There’s something nostalgic and comforting about tearing into a perfectly packed lunch with bread on either side. But just like you’ve grown up so has the humble sandwich, no longer served squished into a tupperware container or with the crusts cut off (unless you’re into that). Leave the Wonder White by the wayside and dive into these slices, where fillings are married together in epic cohesion. Here’s Sydney’s best offerings for the carb fiends like myself.
#1 The Dolphin Hotel, Surry Hills
Work lunches just got a whole lot tastier thanks to The Dolphin Hotel’s new outfit of proper sandwiches. Piling up sandwiches that are serious feats of engineering and a delicious one at that. Choose from 16 packages of artisan meat, complimentary flavourful fillings and lashings of condiments. They admit this isn’t a reinvention of the sandwich itself, but their interpretation; simple pairings that make lunch worth breaking for. Our pick is the Rock Slanga filled with oozy meatballs or the Sledgehammer pictured so lovingly above.
#2 Encasa Deli, CBD
Spreading Spanish charm on each boccadillo, these sandwiches are for those who appreciate a European touch. Meat hangs from the ceiling and a freshly shaved smell lingers in the air, this place breathes authenticity. Marrying meat cured to perfection with a myriad of sumptuous fillings, you’ll be forgiven for making this your regular lunch stop and ditching the desk lunch entirely. Dive into the simplistic pairing of tomato rubbed bread and jamon serrano or for the heartier appetites the eye fillet and fried egg Pepito is truly filling. Don’t waste a moment of your lunch break either and order online in advance.
#3 Cafe Oratnek, Redfern
Push your sushi to one side and devour a Japanese sandwich instead. Exploding with freshly crumbed and fried katsu, it’s worth the 15 minute wait. It’s more a pork steak dusted in breadcrumbs then your run of the mill slithered pork schnitzel and we’re not complaining. Sprinkled with cabbage, mustard and Japanese bbq sauce between two fluffy pillows of white bread, it’s like a Contiki trip in your mouth. Wild.
#4 Mr Crackles, Darlinghurst
When you find something you’re good at stick to it and Mr Crackles do just that. Rolls overflowing with textured fillings, they’re so popular in fact they outdo the local kebab shops for post bevies meals. The Crackles Classic is their piece de resistance, a long crunch of roll filled with zesty vietnamese salad an crispy crackling morsels of pork belly. It’s a tricky one to wrap your hands around but by god it’s worth the mess.
#5 Scout’s Honour, Redfern
They may not be bound by the sacred oath of scout’s honour but if they were it would be no lie that their sandwiches are truly sublime. Choose your meat, sopressa salami, pulled pork or poached chicken and let the qualified chefs take you to a place of sandwich heaven. Matched unexpectedly with two cheeses or green gold aka salsa verde, this is a lunchtime you won’t regret. Just remember to eat your crusts ok?
Image source: Concrete Playground, Life of a Snacking Bear, Pop Up, The Urban List, The Dolphin Hotel.
