgaum Chowpatty. Tel: 98198 74739. Get directions here.