Fuku - East Village, NYC. Bang-banging for dummies

Fuku is the newest venture from NYC chef megastar David Chang. Famous for Momofuku noodle, Milk bar and a bunch of other spots in NYC and abroad Chang has been causing a media storm and some very long queues for the past 10 years with his Korean inspired and very much on trend foodie genius. Fuku, unlike his other sit down restaurants is a tiny place with stools at the counter essentially serving one thing; the Spicy Chicken Sandwich. A brave move, orchestrated with perfection.

I've always strongly believed that a small menu is a sign of a good restaurant, opposed to those places with a menu the size of a telephone book offering Mexican, Indian, Italian, Chinese and Greek. Unless they've got five specialist chefs out the back you know it'll all be terrible. 

On a recent four day trip to NYC I chose to eat at Fuku. This may not seem like a particularly incredible or impressive fact, but this is New York City, in my opinion food capital of the world. So when on a short trip in NYC, which by traditional and socially accepted norms would dictate three meals a day, times by four, equals 12 meals in total. A mere 12 meals in a city with literally thousands of incredible food offerings creates the hernier inducing daily decision of where to eat. 

Luckily I've never let society dictate my food intake. I'm a fully fledged subscriber to Louis C.K.'s patented dietary philosophy known as 'bang-bang', whereby you eat a full meal and then instead of stopping when you're full (like a normal human being), you go and eat a second meal straight away afterwards. Noble prize deserving genius. 

Anyway, Fuku was the second phase of my first NYC bang-bang. The first part was a slightly disappointing bagel from Blackseed, conveniently located directly opposite Fuku on 1st street/10th ave in the East Village. 

So as you can imagine there was no time wasted considering the menu; yes there's a salad and a couple of sides, but we're not messing about here, it's all about the sandwich. A large piece of beautiful crispy/juicy fried chicken confidently protrudes from the bun two thirds it's size, dressed incredibly simply with a spread of mayo and a couple of pickles. It's a beautiful sight, pure simplicity topped with an optional squirt of  Korean chilli sauce. As it takes a couple of bites to reach the bun and pickles, the spicy, perfectly seasoned chicken takes centre stage, as it very well should. It's simply a great sandwich and when you can finish off with a slice of Crack Pie for dessert you know you're onto a winner. Now go bang-bang. 

Brazil Sandwich Special: Carne-ival

Brazil; the home of samba, football, nuts, Jesus, a certain type of waxing and, as I recently discovered, a mind bogglingly amazing meat-fest of a sandwich: The sanduíche de mortadella. 

Brazil is a big country (fun fact #1) and so you're not going to be able to just wonder around willy-nilly and expect to find a sandwich as fine as this. You're going to have to go to São Paulo, the biggest city in South America (fun fact #2) and then you'll have to navigate your way through the enormous metropolis to Mercado de Municipal, in the old thriving heart of the city. If you go at the weekend you'll know you're close because you'll be one of the million people squeezing through the narrow streets. 

Resist the temptation to buy food from the endless street sellers and save your hunger and every last square inch of your stomach for your sandwich. As you enter the huge indoor market, again say no, resist, hold out as you pass the most beautiful exotic fruits, polished to a high gloss and piled high in every direction. Today is not about vitamins, today is about pure unadulterated meaty indulgence. 

Now this is when it gets tough, but you must stop yourself from going to just any mortadella bar, there are many crammed into this market, you must keep walking, trudging through the crowd, weak and weary from your travels, until you find Bar do Mané. The holy grail of mortadella madness. This is where you shall feast.

Before I go on to describe this sandwich sensation, I thought I should mention the origins of the beast, as the meat minded amongst you will know mortadella is a very Italian affair. It's here for the same reason that most Paulistanos will sincerely inform you that they have the best pizza in the world. In the late 19th Century, due to an economic depression in Italy and the need for huge numbers of workers in Brazil (resulting from the abolition of slavery), many Italians emigrated to Brazil to find work and much like in New York, they settled, eventually in cities and kept their culinary traditions alive, well and very delicious. 

