While I was in elementary school my mom packed me a sandwich for lunch everyday, but never managed to master them. I told her I liked mustard and salami sandwiches, my mom took that feedback and added mustard to every sandwich, including tuna and egg ones. Then if we were out of mustard for salami, she’d substitute with ketchup, because ketchup was still a sauce and I liked sauces. While my mom’s idea of innovation led to odd flavour pairings, Teara Lab’s creativity translated to unique and delicious fusion sandwiches. If only they were around 15 years ago to inspire my mom.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

I was invited to the soft opening on Teara Lab, a new fast casual restaurant specializing in Japanese fusion sandwiches located across the street from the UofT St. George campus. The innovative sandwich creations come from the head chef of KaKa All You Can Eat, currently one of the most popular Japanese restaurants in Markham. The shop has been fully renovated from it’s previous incarnation with pristine white walls and modern panel molding. Black iron cafe style chairs and marble topped tables added to the elegant feel of the space.

A couple of other bloggers and I decided to split our orders, so we could try a quarter of each sandwich.

• Red Wine Braised Short Rib Sandwich – Served on a thick hotdog bun, the short rib was tender with a lingering red wine flavour. This sandwich had tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise and was topped with crispy onions, havarti cheese and sprinkled with seaweed powder. Of the four sandwiches I tried, this was the most savoury and filling one.
• Tonkatsu Pork Burger – A deep fried pork cutlet served on a burger bun with honey dijon mustard, shredded cabbage, tomato and cucumber. I found the breading on the tonkatsu lost its crunch under the sauce and other ingredients. While the pork was tender, the seasoning was mild.
• Teriyaki Chicken Burger – Chunks of baked dark meat served on a burger bun with lettuce, tomato, bacon and wasabi mayo. I loved the wasabi mayo that added heat and creaminess. I also liked that dark meat was used, instead of white, which I prefer and find tastier.
• Soy Glazed Pork Belly Sandwich – A thick slab of glazed pork belly was served between slices of white bread with layers of kimchi, avocado and nori. I loved this sandwich. Since the sandwich was built in layers, each bite had a variety of textures. There was heat fro and acidity from the kimchi, creaminess from the avocado and a hint of umami from the seaweed. The pork belly itself was sweet, savoury and had the fat rendered well.

Each sandwich could be ordered as a combo with a side and drink. Currently the sides available were seasoned fries (with seaweed powder) or yam fries. The drink selection is broader and more Asian inspired with fruit teas, milk teas, slushes, creamas and ramune.

My first encounter with Caplansky’s was actually at their Pearson location before I flew to Europe last April. While I was unfamiliar, The Hubby was well acquainted, having worked near their College St. location at one point and we decided a smoked meat sandwich was the perfect way to say “brb” to Toronto. We were right. So when Caplansky’s contacted me just a month later to stop by their latest Yorkville location, I eagerly replied yes..

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine

Walking into the new deli location, I was welcomed by the man on the mustard labels himself, Zane Caplansky. After grabbing a fountain drink, I jumped right in line to fill my plate with sandwiches, fries and latkes (after photos of course). The restaurant was self-serve and will have a fully stocked AYCE mustard and pickle bar. The main dining area was dominantly white with an accent wall decorated with a playful pickle and mustard wallpaper.

While the sandwiches were the star of lunch, I also enjoyed the fresh salads and fries. The latkes served with apple sauce were a unique side option, but I do prefer my potatoes more crispy. When I think Caplansky’s, I immediately think of their smoked meat sandwiches. A thick layer of thinly sliced, fatty smoked meat, served between two pieces of buttered rye bread. I squeezed on a liberal amount of mustard before biting into the hefty sandwich. My only wish would’ve been for a thicker cut of the smoked meat.

I also had a chance to try the BBQ brisket and smoked turkey sandwiches and really enjoyed the turkey. This was lighter compared to the smoked meat but still had a lot of flavour.

