Specialty sandwiches loaded with the contents of an entire charcuterie board, overflowing with sauces, creams and all manner of creative add-ons, is perhaps one of the biggest global food trends of this year. From London to New York, lines form down the block for mortadella, burrata, pistachio and more stuffed between slices of fresh sourdough, rye or focaccia.
To try the trend in Taipei, Munchies Mafia is for sure the spot — could this be the best sandwich in town?
Carlos from Spain and Sergio from Mexico opened this spot just seven months ago. The two met working in the food industry and wanted to create a “chill” neighborhood spot, Carlos says, but they’ve been booked and busy ever since they opened — and for good reason.
Photo: Hollie Younger, Taipei Times
The price point may seem a little high at first glance — over NT$300 for a sandwich — but once you see the sheer amount of cold cuts they manage to stack Jenga-style onto one piece of focaccia, it’s actually a fantastic price compared to charcuterie boards across the city.
As closing time nears on a cold Tuesday, every table outside was taken. I’ve actually never walked past this place during the day and not seen the outdoor patio bustling.
As they mostly cater to takeout and outdoor dining, we grab a tiny canvas chair outside. With a can of Taihu lager (NT$140) in one hand and a sandwich in the other, it felt rather like a fancy picnic in the middle of the city.
Photo: Hollie Younger, Taipei Times
The menu is split into cold-cut sandwiches, slow-cooked meats and a vegetarian option.
All sandwiches are available on rosemary focaccia, sourdough or croissant, with the bread sourced fresh from Feed the Wife Bakery & Desserts (胖死我太太) in Zhongzheng District (中正).
All are good options, but it would be criminal not to try the focaccia. The golden shell is so crispy there is audible crackling. The inside is perfectly chewy and, surprisingly, holds in the obscene amount of fillings. It glistens with olive oil but is never greasy, among the best breads I’ve tried in the city.
Photo: Hollie Younger, Taipei Times
The sourdough is nothing to write home about, but don’t overlook the croissant option. The buttery, flaky pastry is actually the perfect complement to tangy tomato and briny olives.
The slow cooked pastrami and roast beef are made in house, while the cold cuts and cheeses are imported.
Onto the sandwiches. Everyone must try the Winner Jackpot (NT$330), served on rosemary focaccia. Creamy, burrata-like stracciatella is dolloped onto hearty layers of pistachio mortadella, with pops of sundried tomato, basil pesto and chunky bits of pistachio.
Photo: Hollie Younger, Taipei Times
The key to piling so many ingredients into one humble bread roll is balance, and this one was perfectly executed, no flavor or texture too overpowering, each ingredient getting its time in the spotlight.
This sandwich most closely resembles the Italian sarnies that Londoners and New Yorkers have been lining up for this year, with decadent and bang-on-trend pistachio packed into the toppings and the mortadella.
A close second was the Omerta (NT$310), served on a croissant. Black pepper ham, mozzarella, truffle cream, confit cherry tomato, baked eggplant and basil pesto. The strongest flavor was the fresh, bursting tomatoes, which perhaps could’ve taken a backseat and let the truffle cream do more of the talking.
Photo: Hollie Younger, Taipei Times
Finally, we opt for one of the only non-pork products from the “slow cooked meat sandwiches” section.
God save the Beef (NT$320) has lashings of roast beef, flushed pink, with a vitello tonnato sauce, blended in-house with tuna and anchovies, paired with parmigiano, zucchini, olives and arugula. Unfortunately, the thick layers of cold zucchini stole the show and we couldn’t particularly taste the arugula or olives, two of my favorite sandwich toppings.
Even the roast beef was fighting to be seen under all the cold veg. God should save the beef from all that zucchini, we thought.
Photo: Hollie Younger, Taipei Times
Their slow-cooked pastrami sandwich with mustard and pickles is also popular.
They are also known for their oozy, gooey baked Basque cheesecake (NT$180), “straight outta Donosti” that every diner outside has somehow made room for.
Munchies Mafia is primarily a lunchtime spot, offering a full coffee menu and milkshakes, though in the evenings they do sell Taihu lager, IPA and a Sakura peach ale.
This place has been blowing up on social media and has become a solid go-to spot for the best Western sandwiches in Taipei.
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