Therefore, thanks to 120 years or so of Italian influence, a huge pile of mortadella topped with gloppy cheese and shoved in a bread roll is one of the best, and most authentic, things you can eat in this fine city. The thinly sliced meat is thrown on the grill for a matter of seconds just warming it up and getting the edges all nice and brown and crispy, then the cheese is thrown on top and it is presented in a baguette style roll. 

Now, eating it is a challenge, especially when you're foolish enough to take a photograph first, every second counts as the warm juices from the meat begin to soak into the bread, making it more delicious on the one hand but reducing it's structural integrity at the same time. This is no time for table manners, airs or graces; grab it with two hands, attempt to squeeze it to roughly to size of your mouth and attack. The last few bites, I admit, had to be tackled with a fork, the juices had got the better of the bread and all that was left was a meaty, cheesy, bready mound on my paper plate. A truly, delicious meaty, cheesy, bready mound.

 Links:

-Mercado de Municipal: http://www.oportaldomercadao.com.br

-Bar do Mané: http://www.bardomane.com.br

Japan Sandwich Special: Sayōnara sushi, it's Japanwich time

When you think of great sandwiches Japan isn't going the be the first place you'd think to visit. Nor should it be. However, purely for their unusualness and surprising deliciousness (and because I've just been there) they are more than worthy of a post.

First of all how do they look. They look weird. They look like they've been made by an annoying fussy child who hates crusts and will only eat white bread. They're kind of tiny and contain fillings such as apple mush with cream cheese, red bean paste and chicken katsu, which just look like big chicken nuggets shoved in a sandwich.

Not really sold? Well neither was I. My Japan travel companion formed a habit for choosing terrible snacks, however it wasn't until she forced me to try her weird looking ham and cheese sandwich from a 7/11 convenience store that I discovered their unique appeal.

Like many things in Japan, why these strange baby sandwiches work is a mystery, but they do. The bread is ridiculously soft and sweet, the mayonnaise is ridiculously creamy and sweet and the ham, made of god knows what, adds nothing more than a kind of artificial but still somehow addictive hammy...ness. Still doesn't sound good? No it doesn't and I still don't understand why it was! But it wasn't a fluke either. After this I couldn't stop eating them, instead of a delicate beautifully presented bento box or a platter of sushi I'd buy a weird multi pack of Japanese sandwiches, I honestly don't know what was in half of them. My favourite became the aforementioned chicken katsu (nugget-esque) sandwich. Thick crispy batter, soft white bread and creamy mayo, it just worked! But this isn't right, I'm a food (well, sandwich at least) connoisseur for Christ sake!

One possible reason for their mysterious allure is the mayonnaise, of which the Japanese are surprisingly proud, in particular the Kewpie brand. Unlike the anemic bland Hellmanns mayo that we've all been brainwashed into believing is not only the only option but is actually tasty, Japanese Mayo is incredibly rich and buttery and pretty much makes everything as tasty and moreish as crack flavoured Pringles. But in all honesty I can't explain it. Just go there and eat them and enjoy their strange guilty enchantment.

Or maybe it's just down to those super advanced Japanese sandwich robots that definitely exist.

Vietnam sandwich special: Bánh mi

Bánh mi, the general Vietnamese term for French style baguette sandwiches, are found on literally every street corner in Vietnam. The baguette, introduced by the French during its colonial period has become a staple of the national diet, combined with Vietnamese flavours it comes together as one of the best street foods snacks you can get your greasy little mitts on.  And costing as little as 5000 Dong (about 15p) a pop, your greasy little mitts, if anything like my greasy little mitts, will find their way to quite a few. 

