When, last month, we launched Sandwich Watch – a column dedicated to the Brisbane sangers you need to know about – reader recommendations came in thick and fast over Brisbane Times’ social media channels.

And one name came up more than a few times: Supernice.

Haven’t heard of it? That’s OK because we barely knew of it either. But we had to try these sandwiches, apparently.

Well, it took a couple of visits to sift through this tiny Bowen Hill shop’s menu of focaccias and sourdough toasties, but eventually we agreed that, yes, Supernice makes some very good sandwiches indeed – and there’s one in particular that you absolutely need to check out.

But first, about Supernice

Supernice is the creation of chef Dalip Singh and his partner, barista Sherman Yeung. Hidden away on a backstreet of Bowen Hills, this was very much a post-pandemic project for the couple.

“I’ve been a chef for nearly 12 years now,” Singh says. “Before this, I was working at Tattersall’s Club in the city … we were always planning to open something but then things got scary with the pandemic so we thought, ‘OK, you have to find a balance where it’s not huge because things are getting so hard’.

“So we decided to do a small cafe focusing on things we like.”

Singh and Yeung did a lot of research, travelling to Melbourne, in particular, just as that city’s sandwich craze was kicking into high gear.

“We’re doing things we like to eat, so our menu isn’t huge,” Singh says. “We wanted to keep it simple and make sure everything was good quality.”

Supernice sandwiches are either toasted sourdough or lightly toasted focaccia. There’s a Reuben made with wagyu pastrami that’s enormously popular, and the Mortadella and Tuna Melt are both terrific (the latter, in particular, with its precise application of dill and chives).

Still, for our money, it’s the Bologna on focaccia that deserves your stomach space.

Supernice’s Bologna sandwich

This is one of those sangers that just looks right straight out of the wrapper.

Singh lightly toasts his Danny’s Bread focaccia on the inside once sliced, then slaps in about 90 grams of high-quality mortadella from Salumi Australia, the same amount of gooey stracciatella from Mansfield’s Casa Motta, and a generous sprinkle of crushed pistachio, giving the sandwich a lovely pop of colour. (“I was thinking of artichoke or something,” Singh says, “but [Yeung] suggested pistachio would go really well.”) The final touch is a trickle of Bee One Third honey.

It’s a lesson in mouthwatering restraint (which can be surprisingly rare in Brisbane’s current sandwich arms race). The focaccia is left soft on the outside, avoiding any mouth-shredding injury, with much of the texture carried by the crunch of the pistachio. The mortadella isn’t fatty or greasy but has a mild saltiness that’s offset by the lactic silkiness of the stracciatella. Singh reckons he can’t find a local honey better than Bee One Third; it’s a clever addition, as much about mouthfeel as it is a mild sweetness.

“I’ve seen places make focaccia, fill it, wrap it and put it in the fridge. That will never be the same as when it’s freshly done because you can make sure things are the right temperature.”

Supernice co-owner Dalip Singh

According to Singh, it’s all about a few simple quality ingredients prepared with care.

“Danny’s Bread makes such good focaccia, but I’ll drizzle oil on the inside and toast it because you want to bring it back to life,” he says.

“I’ve seen places make focaccia, fill it, wrap it and put it in the fridge. That will never be the same as when it’s freshly done because you can make sure things are the right temperature as well. The mortadella: you don’t want it hot, you don’t want it cold. The same with the stracciatella.”

Basically, the Bologna is what happens when a trained chef turns his hand to something as simple as this: a well-conceived, absolutely delicious sandwich where the last bite is as brilliant as the first.

Little wonder Supernice has started shifting more and more focaccia since first introducing it to the menu 12 months ago.

“I’m really happy with the balance of customers,” Singh says. “They’re happy to start trying different things as well, which has been great.”

Where to get one

Supernice’s Bologna sandwich is $16.50. You can get one at 4/37 Mayne Road in Bowen Hills (turn the corner to find the shopfront on Edgar Street, which is little more than a laneway).

It’s open Monday to Friday 5.30am to 2pm, and Saturday 7am to 1pm. Beyond sandwiches, it serves matcha, coffee by Coffee Supreme, and chunky freshly baked cookies.

This is the latest instalment of Sandwich Watch, a column dedicated to the Brisbane sandwiches you need to know about.