Not so long ago finding a good sandwich in town that wasn’t made of sugar-filled bread and topped with pork floss was like finding a needle in a haystack. But these days, getting a good sandwich can be as simple as heading to the nearest store in town. Long gone are the times where the only place to buy bread with filling was BreadTalk. Today there are plenty of innovative punters out there making tasty gourmet sandwiches and wraps. Here are our faves.
Toast
#01-09 OUB Centre, 1 Raffles Place, 6534-1755.
This baby pink sandwich place from the same team behind The Marmalade Pantry has become a veritable institution in its own right for good quality sandwiches and wraps. A mind-boggling range of food is available here. On top of sandwiches and wraps, you can also munch on salads ($4.80-6.50), cakes ($3.20-5) and cupcakes ($3.70). Over time, we have tried quite a few of the sandwiches and wraps, and are always impressed. The chicken Caesar sandwich ($6) follows its salad equivalent closely, and is filled with chunky pieces of grilled chicken, romaine lettuce and Caesar dressing on ciabatta. The bacon and avocado sandwich ($7.50), with watercress on panini bread is slightly salty, but the avocado balances it nicely. The roast beef sandwich ($7.50) with caramelized onions and wasabi mayo on panini is nice too. The ones we like most are the masala chicken wrap ($7.50) with Indian spiced chicken, fresh mango, Romaine lettuce and mint, and the tuna sambal ($6), with dried shrimp and rocket on panini bread. They are inspired, zesty and tasty, with a nice local flavor. Neither are they too spicy. And of course, don’t forget those fabulous cupcakes. Open Mon-Fri 8am-6pm; Sat 8am-3pm.
THOS SB
3/F, Raffles The Plaza, 80 Bras Basah Rd., 6431-6156.
This cafe gets top marks for the most innovative sandwich names. Each sandwich name gives a hint of what you can expect from the sandwich. We are most taken with Busy Ben ($8)—a fun mix of roasted tandoori chicken, cucumber and apple raita and mint chutney on garlic naan. It’s tasty, light and not too spicy. The Party Animal Paulette ($8) is a must-try for ham and pineapple fans. With its smoked forest ham, pineapple and upland cresse filling on a butter croissant, it’s certainly worth trying. Balthasar the Big Boss ($9.50), a man-sized treat of roasted veal loin, melted cheese, sautéed onion and honey mustard on sun-dried foccacia, is our other favorite. And even better, THOS SB is a place where you can eat with some privacy, despite its centralized locale. Open Mon-Fri 8am-9pm; Sat-Sun 9am-9pm.
The Sandwich Shop
#01-02 Robinson Centre, 61 Robinson Rd., 6536-5232.
Known for its distinctive packaging and truly enormous sandwiches, The Sandwich Shop wields a steady influence on the busy office crowd around the area. The interior is relaxing and fun, with friendly staff and a huge chalkboard on the wall. Sandwiches, wraps and baguettes are all sold here. All sandwiches, wraps and yogurts are made fresh every day then pre-packed, so all you have to do is just choose, then go. Special sandwich requests can be made at the counter. The sandwiches can be eaten toasted or non-toasted, and come on either rye, wholemeal or multi-grain bread. The Massive All Day Breakfast sandwich ($7.50) is probably the star of the show though. Toasted and stuffed with tasty ingredients including egg mayo, mixed salad leaves, sausages, bacon and mushrooms, it is absolutely yummy. Other notables are the teriyaki chicken wrap ($6.50), the strawberry and mango smoothies ($5), and the granola and honey, and strawberry yogurts ($3.40). This is a hassle-free alternative for busy office folks. Open Mon-Fri 7am-6:30pm.
Juiced Rawbars
Unit 7, #B1-08 Republic Plaza, 9 Raffles Place, 6535-3230.
Consisting of a small counter in the basement, Juiced Rawbars is a haven for the health and time-conscious populace. Hailing from Sydney, it’s a great place for getting healthy, freshly-made salads, tortilla wraps, soups ($5.90), juices ($5-6), smoothies ($5.50-6.50) and yogurts ($3.50) made fresh every day. The set lunches ($10.50) consist of a salad, a juice, a wrap, or soup. Design your own salad for $7.50. So they don’t actually sell sandwiches per se (what Juiced really specializes in is tortilla wraps which are best eaten toasted) but their wraps are so delicious we just had to mention them anyway. The Mexican wrap ($7.50), filled with chicken, kidney beans, avocado, cheese, tomato corn and other ingredients, is our favorite. However, the Asian wrap ($6.50) and the chicken Caesar wrap ($7.50) are also tasty. The former is rather like our popiah, chock-full of vegetables and tofu, while the chicken Caesar contains nice chunks of chicken, bacon bits and parmesan cheese. Stop by early for lunch, as this place gets busy, and you’ll get a longer chat with the gregarious owner, Loretta. Open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm; Sat 10am-2pm
The Food Barn
#02-34/35 Caltex House, 30 Raffles Place, 6536-0733.
This sandwich place has a wide selection of classic and signature sandwiches, soups ($4) and salads ($7-7.50). We tried the roast beef and arugala sandwich ($7.90), which comprised of thick slices of bread with generous slabs of both ingredients in between. Its portions are extremely hearty and can easily be shared. The tuna and egg sandwich ($6) is another good choice with a filling of tuna, sliced eggs, gherkins, celery, onion and mayo with lettuce and tomatoes on herb foccacia. The Tuscan roasted vegetable sandwich ($7) has roasted butternut squash, roma tomatoes, capsicums and carrots flavored with fresh herb pesto on sesame stirato, which made for an interesting mix of flavors, and perfect for vegetarians. The Food Barn is a good to visit with friends, as the huge portions can be shared. Open Mon-Fri 8am-6:30pm.
