I was recently watching this video by a channel called ONLY in JAPAN. And the video served a visual feast of Japanese sandwiches lasting 12 whole minutes, which left me craving for a good Japanese-style sandwich. While easy to find in Japan, it's not as easy to find in Singapore.
A recommendation by a friend led me to Grand Jeté Cafe & Bar, with its signature sandwich being the Double Decker Tonkatsu Sandwich. This cafe has a bunch of other Japanese-Western offerings, but I came here for this sandwich, I am eating the sandwich. Also, if it matters, the chef is a real nihonjin, but really, it shouldn't matter.
They sell their sandwiches as whole sandwiches, or as half sandwiches, which is great if you prefer smaller portions. The Double Decker Tonkatsu Sandwich was $7.40 for a half sandwich, and $14.80 for a whole sandwich. I found the half sandwich to be sufficient for me, and definitely enough as a meal (not a snack!)
The double decker tonkatsu sandwich is such a visually inviting sandwich. A beautifully golden deep-fried pork cutlet is cut in half, and sandwiched by two pieces of thick-cut soft white milk bread, along with a generous helping of shredded cabbage. And you can see where the middle of the pork cutlet has been stained deep brown by the tonkatsu sauce.
But the true magic only starts when you bite into the sandwich. When your teeth cut through the deep fried pork cutlet, it makes a sound, one the Japanese would describe as "Zaku Zaku". This is the conversation between this sandwich and the diner that will characterise the entire meal. When you take a bite, the pork cutlet replies with "Zaku Zaku". This "Zaku Zaku" sound echoes in your oral cavity as you chew on the succulent cutlet, but it gets softer with each bite, until eventually it disappears. And in this silence, you invite another reply with another bite, and again the pork cutlet replies you "Zaku Zaku".
The other elements of the sandwich complement this delightful pork cutlet without upstaging it. From the light savouriness of the butter on the toast, the soft pillowy mouth feel of the toast, the crunchiness of the cabbage, and to the acidity from the tonkatsu sauce. Each element of this sandwich changes the timbre of the "Zaku Zaku" replies of the sandwich. One moment this "Zaku Zaku" is proud, basking in its golden skin, the next moment it has been tempered by the tonkatsu sauce, whimpering a meek "Zaku Zaku". Sometimes it prances around in your mouth with its companion cabbage joining in the chorus of "Zaku Zaku", and other times it resonates only with its own cadence as if telling you, 'I like being by myself'.
Value
I think it's safe to say that I enjoyed this sandwich very much. Very Very Much. And $7.40 is a great price for such an enjoyable sandwich. You know, I would actually pay $14.80 for only the half serving. That's how good it is.
Location
The cafe is a bit hard to find, it's actually located outside the main area of the shopping mall, you have to walk past the lifts for the office towers and the go outside to find it. Just use one of the touch screen shop directories to locate it.
Even though it's a bit hard to find, it's a small price to pay for the lovely quiet ambience you get in exchange.
Grand Jeté Cafe & Bar
Ngee Ann City, #02-11
Singapore 238872
Nearest MRT: Orchard
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