Sandwiches are back again. And, why not? They’re perhaps the only food that allows you to hold an entire meal in one hand while multitasking with the other. Unless you have two sandwiches, I guess.
Hot or cold, large or small, sandwiches are loved for their uncomplicated simplicity. You could argue about the definition of a sandwich, but you can’t argue that life has been tastier ever since humanity discovered we could slap anything delicious between two pieces of bread and call it lunch.
Here are some new places to check out when you’re not wearing your nicest white shirt.
Between Buns Deli (Photo: CNA/May Seah)
Between Buns, which started as a popular pandemic home business, has opened a physical shop after a little detour by founder Ahmir Arshad, whose last stint was as chef at Wildcard. Now, he’s back to doing what he loves best.
“For the longest time, I wanted to just do sandwiches,” he told us. “All the flavours that you want to get – they all happen in one bite. For me, it’s putting everything I love eating into one, and wanting to share that with people.”
The passion for sandwiches began when he lived in Melbourne for a while, he said. “The sandwich culture there is quite different. People actively seek sandwiches out, and have picnics in the grass. I wanted to try to integrate that into the Singapore dining scene.”
Breakfast Chicken Sausage and Egg Muffin (Photo: Between Buns)
Located in the CBD, Between Buns Deli has two breakfast sandwiches, available from 9am to 11am; and a couple of salads, sides and desserts, in addition to its regular sandwich menu.
Not sure what to start with? “Ninety per cent of people’s top pick is the Oxtail Melt,” Ahmir said. “The oxtail is like a meat marmalade – jammy, sweet, savoury. Then you get the little pickles, which cut through the fattiness. And then there’s also a fermented chilli mayo that brings it together.”
Of course, there’s also the Fried Chicken sandwich (S$16) that was the very first Between Buns hit. During the pandemic, “In three minutes, I would sell 80 sandwiches. People were like, ‘I want! I want!’ That gave me a sense of confidence that, ‘Wow, actually, this could work’.”
Even though “it’s kept pretty simple – just fried chicken, a slice of cheese, lettuce and pickles”, the secret is in the 12-hour brining process, as well as the secret sauce. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just adding stuff to the sauce. The more stuff I added, the closer it got to be really nice,” he chuckled.
Or, you could go with the Tuna Melt (S$14). “That was what got me inspired at the start, in Australia – I had a tuna melt, and it just made me feel warm inside. I was like, ‘Man, if a sandwich can do this to someone, I want to have a sandwich that can do that to someone, also.”
Currently in its soft-launch stage, Between Buns opens officially on May 1.
Between Buns is at SBF Centre, 160 Robinson Road #01-01.
Three Soft Rolls are priced at S$15. (Photo: CNA/May Seah)
When everything on the menu looks good, it’s hard to decide what to get. The Soft Roll Club simplifies that problem for you. Each of the menu’s eight slider-style offerings fits neatly in one hand. Hooray! An opportunity to mix and match.
Here, the casual setting belies the high level of cooking. Shahrom Misnin, who won fans over with his previous sandwich shop Jack Marzoni, has a wealth of experience in F&B, including serving as head chef at Lolla. It shows in the ingredient and flavour combinations: buttery soft buns sandwich fillings like braised octopus, beef brisket and seared fish. Additionally, there are Asian touches in nearly every sandwich in the form of things like Tulang Merah Sauce, tom yam aioli and gochujang sauce.
(Photo: CNA/May Seah)
The Butter Beef, for example, pairs pulled beef with a fresh and tangy pineapple and cucumber acar, as well as peanut butter gravy. And the Tilap Ya-Ki enlivens seared red tilapia with a sambal peach relish and teriyaki sauce.
Classic flavours are done really well, too. Don’t miss the Rollburger, which is Shahrom’s take on a cheeseburger and has the perfect flavour combination of cheddar, tomato sauce, mustard and caramelised onions.
(Photo: CNA/May Seah)
For him, sandwiches bring back childhood memories, he said, especially of his secondary school days when he would take a packed lunch to jamming sessions with his band so he could save some money.
At The Soft Roll Club, Shahrom tries to keep costs low by keeping things simple, so prices here may surprise you, in a good way. Each “soft roll” is priced at a too-good-to-be-true S$6. Get three for S$15, and it’s a substantial meal. No regrets.
The Soft Roll Club is at 730 North Bridge Road.
(Photo: Le Matin Petit)
Le Matin is most famous for its bakes and pastries, but its new sourdough brioche rolls, launched at its recently reopened spot in Buona Vista, are worth making the trip here for.
The menu, available from 10am to 2pm, is small but enticing. There are four warm, buttery brioche rolls to choose from: truffled scrambled egg (S$13), fish and chips (S$14), Red Hot Fried Chicken (S$15) and braised beef cheek banh mi (S$16).
You can choose to make a meal of it with soup, salad or fries (S$3 each), and wash it down with coffee, tea or kombucha.
If you’re still here after 2pm when the place morphs into a gelato bar, don’t sleep on the adventurous gelato flavours like Brown Butter Jerusalem Artichoke, Pink Guava with Sour Plum and Pear and Ginger (S$6 for a single scoop).
