At one time, it’s hard to believe, waffles came out of the iron, were served with syrup, maybe some berries, and that was it. And then there was whipped cream. And then came bacon on the side. Fried chicken.
Point being, as time went on, humanity learned how much we love to put stuff on waffles, or next to waffles.
Just when you think we’ve hit peak waffle, here comes Tropical Sweets, the new cafe on 124th Street opened by the owners of Smokin’ Barrels, the Mexican eatery that has earned nothing but raves since it opened its doors this past March. The cafe has empanadas, tacos, tamales, Mexican soups — but at the top of the menu are the Yuca waffles. And, really, I didn’t get past the top of the menu, because the first thing you find in the Yuca waffles section is “The Smoked.” It’s a waffle covered in smoked meat, avocado, spicy mayo and pico de gallo. To say this promised to be a hefty meal would be like saying a blue whale is a pretty big sea creature.
I knew that this was probably going to be a sizeable amount of food when I made the order, but I was still taken aback when the plate was brought to the table. It felt like the ramekin of syrup was placed on the plate for the sake of overkill. The meat, cheese, greens and mix of spicy and sweet condiments, well, it took a second to actually find the Yuca waffles laying underneath,
And let’s get to the topic of the waffles. Yuca waffles are made with cassava, so they are naturally sweeter than your Belgian waffle. In fact, I don’t think they need syrup. But, with savoury layers of meat, cheesy creaminess and some spice all on top, the flavour combination makes your taste buds work overtime. It’s a dizzying, wonderful case of overstimulation with every bite. It was over the top — and I absolutely loved it. Even with so much going on, there’s balance to every bite.
So, when it comes to massive waffle creations, we have a new leader in Edmonton.
Tropical Sweets Cafe
Oliver | 10235 124 St NW Edmonton | 780.447.0688 | tropicalsweets.cafe
