A quintessential comfort food item, waffles are a favourite. Slathered with maple syrup, or served warm with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and a scoop of ice cream, or even with a serving of hot, spicy curry, waffles make an amazing dessert or meal.

For Dunilsha Hewage, it means everything to effectively run her very first venture – a waffles only café serving authentic Belgian waffles, and savoury waffles better suited for local palates. A serious foodie, she says she has always taken a special interest in the subject of food, and used to spend her spare time cooking and baking with friends during her days in university. “I wanted to start something simple, and waffles are a great way to start,”. She stresses on the importance of using quality ingredients to provide a great dining experience for customers at the Waffle Corporation.   

At the Waffle Corporation, you can choose from a variety of three types of waffle, two of which are authentic Belgian, and the third is a soft type for savoury toppings. The Liege and the Brussel are meant to be eaten with any kind of sweet topping. What’s the difference between the two? The Liege is crispy on the outside and has a rather bready texture to it when you cut into the waffle, and it has a coating of icing sugar on it. The Liege is a popular item of street food in Belgium, and this is meant to be eaten with your hands so if you do order this, remember to do away with cutlery! The Brussel is crispy on the outside and very soft inside, and is quite rich and oily. Tastes rather plain on its own therefore a topping is a must.

The savoury waffles at the Waffle Corporation are a treat, and quite perfect if you’d like some variety for your lunch, or great as a snack. Currently, there are three toppings available – cheese and chicken curry, cheese and pol sambol and chillie potatoes with coriander, the latter of which isn’t available everyday. Dunilsha is working on perfecting a creamy crab topping to be added to the menu. I sample the cheese and chicken curry waffle, and I’ve already decided that it has to be one of the best items on the menu. The waffle is warm, soft and crispy when bitten into, and there’s a layer of warm, gooey cheese and topped with chunks of perfectly curried chicken with some gravy and sprinkled with coriander. The cheese is perfect with the curried chicken and the addition of fresh coriander really completes the overall flavour combined in a single bite.

Next, I try out a waffle slathered with whipped cream and topped with sliced strawberries and bananas buried in creamy chocolate sauce. The tartness of the fruit combined with the whipped cream and sweetness of the chocolate sauce make a perfectly classic dessert waffle! Other toppings for the sweet waffles include almond flakes, marshmallows, chocolate balls, cookies and cream, an apple and cinnamon topping, and a raspberry or blackberry coulis and a blueberry compote.  

The Waffle Corporation also serves smoothies, and undertakes orders for brownies and cakes.

They are located at 279B, R.A. De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 03 (right next to Stone N String). They can be contacted on 0779001345. 

By Sarah Kellapatha