Daily Delivery Tour: A Plethora of Sandwiches
The options to take your taste buds for a trip around the world are pretty amazing here in the capital – so we’re taking it upon ourselves to focus on the culinary works of a new country or region each day.
Today we bring our attention to the humble sandwich and some of it’s many classic varieties.
Panini from Panino Teca
Panini are Italian sandwiches that are usually served warm after having been pressed on a grill. While a few Beijing spots serve their own panini variations, the best place to grab one is Panino Teca, which shares a space with Assaggi (you’ll find them on Meituan under this name) up by the Embassy District.
Personal recommendations would be the Re Sole (RMB 55), parma ham combined with melted mozzarella, arugula and artichokes; and the classic Crudo (RMB 58), which is just parma ham, mozzarella and tomato.
Roast Beef on Rye from Stuff’d/Arrow Factory
There is no sandwich, in my mind at least, more legendary than one with roast beef on rye bread. The variant sold by the folks at Stuff’d and Arrow Factory (RMB 95) is more or less a Reuben, but the name here doesn’t matter.
This sandwich sees succulent roast beef topped with cheese and saurkraut on smokey rye. Pair it with fries and maybe a beer for a triumphant trifecta.
Tuna Melt from Lily’s American Diner
This one is simple: just tuna fish with mayo and melted cheese on bread. You can find this classic at one of Beijing’s OG American eateries, Lily’s American Diner for RMB 49, which sees tuna salad combined with melted Swiss on toasted bread.
Club Sandwich from Park Side Bar & Grill
This classic dates all the way back to 1894, when it was allegedly concocted at the Saratoga Club House in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Since then, the Club Sandwich, which sees meat – usually chicken, ham and cooked bacon – layered with tomatoes, lettuce and mayonnaise, has gained popularity the world over. One of the best variations of this hails from Park Side Bar & Grill (RMB 78), cut into four sections, skewered with cocktail picks, and served with a side of fries.
Trapizzino from La Platea
While not technically a sandwich and not technically a pizza, this offering from La Platea bridges the best of both worlds in the form of it’s trapizzino.
This Roman street snack sees triangular bread sliced open and filled with a variety of fillings. The best on offer from La Platea include the Porchetta & Mozzarella, which also features a special mushroom sauce, and the Arrabiata Chicken (all trapizzino are RMB 42 each).
Arepas from Andino
This sandwich, eaten in South America since ancient times, is as simple as it gets. It’s just a meat of your choice or cheese on a bread traditionally made from ground maize dough. It can be found in Beijing at Andino, and with a side of their andinitos (corn fries, starting at RMB 52 for a set), it’s a grand meal.
Also available are larger sets which feature an arepa of your choice, andinitos, salad, an empanada and choice of juice all for RMB 87.
Grilled Cheese and Variations
This simplest of sandwiches – it’s literally just melted cheese on toasted, or grilled, bread – is also the easiest to mess up. It’s also got it’s own controversy, with some people swearing by buttered bread and others by bread with mayo (for me it’s only butter).
With such a contentious sandwich, there are a great many options to choose from. For the classic variation, the best is Plan B’s Cheese Toastie (RMB 46) which makes for a bomb combo with their tomato soup.
Others to try include the Truffle Grilled Cheese from the Bake Shop (RMB 68), and the legendary Oxtail Grilled Cheese from Commune (RMB 78), which sees white cheddar and brie combined with braised oxtail, jalapeno and balsamic onions between marbled sourdough-rye bread.
READ: Daily Delivery Tour: Japan Edition
Images: Unsplash, the Beijingers, Dianping