Le Matin Petit is at 3 South Buona Vista Road, #01-05, Viva Vista Shopping Mall.
Summer Hill's Le Cubano (Photo: Summer Hill)
If you watched Jon Favreau’s 2014 film Chef, there’s no way you’ll have forgotten the Cuban sandwiches shot in sexy, sizzling slow-mo. It’s the stuff of food-movie legend.
The guys at Summer Hill haven’t forgotten it, either, which is why they’ve rolled out a Cuban sandwich in tribute to the movie, available from now until mid-June. Their version uses Bangalow pork collar marinated overnight in a citrus-herb mojo, then smothered in anchovies, parsley and garlic before being slowly roasted and thinly sliced.
The meat is then piled with Gruyere cheese, pickles and butter between slices of crusty baguette. Like everything else that Summer Hill puts out, you know it’s classic, comforting and replete with full-on flavour.
The sandwich is part of their latest weekend brunch trolley menu called Savouring Stories Vol 2, which brings to life dishes inspired by food writing, memoirs and culinary films. So, no, you can’t order it on its own. But, when the rest of the menu has temptations like an oyster stew inspired by MFK Fisher’s Consider The Oyster, and a vol-au-vent filled with creamy chicken and cep mushrooms inspired by the Juliette Binoche-starrer The Taste Of Things, you can’t go too wrong.
Summer Hill is at 442 Orchard Road, Claymore Connect 02-17.
BORONAS
Grilled king oyster mushrooms and avocado on focaccia (Photo: Boronas)
The casual bakery concept by chef Fernando Arevalo of Colombian restaurant Latido has moved from Asia Square to the East side. It reopened as a pet-friendly cafe in Jalan Tua Kong a few months ago, and now has a laid-back, neighbourhood vibe.
Sandwiches here are simple and classic, including a BLT (S$9.50); a Burrata, Pesto & Mortadella sandwich (S$12); a Shio-pan Egg sandwich (S$7.50) and a grilled king oyster mushroom with avocado sandwich (S$8.50).
There are classic breakfast options, too, like Huevos Rancheros (S$14) and Mozzarella Eggs (S$7.50), in addition to bakes like croissants and pan de bono or Colombian cheese bread.
For a taste of Colombia, go for the Arepa de Choclo (S$10) featuring corn cake and a fried egg, with add-ons of avocado and parma ham; and, of course, don’t forget the Colombian coffee.
Boronas is at 47 Jalan Tua Kong.
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Hot or cold, large or small, sandwiches are loved for their uncomplicated simplicity. You could argue about the definition of a sandwich, but you can’t argue that life has been tastier ever since humanity discovered we could slap anything delicious between two pieces of bread and call it lunch.
Here are some new places to check out when you’re not wearing your nicest white shirt.
BETWEEN BUNS DELI
Between Buns Deli (Photo: CNA/May Seah)
Between Buns, which started as a popular pandemic home business, has opened a physical shop after a little detour by founder Ahmir Arshad, whose last stint was as chef at Wildcard. Now, he’s back to doing what he loves best.
“For the longest time, I wanted to just do sandwiches,” he told us. “All the flavours that you want to get – they all happen in one bite. For me, it’s putting everything I love eating into one, and wanting to share that with people.”
The passion for sandwiches began when he lived in Melbourne for a while, he said. “The sandwich culture there is quite different. People actively seek sandwiches out, and have picnics in the grass. I wanted to try to integrate that into the Singapore dining scene.”
Breakfast Chicken Sausage and Egg Muffin (Photo: Between Buns)
Located in the CBD, Between Buns Deli has two breakfast sandwiches, available from 9am to 11am; and a couple of salads, sides and desserts, in addition to its regular sandwich menu.
Not sure what to start with? “Ninety per cent of people’s top pick is the Oxtail Melt,” Ahmir said. “The oxtail is like a meat marmalade – jammy, sweet, savoury. Then you get the little pickles, which cut through the fattiness. And then there’s also a fermented chilli mayo that brings it together.”
Of course, there’s also the Fried Chicken sandwich (S$16) that was the very first Between Buns hit. During the pandemic, “In three minutes, I would sell 80 sandwiches. People were like, ‘I want! I want!’ That gave me a sense of confidence that, ‘Wow, actually, this could work’.”
Even though “it’s kept pretty simple – just fried chicken, a slice of cheese, lettuce and pickles”, the secret is in the 12-hour brining process, as well as the secret sauce. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just adding stuff to the sauce. The more stuff I added, the closer it got to be really nice,” he chuckled.
Or, you could go with the Tuna Melt (S$14). “That was what got me inspired at the start, in Australia – I had a tuna melt, and it just made me feel warm inside. I was like, ‘Man, if a sandwich can do this to someone, I want to have a sandwich that can do that to someone, also.”
Currently in its soft-launch stage, Between Buns opens officially on May 1.
Between Buns is at SBF Centre, 160 Robinson Road #01-01.
