Sabah to Manila: ‘croffle’ craze arrives

Chunk & Dunk, a popular croffle brand from Sabah, Malaysia, has opened its first international branch — a kiosk on the third floor of Eastwood Mall in Libis, Quezon City — on Easter Sunday, 5 April, promising to win over Filipino diners and dessert lovers with its signature croffle, a delightful hybrid of croissant and waffle.

The Philippine debut marks a remarkable milestone for the Kota Kinabalu-based brand. Despite its strong following in Sabah, Chunk & Dunk has yet to expand nationwide in Malaysia, making its Manila launch an unexpected and significant step.

Founded in 2024 by social media personality Adam Shamil, the brand began as a bold leap of faith. Not born into affluence, Shamil invested his life savings to build a business centered on creating a distinctive dessert experience. He spent months perfecting his croffle recipes, a dedication that has since earned a loyal following among Malaysians and international dessert enthusiasts.

The next chapter unfolded when Filipino property management specialist Lester Edward Lim and his family visited Kota Kinabalu for an archery tournament in May 2025. It was his daughter, Chevy, who insisted on trying Chunk & Dunk after seeing it trend online. Faced with long queues at one of its kiosks, the family was initially discouraged but their curiosity only deepened.

“Never thought about going there (Malaysia), but then went there, loved the place, and then we went to a mall. They looked for dessert, they saw a line,” Lim recalled. “When they saw that line, my wife said, ‘Forget it, let’s not do it anymore. I don’t want to stay in line anymore.’ But then my youngest said, ‘Mom, if the line is this long, it must be good.’”

What began as a casual family trip turned into a culinary discovery — and eventually, a partnership.

“Four days in a row we were at that mall, and then one of those days, coincidentally, Adam happened to be there,” Lim said.

“We’re very thankful that we were able to meet them. We’re very thankful that maybe we were the first Filipino family to really try it, and meet Adam and talk to him about it,” he further said.

“So, I think it was fate that day that we were waiting in line and he was right there. So, everything just fell into place,” he added.

For Shamil, the expansion came earlier than expected.

“It was really not in my cards this year,” he admitted. “The idea and the whole purpose, you know, in the first 23 months of running the business was to first initially ensure that we are able to stabilize operations, and that we are able to set up our central kitchen in Malaysia, and that we are able to first expand locally here in Malaysia. So truly, Chunk & Dunk Philippines was really not in the picture but… I am grateful. It is truly unexpected. This is truly a dream come true.”

He added: “If anything, I’m just hopeful that the Filipinos are able to accept the croffles from Malaysia, and I hope that, you know, knowing Filipinos love sweet stuff, I hope Chunk & Dunk is going to be their cup of tea.”

Crunchy on the outside and buttery on the inside, the croffle is offered with a wide array of toppings, including sugar, milk chocolate, caramel, pistachio, Biscoff, Famous Amos cookies, matcha and chicken floss.

“As we dive deeper into exploring the Filipino market, we are committed to ensuring that we are able to introduce many more flavors in the future that is able to perfectly curated for the Filipino taste buds,” Shamill said.

With the debut of Chunk & Dunk Philippines, a new Philippines-inspired flavor of croffle was also launched — ube macapuno. Lim said they are looking into more Filipino flavors.