I love waffles. I mean, who doesn’t?
When done right, they’re fragrant, crispy, tasty and all sorts of ooey-gooey heart-warming adjectives. In fact, while the low pricing and decent ice cream are all plus-points, my main love for Gelare Cafe on Gelare Day (Tuesdays, when their waffles are half-priced) are their hot, steaming waffles drenched in maple syrup and topped with ice cream.
So, when I happen to pass by Paya Lebar MRT that day with some friends and one mentioned having heard of some cheap, good waffle buffet at the Singapore Post building, I just knew we had to try it. I mean, free-flow of waffles at an affordable (very important, in these times) price? I’m so there.
Alas, though, I was to be (slightly) disappointed. To be fair, the food was pretty decent (at first) and the price definitely was cheap, but the waffles left a bad aftertaste (figuratively and, at times, literally) and fouled up the experience.
Upon entering Waffle Factory, you’d be flooded by the accolades the little cafe has received. From newspaper reviews to magazine cutouts and even to variety show recommendations, the shop sure has seen some glowing feedback. The second thing you’ll notice is that, despite these star features and the throngs of crowds they’re sure to have garnered, the shop is remarkably small, with a few tables that can barely contain more than twenty people in total.
Despite the shop’s (sort of) celebrity status, the service personnel were warm-hearted and friendly, offering us a small table at first because there was no space and then “upgrading” us to a larger table when the crowd thinned out. They were also generally pleasant and prompt, although slightly oblivious at times (once, we had to call them three times before we got a response).
Like the staff, the decor of the shop was perky and bright, with vivid colours and large photos of different waffles adorning the wall and a endearing low-budget-but-friendly ambience to the whole place.
The prices are cheap too, especially for the starving looking for a carbo-load. The waffle buffet price (which is applicable daily from 10am to 10pm) is S$8.80, which includes all-you-can-eat ala carte waffles, a one-time-only durian waffle and another one-time-only special dish, which can be either a selection of floats and/or an ice cream wafer basket mix. For an additional S$3 you can get a pasta or a Singaporean dish like laksa or nasi lemak.
I opted for a meatball spaghetti, a mango float and a small selection of waffles for starters (my friends and I, drooling at the prospect of durian in a waffle, ordered three of those).
While later waffles disappointed tremendously (more on that later), that first batch, to me, more than justified the S$12 I had to pay. The spaghetti was tasty, with tangy, chewy meatballs, the mango float was just the right mixture of sweet and zesty (the mango ice cream was great too) and the durian waffle was absolute heaven. The filling, a puree of pure, unadulterated durian (and really good one too) was thick and abundant and the waffles was steaming hot and tasty even on its own. Definitely one of the must-trys there.
At that point, heartened by the positive turnout, my friends and I began our barrage of orders for different waffles (some of which you can’t even begin to guess at from the names). Turns out, though, that other than the durian waffle, everything else feels (and tastes) pretty homemade (and not in a good way).
Out of the several I tried, the apple cinnamon waffle was just a waffle wrapping the MacDonalds apple pie filling, the butter raisin combo was dripping with a horrifying amount of oil and most of the others were just waffles topped with sugary icing, with a bit of the “star” ingredients (the ones the waffles are named after) added. While none of these waffles were really all that bad (the fruit loops one, inexplicably, worked), they all tasted pretty cheap and manufactured.
My main problem with the waffles, other than the fact that some of the toppings and ingredients weren’t of very high grade (although, to be fair, it IS a really cheap buffet) is that they were too thick. While they were nicely made and the first one was excellent, the rest just felt excessive and, although tasting the same, began to lose their lustre. Plus, because they were so thick, they dwarfed their fillings and made every bite seem like two parts flour, one part filling. After just three or four more, I was so jelak I couldn’t even finish my last one.
So, while the service is good and the buffet is great for the really hungry ghosts and those looking for a decent bite, it really isn’t that great after a few more waffles. If you do go, take my advice and just stick to three or four at most. That way, you’d be happy with the price you paid and won’t leave the place feeling so bloated and stuffed like I did.
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