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ShareSandwiches have a universal appeal, the convenience of something tasty between two slices of bread, a roll or baguette is appealing to most people.
But abroad, sandwiches are taken seriously so much so that one can purchase designer sandwiches.
One of the smartest and lucrativegimmicks of the great Marco Pierre White -- who was one of the first great celebrity chefs and who has successfully franchised his name and brand and earned substantial fees from it -- was to tie up with the current Earl of Sandwich, (the ancestor of the original Earl, the allegedinventor of the sandwich in the 18th century) and acquire his endorsement for a company Marco Pierre White had set up to cater fancy city lunches called "the Earl of Sandwich Sandwiches" giving him equity in it.
It bore the crest of the Earl and supplied the big investment banks with "gourmet designer" sandwiches, greatly helped by the aristocratic endorsement. Everyone loves a lord. These sandwiches are only available at Fortnum & Mason, London.
What has always bemused me is that the designer sandwiches have not really caught on, despite the fact that people are willing to pay for them. The Oberoi sandwich shop is always busy; the chicken mayonnaise rolls there are a great draw. I always maintain that the best paninis are available at the Bombay Baking Company at the Marriott in Juhu although they are not really designer, but for us Mumbaikars they ooze of memories of European holidays.
This is also because of the excellent quality of the bread. But it must be said though that the five stars no longer have the monopoly over quality bread. Harsha Hiramanek's shop near Babulnath stocks the most amazing baguettes in India.
No, the only real competition is between Indigo Deli and Moshe's for the exotic. With the opening of a Moshe's near Apollo Bunder, the competition has got fiercer. They both compete for the same crowd. The Indigo Deli has the edge, largely because it is more expensive and so the ingredients used can be more varied, so you get the Philly Steak Sandwich and the iconic Reuben's sandwich amongst other delights. The deli makes its own pastrami, curing, smoking and boiling over 14 kg of beef daily.
Moshe's has a quality which is singular, drawing from his Jewish heritage, he uses flat unleavened bread stuffed with various ingredients from roasted vegetables to chicken.Unfortunately, the chef once associated with him, who now runs kitchens at the Willingdon Club, uses the same technique, but the results are disappointingly inferior.
Maybe one is being so Western-centric that one misses some of the local enterprise and ingenuity until a foreigner makes a remark about the sublime qualities of the ordinary, causing everyone to look at the mundane afresh.
The great Anthony Bourdain of Les Halles in New York who can be frequently seen on Discovery Channel discussing international food was profuse in his praise of the humble vada pao sandwich smeared with pungent red garlic chutney, describing it as an awesome experience.
Living at Breach Candy, one sees crowds of people outside Snowmans, eating the famous green chutney, Amul cheese and vegetable sandwiches, which have the texture of cardboard and raving about it, I suppose it takes all types, but we must draw the line somewhere.
Email: g_javed@dnaindia.net
