Read Instructions Carefully

Considering our latest crush on The New York Times’ D-I-Y (Do It Yourself) Cooking Handbook (surprising, considering none of us actually cook), we’ve spent all of April trying to build things from scratch – making tartines at our LPQ workshop, turning a cage into a chandelier and putting together the perfect boy (still a work in progress). Manual labour, indeed!

So it’s no coincidence then, that Tuesday lunch involved reviewing Wich Latte’s D-I-Y sandwich menu, launched at  the Colaba outlet this week. The concept is simple – six steps lead to one wich, every step involving a different food group (breads, cheeses, fresh veggies, meats, extra toppings, sauces) you can pick from. Dictate the order and wait for your creation to show up neatly in a basket.

Building Blocks

Like architects of our appetites, we started building – foundations of focaccia piled high with multiple storeys of green veggies, ruby red sautéed peppers, cream cheese and mayo; sturdy whole wheat slices holding up smoked turkey, sautéed mushrooms, mozzarella and mustard. The first, ordered by our 18 year-old intern, was yum and bursting with too much, a vegetarian equivalent of a Sloppy Joe. Yes, kids these days want everything! The second was a handsome looker, a complex construction of flavours and textures.

Wich Latte’s regular menu also features a handful of new sandwiches, including a Jain one. Safe and sound is the Frontega Chicken (ask for the rosemary bread to be lightly grilled) filled with basil, onion, grilled chicken and chipotle spread. The Paneer Tikka with mint chutney tastes like the inside of an Ayub’s roll is laid out on multi-grain bread. Seems wrong not be scarfing it down on the hood of a car at 3 am post many, many drinks. These were supplemented by anti-summer lemon iced teas and spicy fries.

Empire State of Mind

Lunch time at Wich Latte is busy – the service was slow when we visited, with every dish arriving one after the other, making it difficult for our foursome to have a meal together - so stopping by to assemble an evening snack seems like a better prospect. Master piece meal! 

Getting there: Shop no. 4, ground floor, Western Breeze Building, Colaba Causeway, Colaba, 65254827 or visit www.wichlatte.com, Rs 350 for a meal for two.