This is Part III in our A-Z of Shanghai's Top Sandwiches. To check out what you may have missed in Part 1, click here, and Part 2, click here. Behold the humble sandwich – a universally beloved and accepted meal that exists in some shape or form in nearly every country on the planet.Stuff anything inside the loosest definition of bread, and tell us it doesn't cure a craving. Tock's, Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sFrom Mexico's torta ahogada and the Middle East's shawarma to Vietnam's banh mi and Uruguay's chivito, from Japan's katsu sando and Argentina's choripan to New Orleans' po' boy and Denmark's smørrebrød, the list could go on indefinitely.Highline, Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sWhich leaves us with the tough philosophical question – the one that keeps us up late at night pondering – "What is a sandwich?"Le Daily (now closed), Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sThe omniscient Google defines a sandwich as, "an item of food consisting of two pieces of bread with meat, cheese, or other filling between them, eaten as a light meal."Clearly, Google doesn't understand that – according to Xinhua News – Shanghai has over 100,000 restaurants, roughly 12,000 of which relate to foreign cuisineAnd that, of those 12,000 restaurants, we are going to make an uneducated guess that at least half of them serve one or more sandwiches that fits that definition... thus condemning us to sandwich eating for the rest of our days.Some real intense back-of-the-napkin math went into this, but objectively, it's just too many sandwiches – so, suffice to say, this is not an exhaustive list. Totino Panino, Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sImage by Sophie Steiner/That'sPolux, Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sFor the sake of our sanity, we've established some overtly arbitrary ground rules to narrow the list so we don't die of some obesity-related illness before publication.You can choose to debate them or – as we prefer it – blindly accept them in good faith as our loyal sandwich munching disciples.First, no open-face sandwiches. No 'pastry' sandwiches, only bread. What is a pastry? Well, that's an entirely separate article. But for this article's sake, a pastry is a croissant, scone, bagel or bing (sorry roujiamo).Nothing wrapped. No tortillas, pitas, or – duh – wraps. And, no buns. This is the most controversial and gets us into the contested space of what is a burger. Which, we've loosely defined here.While some of these rules may clash with the philosophies of esteemed sandwichtarians, just know, it's fully subjective, and the only real rule is that we make the rules.Image by Sophie Steiner/That's. Per Rule 2, this sandwich doesn't count as a "sandwich," so this photo merely illustrates that in a beautifully mouth-watering way.O'Mills, Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sRoodoodoo, Image by Sophie Steiner/That's
NYC Deli
Pastrami or Corned Beef Reuben (RMB48/small, RMB60/large)
After stepping into the NYC Deli storefront on Fujian Lu, we were ready to throw some serious shade; the décor… leaves something to be desired. Like it hasn't been updated since opening way back in 2007.So we (wrongfully) assumed the sandwiches would be the same, representing a time in Shanghai's not-so-distant past when the bar for 'reasonable' Western fare was a much easier hurdle to jump over.There's more than a dozen sammies to choose between, from Philly Cheesesteak to Pulled Pork, from Tuna Melt to Egg Salad with Grilled Cheese.But we came for their most ordered Pastrami Reuben (RMB48/100 grams of meat, RMB60/160 grams of meat).Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sLet's begin with the Russian dressing. Unorthodox, we know – but a highlight that shouldn't be overlooked. Boasting the perfect tang when compared to other über mayo-y iterations of dressings around town, NYC Deli's Russian dressing is tops.We welcome the borderline excessive portion too, as it oozes through the toasted rye's nooks and crannies.Similarly, the kraut nails it in sour punch, crunch, and quantity.The pastrami showcases a peppercorn-forward brined spice, one that sets the groundwork for an archetypal Reuben, but the unrendered fat is where it all starts to go downhill; the inconsistently cooked meat ranges from barely edible to juicily tender, a game of Russian roulette we don't really feel like playing between lunch bites.However, in a binary world, we are still awarding this sandwich a one (rather than a zero). All the promise is there – we possibly just came on an off day for meat texture. It wouldn't be hard to convince us to swing through for a repeat visit… purely for taste testing puposes, of course.NYC Deli, 100 Yejiazhai Lu, by Changshou Lu, 叶家宅路100号, 近长寿路.NYC Deli, 209 Fujian Zhong Lu, by Hankou Lu, 福建中路209号, 近汉口路.Ôdelice
Stewed Beef Cheek Sandwich (RMB108)
Ôdelice has been doling out French bistro fare along Shanghai's tree-lined, leafy green Xinle Lu since 2013.Backed by restaurateur Alin Zhu, Ôdelice currently has five branches in Hong Kong – a testament to the brand success.Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sThe Stewed Beef Cheek Sandwich (RMB108) is a must-order, replete with a generous heaping of red-wine and onion-braised shredded beef that's been simmering in its own juices for three hours.Melted mozzarella, pickles, tomato, butter lettuce, sliced avocado and a nip of heat from chipotle make for one stacked sando. Bonus: The sandwich arrives tableside with some righteous parmesan fries. Score. Ôdelice, 208 Xinle Lu, by Donghu Lu, 新乐路208号, 近东湖路.Paopao Deli
Jumbo Prime Rib Sandwich (RMB76)
Despite it's mini size (there are only four counter seats!), Paopao Deli has garnered quite the following since opening less than a year ago, a huge part owed to its top-selling Jumbo Prime Rib Sandwich (RMB76), slathered in a mala spicy peanut sauce.
Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sSlow-cooked for hours, the juicy meat slinks off the dinosaur-sized bone, on which the sandwich nonchalantly rests, showing how cleanly the meat has shirked away.Nestled between two panini-pressed pieces of what Paopao Deli calls focaccia (agree to disagree, move on...), the meat is piled high above a crunchy slaw, living up to its 'jumbo' name.While we found ourselves instantly addicted to the smarmy peanut butter lover's gravy, that is only further augmented by the fatty layers of beef, our only gripe is with the bread (we were lying about moving on...).The in-house made 'focaccia' is airy and yeasty, yet softens immediately from the heat of the meat, making it hard to hold onto.A more structurally sound loaf, like the toasted sourdough offered on other sandwiches, may be a better vessel. Do note, the shop stops selling sandwiches daily at 5pm, so make sure to swing by for a filling lunch or a cheeky (and substantial) snack. Paopao Deli, 192 Wulumuqi Zhong Lu, by Wuyuan Lu, 乌鲁木齐中路192号近五原路.Parlay
Double G Combo Sandwich (RMB98)
After taking over the old Bubba's haunt round the back in Shankang Li, Matty Waters (of Smoke KCQ, and menu design for The Hai, The Smokehouse x The Camel) reopened as Parlay, with an entirely revamped look, concept, and menu.It is basically bringing together the best aspects of the old Camel (RIP) and Bubba's into one meat-centric mecca for all things BBQ, sports and 'Murica. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sA play on, and inspired by one of Matty's guilty pleasures at the famous Gates BBQ in Kansas City, the Double G Combo Sandwich (RMB98) is a behemoth, layered with thick chunks of USDA smoked brisket, house-cured sweet and smoky ham, pickles, bourbon butter onions, zippy horseradish Dijonnaise (reminiscent of Arby's horsey sauce – if you know, you know), and a boatload of KCQ BBQ sauce.Piled between three pieces of toasted white bread, this one requires you to unhinge your jaw just to take it all in. Parlay, Shankang Li, 808 Shaanxi Bei Lu, Bld 18, #103 陕西北路808号陕康里18幢103室.
