How limited-edition sandwiches are shaping Bengaluru’s food culture

A sandwich Advent calendar 

At Chef Karan Upmanyu’s Knots and Crosses — that opened its doors successful August this twelvemonth — the absorption has been connected creating sandwiches that battalion a punch. Karan, who besides runs ParTTwo successful the city, says his delivery-focussed sandwich marque has besides done a fewer constricted variation sandwiches “that truly specify who we are”. These see the nduja and anchovy sandwich, pastrami reuben with sauerkraut, charred greenish beans sandwich, and the chorizo and prawn omelette sandwich. “These aren’t constricted to make hype; they’re constricted due to the fact that that’s conscionable however overmuch we tin do. There’s nary acceptable calendar for our drops, and they hap erstwhile we person the close produce, the close energy, and the close reason.”

While each driblet begins with an idea, helium says the investigating and refining involves a batch of backend work. “To bash that for adjacent 1 sandwich tin beryllium a full process. It’s not conscionable astir creativity; it’s astir execution astatine a precise choky scale. Because we don’t person a ample setup oregon a fixed paper cycle, each caller sandwich takes a astonishing magnitude of coordination and focus. That’s what makes it some hard and rewarding.”

Karan says specified drops enactment due to the fact that they are “rooted successful honesty”. “There’s an system to doing less, and our customers look to recognize that. Limited drops are besides a truly large mode for america to trial and recognize what our customers love. Some are seasonal specials but immoderate mightiness marque it onto our regular menu,” helium says, adding that a Christmas Advent Calendar is successful the works. “It volition beryllium a constricted variation driblet successful December wherever we anticipation to make 12 sandwiches till Christmas. Three sandwiches volition spell unrecorded each week and beryllium disposable lone for that week.” 

At 32, Patel Ram Reddy Rd, K.R.Colony, Domlur

Panuzzos and more

A fewer months ago, a modern Neapolitan trattoria launched successful Bengaluru and brought with it handmade pastas, and pizzas crafted with slow-fermented dough. Aptly called Serious Slice, the task takes its sanction seriously. Anirush Kheny, partner, Serious Slice, says the conception for the edifice draws from the traditions of Southern Italy: its convivial trattorias, street-side ovens, and caller ingredients. While their handcrafted pastas, refreshing salads, and thin, Neapolitan pizzas crafted with a 72-hour fermented dough person been popular, what Serious Slice is besides known for is its Napoli-inspired panuozzo. 

It is neither a sandwich nor calzone, but falls determination successful between, and is portion of their constricted variation drops. It is crafted from their signature sourdough, baked and past sliced and stuffed with an array of flavours specified arsenic lamb meatball with marinara and provolone; chimichurri prawn with guacamole and confit tomato; a Caprese with marinated tomatoes and balsamic, to sanction a few. “These are 1 of our astir intriguing offerings, and are aimed astatine keeping the abstraction caller by doing thing antithetic and exciting,” says Anirudh, adding that the merchandise is disposable for pick-up oregon dine in. 

He adds that the conception of a limited-edition merchandise is besides a large mode for the squad to experimentation and find retired what works. “Unlike the accepted edifice format we grew up with, the existent procreation is intrigued by specified drops and creates curiosity astir the brand.” The squad has had 2 drops truthful far, and the adjacent is scheduled for this month. “There is nary fixed docket arsenic we’d similar to support it fluid. We motorboat lone 20 pieces of a merchandise and promotions spell unrecorded a fewer days prior. While we person lone launched non-vegetarian offerings until now, we are looking astatine a vegetarian driblet for the adjacent round, oregon adjacent a smaller sized pizza,” says Anirudh. 

At HM Geneva House, Vasanth Nagar, Cunningham Road (

Onam sandos and Oh Cheesus

After taking their sandos to euphony festivals and pop-ups crossed the city, Jassil Jamaludhin and Chef Carl Pinto of Sando Club launched a sit-down store earlier this year. Here, alongside sandos including Mary’s Lamb, The Tiger, Oh Cheesus, and sides specified arsenic Colaveri Wings, The Royal Smash, Politician Wings, to sanction a few, the duo besides experimentation with Rando Sando. “An abbreviation for ‘random sandwich’, it has been determination from our popular up days. It’s a abstraction wherever we effort to propulsion our creativity and boundaries successful exploring food. We play with the bread, sauces, fillings, meats, etc. to make thing new,” says Jassil, who volition soon commencement delivering crossed Bengaluru.

These constricted variation offerings, helium says, “build a definite benignant of excitement successful the audience”. “Engaging with it and trying the merchandise elevates the customer’s societal presumption due to the fact that they got thing that others didn’t get. It’s besides a reminder that we’re inactive present whipping retired brainsick dishes for our customers.” Sandos truthful acold person been Meen & Chips and adjacent an Onam Sadhya sando. 

The duo besides organise events to make the hype. Case successful constituent being the caller Halloween themed nighttime “where the taxable was astir however Bengaluru is ridden by a Zombie Outbreak, and the lone cure to it is disposable astatine Sando Club”. “We decorated the diner, and created a limited-edition menu. Every lawsuit who came was welcomed by a big successful a laboratory coat, their somesthesia is checked and we springiness them a paper that says they’re infected. Once seated, they’re advised to devour thing (from our menu) earlier we administer the cure. The cure was purple cabbage beverage mixed with lime foodstuff (changes the colour from purple to red) poured from a beaker to a changeable glass. Once consumed, they volition get a greenish paper that says they’re cured. This is beyond conscionable a constricted variation menu, the full acquisition is unsocial and thing bragworthy and unexpected,” explains Jassil, who plans connected hosting akin events each month.

At 6/2, Primrose Rd, Craig Park Layout, Ashok Nagar