As much as I love writing about food, I had never thought much of the idea of writing about a sandwich. Let’s be honest, sandwich does not exactly top my ‘interesting food’ chart. I have, however, decided to write about sandwich today, except that I am not just writing about ANY sandwich – I am talking about sandwiches from the BEST sandwich joint in the known (and possibly also the unknown) universe. They come from a little hidden-away shop in the Sydney CBD, whose name, products and reputation, go far beyond its humble shop front: ‘Big Bite on Pitt’. My discovery of the best sandwich shop in the world was purely accidental, and to this day, I am convinced the ONLY two ways to find out about it, is via (a) word of mouth, and (b) accidental discovery. When I was working near the shopping strip in the Sydney CBD, I had walked past lunch-goers queuing outside of a little sandwich shop, tucked away in an old arcade, during lunch time many times, but never bothered to investigate – I had never been satisfied with just a sandwich for lunch. One day, I took the liberty of asking one of the lunch-goers in the queue what the big fuss was about. I still remember the answer distinctively: “They have awesome sandwiches, I come here every day!” Wow! I had never heard anyone speak so passionately about a SANDWICH before, so I better give it a go, I thought! I did, and I have been going there for lunch twice a week since. People talk, and as they do, a religion is underway, and here is why:
1. You are NOT going to find a sandwich bigger than the ones you get at Big Bite on Pitt. Even someone like me with a stomach as large as the great canyon, has trouble finishing the entire sandwich on a good day. For AUD$9.5, you basically get enough sandwich for two satisfying lunches, on home-baked brown or white bread, with a generous amount of mouth-watering fillings of your choice, and enough salad to earn a couple of heart foundation ticks. If you give the lovely people at Big Bite a smile and tell them how much you love their sandwiches, there is a 50% chance they may throw in a slice of their more-ish cakes for free
2. You are NOT going to find a more delicious sandwich anywhere else. Their sandwiches are FAR from being ‘pedestrian’ – they are addictive, to say the least, thanks to the wide range of juicy fillings, from the more common sandwich fillings such as ham and turkey, to the daily special fillings such as lemon-pepper chicken, spicy chicken, burrito beef, lamb that is carefully and lovingly marinated in garlic and herbs, sticky Italian sausages, and perfectly-crumbed and juicy veal schnitzel. My absolute favorite is the marinated lamb, served with a creamy yogurt and parsley dressing, and loads of salad, on brown bread. The sensation of biting into the tender and flavorsome lamb, coated in yogurt dressing, refreshing herby salad, and brown bread that is delightfully crusty on the outside, and sublimely soft on the inside, is as satisfying and comforting as a bowl of hot soup on a cold winter day, a refreshing mango lassi on a steamy hot summer afternoon, an embrace from your lover…mmm…joy-gasmic!
3. Apart from the quality and quantity of the sandwiches, you are also going to get the friendliest and the most generous service, often not offered at other sandwich joints. I often request extra salad on my sandwich, and every now and then, I am lucky enough to get a slice of carrot cake for free.
I think you get the idea here: next time you feel like lunch in the sun with a friend, or just a really good take-away, take A BIG BITE sandwich with ya (or two, if you feel extra confident/hungry). Oh, did I mention from 250 Pitt St?
