World of wonder awaits at Whym’sy Waffles (courtesy Cape Coral Breeze)

You really haven’t made the most of your trip to Fort Myers Beach if you haven’t stopped on your way onto the island and had an authentic Belgian waffle at the new Whym’sy Waffles on San Carlos Boulevard.

Located in the Indian Creek Plaza just past Walmart heading to the island awaits a world of waffle wonder inside Belgium natives Sybille Hanquet and Julien Vandecasteele’s storefront. Freshly-baked Liege and Belgian waffles are like nothing you will find in a freezer at the supermarket. Hanquet also notes that her waffles do not have any chemical ingredients or products. They are all made from scratch at her Fort Myers Beach shop.

They feature Hanquet’s hometown recipes and authentic Belgian chocolate syrups and other pastriesmade in her kitchen.
The Belgian waffles are made without sugar while the Liege waffles feature Belgian pearl sugar and French flour for a unique bite to eat.A Liege waffle, for those who have never had one, is crisp, made from a thick dough.
“You can eat it cold like a cookie,” Hanquet said. Hanquet’s Leige waffle is so perfect that it doesn’t crumble like a cookie though. Compared to a Belgian waffle, “the dough is totally different,” Hanquet explained. “There is no water, just milk and butter, eggs, and flour from yeast,” along with pearl sugar. Hanquet offers maple syrup, strawberry syrup, caramel syrup, and Belgian chocolate to go with the waffles.Hanquet also uses the Belgian chocolate for coffee, hot chocolate, expresso and other offerings.

There are multiple syrup options for a latte. For those looking for something a little cooler, there is the mango tea lemonade with green tea, or an iced pistachio latte.For those looking for more than just waffles, Hanquet offers the Waterloo — featuring bacon, cheese and eggs.

She bakes peanut butter cookies, pistachio cookies, almond white chocolate cookies, chocolate truffles, and imaginative blueberry pecan cookies with blueberry jam.

You can also pick up French baguette bread which Hanquet bakes fresh, using yeast, flour, water and salt. No sugar is added. “It’s from my family’s recipe,” she said.

For holidays, like Christmas, Hanquet will bake more special treats.

Hanquet opened up the waffle shop at the end of last summer in the quiet plaza. Unlike some other spots around town, parking is no problem at the Indian Creek Plaza, and is free.

She and her husband moved to Cape Coral two years ago after having lived in Canada for a decade since they left Belgium.

“We love Florida,” Hanquet said. When Vandecasteele is not at the waffle shop, he is working as an automotive technician in Fort Myers.

They had to build their waffle shop from almost scratch. The storefront was empty when they signed the lease, and they had to bring in everything they have now for the kitchen.

Their main problem is the location at Indian Creek Plaza, which has long been one of the quieter plazas along San Carlos Boulevard. Most people who turn onto San Carlos Boulevard towards Fort Myers Beach aren’t looking to stop right after they get on the road.

“The plaza is very quiet. People don’t know that we are here.”

If you don’t have time to stop, they will do local deliveries and catering for parties.

Feature and photos by NATHAN MAYBERG, courtesy FORT MYERS BEACH OBSERVER/CAPE CORAL BREEZE