Review: Waffl dishes up great waffles but is in need of more culinary innovation

Places such as Waffl, located in far-flung Jurong East where the nearest bus stop is a good 10 minutes away, have so much more friction to overcome — customer-wise. 

Its location is bereft of casual foot traffic, while its nearest neighbour is a coffee shop that’s brightly lit but struggles with tenants. There’s only one stall actively dishing up food on the evening of my visit.

Some may call such isolation charming. I argue that charm applies only if the menu is groundbreaking, delicious and innovative. Waffl, unfortunately, falls short on some fronts. 

It’s convenient, though, for the folks living nearby, but outside this Jurong East radius, I find little reason for anyone to traipse to Waffl for ice cream and waffles.

The backstory

Waffl has been in business since April last year. Opened by 30-year-old Lutfil and 27-year-old Joshua, Waffl first launched at the now-shuttered Eatbox at Tekka Place.

Going by its lean Instagram page, little has changed by way of the menu on offer.

After nearly a year in business, one would expect some kind of menu refresh after rounds of customer feedback.

Instead, I see the same food options from 2022 with nary a change. Wait, scratch that — the one change I observed is the removal of a cheese slice from all the waffleburgers.

Our verdict
What it’s good for

The waffles are great. It’s a small and predictable ask for a place whose moniker leans on the food item. Waffl uses the same batter for both its savoury and sweet menu options. 

In terms of waffle excellence, there’s little reason to expect anything but the best. Here, the waffles are thick, perfectly browned and come with a mild chew from a proofing process that’s exemplary. 

A case in point: Perhaps the best thing I had on the day of my visit was the Buttermilk Waffl (S$4.90) with a scoop of sea salt toffee nut (S$5) ice cream. This is Waffl’s star product, and it clearly shows. 

This reminds me fondly of the iteration I had at Tiong Bahru Bakery and I remember enjoying that through and through. It also helps that though the ice cream here isn’t made in-house, they at least come in compelling flavours such as Milo Godzilla and lavender cheese.

When it comes to drinks, the Milo Lava Milk Vanilla (S$6) and the iced lychee ginger (S$4.50) taste homemade — perhaps by design. They’re sweet and comforting.

What it could improve on

While the waffles are great, the fillings they come with aren’t. 

The tuna in the Mashed Tuna Wafflburger (S$9.90) tasted as though it came straight out of a can. 

Look, I don’t mind this — canned tuna is delicious and can do no wrong. But this lacks innovation. The eatery could have added something acidic for balance — perhaps some lemon would elevate it.

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I have the same criticism for the Smoked Salmon Wafflburger (S$10.90) that could do with more imagination. Perhaps the eatery could whip up its own sour cream, throw in some capers and drizzle something acidic over it.

The Spicy Chicken Wafflburger (S$9.90) wasn’t my first option for a chicken dish — that would have been the kimchi chicken. But on the advice of the cashier, who said “the spicy chicken is our bestseller”, I made a swap. 

I understand why customers like this. What’s not to like about a McSpicy adjacent? 

But could it have gone further? Yes. Perhaps some cheese slices or maybe a scrambled egg on top. This had potential.

And then there’s the cheese-mayo drizzle. All the waffleburgers here come with a side of potato chips drizzled liberally with the cheese-mayo concoction. 

There are many things wrong with this, chief of which is the use of potato chips that lose their crispiness when exposed to air. Tortilla chips would have been a better option. 

Also, must everything be with this cloying drizzle of cheese mayo?

The same cheese mayo can also be found on the 5-piece cheesy spicy drumlets (S$6). These most likely came from the frozen-food aisle — not that I mind, but again, it came with that cheese-mayo drizzle. 

Perhaps Waffl sees no need to be innovative with its menu. It’s, after all, the only shop of its kind in the neighbourhood — there’s no competition to speak of.

But food should be exciting. It should be forward-thinking and it must drive curiosity. I can imagine Waffl as the type of cafe people from Pasir Ris drive down to visit, enticed by waffleburgers that are generous, creative and made with love. 

Waffl, unfortunately, is what happens when you meet expectations and go no further.

Our quick takes

Is it conducive to conversation? Yes. Tables were well-spaced, though the bistro can get a little echoey. 

Is a reservation necessary? No.

How to get there? It’s a 10-minute walk from the nearest bus stop at Block 246 Jurong East Street 24.

HungryGoWhere paid for its meal at this cafe for this review. Still hungry? Read our reviews of Ol’Java at Lucky Plaza and Sembarang Nasi Lemak & Padang in Bukit Merah.

Book a ride to Waffl.