“Home of the Original ‘5 Star’ Sandwich” is how Nico’s sells itself. We’re buying it.

For the inaugural instalment of Sandwich Watch, Good Food’s new column dedicated to the essential Melbourne sangers you must eat, we’ve chosen the Cubano at this blue beacon of a sandwich shop with CBD, Fitzroy and Brunswick locations that all heave.

“In no way is it traditional,” says co-owner Tom Peasnell. He’s used the classic combo (roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard) as a jumping-off point for a sandwich that’s so deceptively complex and completely delicious that it’s garnered a loyal following – and helped cure countless hangovers – since it launched in 2020.

It’s got it all going on

The list of fillings is arguably more of a mouthful than the sanger itself:

• charry chunks of pork belly and shoulder
• slices of succulent grandma ham folded over themselves
• koji-spiked chimichurri in butter form
• “Nico’s original salad cream” tossed through cos lettuce
• Swiss cheese
• dill pickles
• a sunny swipe of American mustard

But the balancing act deserves a bravo

A sandwich this porky has put-you-down potential, and there are some big flavours in the mix. But expertly refined ratios (read: restraint) are what makes it so downright demolishable. Not only is there a harmonious symphony of fillings, but it’s an approachably sized sanger, leaving you no need to reschedule your afternoon meetings. “We wanted heavy salt, heavy fat, heavy acid,” says Peasnell.

Pork two ways ticks the first two boxes, but as soon as it threatens to overpower? Reprieve! Whether it’s the zingy salad cream (essentially herb mayo, but with a twist) slicing through the fat, a burst of brightness from the chimichurri, or even the mild funk of the Swiss cheese.

“House made” is the rule, not the exception

Striking that balance is one feat; making most fillings in-house is another. “Our main point of difference is … we want as much as possible to come from us,” Peasnell says, from proteins to sauces to butters.

The Cubano is the most labour-intensive Nico’s sandwich, Peasnell adds. He’s pedantic – in the best way – while explaining the multi-day process of brining, smoking and steaming meats at a Preston prep kitchen behind Takeaway Pizza, which he also co-owns, alongside chapel-for-carnivores Dexter.

Back to that “Nico’s original salad cream”

Another house-made dream. To a mayo base the team adds a ton of pot-set Greek yoghurt and vinegar. “Then it’s hung to take some moisture out of it … otherwise it’d be very sloppy,” says Peasnell, before being hit with a medley of green, leafy herbs.

It’s stirred through shaved-down cos hearts and layered onto the Cubano and chicken-schnitzel sandwiches – a distinctly flavoured Nico’s calling card for its two top sangers. (Schnitzel first, Cubano second.)

A little commotion for the crunch

Every sandwich shop – and self-professed sandwich artist – takes their toasties to Crunch Town in different ways. Maybe it’s a slather of mayo on the outside. Or weighing it down on a cast-iron pan. Or even pre-toasting.

So, how does Nico’s yield a golden-brown (and gold-standard) exterior on its country loaf? “We way over order on bread for our fresh sandwiches, then use it on the third day for the [melts],” says Peasnell. Less squishy, more sturdy.

The next step is all about butter; not spread on the bread itself but on the rip-roaring sandwich press. “It pretty much colours the sandwich straight away [and] creates a brown-butter flavour.”

Our tip: Dine in to delight in maximum crispiness.

The Cubano 2000 is coming

Peasnell reckons this iteration of the Cubano is its fourth or fifth: it’s been regularly rethought since the first Nico’s opened in 2020. “Regulars notice!” he says.

In the next few months, as part of a major menu overhaul that will see most existing sangers go – not the beloved chicken schnitzel, don’t panic – the Cubano will relaunch as the Cubano 2000, starring pork jowl and with minor tweaks that bring a little more acid to the mix.

It’s mainly to keep costs down, says Peasnell. “Perceived value is an interesting thing. Everyone wants to pay around $15 or $17 for a sandwich, where there’s more protein and ingredients than a pizza, but for a pizza they’re happy to pay $30.”

How do I get one

There are three outlets to get your hands on a Cubano:

1. 1 Healeys Lane in the CBD
2. 100 Kerr Street in Fitzroy
3. 1 Piera Street in Brunswick East.

Find more info here.

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

If there’s a sandwich you’re dying to tell us about, please get in touch here: