These sweet and savoury croffles in Ottawa really do surpass croissants and waffles

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Sharpfle Waffle

176 Hinchey Ave. and 111 York St., 613-862-1130, sharpflewaffle.com

Open: Daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Mechanicsville) | Thursday to Monday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Tuesday (Lowertown)

Prices: Sweet waffles $6.49 to $9.99, savoury waffles $10.99 to 12.99

Access: Steps to front door at both locations

I started 2025 with an overdue visit to one of Ottawa’s two Sharpfle Waffle locations, where I found that the business had put a spring 2023 setback far behind it and was excelling at making both sweet and savoury treats.

We’re talking, of course, about waffles. Or, for all you pastry sticklers out there, croffles. The croissant-meets-waffle pastry craze apparently originated with this 2015 video, before being embraced and popularized in South Korea in the late 2010s. While I haven’t eaten a ton of croffles, the few I’ve had at Sharpfle Waffle make me think they’ve been perfected in Ottawa.

“We’ve evolved more than what it was in Korea. In terms of complexity, in terms of flavour, we are very unique in the croissant-waffle scene,” says James Choi, owner of Sharpfle Waffle.

The lapsed public service statistician who came to Canada from Korea opened Sharpfle Waffle in December 2021, originally in Hintonburg. In April 2023, Choi was forced out of his Wellington Street West digs following a lease-related dispute with its then-neighbour Stella Luna Gelato Cafe. Choi reopened Sharpfle Waffle on a Hinchey Avenue corner in Mechanicsville, and then, 10 months ago, launched his second location, on York Street in the ByWard Market.

(In a case that some might label culinary karma, the Stella Luna Gelato Cafe location in Hintonburg that was seen as the bully in 2021 closed in late December 2023, after laying off all its staff. Moo Shoo Ice Cream has just opened in that space.)

But back to croffles, the hybrid pastry which is to waffles as cronuts are to doughnuts. Croffles are made with a buttery dough based on croissant dough, which is cooked in waffle presses to confer a waffle’s best attributes, namely a crisp exterior with a grid that holds toppings, sauces and, ideally, whipped cream. While this now sounds great to me, my cynical first instinct upon hearing about croffles was to dismiss them as a trendy, clickbait-y, flash-in-the-pan. How wrong I was.

At the Sharpfle Waffle on York Street, which is a little larger than the tiny location in Hintonburg, my favourite treat was the not-too-sweet creamy sesame waffle ($9.49). It plays right into Asian palates with its creamy, nutty purée and toasty notes that mingle with airy, buttery pastry, artfully drizzled caramel and vanilla-scented whipped cream.

The lotus and salted caramel waffle ($9.99) worked its own magic, bolstering its waffle with crumbs made from Biscoff cookies, salted caramel and hazelnut whipped cream.

Served on a pink plate and topped with impeccable strawberries, the strawberry shortcake waffle ($9.99) was arguably the most photogenic of the waffles, and it was also hard to fault.

While we weren’t craving anything savoury, Choi insisted on dropping off a charred corn and cheese waffle ($10.99) at our table. Even if we were in a more sugary mood, the corn-and-cheese pastry won us over with surprisingly intense flavours and the same level of craftsmanship that made the sweet waffles special.

Sharpfle Waffle is also known for coffees made from beans that it roasts in-house, and a flat white ($5) was exceptional. Warm yuzu lemonade ($5.75) warmed us up nicely and next time I’ll try a hojicha latte ($5.75), which is like a matcha latte, only more toasty, because its green tea has been roasted.

Last fall, the Hinchey Avenue location hosted some special dinners during which pastas and ramen were featured. Unfortunately, I never made it out to one. But I’ll keep my eyes peeled for future events, because Choi’s business partner, chef Jay Lee, has done stints at such acclaimed restaurants as Eleven Madison Park in New York, Buca in Toronto and Beckta Dining & Wine in Ottawa. Choi also told me that Sharpfle Waffle will be launching a brunch menu at the Hinchey Avenue location this Thursday, serving what he calls “a traditional Western brunch with slight Asian touches.”

I feel like I started the new year with a special, well-made treat, even if some might say it was just a waffle (or a croffle, or a croissant-waffle). Regardless, I’ll expect more great things from Sharpfle Waffle.

phum@postmedia.com

Do you have a favourite place to get a little treat in Ottawa? Send Peter Hum an e-mail to share your picks.

Other treats of the week:

Supreme croissant at Hugo Cafe

Smoked salmon croissant at Choux Atelier

Apple cider doughnut at Red Door Provisions

Maritozzi at Roberto Pizza Romana

Sin-Namon churro cookie at Toro Eats & Treats

Hazelnut Paris-Brest at Elina Patisserie

Lobster Tails at Pasticceria Gelateria Italiana

Kouign-amann at La Maison du Kouign-Amann

Hot chocolate at Amandine Patisserie

Yule logs at Mamie Clafoutis

Petrali and susumelle at Dolce Sapori Italian Bakery & Cafe

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