Park Bench Deli
Sandwiches are my current comfort food go-tos. It just sucks that there's a dearth of halfway decent sandwich shops in Singapore.
Then I discovered Park Bench Deli, a sandwich specialist smack dab in middle of the Telok Ayer/Amoy Street dining enclave. In addition to being incredibly accessible, they're also open all day; so we don't just have our lunches here, we eat dinners here too!
The bright and cheery, turquoise-hued deli is directly opposite The Market Grill, a small-ish setup with tiny cocktail-height tables and even tinier stools. You'll never be more acutely aware of your big bum here.
Buzzy with executive or young hipster types, the bistro gets fairly packed during peak dining hours. Turnover is high though, as the eatery gets a little stuffy so people don't linger for long. Methinks Park Bench Deli isn't efficiently ventilated or sufficiently air-conditioned. I was sweating up a storm by the time I left the crowded joint. (in this regard, I must highlight that I've never really acclimatized to SG's weather, and I perspire at the slightest, so if you're generally fine with our tropical weather, you should be ok lolling in PBD)
Service is chirpy and engaging, especially during a lull, and I have them to thank for recommending the best Philly-styled cheesesteak sandwich ever. Holy cow was it mind-blowingly delicious. Tbh, if this is what Philly's cuisine is like, sign me up for a transfer pronto!
That said, the Cubano ($16) decked with seared pulled pork, smoked ham, contrasted with bread & butter pickles, melted cheese, a schmear of yellow mustard, and slapped between toasted cuban bread, was the Hubs' favourite sandwich here. Ever since we watched 'Chef', we've been obsessing over Cubanos, and PBD's version finally makes sense of the hype of a Cubano in the food-porn of a movie. This was insanely glorious!
Ah, the piece de resistance, the Cheese Steak ($16) loaded with juicy sliced beef brisket, griddled onions, oodles of molten cheese sauce, swaddled in a toasted hoagie. We'd originally ordered the Patty Melt, but saw the beef sizzling on the griddle, and were convinced to switch out our order, and boy was that decision life-changing. This was absolutely magnificent! For sure a must-try.
The Fried Egg ($10), layered with bacon, cheddar, PBD sauce, frisee, and cuffed between a fluffy buttery brioche, was one of the best club sandwiches I've ever had, but unfortunately paled in comparison to the awesome Cubano and Cheese Steak.
The Cured Meat ($16) luscious with beautifully strips of salami, coppa, rosette, and pancetta, was contrasted with a piquant sundried tomato aioli, crisp frisee, melty mozzarella, and sandwiched between brioche buns. Served refreshingly chilled, this was quite excellent.
Park Bench Deli
179 Telok Ayer Street
Tel: 6815 4600
Open Mondays from 12noon to 4pm for lunch; 5pm to 10pm for dinner;
Tuesdays to Fridays from 10.30am to 4pm for lunch; 5pm to 10pm for dinner
Website: parkbenchdeli.com
Then I discovered Park Bench Deli, a sandwich specialist smack dab in middle of the Telok Ayer/Amoy Street dining enclave. In addition to being incredibly accessible, they're also open all day; so we don't just have our lunches here, we eat dinners here too!
The bright and cheery, turquoise-hued deli is directly opposite The Market Grill, a small-ish setup with tiny cocktail-height tables and even tinier stools. You'll never be more acutely aware of your big bum here.
Buzzy with executive or young hipster types, the bistro gets fairly packed during peak dining hours. Turnover is high though, as the eatery gets a little stuffy so people don't linger for long. Methinks Park Bench Deli isn't efficiently ventilated or sufficiently air-conditioned. I was sweating up a storm by the time I left the crowded joint. (in this regard, I must highlight that I've never really acclimatized to SG's weather, and I perspire at the slightest, so if you're generally fine with our tropical weather, you should be ok lolling in PBD)
Service is chirpy and engaging, especially during a lull, and I have them to thank for recommending the best Philly-styled cheesesteak sandwich ever. Holy cow was it mind-blowingly delicious. Tbh, if this is what Philly's cuisine is like, sign me up for a transfer pronto!
That said, the Cubano ($16) decked with seared pulled pork, smoked ham, contrasted with bread & butter pickles, melted cheese, a schmear of yellow mustard, and slapped between toasted cuban bread, was the Hubs' favourite sandwich here. Ever since we watched 'Chef', we've been obsessing over Cubanos, and PBD's version finally makes sense of the hype of a Cubano in the food-porn of a movie. This was insanely glorious!
Ah, the piece de resistance, the Cheese Steak ($16) loaded with juicy sliced beef brisket, griddled onions, oodles of molten cheese sauce, swaddled in a toasted hoagie. We'd originally ordered the Patty Melt, but saw the beef sizzling on the griddle, and were convinced to switch out our order, and boy was that decision life-changing. This was absolutely magnificent! For sure a must-try.
The Fried Egg ($10), layered with bacon, cheddar, PBD sauce, frisee, and cuffed between a fluffy buttery brioche, was one of the best club sandwiches I've ever had, but unfortunately paled in comparison to the awesome Cubano and Cheese Steak.
The Cured Meat ($16) luscious with beautifully strips of salami, coppa, rosette, and pancetta, was contrasted with a piquant sundried tomato aioli, crisp frisee, melty mozzarella, and sandwiched between brioche buns. Served refreshingly chilled, this was quite excellent.
Park Bench Deli
179 Telok Ayer Street
Tel: 6815 4600
Open Mondays from 12noon to 4pm for lunch; 5pm to 10pm for dinner;
Tuesdays to Fridays from 10.30am to 4pm for lunch; 5pm to 10pm for dinner
Website: parkbenchdeli.com
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