The most common bánh mi sandwich and the one most similar to those found in the West is the bánh mì đặc biệt. The contents vary slightly from stall to stall but basically it comes rammed with various pork based meaty treats consisting of steamed pork, roasted pork, pork liver pâté and something delectably known as 'head cheese', which looks as delightful as it sounds. On top of the meat goes a whole bunch of veggies, most notably pickled carrot and radishes as well as sliced cucumber, coriander, fresh chillies and finished off with a variety of hot and sweet sauces. The various cuts of pork each bring something different to the table. The roasted pork offers a rich flavour and a sweet caramelised edge, while the pâté brings a lovely smoothness complimenting the crunchy bread and veggies, and the hot sauce, which often turns out to be very hot sauce, brings the fire to the equation.  All in all its a veritable taste sensation, a party in your mouth, a carnival for your canines, basically it's a flipping banger of a sandwich. 

Like all street food in Vietnam as well as being super cheap and super delicious half the fun is in the eating on the street, sitting on a tiny little plastic chair with a bunch of locals watching the insane traffic go by, trying to work out how you can fit an entire family of four, a pig, four chickens and a wardrobe onto a single motorbike.

So next time you're in Vietnam, why not pop down to your local street corner and munch down on a straight up belter of a sandwich. If you're in London go to Panda Panda in Deptford or Keu! in shoreditch. They might cost more than 15p. 

Barcelona Sandwich Special. Bocadillos for the boys!

Bocadillo may sound like a dinosaur, but it's actually the Spanish word for sandwich. While on a recent trip to the Catalan capital I naturally spent most of my time trying to find the best places to chow down on some Spanish sarnies. And so I present to you here the three best examples of stuff-in-bread Spanish style.

Let's start with Bar Fidel, a great little bar/café found at the heart of the trendy student area of Raval on Carrer de Ferlandina, just off Carrer de Joaquin Costa. Like most good cafés in Barcelona, this was a very understated, relaxed little place; just a few tables, a few chairs and a couple of people chilling behind the bar taking orders. The menu on the other hand was a much less relaxed affair, hosting more than 60 different sandwiches, these guys mean business. Sounds like a dream come true. But wait, no, it was all in Spanish! 60 Sandwiches, the delights of which I could only imagine. It had become a most haunting nightmare- all these sandwiches locked away from me by the cruel mistress of language. I fruitlessly span my gaze across the menu, left to right, right to left. But then, like a beam of light from the heavens, I spotted the beautiful, glorious word I knew deep down I was looking for, the word no language can keep from me, the word, the holy grail....'Chorizo'. The fact that moments later the kind waitress behind the bar leant over and handed out a copy of their English menu is neither here nor there. My choice had been made. Chorizo. With Camembert.

Chorizo and Camembert - Bar Fidel

It came served in a delicious crusty baguette and was amazing. The rich, sweet, salty thick sliced chorizo perfectly accompanied the creamy smooth Camembert. There is one other ingredient which I will reveal at the end, it is the secret to all the sandwiches I sampled, and which I can say without fear of contradiction has changed my life forever.

Next I shall move onto Bracafé, a Brazillian/Spanish chain of cafés, as far as I can see only found in Barcelona. It was in fact a misjudgement that caused me to visit the Ronda de San Antoni Bracafé establishment. I had intended to investigate the adjacent San Antoni market, but to my dismay it was closed on the day of my visit. Hunger took the better of me and so I was drawn to the nearest scran spot, which happened to be Bracafé. It would be an understatement to say that the menu wasn't quite as inspiring as Bar Fidel, and perhaps being given the English menu right away took some of the magic from the precedings. But nonetheless, I decided to go for a classic Spanish sandwich I had eaten many times during my first visit to Barcelona, the Tortilla de Patata; Spanish potato omelette.

Tortilla de Patata - Bracafé

To my surprise - because to be honest I didn't have the highest of hopes - it was pretty dam good. Served in a lovely crusty, floury baguette, the omelette was well cooked, nice and moist, with plenty of potato and of course the secret ingredient, which the keen eyed amongst you might be able to spot it in this photo.

And now, last but not least Café Vienna. Now this little venture was most definitely a premeditated outing. While googling away for the best sandwiches in Barcelona in preparation for the trip (as you do) I stumbled across an article in the New York Times by their food critic Mark Bitten. In the article he describes his visit and makes the not so insignificant claim that Café Vienna serve the world's best sandwich. What makes this claim so intriguing is the fact that this is not some grand Spanish deli or a tiny hidden away little café; Café Vienna is essentially a fast food chain. And so naturally I decided this had to be investigated!

