LOCATION: Sandwich Box, 9 Newington Causeway, SE1 6UD [map]
PRICE: £2.45
BREAD: White bap
FILLING: Egg mayo
PROS: One of the best things about writing a blog like this is that I find myself wandering into sandwich shops I would never have otherwise bothered with. Sandwich Box is a properly old school outfit, the kind you’d look at and think ‘huh’ and possibly ‘aww’ in a nod to its being so fabulously preserved in time, that time being about 15 years ago.
There are certain sandwiches that this kind of shop does extremely well however; the kind of fillings people that are total dicks would term ‘retro’; fillings that more modern places attempt to pimp and embellish, thus ruining them. Some sandwiches have a nursery school appeal and should not be messed about with. Egg mayonnaise is one of them.
The bap (‘d’ya wanna sammich or a bap, luv?’) was really fresh with excellent chew; for some reason this type of bap seems to be a feature of the old school places. See Ed’s Diner in Camberwell. It’s so enjoyable. I’m bored of tooth testing ciabatta and too thick cut five seeded pumpernickel rye. Gimme a nice big white BAP. I like the way she took a hard-boiled egg and made the egg mayo there and then, rather than having it ready mixed in one of those metal trays where it forms a thick yellow crust on the top. Mmmm.
I really enjoyed eating in Sandwich Box; I enjoyed the sandwich, the price; the shitty tea that tasted like it came from an urn (it reminded me of a time doing voluntary work in a drop in centre many moons ago). I enjoyed Spandau Ballet on the radio (‘I Know This Much is True‘) and the mirror that fittingly read ‘nostalgia’.
CONS: Wellll, one must choose carefully in these places; like I said, this is about memory lane. It’s about craving an old time favourite that’s not been messed about with. No capers, no chives, no salad, no nothing but egg and mayo. I’d steer clear of anything more ambitious. The service is, well, what you’d expect from an old school caff in Borough. No nonsense. I said a cheery ‘bye!’ as I walked out the door and got a noise that sounded like ‘mm’ in reply.
There was nothing to particularly rile me; we must see this place for exactly what it is – a surviving sandwich bar hanging on in there, despite being just down the road from a Starbucks and a Pret.
SCORE: 7/10
I love a nice soft white bap or roll. There is a bakery in Camberwell that does really good soft rolls. It’s on the road where the Sunday market is – the pedestrianised one, just at the beginning near the retro furniture shop. I usually find egg mayo a bit blah, probably because I grew up eating egg salad which is always pimped with celery and onion, and mustard. Never came across just egg and mayo until I moved to the UK.
I’m not sure where the market is…ummmmm
Drat, I meant to say the market in Herne Hill, not Camberwell. Some good stalls there now.
Ahhhhh thanks!
HURRAY for normal caffs. They’re essential – not so long ago I had a mad craving for lasagne and chips, the crappy sort and only that would sate me. Ozzie’s in Peckham sorted me right out.
There’s a cafe like this near my office which is great when you just want something no frills, cheap and tasty (though they do have a tendency to add iceberg and slices of tomato & cucumber.)
Exactly. I had same experience with taramasalata recently – realised I just wanted the cheap stuff. Sometimes only the boggiest of bog standard will do.
it looks sooo bready and dry
the filling to bread ratio just doesn’t seem right at all.
YOU ARE WRONG JUSTIN (sorry). The roll was so airy and soft that it squidged right down instantly.
Oh, and it was the total opposite of dry. Had it been so, I would have said you see. Do not fear!
they should have used a toasted brioche instead
never understood this bap thing!
BRIOCHE?! For egg mayo! This is crazy talk!
Brioche – you can’t get the London look with those. Brioche or challah makes good french toast though, eggy bread to you Brits. I noticed that Sainsburys in ED is doing a line in Jewish bread, inc. challah.
Is it? Well well even the supermarkets move on, eh
She made the mayo then and there? Or dug it out of a bottle and mixed with the egg?
She got an egg. Then got a bottle of mayo. It may have been a jar. Or! Maybe it was a plastic tub. Then she mixed the two together.
This made me smile A LOT
I saw that picture and was all prepared for a scathing blog post, and I’m so pleased it was good! My nana used to mash egg mayo into oblivion, I’m only just getting over it now at the age of 27!
My go to comfort food is either scrambled eggs or egg mayo. Having said that, I tart the egg mayo up with a few anchovies and lemon. Food. Of. The. Gods!
Yes anchovies! I will accept that as pimpage. Lush.