You Say Sandwich, We Say Yeah!

Because McDonalds was not yet open, we had to eat at the airport. One last dip into Portuguese style sandwiches of breaded veal or chicken, a salmon sandwich was also picked up, and some unidentifiable sandwich that was not breaded meat was also purchased for variety. I ate the breaded thing, and the other two were for Millie on her journey. She later said the salmon was also bad, after a bad unidentified earlier offering, but my context appropriate breaded meat offering was just fine. I recall fancy plastic seating overlooking a few airport shops, and feeling very 60s Mod, I sat there nursing these sandwiches in my fatigue zone.

I popped my Scandinavian sandwich cherry in Oslo with a fantastic smoked salmon on seeded bread. I bit into the dense, chewy bread heavily crusted with sesame, flax, and sunflower seeds, as my sandwich companion noted that whole flax acts as an exfoliator for the lower intestine. This is a definite bonus, as folks in these parts seem to like flax seeds on practically everything. Under the lid, there are many regular ingredients in the classic Norwegian sandwich combo, including thick slices of salmon, a spreadable cream cheese flecked with herbs and pepper (possibly even carrot), plus only slightly wilted greens, and thinly sliced cucumber. 

Never much for the sweets, I somehow find myself hauling ass to Thierry's for their macarons time and time again. Using more salt than sugar is perhaps this chocolaterie's secret, and having tried most of their desserts and even one of their ham and cheese croissants ( documented here ), I finally sat down for lunch with a guest to sample their baguettes proper. Going for the jambon blanc and gruyère with a touch a dijon fromage frais, the winner was my companion's selection of the cold smoked wild sockeye salmon with the caper cream cheese, which also happened to have just the perfect amount of fresh dill blended in. Overflowing from an aromatic and densely chewy baguette with just the right amount of crust, it's the type of sandwich that leaves you with a tinge of flour on your fingertips and a yearning for more. Of course, the baby gherkins were the perfect finisher, along with a few macarons to share. Oh, Thierry!

Expensive, very attractive looking, super fresh arugula and tasty salmon on chewy bread. This sandwich was more about quick   film festival sustenance than a dining experience. Which is perhaps what the Lightbox resto wants, as there’s often not much time between films, and I believe that more thorough evaluation would reveal a lot of glitz without achieving total sandwich satisfaction.

I've been back to Miura a few times since I first visited last summer. They have daily specials, which is just a price decrease from regular menu items, rather their special blue plate specials that only exist on that given day. Either way, I have still yet to try them all off of this menu , but I'm getting close and starting to wonder if they will invent new options. This here wasabi salmon waffle is a great idea in concept. Crispy tantalizing salmon between soft fresh made waffles?! Yes, please. But in execution, the wasabi flavour was hardly detectable, and there was just too much romaine, that in the end, it felt more like a salmon salad, with a side of waffles, which still, while tasty, wasn't a great sandwich. Like its brother from another mother, the popular fried chicken and waffles combo, the crispy salmon and waffles would be a great thing on its own, maybe with a poached egg, and hi, we have brunch. Also to note, their tomato soup didn't cut the mustar...

A quick soujourn through Finland to visit one of their smaller cities for a disappointing art festival had me pass through Helsinki's international airport, a major gateway between Eastern Europe and Asia. Lots of goods were for sale, primarily Finland's seafood delicacies from caviar to smoked fish, with some land rarities like reindeer and bear salami (which, by the way, is damn delicious in its fatty tenderness). Chowing down for this simple smoked salmon on their hard rye, filled with sliced boiled eggs and fresh dill, there was nothing to note, except for how awesomely expensive it all was. By far the most pricey sandwich I've ever had, I cannot justify that it was worth it.

The Blue Lagoon is one of the world's most spectacular geothermal spas. After six hours of wading in that silica mud, in a pool that overlaps two tectonic plates, my energy was renewed, but also completely drained. A simple lox and egg sandwich was had, and a bit of salt, or capers would have really elevated this sandwich to a whole new level, but for my state, it satiated my most immediate needs.