Waffle Nation, one of the new outlet that has come up in the busy Banashankari area opposite to BDA complex.  The place sells variety of waffles but follow the concept of waffle-on-the-go.  I still remember trying the first waffle, nearly a decade back for my breakfast at one of the Hilton properties in US.  Now it seems to have become very common and there are waffle parlours like the ice-cream parlours.  With the popularity increase among the youngster, the number of outlets have mushroomed up across the city in 2 years.  Initially these outlets were seen in malls, but now they are established in many other commercial buildings as well.  Let me share my experience from my recent visit to Waffle Nation outlet.

History

A waffle is a dish made from leavened batter or dough that is cooked between two plates that are patterned to give a characteristic size, shape and surface impression. There are many variations based on the type of waffle iron and recipe used.

Waffles are preceded, in the early Middle Ages, around the period of the 9th–10th centuries.  We all have known the Belgium Waffles as being the best in the globe.  Little do people know that there are different varieties of Waffles – Bruseels Waffles, Liege Waffle, Flemis Waffles, American Waffles, Bergische Waffles, Hong Kong Style Waffles, Belgian Waffles and many more.  Each of the varieties have slight variation in the recipe, shape, presentation and toppings.

There are plenty of toppings that can be put on the waffles.  Some of the popular ones include – Butter, Chocolate Chips, Fruits, Honey, Jam, Maple Syrup, Chocolate Syrup, Whipped cream, Powdered sugar and the most famous Nutella.

Ideally one should consume the waffle within 10-15mts of its preparation, otherwise it become hard to eat.

Waffle have been available across the city in major star hotels at breakfast table or for snacks.  Though the concept of self-service outlets had become popular in Europe, it had not been adopted in India.  Here, only the Darshini(s) serving South Indian food used to have self-service.  But with the passage of time, people have extrapolated the self-service to Milkshake parlours, Ice-cream parlours, Momo(s), Sandwiches and now Waffle outlets.

Location

There are plenty of outlets across nook & corner of the city, serving only waffle to customers.  The Waffle Nation outlet in BDA complex, situated in the building opposite to BSK BDA complex.  Same building also has McDonald’s in the Ground floor and Milkshake parlour in the basement level.  Waffle Nation can be found in the basement to the left side.

Ambiance

• Unlike many other Waffle-on-the-go outlets, they have made provision for 4-6 guests to sit and enjoy the waffle.  Otherwise, the space inside the outlet is mostly consumed by machinery, ingredients, toppings and staff.
• They have a cool looking tab containing pictures of the waffles.  If someone in doubt, they can ask for the person across the counter to show a picture.  One can get to see the real time taken of the preparation in the past and decide if they want to take one.  Loved this unique way to showcase the products, rather than having poster which won’t change forever.
• There are 4 varieties of waffles including – Waffle Sandwich, Savoury, Bubble Waffle and Waffle Sticks.
• Inside the outlet, there are 2 wooden planks and couple of high-rise chairs.  Few guests can also stand inside the outlet & eat, which might eventually tempt them to take another waffle.
• I would love to see a tv screen showcasing high-resolutions waffle pictures and telecast live matches.

Waffles

There are plenty of varieties of waffles that can be tried.  But I thought it would be easier to ask the person across the counter.

Chocolate Blizzard

This was one of the Bubble Waffle that came with Nutella, Whipped Cream, Chocolate Sauce, Choco chips and Chocolate Ice-cream.  One can consume the waffle for lunch/dinner, as it very rich and filling.

I loved the taste of waffle, it was just awesome, and every bite had the flavours filling my mouth.  Combination of Nutella, Cream and other ingredients, tele-transported me to Cloud-9.  The overdose of toppings on the waffle, made me get a high.

Most of the times, I have been used to taking Liege waffle with Male Syrup & Strawberries.  But I loved the idea of adding Nutella, Whipped Cream, Choco chips on the waffle.

Saucy Secretary

This waffle sandwich came with a topping of Whipped cream, Choco chips and little bit of chocolate.  Though the taste was not as exquisite as the earlier one, it was still very special.  But still, the taste was quite good because of small size of waffle & topping.  The presentation can be compared to that of cone ice-cream.  But presently, waffle tempts people more than the traditional cone ice-creams.

Overall Experience

It was great fun having the waffles from the new outlet in Banashankari.  I specially recommend the Bubble Waffle with overdose of Nutella & Whipped cream, the signature dish.  Loved the idea of having tablet to showcase varieties of waffles and also having limited sitting option.  Waffle Nation has the potential to expand with multiple branches across the city.  Going forward, I plan to try waffle at multiple places as I seem to have developed special love for waffle.

I rate my current experience at 4.0/5.  Rating in other departments.
Food – 4.0/5
Service – 4.0/5
Ambiance – 4.0/5
Food for 2 at this outlet will come to anywhere between INR 250-400.