The sandwich in question is a baguette filled with Iberico ham or in spanish Flauta de Pernil Iberic. Iberico ham is a Spanish salt cured ham. But it's not just any cured ham, this stuff is considered the best of the best. It costs around £60 per pound and is produced exclusively from black Iberian pigs fed on a diet of acorns.

Upon entering Café Vienna, it becomes very clear that they are aware of Mark Bitten's review. By this I mean they should probably rename the place to Café Mark Bitten. The walls are plastered with posters of the sandwich with a NY Times seal of approval and the review itself is actually printed in every menu. At this point I began to wonder if Mark had been paid a few Euros for the review, but nevertheless I went ahead and ordered the infamous sandwich with a large glass of beer (you know, the ones only English tourists buy).

Flauta de Pernil Iberic - Café Vienna       

I sat down at a plastic table with my tray of food and unwrapped my sandwich from its waxy paper surround. First impressions were good, it looked great, nice deep brown baguette and the famous dark slightly glossy ham poking out the edges. I'm going to cut to the chase. It was amazing, the baguette wasn't crusty, it was crunchy, crispy even, and the Iberico ham was insane. Forget proscuitto, this is the shit. It has a deep, rich, sweet and slightly nutty flavour which is apparently thanks to all the acorns. There is a third essential ingredient to this sandwich, the secret ingredient I have kept from you that has featured in all these sandwiches. And that ingredient is......wait for it......tomato. That's right the humble tomato. But not sliced and chucked in as an after thought. The secret to all of these sandwiches is that the baguette is rubbed with tomato so that all the pips and juices get soaked up into the bread keeping it incredibly moist and delicious. This technique was used to optimum effect with the Flauta de Pernil Iberic; the tomato ensured the super crunchy baguette didn't dry out the sandwich and the subtle flavour of the tomato let the incredible ham shine centre stage without distraction. But is it the world's best sandwich? I don't think so, I've had better in Amsterdam (see some of my earliest posts). But don't get me wrong this is a blummin' good sandwich and deserves some applause.

So there you have it, tomato is the key to Barcelona's bad-boy bocadillos. Try it for yourself instead of  mayo or butter, it's better for your figure and downright delish.

Adiós

Gaby's Deli, Charring Cross Rd, London. Falafel fest

Gaby's Deli is found adjacent to the horrid, culture-void, baudrillardian tourist hell-hole that is London's Leicester Square. It is the shimming needle in the face-less chain infested haystack, the dazzling diamond in the bland tasteless tacky rough, and so on. Gaby's has been around for almost 50 years, serving some of the best falafel and salt beef to be found anywhere in London. In fact the owner, Baghdad born Gaby Elyahou claims to have been the first to serve falafel in the UK, making him in my book, one of the best people to have ever lived, ever.

The first thing you notice when approaching Gaby's is the window. Like Sirens pressed up against the glass, an array of delactable deep fried, crispy little treats draw you in. Some recognisable and some a little more alien. But we weren't there for the window treats, we were there for the main event, we were there for the falafel.

Unsurprisingly it did not disappoint. Like most human people I've enjoyed my fair share of delicious deep fried chickpea balls wrapped in a flat bread or stuffed in a pitta. But this wasn't delicious, no no, this kind of enjoyment deserves a new word, or at least a combo word to express the taste sensation that is Gaby's falafel. This falafel was super-amazing-incredelicious.

I'm not going to go into the intricacies of the arrangement, we all know what goes into a falafel, all I'll say is this. If you have any respect for your taste buds you will eat this falafel, you will do anything to get your filthy little mitts on this golden, crunchy, buttery amazing falafel. Do it. Do it now.


N.B. I had the falafel in a pitta with all the trimmings, I picked this photo to show off the how amazing the falafel themselves are. The pitta, hummus, salad and sauces were all great and for £4 it's an absolute steal. Go!

