Sandwiches

Smoked American cheddar, fermented red cabbage, onion & capsicum relish

Thick, toasted brioche gloriously buttered and flavoured. The two thick toasts were layered with fermented red cabbage (tasted somewhat like coleslaw), onion and capsicum relish (sweet!) the star of the sando - smoked beef brisket, was tenderlicious and well smoked. They were off-the-fork tender. They were sliced thickly, similar to the likes of Chinese dongpo meat. As the smoked beef brisket were sliced in squares, there were pockets of the sandwich that ended up being ‘hollow’. Here’s not saying they were miserly with the brisket! Each square was rather substantial in thickness. It would have been ideal if the smoked brisket were shredded and spread out evenly across the toast. The capsicums added a nice crisp in between bites - it cuts through the savouriness of the meaty profile, in a good way. Due to the stronger-tasting marinade and beef brisket, the flavours from the smoked American cheddar didnt quite come out strongly. Yay for those who’re not a fan of cheese but nay for those who’re looking to the cheesylicious experience from a good cheeseburger

New breakfast item, this looked great on the adverts, but unfortunately, didn’t taste as good. The wholemeal bagel was slightly too dense for my liking. The egg was great, so was the melt-y cheese. However, due to the thick/density of the bagel, the savouriness from the egg and melted cheese didn’t seem to taste prominent - pretty much ‘masked’ by the thick doughy bagel. I was pleasantly surprised with the shrooms tho! Was half expecting it to taste like canned shrooms but glad to know that it was better than expected! Pretty much looks like the kind that you get from a proper big breakfast ordered from a cafe.

A classic of Hong Kong char chaan teng, nothing shouts more Hong Kong than a bolo pau.. and some char siew roast. At the point of ordering (dinner peak), we were informed that this required a 20mins waiting time, like all baked dim sum items on the list. However, this was served sooner than expected! Here’s a breakdown of the sandwich from top to bottom -
Bolo bun
Freshly baked till a nice golden yellow with crusty brown squares patterned over the bun and butter on the undersides. It’s nicely toasted to deliver some crisp (& mess) with each bite. I like how the bun felt ‘airy’ - y’know how disappointing it is to find a bolo with dense, doughy insides that makes you fill so stuffed that you don’t need a second bite.
Charsiew
Co-star of the bolo sandwich and would be key in determining the success of this sandwich. This was sliced to the perfect thickness, just right for a sandwich (neither too thicc nor miserly thin). It was nicely roasted with dark crimson sides that shone with some glaze. A good balance of lean meat-to-fat ratio, very tender and juicy, definitely up to mark!

Sunny side up
Perfectly executed with runny yolk! Nothing like a disappointing, cakey yolk centre.

Lettuce
Fresh, crisp iceberg lettuce in pieces (not sliced like the ones from McDonald’s). All part of a balanced diet I guess?

All the above were stacked nicely with some mayo to gel it all up. The presentation along whets up the appetite! My mother-in-law was sufficiently enticed and decided to add the same to the order.

For those who prefer to gobble this in their hands, do be mindful of the runny yolk tho! My MIL didn’t eat it too glamly as the yolk dripped down her bolo sandwich… and down onto the table! Of course, cutleries are available should you prefer to stay glam!

Hoisin glaze, Lup Cheong, egg, Cucumber

Must-order if you’re visiting for lunch! (Note: This is only available for lunch while all other items are available for dinner). I was captivated by the pic on the advertisement board outside the restaurant and decided on the peking pork belly sando (told myself I’ll do pastrami next round!). The sandos arrived on a plate, wow-ing both the husband and I with its presentation. It’s simple, yet luxurious with the surprisingly thick cuts of pork belly. The shiny glaze (seen at an angle, on the sides of the peking pork), added some luxe to it. The star of the sando was sandwiched between a thicc, fluffy bed of scrambled eggs and thiccc layer of Japanese cucumber. The bright yellow from the eggs added to the visuals and appeal of the sando, while the translucent, light green colour of the Japanese cucumber added some ‘fresh’, ‘clean’ vibes to the otherwise ‘heavy’ meal. I’m not a fan of cucumber but it’s a different story when it comes to Japanese cucumber! I had it cast aside at first but ended up re-staking them into my sandwich. They actually complemented the sando really well! The crunchiness, light-tasting cucumber added that refreshing element to the entire dish, cutting through any heaviness from the protein-filled dish. Last but not least, the nicely browned toasts were also generously slathered with hoisin sauce, but not too excessive to result in an overly sweet dish. I was impressed!

At $17++, the quality of this sando is definitely worth every penny and is on par with its bagel/ sandwich counterparts of similar price point!

