Did you say wah-ffle?

Don't go expecting manna from heaven at this coffee shop in Andheri unless, of course, you seek salvation in eggless pancakes, waffles and crepes (which, we understand, you might)

Heaven is a tall order. Some of us spend our lives hoping to get into it. Others are sure we won't. Still others believe that our culinary choices might ensure us a front-row seat. And a foolish few believe themselves to have caught glimpses of it on planet earth.


Marshmallow Waffle. Pics/pradeep Dhivar

Since we fancy ourselves to be on the brighter side, we polished our halos and freed ourselves of expectations. Besides, who can expect to find deliverance in a chocolate croissant! Turns out, they don't serve croissants. They serve waffles, pancakes, sundaes, wraps, paninos, crepes, pizza and grilled sandwiches. The waffles, pancakes, and crepes are incidentally, all eggless. Or, as they say here, "pure veg".

There are five tables on the outside and three on the inside, where they've tried to recreate the feeling of being inside a bar of chocolate. Melted chocolate walls and upside down chocolate cubes hang from the ceiling. The earnest servers, who we later discover are the owners of this place, were helpful and friendly, though, occasionally a little clueless, as they didn't always know what was on the menu.

Cookie fun
The Oreo Cookie Shake (Rs 109) arrives garnished with a half an Oreo cookie peeping out from behind a cloud of whipped cream. Nice. They're out of paninos, so we opt for the Indian Wrap (Rs 90), which is served on a white plate speckled with raw cabbage and a generous serving of slaw on the side.

The wrap is better than it looks, despite the slightly crisp microwaved-texture of the roti. Stuffed with chunks of paneer bathed in a tangy makhani sauce, and enlivened by strips of capsicum and onion, this is one recommendation we would make. The slaw was crisp and flavourful. No small feat, given the number of times, we've had to wade through spoonfuls of tired slaw, masquerading as an 'extra' on our plates.

We request for the Marshmallow Waffle (Rs 109) and a Chocolate Mousse (Rs 35) to be packed. Our server dutifully informs us that the marshmallow has egg in it, something we wish the mousse had, since it might have worked in favour of the texture. The waffle tastes of cardamom (elaichi), and has a chewy texture, but if it's an eggless waffle you want, you got it. Personally, we'd stick to elaichi in our tea.

This might be the place for pure vegetarians in pursuit of the desi waffle, but for those who've had a taste of the inspiration, The Chocolate Heaven is far from paradise.

At The Chocolate Heaven, Shop 7, Gautam View Society, 7 Bungalows, Bon Bon Lane. Andheri (W). Call 9167113998 Open from 10 am to midnight.
The Chocolate Heaven did not know we were there. Theu00a0Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals.

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