|
won’t lie to you. It is not easy to get a good sandwich in
Kuching. No, I’m not referring to Kuching-ites staple “roti kiap”, a simple
butter or kaya toasted sandwich enjoyed usually with their morning cuppa. I’m
talking about fresh and meaty sandwiches. For as long as I can remember, the
closest thing Kuching has to that are toasted sandwiches with luncheon meat
pretending to be some sort of ham and an egg smothered with ketchup and mayo. This is NOT the case with Wrap & Go.
Normally, the idea of good non-Asian food found in coffee
shops would be preposterous. Not to Kuching-ites though. We know better than that.
Speaking of coffee shops, their iced coffee (RM1.80) is a
really good pairing with whatever it is you’re in store for in W&G. First
of all, the owners are extremely friendly. If you ever have the pleasure to
speak to the chef’s mother who helps collects orders, you’ll notice that she is one of the friendliest ladies you’ll ever meet. If you’re wondering which one
she is, don’t worry. You’ll know it when you see her.
Feel free to ask them about what is in their sandwiches and
what flavours you’re expecting to experience. They aren’t afraid to divulge
what it is they’re serving you. This eagerness to share is something I’ve
noticed from eateries who have pride in what they produce, barring of course
secret sauces.
We’ll start off with their pancakes which are reasonably
priced, unlike a certain overpriced café we’ve read of previously in Urban
Palate *cough*. These pancakes are thin and topped with compound butter, syrup
and Roselle jam on the side which are utterly delicious. The pancakes made are
on a personal level too thin though, as the thinness when cooked feels a little too
greasy for my taste from possibly being cooked with butter. I’m a fan of denser
and thicker pancakes which provide more of a bite while being thick enough to counter
that greasiness.
The pancakes on its own are still nice but this of course is
on a personal note, as I can see the appeal for thin pancakes which are lighter and greasier. The pancakes mentioned earlier are topped with compound butter,
which is butter blended with orange and herbs that provide a bright fresh
citrus flavour to cut through the heaviness of butter. The syrup that tops is
it mildly sweet while the Roselle Jam on the side is so pretty! Forgive my
fawning, but Roselle is always great as a jam as its strong colour is so
naturally reddish pink that one would be forgiven to think food colouring is
used. The home-made jam is delicious with a mild sourness and light balanced
sweetness.
The sandwiches which are the next thing we’re trying, are a whole different
ball game altogether.
Before we get started, what do you think is the secret to a good sandwich?
Some will say that it comes down to the bread, meat,
sauce or even vegetables. You wouldn't be wrong if you said either one is vital, but you can’t say that just one of those ingredients has the ability to carry the
whole sandwich. A good sandwich is a fine balanced symphony and one ingredient
out of tune turns the entire work of art to noise on a plate. You’ll want to
choose the best ingredients possible, but also want them to work well together.
First of all, I have to say this about all of the sandwiches
I’ve tried here. The bread is good. Really good. I’m mentioning this now to
prevent repetition because you wouldn’t want me going through every sandwich,
talking about how the bread is dense enough to hold the whole sandwich together
without falling apart. Or how light it still manages to be while being toasted nicely with butter. Everything is good with
butter. A good friend once told me that good bread still manages to form back
into shape even after pressing it. Just look at that gif.
 |
| Go-Vege |
Among the few we’ll try, I’ll start off with the Go-Vege sandwich. Modern day carnivores don’t hiss at me! If you’re worried that your sandwich will be bland and bitter from vegetables, you’d be wrong. Very wrong.
The combination of lettuce with tomato relish brings freshness to counter the
slight richness of their cucumber-mayo sauce. The sweet buttery caramelised
onions also compliment the colourful beetslaw. The beetslaw’s savoury flavours
of sweet, sour and salty do a good job as an alternative for meat while
bringing freshness to each bite.
 |
| Go-Aries |
Their Go-Aries, a lamb sandwich will be a little different
from what you may be used to with meat sandwiches. This sandwich
which is sweeter than most, plays on the classic pairing of sweetness with
lamb. Though that sweetness is traditionally paired with wine, this Roselle jam
we talked about earlier brings a delectable hit of sweetness, while balance
comes in the form of sourness that pineapple brings to complement the savoury
lamb. The lamb slices I will add, are seasoned well and are as juicy as they
look.
 |
| Go-Sambal |
The Go-Sambal whose main flavours come from the chicken and sambal,
is a Malaysian take on the classic chicken sandwich. The chicken breast that
comes in slices is so juicy that you’ll be left thinking you’re eating a chicken thigh,
while the sambal has a good savoury and sweet flavour to it while bringing mild
heat from sambal that we all know and love. It’s paired with sweet tomato
relish and the usual accompaniment of Vegetables to bring balance to this rich
sandwich.
 |
| Go-Beefy |
As a friend of mine called this next sandwich the Go-Beefy, a
fresh sandwich version of a Big Mac, I have to say in some ways I’ll agree with
him. Before you leave and forsake this blog forever, let me explain.
What a Big
Mac lacks, from its cardboard tasting beef patty is beefy flavour. This beef bacon
brings out all that flavour of beef in one punch. While it may sound like an oxymoron
to say that the gherkins (small pickled cucumbers) taste fresher than most, I’m
trying to say that these gherkins have that sour flavour without feeling stale
and old. This sourness adds a dimension of flavour to the sweetness that
comes from the meatless bolognaise sauce and the buttery caramelised onions. What
you're getting, is what sandwiches (burgers, if you want to be pedantic) like the Big Mac aspires to be. Beefy, sweet, savoury, fresh and balanced.
A common term present in each of these items I've reviewed, is balance. It's a combination of good ingredients together in balance to bring an orchestration of flavours. The ingredients present are a culmination of individual care to create what it is intended to produce. A symphony of simple flavours that creates deliciousness disguised in a humble sandwich.
If you're wondering, my answer is no. They do not smother their sandwiches in ketchup or chilli sauce. You may now proceed to sing for joy.
Wrap & Go is for the time being only open during Monday-Saturday from 7am - 3pm. Their prices and menu are present below the map.
As a little treat for those who stayed on reading till the end, here are some extra behind the scenes photos.
**In case you’re wondering what kind of sandwich my resident photographer
extraordinaire Julian is eating, it’s a recently discontinued sandwich. You may
ask the chef if he’s willing to bring it back. The Lord knows I want it back!
Nice review. Now I know of a new eatery. Have been outdated when it comes to food in Kuching. ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Rose,
DeleteI'm glad to be of service! :)
Hilary Ho