I was very excited upon hearing that the owner of Black Camel was opening another sandwich shop, just down the street from my work. Considering I happily make the trek via TTC to Black Camel at lunch, having Boar within walking distance could be dangerous and amazing.

Atmosphere: The shop is small. There are only 7 seats, 3 against the front window and 2 small tables along the wall. This is definitely a grab and go lunch place, even more so than Black Camel. The kitchen area is open to the service counter so the air inside is smoky from the grill. Everything feels efficient, from your order being taken, shouted to the kitchen to the sandwich being dropped off, wrapped and ready to go.

Service: As mentioned before, the service is minimal. There was only one person working the counter, taking orders and giving out orders but the wait was still short and there wasn’t a back up. We arrived at 12:15, in the middle of lunch rush and had our sandwiches in under 10 minutes. Later in the hour, there was a 5 minute wait for sausage orders but it was still very reasonable for freshly grilled food. Similar to Black Camel, there is a loyalty program where you get one free sandwich and topping for every 12 stamps (cute boar head stamps).

Food: I ordered the chicken sandwich, with arugula pesto, cremini mushrooms  and pickled hot banana peppers. The grill marks on the chicken were nice and crispy, while the meat was still tender and moist. The pesto was creamy but light and mushrooms were a nice addition in texture. I was a little disappointed in the banana peppers because I was expecting a kick and there wasn’t any. You could taste the pepper, but the spice level was zero. I would love an addition of a hot sauce to the menu.

My friends ordered the veal (pictured) and the sausage sandwiches, along with a side order of roasted potatoes. I loved the potatoes, still firm but cooked through and covered in butter. Next up, the sausage sandwich.

Black Camel is a small sandwich and coffee shop right across the street from Rosedale subway station serving up juicy, tender brisket sandwiches on fresh buns.

Atmosphere: The interior of the cafe is small, with just a few counter seats in the front of the space with most people grabbing orders to go. During warmer weather there are benches outside and I’ve taken a sandwich to enjoy in the nearby park before.

Service: Service is minimal with orders being placed at the counter with your name. Once the order is ready, someone delivers it from the kitchen by calling out the name on the order. Black Camel offers a punch-card loyalty program of a free sandwich after buying a dozen. If you’re visiting in the evening, check their twitter (https://twitter.com/black_camel) because they often sell out before closing time.

Food: A sandwich order comes with your choice of 2 sauces/condiments and each additional topping is a charge of 0.90. The toppings range from arugula to a variety of roasted vegetables (like red pepper, onions, mushrooms). On this visit, I ordered the beef brisket sandwich with Black Camel bbq sauce, chipotle mayonnaise and slow-roasted roma tomatoes.

The brisket was tender and full of flavour while the bun soaked up all the sauces and juices of the meat. I liked the sourness of the tomatoes combined with the sweeter bbq sauce and the sandwich disappeared in about five minutes. It’s always a challenge to not order a second one while the first one settles. Each sandwich comes with a wet wipe, a necessary accessory to the meal.

Lil Baci is located within a few blocks of work for me and has been picked up into my roster of lunch venues in the area. The menu is within a good price range for lunch ($15-$25), the portions aren’t oversized but filling and of course delicious.

I usually order the soup (made fresh daily)  and ½ sandwich combo and have tried the Ragu Boy (pictured below) , Italian BLT and Lil Baci Hero. A side salad is served with each plate, very lightly dressed. Some of the lettuce pieces were still full leaves, which I didn’t mind but I did have to cut it up myself a little. As for the sandwich itself, I love the fresh baked bread. It’s soft, airy and just soaks up the sauce. For the Ragu Boy, the pork was tender and fell apart easily. I would recommend any of the three sandwiches I’ve tried. The side soup of the combo is served in a small espresso sized mug, this portion could be bigger. The service is always excellent and our water jug was always full.

Next Visit: The pizzas