Woof O Waffle Wants You Barking for Savory Batter... and Michelin-Starred Sauce

The waffle, that classic American bing, isn’t just for breakfast anymore. Woof O Waffle in Sanlitun Soho has made it their mission to turn Beijinger's onto the delights of savory, lunch-y waffles.

While student-favorite Maan Coffee is perhaps the best known as an early adopter of the waffle, and Moka Bros still has one of our favorite dessert varieties, Woof instead replaces the lashings of chocolate and whipped cream with a range of special sauces. Most notable of the bunch is a green chive sauce created by a three-star Michelin chef, which can be added for an extra RMB 5. Only our wildest imaginations can guess how that collaboration came to be.

Sticking to the savory theme, the four types of waffle are stuffed with various ingredients, like the cumin lamb for a Xinjiang-style waffle, Pretty Numb Chicken for something a little mala, Four Fried Season Bean for some veggie protein (but also some pork), so vegetarians are left with the Mouthy Mushroom, which also happens to have the most "Western" in flavor. All come in either half or whole for anywhere between RMB 23-RMB 45 respectively. Shell out an extra RMB 5 for the aforementioned artisanal sauce.

In all, the premise of adding ingredients into waffle batter is a playful spin on an old snack. Some elements work better than others: the cumin lamb and sauce pairing is beautifully savory and just that little bit sweet, but overall the dough is a little too soft and lacks the crunch needed to elevate these to a higher plane (it's an easy fix: simply cook them a little longer). A sprinkling of nori helps embolden the flavors and the dollops of chili sauce packs a punch.

Although the menu is rather minimal, Woof is more than just waffles. They've also paired with the kombucha brand Ludeng, sold exclusively in this store. Bottles come in three different sizes: RMB 25 for 250ml, RMB 40 for 500ml, RMB 80 for 1L, and while the taste is not particularly strong, they come in intriguing flavors like rose and lemon-ginger. There are also various kombucha-based teas and milk teas to round out the drinks menu.

All of this can be enjoyed in a room that might be described as techno-industrial – somewhere probably better enjoyed with the lights off and the music pumping, of which there is conspicuously none – with its concrete walls, embedded wall lighting, and bright white seats and tables. The low seating might feel a bit awkward, but the waffles make a good takeaway snack anyhow, and the kombucha, too, is served in baggable glass bottles.

Whether staying in or taking to-go, Woof O Waffle is a creative twist on a classic snack, but gimmicks of Michelin-star sauce aside, its success will simply rely on whether it can people through the door in their small corner of Sanlitun Soho. After all, it's a dog-eat-dog world out there.

Woof O Waffle
1/F, Bldg 6, Sanlitun Soho, Chaoyang District
朝阳区三里屯SOHO6号商场一层

READ: Satisfyingly Simple: Sanlitun Soho's Man Sushi Does Exactly What the Name Suggests

Images: Zeus Zou, Woof O Waffle