Bensonhurst Trio Brings Mouthfuls Of Wowfulls To Industry City – Food Stuffs
Food Stuffs: The past four months have been a whirlwind of activity for the trio of 27-year-old Bensonhurst residents behind Wowfulls, the latest rookie hit at Smorgasburg, Industry City, and the New York City food vendor world.
From crafting a business proposal, to ordering kitchen equipment from China, to renting kitchen space in Industry City, to testing recipes night after night, the three friends — David Chan, Leanne Wong, and Peter Li — have been nonstop busy.
But creating the distinctive egg-shaped treats has also been a fun and natural evolution of their backgrounds, education, passions, and skill sets.
“Our base is Hong Kong waffles, known as Gai Dan Jai, but food doesn’t have bias,” said David. “We want to expand knowledge. Gai Dan Jai is centralized in [Manhattan’s] Chinatown, so Smorgasburg is a good place to build buzz.”
The waffle-like creations are about more than just bringing a popular childhood snack to a larger audience, according to Leanne.
“Our waffles are special because we infuse them with different cultures,” she said. “So because we’re in New York, we have Pepperoni and Cheese, Matcha Green Tea with White Chocolate Chip, and a Pumpkin Spice flavor.”
Then, because what are waffles without ice cream, there’s also a selection of ice cream flavors to add on.
Each Wowfull costs between $4 and $8, depending on whether you add ice cream.
“The selling point isn’t ice cream,” noted David, “but every week, we’ll have vanilla and a special flavor,” such as coffee or black sesame.
Together, and topped with sprinkles and a couple of strawberry (or other flavor) Pocky sticks — another snack popular with anyone who grew up in and around a Chinatown or in Hong Kong — the Wowfulls snacks are a bona fide hit and delectable, unique treat.
The uniqueness is also not only relegated to the flavor combinations and addition of ice cream. For anyone who isn’t familiar with Gai Dan Jai, they’re not the kind of waffles typical to American diners and restaurants.
In fact, Team Wowfulls had to order their four machines — three of them in use at Smorgasburg — from China.
“The machines cooks on both sides, therefore it is unnecessary to keep turning it back and forth like it is traditionally done,” David explained, as Peter manned the machine, pouring in pumpkin spice batter. “Hong Kong style gai dan jai is very different from [even] Chinatown versions because it’s crispy on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside. That’s the way it’s been in Hong Kong since the 1950s.”
The treats also have a slower cooking time than waffles made with a regular waffle iron.
“Takes about 4-6 long minutes to make one. Although, we do it as quickly as possible without losing the quality of the product,” David said. “Quick, but quality.”
Now that Wowfulls has started attracting the buzz it deserves, the three friends aren’t slowing down. But they are grateful to have home bases in Bensonhurst, where their family and friends keep them grounded.
The John Dewey High School grads said that growing up surrounded by so many cultures, from “very Italian” to a “little Chinatown” and everything in between, has been a blessing.
“I love having so much culture in a small little community,” said Leanne. “The food here is great. We have John’s Deli, 18th Avenue Chinese restaurants … Being in a community that is so cultural definitely helped me experiment without having to leave my hometown.”
“Brooklyn is known for art and music,” added Peter. “And this is a type of art.”
Head out to Industry City (241 37th Street, 2nd Floor) every weekend to visit and try Wowfulls, and experience their motto: “To bring culture together with a bite of history while creating smiles one piece at a time.”
Food Stuffs is a column exploring the gastronomic landscape of Bensonhurst and the surrounding neighborhoods. Each entry will cover anything and everything remotely related to food. Because here in Bensonhurst, food is always news.