THE SOFT ROLL CLUB
Three Soft Rolls are priced at S$15. (Photo: CNA/May Seah)
When everything on the menu looks good, it’s hard to decide what to get. The Soft Roll Club simplifies that problem for you. Each of the menu’s eight slider-style offerings fits neatly in one hand. Hooray! An opportunity to mix and match.
Here, the casual setting belies the high level of cooking. Shahrom Misnin, who won fans over with his previous sandwich shop Jack Marzoni, has a wealth of experience in F&B, including serving as head chef at Lolla. It shows in the ingredient and flavour combinations: buttery soft buns sandwich fillings like braised octopus, beef brisket and seared fish. Additionally, there are Asian touches in nearly every sandwich in the form of things like Tulang Merah Sauce, tom yam aioli and gochujang sauce.
(Photo: CNA/May Seah)
The Butter Beef, for example, pairs pulled beef with a fresh and tangy pineapple and cucumber acar, as well as peanut butter gravy. And the Tilap Ya-Ki enlivens seared red tilapia with a sambal peach relish and teriyaki sauce.
Classic flavours are done really well, too. Don’t miss the Rollburger, which is Shahrom’s take on a cheeseburger and has the perfect flavour combination of cheddar, tomato sauce, mustard and caramelised onions.
(Photo: CNA/May Seah)
For him, sandwiches bring back childhood memories, he said, especially of his secondary school days when he would take a packed lunch to jamming sessions with his band so he could save some money.
At The Soft Roll Club, Shahrom tries to keep costs low by keeping things simple, so prices here may surprise you, in a good way. Each “soft roll” is priced at a too-good-to-be-true S$6. Get three for S$15, and it’s a substantial meal. No regrets.
The Soft Roll Club is at 730 North Bridge Road.
LE MATIN PETIT
(Photo: Le Matin Petit)
Le Matin is most famous for its bakes and pastries, but its new sourdough brioche rolls, launched at its recently reopened spot in Buona Vista, are worth making the trip here for.
The menu, available from 10am to 2pm, is small but enticing. There are four warm, buttery brioche rolls to choose from: truffled scrambled egg (S$13), fish and chips (S$14), Red Hot Fried Chicken (S$15) and braised beef cheek banh mi (S$16).
You can choose to make a meal of it with soup, salad or fries (S$3 each), and wash it down with coffee, tea or kombucha.
If you’re still here after 2pm when the place morphs into a gelato bar, don’t sleep on the adventurous gelato flavours like Brown Butter Jerusalem Artichoke, Pink Guava with Sour Plum and Pear and Ginger (S$6 for a single scoop).
Le Matin Petit is at 3 South Buona Vista Road, #01-05, Viva Vista Shopping Mall.
SUMMER HILL'S SPECIAL MENU
Summer Hill's Le Cubano (Photo: Summer Hill)
If you watched Jon Favreau’s 2014 film Chef, there’s no way you’ll have forgotten the Cuban sandwiches shot in sexy, sizzling slow-mo. It’s the stuff of food-movie legend.
The guys at Summer Hill haven’t forgotten it, either, which is why they’ve rolled out a Cuban sandwich in tribute to the movie, available from now until mid-June. Their version uses Bangalow pork collar marinated overnight in a citrus-herb mojo, then smothered in anchovies, parsley and garlic before being slowly roasted and thinly sliced.
The meat is then piled with Gruyere cheese, pickles and butter between slices of crusty baguette. Like everything else that Summer Hill puts out, you know it’s classic, comforting and replete with full-on flavour.
The sandwich is part of their latest weekend brunch trolley menu called Savouring Stories Vol 2, which brings to life dishes inspired by food writing, memoirs and culinary films. So, no, you can’t order it on its own. But, when the rest of the menu has temptations like an oyster stew inspired by MFK Fisher’s Consider The Oyster, and a vol-au-vent filled with creamy chicken and cep mushrooms inspired by the Juliette Binoche-starrer The Taste Of Things, you can’t go too wrong.
Summer Hill is at 442 Orchard Road, Claymore Connect 02-17.
BORONAS
Grilled king oyster mushrooms and avocado on focaccia (Photo: Boronas)
The casual bakery concept by chef Fernando Arevalo of Colombian restaurant Latido has moved from Asia Square to the East side. It reopened as a pet-friendly cafe in Jalan Tua Kong a few months ago, and now has a laid-back, neighbourhood vibe.
Sandwiches here are simple and classic, including a BLT (S$9.50); a Burrata, Pesto & Mortadella sandwich (S$12); a Shio-pan Egg sandwich (S$7.50) and a grilled king oyster mushroom with avocado sandwich (S$8.50).
There are classic breakfast options, too, like Huevos Rancheros (S$14) and Mozzarella Eggs (S$7.50), in addition to bakes like croissants and pan de bono or Colombian cheese bread.
For a taste of Colombia, go for the Arepa de Choclo (S$10) featuring corn cake and a fried egg, with add-ons of avocado and parma ham; and, of course, don’t forget the Colombian coffee.
Boronas is at 47 Jalan Tua Kong.
Continue reading...