Sandwiches are some of the most basic meals known to humankind. They stand the test of time and geography, perhaps because the format can withstand all manner of laziness and greediness.
When I was a child, a regular school morning breakfast consisted of humble white bread spread with butter and sprinkled with sugar.
Later on, peanut butter and jam sandwiches took over. Though common, the contrast of creamy-toasty nut butter and tart-sweet jam is actually a masterclass in flavor combination — a mark of a truly great sandwich.
Photo: Davina Tham, Taipei Times
In high school and university, I relied on Subway sandwiches as an inexpensive source of nourishment. If I got all the vegetables, they could even be healthy.
Now, sandwiches are moving beyond the realm of shrink-wrapped convenience into gourmet choices in their own right. These three sandwich joints in Taipei show that, like the space between heaven and earth, two unassuming slices of bread can in fact hold a world of flavor.
LIQUID BREAD COMPANY
Photo: Davina Tham, Taipei Times
With sourdough and brioche sourced from Taipei’s Purebread Bakery and cured meats from Yunlin-based Sedor’s Farm, it’s clear that Liquid Bread Company takes its food seriously.
The menu spans a range of sandwiches, each of which features a distinct type of meat, ranging from the familiar ham and bacon to the more elaborate — beef pastrami, Korean-style pork belly and carnitas. Even the fillings for the fish sandwiches, a tuna melt (NT$155) and tuna salad (NT$155), are made not with canned tuna, but whole tuna treated in-house.
Liquid Bread Company does a good job of always balancing its salty and fatty sandwich fillings with something acidic. Pink pastrami (NT$220) is cut through with a slather of sharp yellow mustard, while tender chicken thigh (NT$220) is cooked with lemon. And in case that’s not enough, all sandwiches are served with a side of cubed white radish pickles.
Photo: Davina Tham, Taipei Times
My go-to order for several months has been the BLT (NT$130), which amps up the basic trio of bacon, lettuce and tomato with an addictive tomato jam. All sandwiches are made to order, so this always arrives with warm bacon, dribbling lard onto the crisp bread and lettuce. It’s already perfectly balanced, without need for the pickles, although I accept them gratefully to add even more crunch.
The eatery also offers a range of chilled local, European and Australian beers (NT$200) to wash down your sandwich.
‧ 270, Yanji St, Taipei City (台北市延吉街270號), tel: (02) 2704-6218 and 52-3, Andong St, Taipei City (台北市安東街52-3號), tel: (02) 2778-4566. Open daily, 11am to 11pm
Photo: Davina Tham, Taipei Times
MALLARD GRILLED CHEESE EATERY
A new eatery that opened in August, Mallard boasts grilled cheese sandwiches in various guises that amount to a satisfying meal, from a beef bourguignon with pickled onions and cranberry jam (NT$255) to a sweet four cheese with honey (NT$185).
A signature black truffle grilled cheese sandwich (NT$245) features sauteed mushrooms, ham and a sunny-side-up egg on a bed of melted cheddar and mozzarella, studded with bits of the prized and perfumed truffle.
The cheese pull does not disappoint, although this sandwich as a whole does lack some kick. I make up for that by dipping the sandwich in the smoked tomato bisque (NT$120), which tastes a lot like salsa in hot liquid form.
The menu also includes four salads, which are a great way to work some fresh vegetables onto your plate. An Asian pear and beetroot salad with homemade ricotta (NT$235) is one of the better-balanced salads I’ve eaten in a while.
If you’ve made it this far, don’t skip the home-made potato chips (NT$150). Cut a tad more thickly that the regular store-bought variety, these are freshly fried to a deep golden brown and served warm.
‧ 75, Civic Blvd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市市民大道四段75號), tel: (02) 8771-0690. Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 12pm to 9pm, and until 10:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays
ZHEN YI XUAN
Taro paste sandwiches have lately been all the rage, with the provocative bulge of thistle-colored taro filling becoming ubiquitous on social media.
The food is an evolution of taro paste (芋泥), a filling for local mooncakes, while a creamier paste is served on its own as a traditional dessert at Chaozhou (Teochew) restaurants — as well as an East Asian proclivity for dessert sandwiches — such as the fluffy cream-and-fruit-filled sandwiches seen in Japanese department store food courts.
Now often paired with tangy cream cheese or rusty brown pork floss, these sandwiches push the boundaries of sweet-and-savory combinations.
The version from local bakery chain Zhen Yi Xuan (振頤軒) keeps things simple, using only sweetened taro paste made from Taichung’s famous Dajia (大甲) taro, sandwiched between plain white bread.
At NT$220 for a pair of triple-decker sandwiches, these photogenic treats are not a steal. To be honest, I prefer taro paste served in more puritan ways. But judging by the woman ahead of me in line, who bought three sandwiches at a go, there might be nothing better for dessert sandwich-lovers.
‧ 102, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路二段102號), tel: (02) 3322-5818. Open Mondays to Fridays, 9am to 9pm and Saturdays to Sundays, 10am to 8pm
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