(Photo from http://www.flickr.com/photos/bellaphon/6847892873/)

The Breakfast Club, Soho. My kind of club

The Breakfast Club is a great little chain of 4 cafes dotted around central London. I visited their Soho establishment, found at 33 D’Arblay Street, nestled amongst Soho's numerous other trendy eateries, bars and boutiques. The decor subscribes to the vintage cafe feel; unmatching wooden tables and chairs, old fashioned posters, rusted signs, and a dusting of retro bits and bobs. Once a quirky surprise, the retro look is now the standard in ‘cool’ cafes in the capital and nationwide. However The Breakfast Club pulls it off well, creating a great, cosy little cafe.
The menu is instantly engaging, offering numerous mouth-watering treats, from American style pancakes with maple syrup and bacon (which I have had and which are disgracefully sweet, salty and delicious) to pie and mash and almost everything in between. However, as you may have gathered this ain't no pancake or pie blog, this is a sandwich blog! So after a cursory scan, I focused my attention on the section entitled 'Hot sandwiches & wraps'. Well, what can i say, it is quite a star studded affair, featuring the likes of the steak sandwich, the pastrami sandwich, the fish finger sandwich, and even the 'When Haloumi Met Salad Wrap'. But I went for the ‘Breakfast Club Club Sandwich', a truly classic number rammed full of chicken, bacon, cheese and a little salad.
Now, I've had good club sandwiches before, but this wasn't a good club sandwich....this was an incredible club sandwich! The sandwich arrived cut into four big wedges, on toasted brown bread. Huge great chunks of beautiful moist chicken breast, thick, salty bacon and crisp lettuce were held together by rich creamy melted cheddar. The crunchy toasted bread was the perfect thickness, not so thin that the sandwich fell apart and not so thick that it dried it out, teaming up with the filling to create a truly delectable texture and utterly satisfying bite. If the sandwich gets a bit too much for you the side of beautiful creamy coleslaw and fresh salad, which come with the sandwich, provide a refreshing interlude to the occasion.
Accompanied by one of their amazing milkshakes (I would highly recommend the banana) this is a lunch hard beaten for less than a tenner. A true gut buster. If you like a lot of sandwich in your club, eat this club (sung to the tune of the 90's Club chocolate bar advert)!

Frankie Vaughans, Brighton. Brielicious

Frankie Vaughan's is a great little deli/coffee shop combo found on Edward St in Brighton, virtually opposite the Royal Pavilion. Depending on how fussy you are you can either go into the coffee shop and pick up one of their prepared sandwiches, or if you're a bit fussier and like to see your sandwich being made, like me, then you can just pop next door to the deli. Upon entering you are welcomed by a huge cabinet full of ingredients, and numerous chalk boards with various tantalising specials and suggestions. Truly overwhelming, but in the best possible sense.
After a long, long deliberation I opted for one of their specials, a brie and pastrami ciabatta with sweet onion pickle. There's a lot going on in this sandwich, lots of big flavours coming from the pastrami, the brie and the sweet pickle, but despite my fears it's actually a combination that worked well together. The brie was fairly mild and so didn't overpower the pastrami, the creamy cheese complemented the salty spicy beef, and the pickle brought a welcome sweetness in the background. The crunchy salad added a freshness and the lovely soft floured ciabatta tied the whole sandwich together perfectly.

Oklahoma, Northern Quarter, Manchester. Indie sarnies

Oklahoma is hidden away in the back streets of Manchester's creative, cultural, artsy Northern Quarter. It's a super indie cafe, come querky gift shop, come foreign film rental. Full of vintage, kitsch charm the cafe is full of mismatched retro furniture and old fashioned plates and cups. Oklahoma serves a nice selection sandwiches, jacket potatoes, cakes and teas, perfect for a lunch or late afternoon snack. The food is mostly vegetarian apart from the odd slice of salami here and there. I went for the Mozzarella, red pepper and rocket toasted sandwich. The crunchy toasted bread perfectly contrasted the lovely smooth, melted mozzarella, while the sweet peppers, still with a nice bit of crunch, worked beautifully with the salty cheese and peppery rocket. Very nice indeed!

