Almost every café or restaurant has waffles on its menu these days. But none of these places serve good waffles. Enter Waffle Love into the picture. Introducing bubble waffles and croffles in Nepal for the first time, the less than a year old Waffle Love has set out to redefine sweetness. Karma Ghale says he got the inspiration for Waffle Love when he was living in Australia and he decided to give it a shot upon his return home.
“When I lived in Australia, there were a lot of cute and aesthetic eateries all around. Seeing all these pretty places providing simple, tasty food, I decided I wanted to do something similar back in my own country,” says the 27-year-old proprietor. However, he wanted a helping hand and so he pitched the idea to his school friend. And three months later, he and Mukund Agrawal, 26, launched Waffle Love.
While bubble waffles are a very popular Hong Kong street food, not many people in Nepal know of it or have had it. Thus, Ghale wanted to bring this fresh new twist on waffles to Nepal, along with croffles, which are also not commonly available here. With a lot of trial and error and thought behind what to include in the menu, along with the uncertainty of whether customers would enjoy these new types of waffles or not, Ghale and Agrawal decided to take the leap when they found an open spot for their idea in the bustling area of Basantapur in Kathmandu.
The two have decided to stick to waffles and drinks. The reason behind this, they agree, is because they want to perfect each recipe and not just increase the quantity of items served while compromising on the quality. “If you have too many food items, you end up doing a mediocre job,” says Ghale.
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Ghale mentions that Waffle Love is becoming increasingly popular in the recent times and the credit goes to social media and word of mouth. The owners of the eatery haven’t promoted it as such. “A lot of food critics and bloggers have visited Waffle Love and praised it in their posts online,” he says adding that people also recommend the place to their friends after visiting it for the first time.
If you visit Waffle Love (and we suggest you do), you will find that not only is the food good, the place itself is aesthetically pleasing. With a yellow theme, wired light bulbs draped all over, and a railing covered in locked love locks, recreating the famous Pont des Arts bridge in Paris which is popular for having padlocks attached all over the bridge with names of couples, Waffle Love is the cutest place to be with someone you love, whether it’s friends, family, or your significant other.
Not only this, but Waffle Love is one of the few places where your drink is served decorated with beautiful glittery edible sparkles, making a perfect Instagram-worthy photo. If you want to check the place out before you haul yourself up to go there this weekend, you can do so through Instagram or Facebook. We guarantee the pictures will have you rushing over and when you get to Freak Street on Basantapur and see the place for yourself and sample their food, you won’t be disappointed either. Waffle Love is open every day from 10 am to 8:30 pm.
King Croffle
Price: Rs 280
Rate: ****
With a generous amount of vanilla and chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, oreo cookie crumbs and caramel and chocolate drizzle, this croffle is the perfect treat to satisfy your sweet tooth. With a hot, fresh, and subtly crunchy yet soft base made up of a croissant, King Croffle definitely lives up to its name, being the King of croffles as it is the most sold item on Waffle Love’s menu. No other croffle has such a wide array of toppings, all of which complement one another extraordinarily well.
Sweetest Revenge
Price: 330
Rate: ****
This is the bubble waffle you absolutely must try when you visit Waffle Love. Topped with chocolate and vanilla ice cream with chocos and chocolate drizzle, the sweetness amazingly complements the texture of the waffle bread. Being a bubble waffle, it tastes completely different than the croffle due to its entirely different texture. However, though different, biting into the airy bubble of the waffle is very pleasant as its very soft. If you want something chewy rather than crispy, then go for this instead of the croffle.
Oreo Obsession
Price: 300
Rate: ***
Though Sweetest Revenge and Oreo Obsession are both bubble waffles and the base is technically supposed to be the same, the Oreo Obsession had a slightly doughier and soggier texture than Sweetest Revenge. However, fear not, the sweet taste of the raspberry drizzles and whipped cream with oreo cookie crumbs definitely compensates for this texture. The hint of raspberry among popular toppings such as whipped cream makes the waffle taste wonderfully sweet with a slight fruity flavor.
Green Tea Matcha Latte
Price: 250
Rate: ****
The Green Tea Matcha Latte at Waffle Love is definitely one of the best lattes we have ever tasted. Ditching the typical, normal taste of a latte that you can find anywhere, this rich, creamy, and slightly sweet drink is definitely unique and one of the tastiest lattes you can find anywhere in Nepal. There is a subtle hint of a minty taste, making the drink even more enticing and fresh than your regular cup of coffee.
