Well-bread: five winning sandwiches to hunt down in the Perth CBD

It would be impossible, I think, to compile a list detailing all the sandwiches of note in the CBD. This is a good thing.

Between cafes, dedicated sandwich joints, contemporary restaurants and everything in between, the CBD offers near unlimited in-bread options. This is another good thing: sandwiches are a versatile foodstuff that can play many roles in our daily lives.

Howard’s Groove: 22 Howard St, Perth.Credit: Max Veenhuyzen

Whether you’re between appointments and needing sustenance on the go or just watching your bank balance, sandwiches have one of the highest deliciousness-to-dollar ratios in the known universe. Not that sandwiches are all about going without. There are things here so special that people in Perth willingly queue and cross the city for.

Which is the other reason for loving sandwiches: chasing a hot tip for a sanger, toastie, conti roll or bagel can feed our curiosity as well as hunger. As anyone who regularly hangs out in the CBD will tell you, it’s easy to fall into a groove and find yourself relying on the same places, week in week out. If one of these suggestions lead you to a corner, alley or building in Perth you didn’t know existed, I’ll be happy. Perhaps in return you might tell me (at the end of this story) a CBD sandwich suggestion of your own?

Tokyo Mart’s egg salad sandwich ($7.50)

Petition: State Buildings, Perth.Credit: Max Veenhuyzen

There’s more to Japanese sandwich culture than the (admittedly delicious) katsu sando. Take, for example, the Japanese egg salad sandwich: a creamy wonder of chopped, boiled eggs bound with kewpie mayonnaise and cocooned by two slices of soft white bread for safekeeping. In Japan, it’s a staple found in convenience stores everywhere. In Perth, a very splendid version awaits at this cutesy Japanese deli on Barrack Street.

Conti Deli’s classic continental roll ($14.50)

Once found exclusively at neighbourhood Italian delis, the continental roll – an Italian-Australian sandwich starring mixed cold cuts and pickles – has hit the big time and can now be found (for better or worse) all over town. One of the better examples is the classico at this dedicated continental deli dealer: a straight-shooting, three meat, cheese and pickle conti in a chewy Italian roll made for picnics in the park.

Le Vietnam’s traditional banh mi ($13)

No one in Perth has done more to popularise Vietnam’s famous French-Indochine sandwich than Le Vietnam. Thanks to a winning mix of strong social media hustle, high-profile collaborations (not least the brisket banh mi made using some of Big Don’s Smoked Meats’ finest slow-cooked beef) and crazy delicious sandwiches including vegan options, it’s not hard to understand why lunch queues are commonplace here.

Howard’s Groove’s Cuban sandwich. Credit: Max Veenhuyzen

Petition Beer Corner’s cumin lamb sandwich ($25)

This gutsy combination of tender, Northern Chinese-style lamb with rocket and spiced yoghurt in a focaccia-like bun – plus chips! – is almost good enough to single-handedly exorcise the ghosts of lacklustre steak sandwiches past. (Almost.) Just the high-minded ballast to anchor a catch-up over one of the city’s finest beer lists. For those worried about giving into the temptation of a lunchtime pint, turn your attention to the sandwiches at the State Buildings’ nearby 1875 corner store.

Howard’s Groove’s Cuban toastie ($13)

Considering the number of toasted sandwich options available in Perth, one could dedicate a whole article to the genre’s best. If you did, this banger offered at Howard Street’s cosiest and sweetest sounding coffee joint would be a shoe-in. A fortifying combo of Frank Torre leg ham, cheddar cheese, mustard pickles and slicked gherkins gift-wrapped in Goods Bakery sourdough then toasted: this is a compelling reminder that less is so much often more when it comes to sandwiches.