BagelMan, The Lanes, Brighton. You can keep your bagels, sir!

BagelMan is situated on Bond Street, one of the streets that makes up Brighton's fantastic, uber trendy 'lanes'. After a morning perusing the record shops and vintage stores (or not), BagelMan makes a great lunch spot. But as you may have gathered, I was not there for a bagel. I had heard that word on the street (or should that be lane) is that Bagelman makes a mean falafel - so naturally this had to be investigated. The street did not lie, this was a falafel and a half. Lovingly crafted, the falafel balls were carefully arranged with the tomato and cucumber inside a soft, slightly toasted pitta, and covered with just the right amount of chilli sauce and tahini. The careful arrangement ensured every bite was a treat; the perfectly cooked falafel (crispy on the outside, nice and soft in the middle) made spicy by the chilli sauce, was deliciously cooled down by the fresh tomato, cucumber and the cool savoury tang of the tahini. And for around £3 it's also a bargain. So Mr Bagelman can keep his bagels, the falafel is king!

Husk, Melbourne, Australia. A Rather Fancy Affair

For those of you who aren’t in the know (or more so for those of you who don’t hail from Melbourne, Australia) Husk is a rather trendy/overpriced clothing and homewares store favoured by affluent thirty-something ladies who lunch. Now, while it may not be such an obvious choice for those of us with rather less disposable incomes, there is indeed a saving grace. That being the “Famous” Husk Chicken Sandwich, from the stores self-titled cafe. Although this fame may be self-anointed, it is deservedly so, for this is one delicious sandwich. Finely poached chicken, seasoned liberally with cracked black pepper and the most gourmet of sea salts, sits atop delectable multi-grain bread with lashings of avocado, rocket and finally, a scintillating squeeze of lemon juice. A rather simple affair it may be, but that is where its beauty lies. And beauty is indeed in the details. The bread is firm and crusty, the chicken seasoned to perfection, the rocket crisp and fresh with the lemon juice adding a welcomed zing to the whole affair. However, the perfection of this sandwich lies in the generous application of avo. Nothing is worse, in my eyes, then a sandwhich-hand who is stingy with their avo and thankfully the lovely café staff at Husk are anything but. So while it may be completely overpriced at $9.50 (around £ 6 apparently), go ahead and treat yourself, sit back and relax amongst Husk’s luxe Moroccan inspired décor. After all, that chicken sandwich is “famous” for a reason.

By Foreign Correspondent Sophie Lamell

Silver Apples, West Didsbury, Manchester. West is best.

Silver Apples is a delightful cafe bar, slap bang in the middle of the haven that is West Didsbury. Quirky mismatched tables and chairs are complemented by quirky mismatched cups, plates and cutlery. As you walk through the door your eyes are immediately drawn to the glass counter full of homemade cakes (lemon raspberry and poppy seed cake is amazing!) and cup cakes. A chalk board on the wall lists the pies of offer that day, served with, mash, mushy pies and gravy. But what about the sandwiches!? Well, they have their own chalk board...Feta, pesto and sunblush tomato on foccaccia, serrano and mozzarella ciabatta, brie, bacon and cranberry focaccia...just some of their delights. But I went for the chorizo, hummus, olive and sunblush tomato ciabatta. Here's how it looked; lovely toasted ciabatta with a generous spread of hummus, topped with chorizo, olives, a few sunblush tomatoes and a rocket salad. The lovely toasted ciabatta ensured a nice crunch, perfectly complementing the smooth hummus. The chorizo and olives brought an oily saltyness to the ensemble (that's right the ensemble), while the sunblush tomatoes threw a nice slice of sweetness into the equation, and the rocket brought the ever essential hit of pepper. All in all a top sandwich, my only criticism being that they could have been a bit more generous with the chorizo, BUT that may just because I'm greedy, I would definitely have it again...and probably will.