Pizzeria S
La Godfather (RMB128)
Shanghai institution Scarpetta expanded further afield to the North Bund area with its sister restaurant, Pizzeria S, in 2021.The boutique venue, in the style of Southern Italian island Capri with a hint of Japanese influence, has recently launched an incredible lineup of Italian paninis, inspired by famed sandwich shop All'Antico Vinaio in Florence. What makes these coveted sandwiches so droolworthy? It comes down to the basics, beginning with homemade schiacciata bread followed by high quality ingredients and perfect pairings.Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sLiving up to its name, La Godfather (RMB128) is one stacked sando, with stratum of salami, mortadella and seared sausage – enough to put hair on the OG Godfather Marlon Brando's chest. Zippy sundried-tomato, marinated artichoke and pickled pepper offer a necessary punch to cut through the layers of spice and fat, while peppery arugula, soft ricotta and spicy shallot vinaigrette round out this meaty monstrosity.Pizzeria S, #101, Building 2, 18 Gongping Lu, by Haiping Lu, 公平路18号2栋101室，近海平路.Rozebiff
Chicago Style Italian Beef (RMB56)
One of Shanghai's newest additions to the sando lineup is Chicago-inspired Rozebiff on Shanxi Bei Lu, backed by Chicago-raised Jimmy Shi and partner Edison Liang (ex-Da Vittorio Sous Chef and Chef de Partie, respectively).Here, they crank out Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches, a sacrosanct entity in the eyes of every Chicagoan, and the eponymous sandwich of said establishment. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sThe iconic Chicago Style Italian Beef (RMB56) – Rozebiff's signature sarnie – sees beef bones simmered for 12 hours to make the broth that will eventually become the base of the jus.Wagyu beef is concurrently being marinated in a proprietary blend of Italian spices overnight, and is seared then cooked to order in said broth to a tender medium rare.A six-inch bun is piled high with 120 grams worth of the jus-soaked beef (more on that jus later – keep it in your pants), smothered in a don't-even-think-about-touching-your-eyes-afterward giardiniera – an Italian relish of vinegar-pickled veggies belovedly adopted by Chicagoans for its pop of acidity that tempers out all that fat-ribbed meatiness.What comes next is most important, the critical factor for determining the level of authenticity for any Italian beef – the dunk. Italian beef in Chicago will either be dribbled, dunked or baptized (aka fully submerged) in jus, immediately rendering the paper wrapper transparent.To avoid offense to those lacking Chicago culinary prowess, Shi is currently offering the jus on the side, rather than handing people a sopping sammy. But for those in the know, ask for the dunk, and you shall receive that bona fide Chicago experience.The upper edge retains a crumbly crust, while the bottom half soaks up the steaming jus like a sponge, unleashing a bouquet of aromatic herbs with every sodden swallow – a bite Chicago natives would be proud of.Rozebiff, 549-5 Shanxi Bei Lu, by Xinzha Lu, 陕西北路549-5号, 近新闸路.
Saigon Mama
Beef Banh Mi (RMB58)
A mainstay in the Vietnamese food scene in Shanghai, Saigon Mama has seven locations around town, serving up classic pan-Viet cuisine, like pho, bun thit nuong, spring rolls, minced chicken salad, and – the reason we are here – banh mi. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sThere are four to select from – Grilled Chicken (RMB55), Grilled Pork (RMB55), Saigon Combo (RMB58), and Beef Banh Mi (RMB58) – each served with a rich spread of housemade pork pâté plus pickled carrots, daikon and cucumber, and fresh cilantro. Ideal for scratching that Vietnamese food craving itch, it's a fantastic value sandwich that still ticks all the boxes and then some. A thick dollop of pork pâté?Loads of julienned and pickled veggies topped with fresh herbs?Thinly sliced, slightly sweet and tender barbecued pork?Scan the QR Code below to see all Saigon Mama locations.
Sub Standard
Italian (RMB58)
Shanghai veteran of such high-end Shanghai institutions as David Laris' Three on the Bund restaurant Laris, Fifty 8º Grill at the Mandarin Oriental, and Coquille & Scarpetta, Chef Jason Oakley made the jump this year from being a partner and chef at Cages to flying solo with his own dream project – Sub Standard. A humble sandwich and pizza shop, Sub Standard is reminiscent of the neighborhood sandwich storefronts that dot every corner of San Francisco – near where Oakley worked as chef de partie at three Michelin star French Laundry, before hopping across the pond to Shanghai almost a lifetime ago. Oakley has traded in his chef's coat for oven mitts, "so I can cook what I love and want to eat, when I want it." Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sLike a reinvented version of a Jimmy John's Italian Night Club, the top-selling Italian (RMB58) is a straightforward stack of Prague ham, salami, pepperoni, capicola, mozzarella, peppers, vinaigrette and mayo. Served cold and oh-so-crushable, it's the basic, classic combo of no frills meat, cheese, and a whole lot of it – the fixings we fancy, delivered tableside (or to your doorstep, if you so choose) with a dose of nostalgia.The sandos, on the whole, embody the ethos of Sub Standard – unelaborate, stripped down, a shining example of minimalism.Sub Standard, 230 Wanhangdu Lu, by Xinzha Lu 万航渡路230号,近新闸路.READ MORE
Got a favorite sandwich spot you'd like to see featured in our next roundup? Feel free to share the deets to [email protected].
[Cover image by Sophie Steiner/That's]
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