New find and no-frills Japanese sandwich. It reminds me of onigiri’s cousin - rectangular in shape (instead of triangular), with more substantial ingredients than its triangular counterpart. I like how the seaweed wasn’t rubbery even after being “exposed” for quite some time. Tamago was sweet, thicc and awesome. Grilled beef was done well - but a tad overly done as there were some parts that tasted a lil’ too tough. There wasn’t much marinade on the grilled beef, neither was there fragrance from grill charr nor ‘beef’ flavour. Overall a good combination with no fuss and no frills.

Unassuming, hole-in-the-wall minimalistic sandwich stall within Far East Square. I’ve heard so much about their grilled sandwiches and am finally landing my hands on one! Korea’s current menu is rather limited in terms of protein options in unpreserved forms (ie. fresh meat!) They’re pretty much meatless or comes served with spam/ turkey ham. For the rather steep price point, I would expect more freshness in the grills. It’s unfortunate that duck is no longer on the menu! I dropped by for a visit on a Friday - just for the Tuna Melt which was available only on Fridays (Chicken - “Roasted Chook" is available on Thursdays at the time of writing).

The order took 10mins to be prepared and served - piping hot! I love how melty they look on the insides, and plus points to the sunny side up! I like how it wasn’t fully cooked - as pictured, it was slightly runny on the insides. It’s the perfect gooeyness to add to the gooey mess. The tuna salad (essentially tuna mixed with mayo and other seasoning), was also served with green chillies, a new flavour mix that I wasn’t aware could taste so good. All goodness sandwiched between whole-wheat sourdough grilled to golden brown, it’s simply amazing! I had one of the most gratifying lunches in the CBD to-date. The impressive tuna sandwich is now making me reconsider their spam-filled options… how could I dismiss them off just because they’re loaded with sodium!

Simple joys in life is made up of a good sando! Aesthetically speaking, this might not look the best of the sandos out there but my, do not judge the dish by it’s looks! The toast was pretty crispy - altho it certainly doesn’t look as such. Pork katsu was crispy, tender and juicy on the insides. It’s paired well with a surprise sauce within - which we couldn’t quite figure out the ingredients. Miso perhaps? And of course, some Japanese mayo. Inevitably, the inner sides of the toast that came into contact with the pork katsu and sauces was slightly soggy - but yet not too soggy as there was a layer of cabbage (shredded) that prevented the moisture from the pork katsu from soaking through the bread. The accompanying fries were crispy and great! From the looks of it, it’s likely frozen fries rather than freshly cut/ sliced potatoes.

The basic kinda lazy Sunday, with just coffee, croissants and laid back convos. TBB’s croissants are flaky and crusty as always; it’s hard to not let any crumbs fall when you have them. The roast beef was nothing to scream about, as with the mozzarella cheese as well. I’d have preferred the croissant on its own if not for the need for protein post workout!

hearsay this is the closest to Vietnam’s much cheaper and tastier banh mi. And indeed I can see why! The crusty-outside-soft-inside baguette 🥖 scored points. It was quite a challenge to stay near and glam munching into my lunch grub. I’ve tried the grilled lemongrass chicken once and going for it twice because it was just so good - the mix of sunny side, floss and well marinated lemongrass chicken. I wish there were more floss to go along tho! For veggie haters, you’ll be delighted to know that the veggies within are picklish and crunchy. It whets your appetite, doesn’t taste any close to a veggie. Just think of ‘wm as crispy collagen or bread sticks that complements the savoury bits so well. This, over preserved cold cuts from subway any time, any day!

Steak sandwich with dijonnaise on the side because... the cousin does not like mustard. So yes, it's all mine and it's a must-have complement to the steak sandwich! Portion size wise, it's HUGE. Love the sourdough bread and perfectly grilled mushrooms. Comes with caramelized onions within as well but both cousin and I do not appreciate onions so we fished it out (forgot to ask for no onions prior!) A simple but gratifying lunch option for sure

New on the grill! The cheesy toasties kinda sticks out in their menu of healthy salads and sandwiches but oh hey, count the satisfaction and not the calories! It's a vegetarian option - with spinach, whole cherry tomatoes, eggplants and loads of cheese! The eggplants bore black grill lines - indicating that they had been separately grilled before the sandwich-ing begins. I would have preferred the cherry tomatoes to be sliced up first, instead of being wholes - but that's just a matter of personal preference. The underside of each toast was soaked with an egg, prior to grilling. It's not pictured in here but there's a sunny side up imprinted within the toast on the underside! Love the crisp and savouriness of this lunch time grub. I can't wait to try the tuna broccoli toastie too!

Ordinary sounding smoked salmon with cream cheese and chives combination that wasnt so ordinary after all. Love the generous spread of cream cheese and chives! A simple, savoury joy that sparks so much happiness in the morning!