Islington Mill, Salford. T-shirts and sandwiches

Islington Mill is, as the name suggests, a mill, or at least it used to be. Located in the heart of post-industrial Salford, once a cotton mill, it is now a 'creative centre', full of lots of artists and creative types, doing lots of arty and creative things. Where does a sandwich fit into all this you may be asking...? Well arty/creative people have got to eat! Why was I there? I was at the mill partaking in a t-shirt printing workshop, which came with the option of paying a bit extra and having a sandwich and a bowl of soup before the workshop. There was only a choice of two sandwiches; hummous and roasted vegtables, or goats cheese and red onion and the soup was Thai green vegetable. I went for the goats cheese sandwich and it was an absolute treat! Huge chunks of creamy goats cheese, with perfect, deliciously sweet caramelised red onions and a huge pile baby spinach, served in thick crusty white rustic bread topped with a sprinkle of flour. This was a lovely sandwich, the crusty bread perfectly contrasted and complemented the smooth goats cheese and silky onions, while the stack of baby spinach added a nice bit of freshness and colour to the sandwich. It was a nice generous sandwich, the picture shows just a half of it, so along with the soup it was a great, filling lunch. The Thai green soup was very nice too; the chilli spices kept your lips warm while the coconut worked to cool it down nicely, and made a lovely starter. The sandwich and soup cost an extra £5 with the workshop, but I think the regular price is only around £3 or £4 pounds for sandwiches and the same for soups, so not too bad for a very good lunch.

Burton Road Bakery, West Didsbury, Manchester. Westside fo life

Burton Road Bakery is surprisingly enough located on Burton Road, in the beautiful hidden gem that is West Didsbury. It's a lovely little place with a nice local feel, thick (but in a good way) Mancunian accents welcome you from behind the counter as you make your selection. A nice simple menu, nothing too fancy; chicken, turkey, cheese, ham, smoked salmon, cream cheese etc. I went for the ham, on a brown barm (which for those not from 'the north' is a round soft roll), with salad and mayonnaise. One of the best things about this sandwich was the delightful addition of egg in the salad, which is very rare and very delicious. A great simple sandwich, perfectly made. Add and drink and a packet of crisps all for under £4 equals a bargain. In the words of Liam Gallagher (probably) it's 'well good'.

Odd Bar, Northern Quarter, Manchester. FREEZE!

Odd Bar is a cafe/restaurant by day, bar and venue by night. It's one of three Odds in Manchester; Odd, Odder (Oxford Rd), and Oddest (Chorlton). It's a great place with a laid back atmosphere, similar to Manchester's Trof establishments, but without their dollop of 'too cool for school' pretension. The free jukebox in Odd is a nice touch, especially when it's quiet, allowing you to select all the tunes.

Odd has a good menu of breakfasts, burgers and sandwiches, veggie and carnivorous. I went for the N.Y.P.D.; New York Pastrami Doorstep. They do not lie, this is a doorstep and a half, filled with loads of pastrami, cream cheese, and juicy gherkins, served with a big pot of piccalilli, red onion coleslaw, and chips. This is a great, very filling lunch time treat, all the elements of the sandwich work together perfectly, the creamy smooth cheese, with the salty, spicy pastrami, and the sharp tangy gherkins. The piccalilli and coleslaw go very nicely on the side and the big chunky chips are perfectly crispy and fluffy. For just shy of a tenner with a drink, it's not the cheapest lunch, but it is one of the most filling.

Bread and Butter, Northern Quarter, Manchester. Service with a smile and a chat about the pros and cons of legalising drugs

Bread and Butter is a hidden gem located on Tib street in the trendy, indie, cool Northern quarter of Manchester city centre. It is a lovely little cafe with a large selection of panini, piadinas (which i discovered today is a sort of wrap, a bit like a cross between a naan bread and a tortilla, which like panini is toasted), cakes and teas. My eye was drawn to the meatball and mozzarella, which the friendly Mancunian waitress advised I had on the aforementioned piadina. The friendly duo behind the counter made the short wait for the sandwich a pleasant one with tails of relbellious youth and future dreams. I would have loved to have sat in and continued with the conversation if it hadn't been for the £1 extra charge for doing so (not much to the average layman, but I am a stingy student), but alas, I found a comfy wall nearby where I greatly enjoyed my lunch. A truly delicious sandwich (or piadina to be precise). The meatballs were served with a superb homemade rich tomato sauce, and the mozzarella was delightfully gooey when melted. Can't wait for the next visit!

