Wannawafel
Market Square
102-560 Johnson St.
Victoria, BC
(250) 590-5300
J: Wannawafel as a business is a complete no-brainer. Victoria has always been accepting of a good waffle recipe but it took a local Belgian family with their own recipes to turn something good into what might become a multi-million dollar franchise.
The family has gained previous success on an episode of CBC’s Dragon’s Den, a show where millionaires sit and listen to business ideas and product pitches only to get richer in the process. It’s not my cup of tea but something must be right if the Dragons see the potential.
Years ago, I was a customer of the Noodle Box when they were a simple cart. I thought then the Noodle Box would expand and become a franchise and I’m calling it now with Wannawafel.
Asahi Sushi was on my mind for this trip but the sweet smell wafting from the Market Square location of Wannawafel lifted me off the ground and pulled me into their establishment.
E: Yeah, and it brought James out from hiding too and his “yet to be explained” sabbatical away from the blog.
Wannawafel is great in its basic product, but I’m still eying West Coast Waffles. They’ve newer, and they have more variety in its offerings.
J: West Coast Waffles is good for a dine-in but I believe the purpose of Wannawafel is to keep it simple and fast. It’s great for that quick bite for locals or tourists. The problem with this location is they are more than a walk around the corner for those people who work in the downtown core. The main gates of Market Square is a good location but only if your plan is to serve mostly tourists and shoppers.
And besides, you still need to lose a little more around the waistline. I’m still beating you weight-wise.
J: I could’ve done without the icing sugar. When it said ‘free’ on the menu, I’d no idea it would be a mandatory addition. The next time I’ll ask them to hold off.
So Thin Man, how did it taste?
E: The Liège waffle was nice and crispy. It had me wanting to do the hula so that the calories wouldn’t stick. The cool ice cream and sweety fruit compote (a mix of berries) complemented it quite well. They weren’t super exceptional, but it did help add to the overall crisp and soft texture of the waffle.
J: Ah yes, there’s nothing like the image of Ed in a grass skirt doing the dance of the tiki. My sabbatical may appear self-explanatory in this new light.
E: What? You mean this Chinese man can’t dance? As far as I know, there are male hula dancers too…
And I truly did have a Coke and a smile because Wannawafel serves soda in the tall thin glass bottles I so fondly remember. One recalls my discovery of them at Pizza Zone. It has taken me until this excursion to find one. And when I planned to ceremoniously pop the cap off, Ed stole my moment. With shaken Coke in hand, he only managed to erupt the bottle much like a bad elementary school science experiment. Where’s “Mean” Joe Green’s jersey when you need it.
3½ Blokes out of 5
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