7 Big-Ass Shanghai Sandwiches To Eat Before You Die

By Betty Richardson, November 27, 2015

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Sandwich

ˈsan(d)wɪdʒ,-wɪtʃ

noun

1. An item of food consisting of two pieces of bread with a filling between them, eaten as a light meal.

... Or not such a light meal. You might not think Shanghai got the shout when it comes to sandwiches, but dig a little deeper and there's a couple of places out here that are taking their game to the next level. Without much further ado, our who's who of the city's most badass carbohydrates:

The ‘KFC’ (Korean Fried Chicken)

Shanghai's best sandwiches: Korean Fried Chicken at Liquid Laundry

Why we love it: All the fun of KFC minus the food scandals, this sandwich takes ultra-crunchy secret recipe fried chicken, sesame vinaigrette, shredded cabbage plus Sriracha-laced mayonnaise, and puts it between a toasted sesame bun. What’s not to love?  

Where: Liquid Laundry

The Ham and Grilled Cheese

Shanghai's best sandwiches: Ham and Grilled Cheese at Market 101

Why we love it: Brad Turley takes the humble grilled cheese to textbook perfection at his sandwich shop, Market 101. Think crisp, toasty outside and layers of sliced ham with copious amounts of molten cheese. Make sure you factor in a work out for afterwards.

Where:  Market 101

The Chronic Croquette

Shanghai's best sandwiches: Chronic Croquette at Wishbone

Why we love it: One of the most badass sandwiches we’ve come across in Shanghai, and the only true match for a terrifyingly strong shot of Wishbone’s tequila verdita, Wishbone combines pulled pork croquette, melted cheddar, pickled cucumbers, jalapeño mayonnaise (which makes all the difference) and red onion on two crusty baguettes. To date, we’ve never finished a whole one. 

Where: Wishbone

The S’mores Sandwich

Shanghai's best sandwiches: S'mores Sandwich at The Press

Why we love it: Melted marshmallow meets Nutella in this decadent toasted sandwich – the only sweet number to make it on this list. Eating it brings us back to childhood summer evenings spent toasting marshmallows over campfires, in glorious sandwich form.

Where: The Press

Smoked Beef & Duck Pastrami Combo

Shanghai's best sandwiches: Smoked Beef & Duck Pastrami Combo at Tock's Montreal Deli

Why we love it: Montreal might be 11,342 km away from Shanghai, but it never tasted so close after a bite of one of Tock’s Montreal deli-style smoked meat sandwiches, made from scratch in-store. Beloved by Shanghai’s legions of Canadian expats, Tock’s keeps its menu pared down and focused on one thing: meat, meat and more meat.

Where: Tock’s Montreal Deli

Kraft Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Shanghai's best sandwiches: Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese at Co. Cheese Melt Bar

Why we love it: If you’ve ever been torn between mac ‘n’ cheese and a toastie, Co. Cheese Melt Bar has the solution. We like ours with extra toppings of sliced avocado and jalapeños. During lunch, this sandwich also comes with a mianfei side of classic Campbell’s tomato soup, which we’re not above dipping our sandwiches in.

Where: Co. Cheese Melt Bar

The Pastrami Hu Bagelwich

Shanghai's best sandwiches: Pastrami Hu Bagelwich at Spread the Bagel

Why we love it: A regular lunchtime feature in the That’s Shanghai offices, this bagelwich is one of the longest-running and most popular numbers at Shanghai’s premier purveyors of New York-style bagels. Named after Shanghai chef Austin Hu, this hefty sandwich combines smoked pastrami, housemade slaw and pickles, melted Gruyere cheese and seeded mustard on your choice of bagel. Carb-induced food coma never felt so right.

Where: Spread the Bagel

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