Shanghai's Best Budget Sandwiches
Got a hankering for a sandwich? There are a couple of places around town who are doing them on the cheap. Next time you feel like revisiting your old lunchbox favorite, check out these three great sandwich spots.
City Shop | Groceries
It’s not the first place you think of when you think lunch, but it’s long been one of our favorites. Most of their branches have pre-made options of different varieties, but the City Shop on Huaihai Zhong Lu has a made-to-order sandwich counter that gives you access to everything they offer. You have your pick of meat (they have eight choices from salami to smoked salmon), bread (six varieties), cheese (five varieties) and veggies (10 varieties). A plain veggie sandwich goes as low as RMB15, but our go-to option is roasted chicken (picked off their freshly rotisserie’d birds) and gouda on a pita with a spritz of Dijon mustard (RMB25).
Pantry | Delivery
This tiny shop features Trenchers’ sandwiches (made fresh daily) alongside offerings from Amelia’s Jams, Strictly Cookies, Spread the Bagel and omg Bakery. Their lunch special gets you a sandwich along with a drink and two cookies or a cupcake for RMB50, but if you’re on a budget and just want a sandwich, they’ve got 15 options available daily for RMB26 or less. The Hotty (RMB22), with sliced ham and English mustard, and the BLT (RMB24) are our faves, but we’ll spring for the Peking Duck (RMB26) when we’re feeling adventurous. Order after 3:30pm and you’ll even get 20 percent off.
Sarnies | Sandwiches & Delis
All of Sarnies’ options go for RMB25 or less, and though service is slow, we’ll take it at these prices. They have both hot and cold options. We’re big fans of the Hilton Clash (RMB18) with bacon, moist chicken breast, a fried egg, lettuce and tomato, and the Big Rig (RMB21), with turkey, ham and Swiss cheese. There are also solid, more basic options going as low as RMB18 for those on super tight budgets. After a few lunches here you might even be able to splurge on one of their silky-smooth smoothies (from RMB15).
What do you think of our list? Where do you go for a cheapwich?
See also:
Shanghai's Best Lemon Tarts
Shanghai's Best Ravioli
Shanghai's Best Chicken Noodle Soup
Shanghai's Best Sunday Roast
Shanghai's Best Tandoori Chicken
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City Shop has my vote. Those sandwiches have saved the CW team from starvation many times..
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This what sandwiches should be like. There are a few places in Shanghai (I won't name) that just overcharge too much. A sandwich should not be a luxury.
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Being allergic to mayo, mustard and ketchup, I've always avoided sandwiches in China. The few times I've gone to KFC or SubWay, they've more often than not slathered on the dressing. One-way ticket to anaphylaxisville for Handsome Narsfs, sadly.
Any of these above options help cater to my peculiar and specific health needs?
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Sarnie's are made fresh so you can ask them to hold off on the sauce, and City Shop on Huaihai has little forms with all their sauce and filling options you fill out before they make em so they're probably even better. Love those sandwiches
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Well, slap my thigh and call me Charlie, some useful information! Thanks Geoff, tip of the hat!
There's a Cityshop directly opposite my place in Changning, but it really does seem to coagulate around the bottom end of staff and customer service in Shanghai. So I will have to see what can be done about getting my sandwich on.
Usually getting something out of these people is like pulling teeth though, so I'm not going to give myself false hope.
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Excitement is not one of my fortes. I prefer a nice piece of tree bark and treatise on pre-Raphaelite stone masonry to the thrills and spills of modern day life.
But a proper chicken sandwich with lettuce and bacon might get me to put down my woodchipper and wander out blinking into the cold glare of daylight.
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Haha, don't get too excited, not all the City Shops do to-order sandwiches
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Subway, how can you miss Subway? There are made to order sandwiches for as low as 12 RMB there, daily. I know it's more of a chain but it's so good. Fresh made bread, fresh vegetables and an English speaking staff. Sure, haters got to hate but Subway comes correct.
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Subway? Seriously? I respect your right to choice, and the bread always smells great but the ingredients are just horrible.
I had their steak sammich last month and it was stringy not-steak and a half pound of overcooked green peppers.
I know I've said this before, but someone needs to gather all Shanghai's restauranteurs and explain to them VERY CLEARLY that just because it has come from a cow, it doesn't mean it's steak.
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Nars - to be fair I only eat their turkey sandwiches. As always I agree with you on the finer points of Shanghai restaurateurs and their misguided attempts of beef imposed tom foolery. However I was just mentioning Subway because the article talked about diners on a budget. However, once they put in a bar (this is China) and some KTV girls I will never complain about Subway again.
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They put in a bar and girls wearing scantily-clothes and I swear I will learn to love their faux steak sammiches.
Nothing can ever beat home-made. City Super LJZ has by far the best bread.