Mystery halloumi sandwich

Was this sandwich any good? Where did it come from?

I have been traveling so much this year that I have lost count of where and when these sandwiches were eaten. The big square plates and dark table top make me think I was in Montreal, as why would I order such a thing in Toronto, where I could easily make a superior version at home. But I could have had a sudden craving for halloumi, as the bread looks flimsy, and Montreal rarely does flimsy bread.

I have a sensation that the salad was good, and this sandwich was actually all right, despite the bread. The plate is too large for what it holds, I wonder if this was some kind of airport meal I had treated myself to as this doesn't look like something I would order by choice at a restaurant of my choosing, but something somewhere where options were severely limited. If pressed, I would probably order it again.

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Marché Hung Phat, Montréal,

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Haloum Grille, Depanneur Le Pick Up, Montreal

A friend and I agreed the personality of the sandwich changes with each person who prepares it, and today we felt something was a little less than parfait with our Haloum Grille. Folks at Le Pick Up seemed stressed . The longest wait ever, and our lunches sat around too long. Temperature of the cheese is important to experiencing haloumi’s firm the texture and the release of its saltiness, and I prefer when it’s grilled directly before entering the sandwich. Creamy spicy slaw of red cabbage, carrot, and kale soothes the major crust burn associated with the crispy multigrain toast. Ideally it’s the bread that should be soft and the haloumi that gets to shine as the crispy grilled champ that it is. Nevertheless, we stayed for hours at the back picnic tables, chatted with the servers, overheard some drama about the evening closing procedure, broke a dish, and spilled a coffee. A good day.

Grilled pork, Vie & Nam, Montreal

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