I haven’t eaten bread for almost two years now. After gaining a limitless and unfathomable amount of weight during the Hermitian era of lockdown, I was forced to give up some of my favorite things so I could get rid of some of the inflation and bulk that I had accumulated around my body.
One of the objects of my affection that I had avoided during my penance was white bread. Now, after two long, fairly low-key years, and somewhat strict abstinence and some rut, having relieved parts of my weight, I just craved some bread. Soft white bread, warm freshly baked bread, with a little butter and something tasty in between. And that evening I was determined to eat something, in the form of a sandwich.
I sat with family on the terrace of The Chambers in The Taj Palace Hotel Mumbai, that exclusive district with the Gateway of India as a backdrop. While Hors-d’œuvre, Potage, Poisson and Fromage were being discussed, I asked the chef to make me a simple sandwich, a little boiled egg cut into pieces, just a pinch of mustard and mayonnaise, finely chopped coriander and green chillies mixed in and served between two large slices of fresh white bread and butter.
The sandwich came with a side of mashed sweet potato, and it was either the best sandwich on earth or it was just that after eating bread for so long it tasted like it came straight from dreamy carb heaven.
You must have realized by now that bread is my kryptonite, my crush, often my vulnerable spot. I just love bread, which makes sandwiches one of my absolute favorite meals. I have often written about my favorite sandwiches in Mumbai, and I don’t want to flood them again. But the truth is that there seems to be a new resurgence in sandwich making.
And I discovered that when the guys from Bombay Canteen announced their Pastrami Sandwich mid April 2021 during the lockdown. It was the picture on Facebook with a pile of thinly sliced meat between two loaves of bread that made me order it right away. In their own words, and I quote more or less, “The sandwich is made with brisket brined and crusted with an Anglo-Indian inspired spice blend of pepper, fennel and coriander seeds. Then slowly cooked for 12 hours at a controlled temperature, so that the meat is perfectly cooked, tender and juicy. The meat is then smoked over coconut husk giving it an earthy smokiness. Thinly sliced and then layered between soft brioche, with a dollop kasundi mustard and served with pickles and the juices containing the juices, the brisket is slow cooked. Now that’s what I call a sandwich!
Around that time, Pack-a-Pav by Rohan Mangalorkar also started making waves. Just the goodness of bread packed with delicious comfort food. Like Herb Chicken Seekh Pav Sandwich, or Mirza Aunty’s Mutton Pav Sandwich, both served with hanging curd basil dip, or mushroom mince or salsa dip, depending on what you ordered.
Coming back to the Bombay Canteen guys, while their Pastrami Sandwich was making waves, they rebooted their O Pedro Kitchen in lockdown to create The Sandwich Shack and from there they started innovating on things between breads. Like the Louisiana Soft Shell Sub. Soft shell crab with hot hot tartare, sauerkraut and lettuce on an onion seed bun. Lucious and fiery, and my favorite Italian Cold Cuts Gone Wild. Herbal focaccia filled with mortadella, salami, ham, mozzarella and caper sauce.
Their bread mania is now reaching new heights with the opening of Veronica’s. A small old bakery in Bandra, rejuvenated into one of Bandra’s hippest establishments. I happened to walk in there, not knowing any better, only to find the trio of Sameer, Yash and Hussain, mad about serving the crowd. Only then did I realize this was their new sandwich venture. For me, of course, it was love at first sight.
There is good coffee and delicious tea. There are a lot of great bakes like Orange Custard Kouign-Amann, a multi-layered sweet Breton cake made with laminated bread dough. The fattiest pastry in the world. Choriz Babka a delicious but brave combination as a Babka is Jewish bread. And a Pork Sausage Roll as good as the ones I find at Borough Market in London.
Then there are fantastic open toasts, a legacy now only of old British clubs, resurrected by the genius of Veronicas. On a Bagel, Croissant Bun or Buckwheat bread you can have Tofu Akuri with spicy onion, tomato masala and alfalfa sprouts. Or a Spicy Egg Sriracha egg salad, with honey mustard. It’s quite tasty. Sure, there’s Avocado on Toast with Cream Cheese and Sour Cream, or just a BLT or Smoked Salmon with cream cheese, capers, cucumber, but the sandwiches are where the magic begins. Starting with “Oh Shrimp! Po’ Boy – gochujang flaming sauce, avocado, shredded lettuce, on Dutch crunch.
Veronica’s Smash Burger, my favorite, double short rib & marrow patty, browned onion, cheddar & bacon and dirty fried egg on a milk bun. Their tribute to Chef Floyd, Nashville style hot fried chicken, tamarind ranch, again pickles on a milk bun and finally the Mumbai Chilli Cheese Melt with cheddar, jalapeños and hot honey from Naga. It takes my affection for bread to the level of an obsessive love disorder.
Kunal Vijayakar is a food writer from Mumbai. He tweets @kunalvijayakar and can be followed on Instagram @kunalvijayakar. His YouTube channel is called Khaane Mein Kya Hai. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the views of this publication.
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