Potasta Sandwich Factory : Big in a Different Way

Big in a different way.

That's what I would remember of Potasta, another giant sandwich shop in the quiet Kitasando area which started as a takeout store in Yoyogi. It doesn't sell potatoes but massive sandwiches that are choked full of generous ingredients that the bread is squashed and barely visible. Best of all, everything costs only 500 yen! Yes, I won't return to King George after discovering this place. 


So what does Potasta means? It is made up of three words "Pottering" + "Stand" + "Station", implying a place where customers can enjoy the good food in a relaxed and pleasant way without hurrying. The Yoyogi outlet remains a takeout store so you'll have to come here if you want a cozier place to eat (besides the park) outside your house.

This place sparked quite a wave on social media not only because of its humongous size but also that it was opened by young model named Yokochi Naoko who started the idea of healthy sandwiches made with organic vegetables from an organic farm in Chiba prefecture.

So don't be surprise to find a mound of rolled lettuce taking up almost half of your sandwich. And that's the case for the signature Scrambled Eggs sandwich with carrots and tomato basil sauce (500 yen). The eggs are perfectly curdy, not too creamy but some might not like the sweet ketchup-like taste. On some days, things may change and you get one with a Wasabi sauce which I hope to try one day. 

Although there's no drinks except for the blended coffee and water,  I highly recommend the white minestrone root vegetable soup (350 yen) which was milky but not overwhelmingly rich.

Do note that the sandwiches changes daily and according to the seasons. It was late autumn and there was the Baked Apple & Cinnamon Sweet Potato (500yen). There's barely any taste of added sugar and thus we could catch the clean, natural sweetness from the sweet potato, with baked apple slices and almonds to give that crunch. A pity that the entire mass was too dry and a struggle to finish. 

Nonetheless, I like the fact that they update their Facebook/Instagram almost daily on the sandwich selections which at least provides a heads-up on what you'll find on your visit. Green Curry Potato, Burdock Salad, Almond Jelly Sweet Potato, Marron & Persimmon...you never know that sandwiches can taste wholesome and creative.

Potasta
*good for takeaway and eat in
東京都渋谷区千駄ヶ谷2-1-6 マーシュストーン原宿ビル1F
TEL 03-6721-0748
Daily 8am-7pm
FB: https://facebook.com/potasta.jp/

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King George @ Daikanyama : King of Gourmet Sandwiches

 Opened in 2013, King George is synonymous with voluminous sandwiches with fresh, quality fillings. It is one of the early pioneers of the giant sandwich food trend and the colorful instagramable cross sections make this a popular place amongst youngsters.  

The place is surprisingly housed in narrow spaced 3-storey unit which one can easily overlook if not for the cat sign. You have to ascend a very narrow staircase before reaching the cafe located on the 2F and 3F. 

Like that also can sell food ah? Yes, it's another common example of how the Japanese maximizes limited space to makes business out of it.

With prices starting from 1400 yen, I felt that the sandwiches were really too expensive even though the ingredients were fresh. The King George (1400 yen) comprised of oven baked turkey and polverone cheese in rye bread while the Vegetarian (1600 yen) was a healthy delight loaded with fresh vegi, avocado, marble cheese in sesame bread.

The cheese was not layered like a subway sandwich but melted and solidified on the inner walls of the bread. So you've got to chow the entire monster to get the flavors revolving around your tongue.
Not conducive for sharing, I say, because it was difficult for us to slice and it spilled into a mess. We preferred the King George to the Vegetarian because turkey meat itself was tasty compared to the fresh vegetables which was bland on its own. It made me feel like a rabbit crunching on raw greens after a while.

Don't get me wrong, I love my greens. But I think it can be jazzed up with more sauce or some cooking to make the entire thing more delicious.

This may be the king of sandwiches for size and price. But there's plenty of alternatives out there which I would more happily seek out.

King George キングジョージ
東京都渋谷区代官山町11-13 2F
Shibuya ku Daikanyama cho 11-13 2F
Mon-Fri 11am-9pm
Sat 11am-10pm
Sun 11am-6pm
http://crownedcat.com/

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Gomacro : A Kyoto Cafe for all Sesame Lovers

Don't you love sesame?

Being a huge fan of sesame, I was elated to discover this casual cafe that specializes in all things sesame when I was walking along the streets of Karasuma Oike. 

Gomacro is a casual cafe produced by Yamada Seiyu, a third generation manufacturer of sesame oil whose mission is to protect the mothers who play an important role in raising the pillars of future generation. As such, one can expect that the food here is designed to be healthy, organic and gluten-free. In fact, you can see it as a vegetarian place as the food is free of meat, dairy, eggs, artificial colouring, chemicals, preservatives and even white sugar! 

My main agenda wasn't trying to be healthy (though it feels good to know that the food here is healthier than other places). I wanted to check out the signature white curry rice (¥1000) because I never had white curry before. The curry roux is made by slowly grinding white sesame and almonds by hand using a stone mortar, resulting in such a smooth and thick gravy that was full of nutty aroma. 

The spice here is non-existent and adding splashes of Sesame Rayu (Sesame chilli oil) contributed more to the aroma than taste. But still, I enjoyed the curry tremendously and thought it was a great delicious pairing indeed to go with the black sesame multigrain rice. 

For sweet ending, I had the duo of soymilk and black sesame icecream which was served with homemade sesame granola cookies. I couldn't say if I love the ice cream or the granola more but we all know that creepy crunchy bits can be very addictive. 

But the good thing is that their products from edible stuff like sesame oil, sesame paste and granola to cosmetic skincare items are retailed at the entrance of the cafe. The second level is a kitchen where cooking lessons on healthy organic food is conducted. 

Gomacro 

京都市中京区神明町67-3（御池新町通り南東角）

11.30-19.00 (Closed on Mondays, every 2nd and 4th Tues of the month)
http://www.gomacro.jp/cafe/

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