Maison Mayci, Kings Heath, Birmingham. Last one I promise....

This will be the third sandwich I have reviewed from the Maison Mayci establishments; the chicken and crayfish. As expected, it's delish. Lovely chunky bits of chicken with big juicy crayfish in a tomato-ey sauce. Very nice combination of flavours and textures, sweet crayfish, tender chicken, smooth rich sauce and thick crunchy bread. Delightful. Great salad as always and also found out that their chips are amazing, proper french fries, really thin and crunchy. A very filling lunch for just over a fiver. TREAT.

Petit Pain, Hall Green, Birmingham. Call the police!

Petit Pain is a great sandwich shop just opposite the horsehoes pub in Hall Green. The smell of baking baguettes and the friendly staff make this little establishment feel like home as soon as you walk through the door. A nice unassuming menu with all the classics, available in a baguette or on white or brown sliced bread. On recommendation I went with the chicken tikka baguette. Served with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and topped with their homemade mint and chili sauce. This is a delightful twist on the classic chicken baguette, and as Birmingham is the 'capital of curry' it is no wonder this is a popular choice. The tikka marinade on the chicken is delicious, the salad brings a welcome freshness to every bite, the chili sauce adds a kick to the ensemble and the mint ensures that it's a pleasant one...all in all a very enjoyable sandwich and at £2.40 it's a steal!

Guest review: Pret a manger, Birmingham. Carrot and Humous Crunch Artisan Baguette

Breaking all the (unwritten) rules of this blog’s ethos this sandwich stems from a big corporate company, Pret a Manger. ‘Ready to eat’ as it translates, is exactly this establishment's selling point. Having only minutes before catching a train I went for the summery ‘Carrot and Humous Crunch’ on artisan baguette, which boasted to have won a prize for fresh ingredients...I hoped so anyway!

The roasted carrots poking out from the baguette swung it for me and on first bite I was not disappointed to find them perfectly cooked and accompanying the chunky chickpea humous deliciously! However the sandwich’s ‘crunch’ element was nowhere to be seen (despite its naming) and keeping faith I assumed its bite was to be discovered further in. Alas, minutes in and still no crunch!

However, the yogurt mayo dressing kept the chewy seeded artisan bread moist and helped balance out the coriander kick running through. The bread itself almost as delicious as my favourite boulangerie dans Paris, was a real treat and definitely worth opting for even if you're partial to a different filling. All in all, for £3.90 (ish, add a little extra for eating in) it's quite expensive, but for fresh and good quality ingredients in a short space of time est pas grave! Bon appétit!

K.S.

Maison Mayci, Kings Heath, Birmingham. GCSE french and beef sausages

After sampling and enjoying the delights of Maison Mayci in Moseley I thought I should try out the original bad boy, i.e. the Kings Heath establishment of the same name on Poplar Road. Just like it's younger sibling it is a very nicely decorated and authentic feeling Frenchy cafe, this one extending the illusion even further when I was greeted by the owner, a real life French man! Anyway...once sitting comfortably on a table in the nice little courtyard, I scanned down the menu, my eye immediately caught by the 'merguez' sandwich, which the description informed me was spicy beef sausage (called merguez) with roasted vegetable and Dijon mustard. TRES BIEN...a delightful sandwich...the merguez sausage was, as advertised, slightly spicy and very delicious, perfectly complemented by the roasted vegetables which were really soft, sweet and slightly oily, just as they should be. The hint of mustard topping the sandwich off. The side salad with new potatoes which comes with every sandwich is always a winner and makes this not only a very satisfying lunch but also a bit of a bargain at £3.90. C'est fantastique!