We recently took a day trip to Vancouver for a free Pokemon Go event ... go Team Instinct :). I…read moreused to play Pokemon Go quite religiously but eventually that tapered off, so the event was a fun way to get reacquainted with the game.
After walking around for a couple of hours, trying to entice various pokemon creatures into our traps (wait! is that vegan?!), one definitely tends to work up an appetite and this is where the star of our show comes in, WaffleLand Café ! A mere 10 minute walk from the Vancouver Harbour, walking into WaffleLand feels a bit like walking into a culinary pitstop on the way to Disneyland, a feeling that is no accident, completely by design. If you're a Disney addict like me, just having that theming is enough to serve as a subtle transport to a magical (some might say ..the *most* magical) place on Earth! There's just something about the whimsical nature of the storefront and within, coupled with little detailed touches that just serve to tie everything together.
Honestly, I could end this post right here and I think it would still qualify as a complete write up lol but ... fat chance, I'm going to tell you about the food :), the food, the glorious food lol. Let's start by pointing out their completely separate vegan menu, I can never say enough about this gesture, it means so much to the community for so many reasons! You get to choose from a variety of waffles, most of them being sweet but not without some "sweet" (so to speak lol) savory options as well.
My wife, being of the sweet persuasion, opted for the "Enchanted Forest" .. bananas, strawberries, almonds, a dallop of vegan cream and hazelnut sauce coupled with the thicker, fluffier liège style of waffle! Myself, being a savory character, I opted for the "Smoked Tofu Lover" with all my favorite things, avocado, hummus, smoked tofu, plus maple syrup and dusted with garlic sesame, coupled with a thinner, heartier norwegian style waffle. There's no wrong choices here, my friends! Plus, while I obviously had to put any low carb aspirations aside by agreeing to eat here, that doesn't mean I can't try to make smarter decisions along the way, with the fat and fiber content of my plate at least hopefully helping to slow my body's reaction to the waffle treat! We were both enamored with our respective dishes, just everything about them, the aesthetics, the flavor, the texture and super generous portion sizing!
I regret that I neglected to take pictures of their drink menu as they had a great assortment of coffees, shakes, teas, cold drinks, cocktails and shots. I was really inclined to try myself an effervescent Duck Fart (I have issues, I know this....) but alas, twas not to be as the shot wasn't vegan due to Bailey's Irish Cream. So instead, I relegated myself to joining my wife in a delightfully sweet "Mickey in Waffleland", consisting of Grand Marnier, Tequila, and Tia Maria. Cheers!
I love places that offer something unique, with superb character, a place with such a special charm that you're unlikely to find something similar elsewhere in your other travels and WaffleLand succeeded in hitting all of those high notes, a magical waffle experience, indeed!